Wikipedia still contains writings by Norwegian mass murderer

Anders Behring Breivik ‘apologises’ to innocent bystandersThe popular Internet site Wikipedia still includes several of the writings Anders Breivik posted before he killed 77 people in Oslo in July 2011. Breivik turned Vikings into Muslims in many of these writings.

After Breivik was arrested for his crimes, he wrote a political manifesto which was 1,800 pages long and which said the source for a new truth was Wikipedia. Breivik was a frequent user of the popular website whose articles can be written or edited by anyone.

Breivik made most of his Wikipedia contributions between 2009 and 2011. He was especially active on pages pertaining to early 12th century Norwegian king  Sigurd the Crusader, whom he idolised.

Breivik modified some of the text from the saga Heimskringla, one of the best known works by Icelandic poet and historian Snorri Sturluson. Snorri Sturluson’s original text described Sigurd the Crusader’s conquests of pagan towns, but  Breivik changed the conquered communities to Muslim towns.

Breivik also changed another passage where Snorri Sturluson originally described Sigurd the Crusader’s battle with a large Viking group, whom Breivik also changed to Muslims.

Both of the above Wikipedia entries were quickly changed, but some of Breivik’s other Wikipedia contributions remain on the site. Many believe Breivik wrote much of the Wikipedia entry about Kungälv, the Swedish town close to the location where Sigurd the Crusader constructed a famous and large castle.

There has been discussion about whether or not any of Breivik’s Wikipedia entries should stay on the site, but the director of the board has said there is no reason to change the content as long as it is accurate, regardless of who wrote it.