The Children of Ash and Elm: A History of the Vikings

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The final publication will include a 16 page color insert, maps, chapter notes, references, and index. In the 800s, Vikings extorted 30,000 pounds of silver from France: one-seventh of the entire coinage of the century. It is important to acknowledge that the Vikings (1) were culturally and racially diverse, and (2) ritually did terrible things that really nobody should aspire to.

Wetenschappelijk verantwoord, zeer uitgebreid en op zich lekker geschreven onderzoek naar de Vikingen. The stereotype of the Viking that we know from history books and popular media is here dismantled and presented anew by Mr. It is laudably clear; it is admirably placed for effect within the text (you'll have to trust me on that one); but it doesn't rise as high into the rhetorical clouds as Author Tore's book does. Anyway, this book starts with the Norse creation myth, and ends with Ragnarok, and covered literally everything in between, from socio-political aspects to fashion to trade to how the Vikings shaped the world we live in to this day.

The maritime culture of Scandinavia, the rise of the sea-kings, and the development of uniquely mobile pirate polities are the focus here. Too many people want to misrepresent history for their own ends and sadly the Vikings can be used by those with their own agendas.

So, about once every 20 years, I pause the History Channel shows and put down the Frans Bengtsson romances and grab a good non-fiction book to have a gander at what’s new in their world. I highly recommend this book but appreciate that not everyone will like it, those who somehow think that the Vikings were some sort of pure ethnic group for example (they never were), or those who are only focussed on their macho image; they were much, much more than either of those portrayals. It is a fascinating and extensive examination of the Vikings, children of the great ash tree Yggdrasill, their culture, explorations and sweeping travels.

The only items that we cannot accept are earrings for pierced ears and perishable items, such as food or drink. Circa 753, Swedes set up a "Wild East" trading post at Staraya Ladoga, by the mouth of the Volkhov river at Lake Ladoga, 100 miles (160 km) upstream (east) of where 1000 years later would be St. As traders and raiders, explorers and colonists, they reshaped the world between eastern North America and the Asian steppe.

Viking attacks increased, penetrating deep into France, thanks to civil war among Charlemagne's grandsons.This is an engrossing doorstopper of a book that covers pretty much every aspect of Viking-Age Scandinavian culture that you can think of. Es un libro interesante, bien investigado y escrito, pero en lo que yo buscaba, no ha sido tan completo como lo esperaba. Every facet that is tackled is done so using the full combined weight of the existing archaeological and historical record, and as a result, I was able to finish every chapter feeling confident that no stone had been left unturned.

He just focuses on presenting the Viking’s story as has been told to us in the present by the existing historical and archaeological evidence that has been left behind, and it is neither the story of mere crude seagoing brutes nor anyone that should be put upon any pedestal. Of course, there were many other contemporary societies, besides the Vikings, that also dealt in slaves. The largest mead-hall known was 80 meters (260 feet) long, at Borg in the Lofoten Islands of arctic Norway.

Contained in this book are some fascinating examinations not only on the Vikings themselves, but also human thought, history and philosophy. This book was clear, concise and analytical, while also allowing lots of space for fun examinations, easy to digest prose, and moments of fancy from the author. The emphasis here is very firmly on who the Vikings really were, what made them tick, how they thought and felt. The Vikings were a violent people, and for hundreds of years it was the foundation of their economy. I enjoyed the book for the most part, appreciated the writing style and the wry humour when it occasionally appears, and learned a lot about the Vikings along the way.