With Christian and Islamic conquests, you can see similarities in their treatment of the local faiths on the recently conquered. The Sphinx lost its nose because of a local Emir, enraged at the local people performing rites to it and so defaced it. Christians also destroyed many statues of Greco-Roman gods as they gained influence throughout the Roman Empire considering such works 'idolatrous'. In Britain, Scandinavia and Eastern Europe, they curiously absorbed local legends and faiths into their narrative. For example, in Wales we have several springs and other local curiosities attributed to "saints" when they were actually originally local heroes and stories pre dating Christianity. In Scandinavia, part of what helped the conversion of the population was the church's somewhat relaxed rules on its interpretation of Christianity to ease the locals into it. A Norwegian crucifix would typically feature a more muscly, indomitable Christ on the cross rather than a sagging, defeated Jesus as is more commonly illustrated.
What I want to know, however, was what was the Vikings attitude to the faiths of people it conquered? I know we get the popular images of monks slaughtered and churches burned, but wasn't that just because they were in the way of raiders and treasure? To my knowledge, there weren't really any fanatical Vikings seeking to wipe Christianity off the face of the earth. Were there any efforts to convert the Christian peoples under their control to the worship of the Norse pantheon? Did they try to at least suppress Christianity to prevent revolts in the areas under their control? Or did Viking conquerors maintain an uneasy tolerance of those foreign faiths in areas under their control because they were a newly arrived minority?
It can be be articulated that Vikings were no where near as fervent in spreading their religious beliefs as early Christians, and this no doubt played a part in their interactions later on with one another.
It was also not unheard of for Vikings to take brides during their raids, though it was by no means a common affair as it's not likely that a bride who constantly tried to escape or kill you would be considered much of a prize. As Vikings raids turned to a more political oriented strategy, it becomes evident that the Vikings were at the very least willing to concede certain Christian customs upon themselves in the interest of open trading.
Another point to keep in mind is that as these changes began to take place, the Vikings were as a whole exposed to the increasing presence of Christianity as they became neighbors with those in English and Christian lands. It is easy to draw the conclusion that Vikings as a whole, were an adaptable people who were open to change if it benefited them strategically. It does not appear that there was any mandate for them to 'preach' of norse religion to outside lands, and it seems as if this played an integral part in the eventual spread of Christian beliefs amongst a now intermarried norse people.
Did the sphinx really lose its nose that way?