Foreword by David M. Wilson.
For 300 years, from the ninth to the eleventh centuries, the power of the Vikings dominated Western Europe. Their voyaging extended westwards to America and as far south as the Mediterranean and North Africa. As well as being warriors and accomplished seamen, they were jewellers, sculptors and poets of great skill and originality: the forts, town sites, ships, burial mounds, carved stones, place names, sagas, art and artefacts they left behind substantiate their legendary exploits.
An account of the Vikings, their world, their crafts and achievements, and their everyday lives is complemented by numerous maps, photographs, and artwork.
Author(s): James Graham-Campbell
Edition: 1
Publisher: Ticknor & Fields
Year: 1980
Language: English
Pages: 220
City: New Haven
Foreword / by Dr David M. Wilson, Director of the British Museum 6
Pagan People and Their Lands 8
Background to the Viking Age 10
Viking Warriors 20
Salt-water bandits 22
The equipment of the warriors 24
Viking raids on Britain 26
The Frankish Empire and Europe 31
Return to England 35
Ships, Shipwrights and Seamen / by Dr. Sean McGrail 36
Sources of evidence 38
The ships and boats 42
The Viking ship: a visual glossary 44
Ship sizes and shapes 46
Preparing the timber 50
Shipbuilding tools 52
Building methods 54
Performance of Viking ships 59
Land-seekers 64
The first explorers 66
Orkney and Shetland 68
The settlement at Jarlshof 70
The Hebrides 71
The Isle of Man 72
Ireland, Wales and England 74
The Faeroes 76
Iceland 78
The Stöng farmhouse 80
Greenland and Vinland 82
Merchantmen 86
Trade and towns 88
Hedeby 92
Birka 96
Kaupang 98
York and Dublin 100
Town crafts and industries 102
The eastern routes 108
The silver trade 110
Home Life 112
Clothing and jewellery 114
Weaving and cloth designs 120
Household activities 122
The farmer and smith 127
Travel 129
Viking Art 130
Art and ornament 132
The Oseberg carvings 134
The 'gripping-beast' motif 136
Woodcarving and painting 138
Metalworkers of the Borre style 140
The Jellinge style 142
The Mammen style 144
Stone sculpture 146
The Ringerike style 148
The Urnes style 150
Late Viking art in England and Ireland 152
Rune-masters and Skalds / by Dr. R. I. Page 154
The Viking script 156
Runic finds in Scandinavia and overseas 160
Runes recording Viking activities 164
A cultural record 167
From Odin to Christ / by Christine Fell 172
Paganism 174
The worship of Odin 178
The worship of Thor 180
Other deities 182
The Sigurd legend and the world’s end 184
Pagan to Christian 186
Christianity 188
Nation-states 194
Government and kings 196
Royal Jelling 200
The Viking fortresses 202
Defence and communications 208
Scandinavian new towns 211
Churches 212
Bibliography 214
Index 215
Acknowledgments 220
