The 13th Warrior is a movie based on Michael Crichton’s novel, Eaters of the Dead. It’s a story about an Arab Muslim venturing north in the lands of the Norsemen and living among them, and ultimately being forced into an epic adventure with their warriors as their 13th member to face a horde of cannibals who thinks they’re bears.

Vikings have this common stereotype, whether true or not, as these wild berserkers who blindly charge at their enemies – ferocious barbarians fighting on the frontlines. It’s too easy to think of them as dumb brutes, but the movie has several scenes that show us how intelligent and calculating they are. It was a refreshing change to see them displaying enormous cunning and guile in several scenarios.

Let’s start with their king, Buliwyf. He figured out that their Arab companion, Ahmed, was a smart man, who probably knew how to read and write. Buliwyf approached him one early morning and asked Ahmed directly if he knew how to “draw sounds”, and to show him. Ahmed grabs a stick and begins to write Arabic words into the ground. Now, Buliwyf just stared at the words without even trying to write it himself to remember. And few days later, he writes the entire thing back from memory, with only 1 mistake. That’s very impressive memory.

When the Vikings finally arrive in the cannibal-blighted village of King Hrothgar, they surveyed the surroundings, each of them assessing the weaknesses of the place. No fence, no moat, no men between the ages of 17 and 50. This shows not only do the Vikings know how to fight, but they also know how to defend a fixed location. Ahmed could only just look at them and gape in astonishment.

If they could defend, they naturally know how to attack as well. Remember that mental image of these berserkers charging wildly into the fray? Well they don’t do that at all. During that scene where they went to investigate a house suspected to have Wendol,  the name they have for the cannibals, they did the complete opposite of a full frontal assault. The Vikings first surround the house, with their best archer at position to provide support, and bursts into the house from all directions – roof, windows and front door. Tactics, bitch!

But my absolute favorite is when the 13 warriors learn that Prince Wigliff, the son of King Hrothgar, is causing intrigue behind the scenes. To send a message, Herger the Joyous instigated a fight between him and a large warrior under Wigliff’s retinue. Herger wins the duel, but the manner in which he did so speaks volumes of their cunning. He pretended to be a weak old man, someone who was losing the fight, and just when Wigliff’s warrior was about to deliver the killing blow, Herger drops the charade and easily kills the larger warrior in one blow.

An incredulous Ahmed confronts him afterwards and the following conversation ensued:

Ahmed: You, you could have killed him at will.
Herger the Joyous: Yes? 
Ahmed: Well, why the deception?
Herger the Joyous: Deception is the point! Any fool can calculate strength. That one (Prince Wigliff) has been doing it since we arrived. Now he has to calculate what he can’t see.
Ahmed: And fear… what he doesn’t know.

Herger not only just killed a formidable warrior from Wigliff’s side, weakening his position, but he also managed to insert a piece of psywar into the mix. Because of Herger’s fine acting in the fight, Wigliff can’t accurately assess their strength, and therefore make his move against the 13 warriors. That is some Mafia level of brain games.