A history of the Vikings and their development as traders, explorers, and settlers

Viking marauders in their longships burst through the defenses of ninth-century Europe, striking terror into the hearts of peasants and rulers alike for two centuries. But the Vikings were more than just marine warriors and this atlas traces their development as traders, pioneers, and mercenaries.

Through more than sixty full-color maps, this atlas follows the tracks of the Viking merchants who traveled deep into Russia, mercenaries who served in the emperor’s bodyguard at Constantinople, and mariners who sailed beyond the edge of the known world to North America. More than 80 illustrations and timelines make this is an indispensable handbook for students and history enthusiasts alike.
The Causes of the Viking Age
Timeline

Part I: The Origins of the Vikings
The Scandinavian Environment
Scandinavia before the Vikings
Pagan Religion and Burial

Part II: Scandinavia in the Viking Age
From Chiefdoms to Kingdoms
Rural Settlement
Trade and Trade Routes
Ships and Seafaring
Viking Towns
Women in the Viking Age

Part III: The Viking Raids
The Raids Begin
The Raids Intensify
The Vikings in the Mediterranean
The Franks Fight Back
The Great Army in England
The Great Raids on Francia
Wessex Defended
The Conquest of the Danelaw
The Kingdom of York
Vikings in Ireland I
Vikings in Ireland II
The Vikings in Scotland
Scandinavian Placenames in Britain
The Duchy of Normandy
The Vikings in Brittany
The Viking Warrior

Part IV: The North Atlantic Saga
The Faeroes and Iceland
The Settlement of Iceland
Icelandic Literature
The Vikings in Greenland
Voyages to Vinland

Part V: The Vikings in the East
The Swedes in the East
From Scandinavian to Slav

Part VI: The Transformation of the Vikings
Raids on Aethelraed's Kingdom
The Danes Conquer England
The Empire of Cnut
The Thunderbolt of the North
The Struggle for England
The Kingdom of Man and the Isles
The Twilight of Viking Scotland
Scandinavia after the Vikings
The Early Scandinavian Church

Viking Kings and Rulers
Further Reading
Index
Acknowledgements

John Haywood is the author of a number of books, including The Penguin Historical Atlas of the Vikings and The Historical Atlas of the Celtic World. View titles by John Haywood

About

A history of the Vikings and their development as traders, explorers, and settlers

Viking marauders in their longships burst through the defenses of ninth-century Europe, striking terror into the hearts of peasants and rulers alike for two centuries. But the Vikings were more than just marine warriors and this atlas traces their development as traders, pioneers, and mercenaries.

Through more than sixty full-color maps, this atlas follows the tracks of the Viking merchants who traveled deep into Russia, mercenaries who served in the emperor’s bodyguard at Constantinople, and mariners who sailed beyond the edge of the known world to North America. More than 80 illustrations and timelines make this is an indispensable handbook for students and history enthusiasts alike.

Table of Contents

The Causes of the Viking Age
Timeline

Part I: The Origins of the Vikings
The Scandinavian Environment
Scandinavia before the Vikings
Pagan Religion and Burial

Part II: Scandinavia in the Viking Age
From Chiefdoms to Kingdoms
Rural Settlement
Trade and Trade Routes
Ships and Seafaring
Viking Towns
Women in the Viking Age

Part III: The Viking Raids
The Raids Begin
The Raids Intensify
The Vikings in the Mediterranean
The Franks Fight Back
The Great Army in England
The Great Raids on Francia
Wessex Defended
The Conquest of the Danelaw
The Kingdom of York
Vikings in Ireland I
Vikings in Ireland II
The Vikings in Scotland
Scandinavian Placenames in Britain
The Duchy of Normandy
The Vikings in Brittany
The Viking Warrior

Part IV: The North Atlantic Saga
The Faeroes and Iceland
The Settlement of Iceland
Icelandic Literature
The Vikings in Greenland
Voyages to Vinland

Part V: The Vikings in the East
The Swedes in the East
From Scandinavian to Slav

Part VI: The Transformation of the Vikings
Raids on Aethelraed's Kingdom
The Danes Conquer England
The Empire of Cnut
The Thunderbolt of the North
The Struggle for England
The Kingdom of Man and the Isles
The Twilight of Viking Scotland
Scandinavia after the Vikings
The Early Scandinavian Church

Viking Kings and Rulers
Further Reading
Index
Acknowledgements

Author

John Haywood is the author of a number of books, including The Penguin Historical Atlas of the Vikings and The Historical Atlas of the Celtic World. View titles by John Haywood

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