During the Viking Age it was not necessarily bad to participate in homosexual activities. In this context, the culture was only concerned with the loss of honor, and the only dishonor came from being the passive or bottom participant in such activities. In fact, there are records of men boasting of taking the active role, which shows there was no stigma attached to it.

The Old Norse term “ergi” (sometimes “argr”) was one of the highest insults. The term literally means “unmanliness”, and accuses someone of effeminacy or unmanly behavior. It was such an egregious insult that accusation was legal reason to challenge the accuser to a duel. And if the duel was refused, the accuser could be outlawed.

The term “ergi” could also be applied to women, in whom it referred to extreme lecherousness.