The Norsemen in the Viking Age

This book is a lively introduction to Norsemen in the period 750–1050. Without dismissing stereotypes of aggressive, warmongering Vikings, Eric Christiansen shows how Nordic peoples responded to hostile environments at home and overseas. He concentrates on life within their homelands and colonies, families and communities. The Norsemen in the Viking Age covers many aspects of Nordic life, including ecology, politics, war, work, and migration. Christiansen examines both social conventions and self–awareness of individuals and groups, and reconstructs Viking–age ideas about the past, present, and future to explain contemporary behaviour. Runic, poetic, and archaeological evidence is used to illustrate the author′s arguments, while an appendix sketches the outline of modern research and the directions it is taking.

List of Maps. Introduction:. Vikings. Their Age. The Aim. 1. Individuals. 2. Families. 3. Communities. 4. Districts and Territories. 5. Peoples. 6. Politics. 7. War. 8. Work. 9. Migration. 10 Past. 11. Present. 12. Future. Appendices:. A: Modern Research. B: Dynastic Identities. C: Dates. References.

Eric Christiansen was born in 1937 and educated in England. He is a Fellow Emeritus of New College, Oxford. His publications include The Origins of Military Power in Spain (1967), The Northern Crusades (Second Edition, 1996) and translations of Saxo Grammaticus books X–XVI (1980–81), Sven Aggesen (1992) and Dudo of St Quentin (1998).

"This is an interesting, often informative and provocative book." The Medieval Review "[A] thought–provoking survey of, and engagement with, the whole gamut of Viking–age activities and resulting scholarship." Saga Book "This book is an absolute delight, a quirky, hard–hitting potpourri to be dipped into and savoured by anyone even remotely interested in the period … Altogether this is a lively, provocative and stimulating book, strongly recommended to anyone with interest in early medieval Europe or indeed any reader seeking entertainment." History July 2007