Daily Life of the Vikings

(Hardback)

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An illuminating presentation of daily life in Viking-era Scandinavia Though infamous for their violent marauding, Vikings were but one part of the complex Scandinavian culture from which they emerged. This excellent and intimate study goes beyond the rumours of "the fury of the Northmen," into the realities of the greater Scandinavian community, and is ideal for readers who want to discover the everyday details of living in this dynamic time and place. What were Viking families like How were slaves treated Were older people treated well, or regarded with contempt Exactly how did they manage to travel as far afield as Baghdad and Greenland Author Kirsten Wolf answers all these questions and many more in this highly readable and informative volume. The work is organized into chapters covering all aspects of life: domestic, economic, intellectual, material, political, recreational, and religious. It includes a historical timeline of Viking history, complementary pictures, illustrations, and maps, and a bibliography. Part of The Greenwood Press "Daily Life Through History" Series Reveals the reality of Viking life behind the image of violent marauders Will appeal to both students and general readers, as Vikings are an ever-popular subject

Reviews

"For many people, the word "Vikings" conjures images of brawny pagan warrior-raiders roaming the seas in dragon-prowed ships, hair and eyes wild as they brawl with each other and their neighbors, and burn, pillage, rape, kill, and/or enslave innocent villages and monasteries. In this book, Kirsten Wolf reveals the warlike Vikings had a more complex culture. Viking-age Scandinavians were also farmers, hunters, fishermen, craftsmen, and even merchants; they traced kinship through both parents, and women could inherit property. In addition to its Preface and eight densely-packed chapters on every aspect of Viking life, Daily Life of the Vikings includes a Chronology, a brief Glossary, an Index, and "For Further Reading..,."[a] well-researched, well-written book on a too-often sensationally mythologized people."-Sixteenth-Century Journal
[P]robes the realities of the greater Scandinavian community and its relationship to its Viking explorers.-MBR Bookwatch/Donovan's Bookshelf
For many people, the word "Vikings" conjures images of brawny pagan warrior-raiders roaming the seas in dragon-prowed ships, hair and eyes wild as they brawl with each other and their neighbors, and burn, pillage, rape, kill, and/or enslave innocent villages and monasteries. In this book, Kirsten Wolf reveals the warlike Vikings had a more complex culture. Viking-age Scandinavians were also farmers, hunters, fishermen, craftsmen, and even merchants; they traced kinship through both parents, and women could inherit property. In addition to its Preface and eight densely-packed chapters on every aspect of Viking life, Daily Life of the Vikings includes a Chronology, a brief Glossary, an Index, and "For Further Reading..,."[a] well-researched, well-written book on a too-often sensationally mythologized people.-Sixteenth-Century Journal
"Probes the realities of the greater Scandinavian community and its relationship to its Viking explorers."-MBR Bookwatch/Donovan's Bookshelf
"[P]robes the realities of the greater Scandinavian community and its relationship to its Viking explorers."-MBR Bookwatch/Donovan's Bookshelf

Author Bio

KIRSTEN WOLF is Professor of Scandinavian Studies at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.