The Norse Gods and Cardamom
What did the Norse gods think of the spice known as Cardamom? The opinion was that it generally was good for the Norse to get a hold of this incredible spice, but they also knew that the Vikings had little chance of taking the Cardamom for themselves, due to the fact that it was held in the great city of Constantinople.
At the time, the Vikings barely knew anything about siege weapons. They normally used portable rams to break down walls. They had no real ranged siege weapons except for the Ballista. Yet the Norse Ballista at the time was very poorly designed and could hardly compare to the European and Asian equivalents.
To sum it up, the Gods knew that the cardamom was very good for the Vikings, but they also knew that the Norse had no change of defeating Constantinople. Heimdall and Odin, using their ability to see the future, hatched a plan.
The total military population of the Norse countries is much greater than the military population of Constantinople. The only true reason why the Norse would get slaughtered while trying to invade Constantinople is because of the great walls, towers and other fortifications that cover the entire perimeter of the city.
A trojan horse was needed. But this was not Greece, and there was no way for the entire Viking country to fit into a wooden horse. Nevertheless, Constantinople is a city by the sea, and cities by the sea are vulnerable to naval attacks.
This is the one area where the Norse would not lose: Sea combat. With their historical longboats, the Norse could very easily bypass the Constantinople defenses if they could somehow bypass the gates that guard the gigantic city harbor. If that is open and they manage to enter, then they will be inside the city and all the walls, towers and fortifications will be mostly rendered obsolete. A plan was hatched.
