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Exploring the reception and representation of Viking culture in audiovisual media, particularly in cinema and television, this book offers a comprehensive chronological overview of films and television programmes produced in the period from the early 20th century to the present.
This volume conceptualises the aesthetic and ideological elements that have shaped the portrayal of Vikings and traces how these have evolved over time. The chapters provide an in-depth analysis of a wide-ranging body of audiovisual works, examining not only the representations themselves but also the broader cultural and historical contexts in which they were produced.
Since cinema often reflects the society in which it is created, understanding the motivations behind Viking imagery across different cultural, political, and geographical settings is essential. A distinctive feature of the study lies in its spatial scope: films from various national industries - including those of the United States, the Nordic countries, Italy, Russia, and Poland - are examined to reveal the diverse ways in which Viking identity has been imagined, shaped by each country's own historical and historiographical engagement with the Nordic world.
In addition, the book includes an appendix featuring a meticulously compiled catalogue of all the films and series analysed. This resource is intended to support readers who may not be familiar with the works discussed, enhancing their engagement with the study's conclusions.
The Representation of Vikings in Cinema and Television is essential reading for scholars, students and cultural historians interested in the evolving place of Viking imagery in modern popular culture.
List of contents
Introduction
Initial Considerations
Chapter 1: Background
Chapter 2: The Beginnings of Vikings Cinema
Chapter 3: The Golden Age
Chapter 4: Other Views
Chapter 5: The new Viking revival
Final Thoughts
Bibliography
Filmography
About the author
Alberto Robles Delgado holds a PhD in history from the University of Alicante, Spain. He has been awarded the prestigious Bernadotte Postdoctoral Fellowship, granted by the Royal Gustavus Adolphus Academy in Sweden. Dr Robles Delgado has undertaken research stays at several prominent international academic institutions, including the Arnamagnæan Institute in Copenhagen, the Federal University of Paraíba and Stockholm University. His primary research focuses on the reception and representation of Vikings in popular culture, with particular interest in audiovisual media such as film and video games.
Report
"With this book, Alberto Robles Delgado has written a definitive, comprehensive and authoritative study of Vikings on film and TV, ranging from the birth of cinema to the present day. Ever attentive to historical context, visual detail and audience reception, Robles Delgado traces a strand in medievalism that is of enduring importance in our contemporary popular culture."
Carolyne Larrington, University of Oxford, UK
"A timely, broad and up-to-date overview of the Viking phenomenon, as it has been imagined and represented on paper (comic strips), on screen, on stage, in TV series, in social media and so on. Few historical periods have been so highlighted as The Viking Age and its trading and - especially - raiding Vikings, to the extent "Vikings" has developed into a multi-facet usage, with aspects which not always concur with academic research. As Robles Delgado writes, there are some films and series which has set a "standard" how to represent Vikings, such as the films The Viking (from 1928) and The Vikings (from 1958) and where the new landmark is the series Vikings. It is fascinating to follow how Robles Delgado "unpacks", decade by decade, how artists, film- and TV-producers have shaped our view of Vikings. Robles Delgado has been able to present us with a both entertaining and knowledgeable book, for which he is to be commended."
Stefan Brink, University of Cambridge, UK
"This book presents a valuable new history of Viking representation in film and television, comprehensive in its coverage (even ranging outside the usual domain of English language productions), and identifying key milestones in cinema's co-production of history. In addition to filling an important gap in the reception of the northern world, and touching on the role that the Vikings have played in popular culture more broadly, it serves as an insightful overview of the history of film approached from a unique angle. It includes a filmography that will be an indispensable resource for future research into the Vikings on screen."
Tom Birkett, University College Cork, Ireland
