Through a combination of archaeological artifacts and early writings, historians have recovered much of a lifestyle and philosophy that once rivaled those of Greece and Rome. Even today the names of figures from northern mythology, from Odin and Thor to the Valkyries, have not lost their power to excite the imagination. Richly illustrated.

Written in consultation with leading academics.

A trip to the furthest edgelands of the Viking world via the drama of the Old Norse sagas -- from the Arctic Circle to Constantinople, North America to Kievan Rus.

The Sagas of Icelanders are enduring stories from Viking-age Iceland filled with love and romance, battles and feuds, tragedy and comedy. Yet these tales are little read today, even by lovers of literature. The culture and history of the people depicted in the Sagas are often unfamiliar to the modern reader, though the audience for whom the tales were intended would have had an intimate understanding of the material. This text introduces the modern reader to the daily lives and material culture of the Vikings. Topics covered include religion, housing, social customs, the settlement of disputes, and the early history of Iceland. Issues of dispute among scholars, such as the nature of settlement and the division of land, are addressed in the text.

Explore Captivating Viking Sagas The period between the end of the eighth century CE and the middle of the eleventh is often called the "Viking Age" because this is the period in which Scandinavian people expanded their contacts with the outside world through trade, raiding, exploration, and colonization. This volume presents a version of Ragnar's saga compiled from different modern sources, along with information providing additional historical and documentary context, followed by a discussion of some aspects of modern appropriations and representations of ancient Norse culture. The first section of the book provides historical context for Ragnar's saga through an exploration of daily life in ninth-century Scandinavia and of contemporary Viking culture and history. The text of the saga itself forms the second part of the book, along with notes giving further information about how this version of the saga is presented and about elements within the story that might not be familiar to modern readers. The third section of the book deals with representations of ancient Norse cultures in modern popular media. Within this book, you'll find the following the Viking Sagas and topics covered The World of Ragnar Lothbrok The Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok and His Sons Representations of Norse Myths and History in Modern Media The Clash of History and Drama in the History Channel Television Series Vikings And much more! Get the book now and learn more about Viking Sagas!

The Viking Age began like a violent thunderstorm in the year 793 when a band of Norse warriors raided Lindisfarne, a small island off the coast of ancient England. For the next three hundred years, these fearless men dominated life on the European continent. Contrary to popular belief, the Viking aura was not extinguished at the dawn of the second millennium. In truth, it lasted far longer. In a fascinating saga divided into three parts, John Eklund begins by recounting the exploits of some of the most famous Vikings from 793 to 1066, and then describes the adventures of the two latter day heroes from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, Gustav Adolf and Karl XII, who through their incredible courage and fighting skills, proved they were worthy of the same level of praise and admiration as their seafaring warrior ancestors. The Last of the Vikings is a concise collection of sagas that shines a spotlight on the hero warriors of the Viking Age that include the greatest of the Norsemen and the king who lost an empire but saved a nation.

Combining traditional myth, oral history and re-worked European legend to depict an ancient realm of heroism and wonder, the seven tales collected here are among the most fantastical of all the Norse romances. Powerfully inspired works of Icelandic imagination, they relate intriguing, often comical tales of famous kings, difficult gods and women of great beauty, goodness or cunning. The tales plunder a wide range of earlier literature from Homer to the French romances - as in the tale of the wandering hero Arrow-Odd, which combines several older legends, or Egil and Asmund, where the story of Odysseus and the Cyclops is skilfully adapted into a traditional Norse legend. These are among the most outrageous, delightful and exhilarating tales in all Icelandic literature.