Buddha In Mysterious Places

ThailandTom

This thread is just a little bit of fun (hence general banter), but where have you seen or heard buddha where you would not exactly expect?? I have the first link, sorry if anybody should be offended, but it is only a short clip and should not be taken seriously.

StaticToybox

I once read about a small Buddha statue being found at a Viking-era archaeological dig in Sweden.

ThailandTom

Now that is very unexpected, I wonder of the vadility of what you heard, because that would suggest buddhism may have spread west earlier than which is commonly known.

MindGate

Now that is very unexpected, I wonder of the vadility of what you heard, because that would suggest buddhism may have spread west earlier than which is commonly known.

Maybe it was mistaken to be the Buddha and was actually Odin (you know, the one true god that we should all worship. Don't want them ice giants coming back, now do we?).

ThailandTom

lol, I doubt it would be mistaken by people who work in such a profession, but no, please no ice giants

StaticToybox

Now that is very unexpected, I wonder of the vadility of what you heard, because that would suggest buddhism may have spread west earlier than which is commonly known.

I doubt it's anything like Buddhism spreading that far west. Bearing in mind that the Vikings were the most advanced shipbuilders and mariners of their time, and that they sailed, fought and traded throughout most of the (at the time) known world I'd say it's more likely that they ran into Buddhism (or at least an interesting trinket at a market) somewhere a bit further south and east than Sweden.

ThailandTom

That is more likely, which is why I said 'may have spread'. But yes, some viking probably found it or traded it as it looked like something they had never seen before.