The world of the Vikings

Madsen O.

Published by Miverva, hardcover with dustjacket, illustrated.
Translated by David Macrae.


Viking means King of the Sea, from the word vik (bay or gulf) and kong kineg, king (the most powerful), from ken, meaning knowledge and power.

The Vikings were sometimes known as Normans, or Northmen, even before they settled in what is now Normandy. This was the name given to them by the terrified peoples to the south, who were taken utterly by surprise as these mysterious strangers from Denmark, Norway and Sweden swept through their lands, burning and plundering as they went.

Almost all the inhabitants of Scandinavia were sailors and warriors who were rarely defeated during a long era of sea-borne conquest. These were the intrepid adventurers who, from the 8th to the 10th century, spread the terror of the Scandinavian name all the way from Russia to the New World, which they discovered after epic struggles in England, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and Sicily and in the Middle East.

They usually put to sea in the spring, and did not return until the onset of winter; they cruised at will on the high seas, skilfully maneuvering vessels which they themselves had designed and built, and which could be dismantled and carried across land when necessary. If they needed food and provisions, they simply landed on the nearest coast and seized whatever they thought suited them. When winter came, they returned home, laden with the booty which they had amassed during their summer cruise. However, some of them chose to settle in countries which had a milder climate.

This book contains chapters on Viking society, including the status of women, and gives a broad picture of Nordic beliefs, together with an account of the main exploits of the North-men and a description of the truly remarkable vessels which carried them on voyages of conquest and discovery. The period dealt with in this book is an important chapter in the history of Europe, and points already towards the rise of the New World.