I wanted to make this brief post with some ideas I've had somewhat recently. I actually got on this train of thought after watching the Northman, which is a great movie I'd recommend. I especially like it's presentation of an authentic 'viking' culture, including the moral worldview of these raiders, which I want to discuss.

Norse cultures in the early middle ages had a social code which we would consider to be 'toxically masculine' in the extreme; it's based around 'laddishness', braggadocio, doing reckless things with absolutely no fear. There is no cultural space for 'vulnerability', if you fail to live up to these expectations you are humiliated and it is literally preferable to die than be a coward.

I think you really need to imagine the context of violence that this society is developing in, where 'raiding' is an honoured pastime. People are generally reluctant to kill others; in modern armies are a surprisingly large proportion of combatants will deliberately misfire their weapons, and make little attempt to actually kill anyone---this is with guns. Imagine the state of mind you need to put yourself in, where if you want to kill someone they must be right in front of you, and you need to do with a piece of sharp metal. Its extremely brutal, and I have to imagine that a culture which is so 'toxic' develops simply due to the practical reality of NEEDING to engage in this shocking violence. Competitivity, repression of emotions, and lack of compassion are cultural adaptations responding to violence.

I wish we could have a more material basis for our understanding of 'toxic masculinity', rather than something arbitrary imposed by fiat by 'the patriarchy'.