The Norsemen in the Viking Age / Eric Christiansen.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Christiansen, Eric, 1937-2016.

Series:

Peoples of Europe

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Northmen.

Vikings.

Physical Description:

xiii, 378 pages : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Oxford ; Malden, Mass. : Blackwell Publishers, 2002.

Summary:

This series is about the European tribes and peoples from their origins in prehistory to the present day. Drawing upon a wide range of archaeological and historical evidence, each volume presents a fresh and absorbing account of a group's culture, society and usually turbulent history. Histories of the vikings have recently tended to emphasize political or social transitions. Eric Christiansen separates the Nordic peoples from the organizing principles which others have used and attempts to describe life in their homelands and colonies in terms of more, or less, ingenious responses to hostile environments at home and overseas.

Guiding readers past some traditional and current controversies surrounding the Norsemen in the period 750-1050, the author discusses twelve key topics. After a survey of the ecology, social conventions and self-awareness of individuals and groups, he moves on to cover the major areas of Norse activity: politics, war, work and migration. The final chapters reconstruct viking-age ideas about the past, present and future in order to offer insight into contemporary behaviour. Runic, poetic and archaeological evidence is used to illustrate the author's arguments. Appendixes outline modern research and dynastic identities.

Contents:

Introduction: Vikings Their Age The Aim 1

1 Individuals 10

2 Families 38

3 Communities 64

4 Districts and Territories 87

5 Peoples 112

6 Politics 133

7 War 168

8 Work 189

9 Emigration 214

10 Past 236

11 Present 251

12 Future 279

A Modern Research 301

B Dynastic Identities 325

E Thegns 335.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [337]-365) and index.

ISBN:

0631216774

OCLC:

46422240