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Zusatztext the truest picture yet of the Vikings and their age. Informationen zum Autor Peter Sawyer is Emeritus Professor of Medieval History at the University of Leeds. Klappentext With settlements stretching across a vast expanse and with legends of their exploits extending even farther, the Vikings were the most far-flung and feared people of their time. Yet the archaeological and historical records are so scant that the true nature of Viking civilization remainsshrouded in mystery. In this richly illustrated volume, twelve leading scholars draw on the latest research and archaeological evidence to provide the clearest picture yet of this fabled people. Painting a fascinating portrait of the influences that the "Northmen" had on foreign lands, the contributors trace Vikingexcursions to the British Islands, Russia, Greenland, and the northern tip of Newfoundland, which the Vikings called "Vinlund." We meet the great Viking kings: from King Godfred, King of the Danes, who led campaigns against Charlemagne in Saxony, to King Harald Bluetooth, the first of the Christianrulers, who helped unify Scandinavia and introduced a modern infrastructure of bridges and roads. The volume also looks at the day-to-day social life of the Vikings, describing their almost religious reverence for boats and boat-building, and their deep bond with the sea that is still visible in theetymology of such English words as "anchor," "boat," "rudder," and "fishing," all of which can be traced back to Old Norse roots. But perhaps most importantly, the book goes a long way towards answering the age-old question of who these intriguing people were. From sagas to shipbuilding, from funeral rites to the fur trade, this superb volume is an indispensable guide to the Viking world. Zusammenfassung Were the Vikings, as contemporary description had it, a 'valiant, wrathful, foreign, purely pagan people' who swept in from the sea to plunder and slaughter? Or were they unusually successful merchants, extortionists, and pioneer explorers? This book, by leading international scholars, considers the latest research and presents a compelling picture of the Vikings and their age. Inhaltsverzeichnis List of Colour Plates List of Maps Notes on Contributors 1: Peter Sawyer: The Age of the Vikings and Before 2: Janet L. Nelson: The Frankish Empire 3: Simon Keynes: The Vikings in England, ic./i790-1016 4: Donnchadh Ó Corráin: Ireland, Wales, Man, and the Hebrides 5: Sveinbjörn Rafnsson: The Atlantic Islands 6: Thomas S. Noonan: Scandinavians in European Russia 7: Niels Lund: The Danish Empire and the End of the Viking Age 8: Jan Bill: Ships and Seamanship 9: Preben Meulengracht Sørensen: Religions Old and New 10: Lars Lönnroth: The Vikings in History and Legend 11: Peter Sawyer: The Viking Legacy Further Reading Chronology Index ...
