A Brief History of the Vikings: The Last Pagans or the First Modern Europeans?

by Clements, Jonathan

• ISBN13: 9780786715992
• ISBN10: 0786715995
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-10-13
• Publisher: Perseus Books Group

Summary

Between the eighth and eleventh centuries, the Vikings surged from their Scandinavian homeland to trade and raid along the coasts of Europe. Their influence extended from Newfoundland to Baghdad, their battles were as far-flung as Africa and the Arctic. But were they great seafarers or desperate outcasts, noble heathens or oafish pirates, the last pagans or the first of the modern Europeans? This concise study puts medieval chronicles, Norse sagas and Muslim accounts alongside more recent research into ritual magic, genetic profiling and climatology. It includes biographical sketches of some of the most famous Vikings, from Erik Bloodaxe to Saint Olaf, from King Canute to Leif the Lucky. Extending beyond the traditional 'Viking age' of most books, A Brief History of the Vikings also places sudden Scandinavian population movements in a wider historical context. It presents a balanced appraisal of these infamous sea kings, explaining both their swift expansion and its supposed halt. Supposed because the Vikings never really went away. Instead, posits Clements, they became a part of who we are today.

Author Biography

Jonathan Clements is the author, co-author or translator of over thirty books, including Pirate King, The Moon in the Pines and Confucius. He divides his time between Finland and England.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations	vii
Preface and Acknowledgements	ix
Introduction: Britannia Deserta
The Dark Ages	1	(14)
Songs of the Valkyries
Myths and Legends of Scandinavia	15	(33)
Fury of the Northmen
From the First Raids to Harald Bluetooth	48	(18)
Great Heathen Hosts
Highlands, Islands, Ireland and England	66	(15)
Brother Shall Fight Brother
Harald Fairhair and Sons	81	(17)
The Road East
Vikings, Russians and Varangians	98	(18)
Advent of the White Christ
From Harald Greycloak to Olaf Crowbone	116	(21)
Beyond the Edge of the World
Iceland, Greenland and Vinland	137	(23)
London Bridge is Falling Down
From Svein Forkbeard to Olaf the Stout	160	(26)
The Thunderbolt of the North
The Life and Legends of Harald the Ruthless	186	(28)
Children of Thor
One Thousand Years Later	214	(16)
Appendix: Rulers during the Viking Age	230	(3)
Family Trees	233	(6)
Maps	239	(3)
Further Reading	242	(7)
References	249	(14)
Index	263