The Vikings From Odin to Christ

by Whittock, Martyn; Whittock, Hannah

• ISBN13: 9780745980188
• ISBN10: 074598018X
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2018-06-22
• Publisher: Lion Books

Summary

The popular image of the Vikings is of tall red-headed men, raping and pillaging their way around the coast of Europe, stopping only to ransack monasteries and burn longships. But the violent Vikings of the 8th century became the pious Christians of the 11th century, who gave gold crosses to Christian churches and in whose areas of rule pagan idols were destroyed and churches were built.

So how did this radical transformation happen, and why? What difference did it make to the Vikings, and to those around them, and what is their legacy today? 

This book takes a "global" look at this key period in Viking history, exploring all the major areas of Viking settlement. Written to be an accessible and engaging overview for the general reader.

Author Biography

Martyn Whittock graduated in Politics from Bristol University in 1980. He taught history for thirty-five years and latterly was curriculum leader for Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural education at a Wiltshire secondary school. He is a Licensed Lay Minister in the Church of England. He has acted as an historical consultant to the National Trust and English Heritage. He retired from teaching in July 2016 to devote more time to writing. He is the author or co-author of forty-seven books, including school history textbooks and adult history books. The latter include: A Brief History Of Life in the Middle Ages (2009), A Brief History of the Third Reich (2011), A Brief Guide To Celtic Myths and Legends (2013), The Viking Blitzkrieg AD789-1098 (2013), The Anglo-Saxon Avon Valley Frontier (2014), 1016 and 1066: Why The Vikings Caused The Norman Conquest (2016), Norse Myths and Legends (2017), When God Was King (2018), The Vikings: from Odin to Christ (2018). The last two published by Lion Hudson. Also co-written with his daughter, Esther, is Christ: The First Two Thousand Years (2016). The Story of the Cross is their second collaborative venture. Both books are published by Lion Hudson.Hannah Whittock has an MPhil from Cambridge in Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic studies. She has co-written three books on Viking and Anglo-Saxon history and has written journal articles on Anglo-Saxon frontiers and coinage produced during the Viking Wars. She reads Old English and Old Norse. She co-wrote The Vikings with Martyn Whittock.