We know that the Viking age was an age of Scandinavian revolt against forced Christianity, and that the years from the late sevenhundreds until 1066 did not represent any golden age per se. We know that this age marked hard times, and the beginning of a long lasting complete downturn and a still ongoing accumulating decay. Yes, we know what these 300 pluss years did to our culture, traditions and tribes: more about that here.
But, can you lay all that aside for a moment... and imagine being a young warrior approaching the eighth century? Can you imagine being 16 to 17 years of age standing before the summer.... after being fueled up with expectations all winter around the fireplace together with your closest tribe members.... Imagine the tellings of all the stories, from your father, uncle and your brothers and cousins that were strong and brave enough to fill the longship of the family in the tribal fleet last summer. Imagine watching their return home upon the sounding horns and applauds - rich like the Norwegian fairytale mountain Trolls. Riches taken from the very empire trying to destroy you, your ancestral traditions and free life.
It must have been like a Mithra Cult to be granted a seat in the longship. A seat that you had to earn amongst older and better warriors than you, and most likely compete to get. It must also have been a part of being raised a man, a warrior - the same way the young warriors roamed the forests in the wild hunt long before the Viking raids, like outcasts, before returning re-born, whole and healthy, more wealthy, again. Yes, it must have been the same as when Tacitus describes that you become an adult warrior of the tribe only when you have shown yourself worthy, killed one of your enemies, standing above the corpse in triumph.
For a Germanic mindset, this all makes sense. Conflict and strife gain the spirit and are not all negative. There must have been a spiritual aspect to these raids, that was indeed seen upon as necessary. They became not only a preventive act of self defence in a de facto war, but a prolongation of a very, very old tradition - of initiation, becoming yourself, becoming a warrior, a protector of blood and soil, with an honourable reputation in the kin, that echoed in eternity.