Primary Source Analysis Week 11: Ibn Fadlan
For your analysis, read Ibn Fadlan’s description of a Viking Funeral in Rus. In a few words give your best guess as to the following questions. Please do not do any outside/internet research. Use only the information provided in the textbook, lectures, or primary source itself. (If the information is not available, or you don’t know the answer, make an educated guess based on context clues.)
1) Who might have written this document? Not just the name, but the author’s position, perspective?
2) To whom, to what audience might this document be addressed?
3) When was it written down?
4) Why do you think this document was created, for what purpose was it written down?
Then, answer the following question, supporting your answer with at least two concrete, specific evidences or examples from the historical text:
5) Where do you see evidence of Ibn Fadlan’s bias or lack of neutrality, evidence of his desire to shock his Muslim audience, things he mentions that would have especially gone against Muslim values?*
*adapted from the suggested questions in the textbook or read