The Vikings

by Johannes Brondsted, Kalle Skov (translator), Johannes Brndsted

1980 Penguin Books MASS MARKET PAPERBACK, multiple reprint. Johannes Brøndsted, Kalle Skov.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Medieval, Medieval History, Reference, Archaeology, European History

347 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1960

Reviews

[Kuszma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Na de mit adtak nekünk a vikingek? Pár ötletet tengerjáráshoz és szakállviseléshez, néhány sagát, némi alapanyagot Netflix-sorozatokhoz és egy gyenge Kötter-regény címét. Ez a rómaiakhoz képest alig valami. Pedig a VIII-XI.század között a vikingek uralták fél Európát, a mai Oroszországot is beleértve, ahol ők adták az arisztokráciát. Felfedezték Izlandot, Grönlandot, sőt Amerikát, amit pedig nem gyarmatosítottak, azt rettegésben tartották. De valahogy nem tudtak igazán markáns nyomot hagyni – Amerikát például hiába találták meg ők, hagyták a fenébe, mintha csak valami érdektelen mütyür lett volna, ami a kanapé mögül került elő. Oroszországot sem formálták a maguk képére – igaz, a nevét nekik köszönhetjük -, hanem egyszerűen felszívódtak, eltűntek a szláv tengerben*.

Brøndsted kötete végtelenül informatív kibontása annak, hogy kik is voltak ezek a csávók, akiket mi jobbára úgy képzelünk el, mint baltával hadonászó torzonborz szörnyetegeket, akik a tenger felől érkeztek, és periodikusan felgyújtották a klastromunkat a pispek úrral együtt. (Szegény pispek úr! Idén már harmadszor lobbant lángra!) Pedig azért többek voltak szimpla kalózoknál. Kezdjük ott, hogy "vikingek" nevű csoport nincs is. Van ellenben három különálló nép (a dánok, a norvégok és a svédek, mind saját érdekszférával), akik a messzi északon élnek, gyakran egymást is lerohanják, és igazából csak a "vikingeskedés" köti össze őket. Vagyis a hajlam, hogy országuk szűkös mezőgazdasági lehetőségeit az igen tágan értelmezett kereskedelem segítségével egészítsék ki. Mert igen, a rablás is végső soron a kereskedelem egyik formája, ami csak abban különbözik a "rendes" kereskedelemtől, hogy nem cserél, hanem elvesz, vagyis a kétoldalú tranzakció helyett az egyoldalúban hisz. Tegyük hozzá, a rablás mellett a vikingek azért a klasszikus módon is kereskedtek, ha éppen az volt praktikus – még a kincses Arábiával és Bizánccal is bizniszeltek, drága prémeket és rozmáragyarakat adtak selyemért meg drágakőért**, és ha már ott voltak, a bizánci császárnak felajánlották testőri szolgálataikat is.

Azért a vikingek nem csak raboltak ám. Hanem felépítettek egy autonóm kultúrát műalkotásokkal, valamint sajátos társadalomszerkezettel, ami gyökeresen különbözött a Nyugat-Európában divatos feudalizmustól. Ez a társadalomszerkezet szabad és egyenlő férfiakra épült, akik a háborúban érdem szerinti hierarchiába rendeződtek, de békeidőben sosem adták fel függetlenségüket. Persze mindez így elmondva szép, de a gyakorlatban azért voltak anomáliák – például ezek a független vikingek még a kereszténység felvétele után sem adták fel a rabszolgatartáshoz, illetve a gyengének ítélt csecsemők elveszejtéséhez való jogukat. Szabadságuk mindig is az erőre épült – vagyis ha nagyobbat tudtál odasózni a karddal, mint a szomszédod, akkor szabadabb is voltál nála. Sajátosan paradox világszemléletű közösséget alkottak, ami egyszerre becsülte nagyra a költőt és a gyilkost, és istenítette a vendégszeretetet, miközben maga vendégként elég rakoncátlanul tudott viselkedni. Mindenesetre ez a fajta függetlenség és egyenlőség azért valamilyen módon, letisztulva beleépült a skandináv demokráciafelfogásba, én azt gondolom. Szóval ezt kaptuk a vikingektől. Végeredményben.

Kicsit azért izgalmasabbra számítottam. Nem azért, mert nem kardoznak benne eleget, hisz kardozás az éppen van. De pusztán annak felsorolása, hogy az egyik Hegyesenköpő Bélhangos mikor rohanta le a másik Hegyesenköpő Bélhangost, még önmagában nem képez izgalmas szövegtestet. Brøndsted ezt a könyvet alighanem akkor írta, amikor a szórakoztató ismeretterjesztést még nem találták fel, következésképpen adatait meg sem kísérli valamiféle történészi elbeszéléssé összegyúrni, csak simán leteszi őket a tányérunkra, miután száraz, különálló blokkokba rendezte őket. Maguk az adatok ettől függetlenül megfizethetetlenek, különösen ha figyelembe vesszük, hogy ezer éve történt eseményekről tudósít, amelyek meglehetősen forráshiányosak. Tök jó tehát, hogy összegereblyézte ezeket a sporadikus, gyakran puszta feltételezésre épülő információkat a rúnaírásról, a földvárak átmérőjéről, a táplálkozási szokásokról, meg az összes többiről. Nyilván nagy hasznát vesszük a kötetnek mindannyian, akik tényleg meg akarunk tudni valamit erről a korszakról. Igaz, meg lehetett volna írni tán nagyobb lendülettel is, de fene essen a kényes gyomromba.

Amúgy meg boldogat mindenkinek. Rakjatok sok könyvet a fa alá, nehogy felboruljon.

* Érdekes kérdés, hogy a vikingek az általuk gyarmatosított területeket miért nem alakították át úgy, ahogy mondjuk az arabok Észak-Afrikát. Nos, Brøndsted válasza egyfelől az, hogy a viking hódítók mindig sokkal kevesebben voltak, mint a meghódítottak, ráadásul nem vittek magukkal olyan életerős társadalmi és kulturális gyakorlatokat, mint amilyenekkel mondjuk a rómaiak vagy Mohamed hívei rendelkeztek. Hajlamosak voltak arra, hogy a készbe üljenek bele, átvették a meglévő formákat (Normandiában például a feudalizmust), és vallásukhoz se ragaszkodtak olyan mereven – tulajdonképpen ripsz-ropsz átvették a kereszténységet is. (Kivéve a svédeket, akiknél ez a folyamat azért elhúzódott néhány száz évig.)
** Ja, és ne feledkezzünk meg egy igen fontos árucikkről, a rabszolgákról sem. Mert ez a fajta élőáru a viking kereskedelem egyik legfontosabb exportcikke volt – ami arra utal, hogy az északiak permanens agressziója nem pusztán indulatosságukon vagy vérszomjukon alapult, hanem józan gazdasági számításon is. Ugyanis rabszolgát legkönnyebben háborúban lehet szerezni, tehát ha valaki rabszolgával akar kereskedni, akkor időnként le kell rohannia másokat.

[Skallagrimsen]

Sixty years have elapsed since this book was published, so it's bound to be dated on a few points. Nevertheless I find it remains a decent and readable introduction to this bloody phase of history. The opening chapters do a good job of situating the Viking phenomenon within the broader context of Dark Age civilization, and provide a vivid chronological account of the centuries of raids and invasions that left such a deep mark on European history. But there was more to the Vikings than raiding and ravaging. Additional chapters detail Viking metallurgy, transport, settlements, money, exploration, trade, runic writing, art and poetry. This was among the first serious books I ever read about the Vikings. It helped to dispel many of the myths about them that I'd imbibed through the debased versions of popular culture.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Over the last few years I've been reading some of the great sagas, so it was time for some sort of historical overview. This effort, which I picked up at a used book store, did the job, and with a minimum of "Thorfinns" (the Viking equivalent of "Smith" or "Jones"). It's dry, but not as dry, given the academic tenor of the book, as it could have been. The first third of the book covers the Viking glory years (which only about 200 years or so). The rest of the book is comprised of chapters focusing on different aspects of Vikinghood (weapons (a surprisingly short chapter), clothing, towns, religion, poetry, etc.). That's pretty much it. If you want the rip-roaring, skull-splitting stuff, go straight to the Sagas. They will not disappoint.

[Lauren Albert · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the chronological sections confusing because of the tangle of different national groups. The thematic sections seemed to be clearer in distinguishing between them.

[Erik Graff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dad is soon to turn 92. His wife, Lene, has gone to visit family in Denmark and I'm staying at their home in East Dundee, Illinois while she's away, raking leaves, cleaning gutters and minding Father. This is the first time I've actually lived with him since the early nineties. He's quite old, but in much better shape that most his age, insistently able to participate in all the outdoor work here.

A perk in staying here along the Fox River is access to the library. My reading records only begin in college but they have books which were in the family homes during childhood and adolescence, one of which is Brøndsted's The Vikings.

I had thought that Gwen Jones' book on the same subject was the first I'd read, but this find trumps it. As usual, the cover evokes the memory, the memory of reading this book during high school as a means of coming to grips with my all-too-Norwegian background.

Although written by an academic, The Vikings is quite accessible to the general reader.

[Zachary · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of those "everything you know about the Vikings is wrong" type books. Sixty-one years ago, when it was first published, you might not have had such misconceptions, but after watching The "History" Channel's TV series named The Vikings, you might be forgiven for having an inaccurate view of these Nordic conquerors.

The good points you hear about them are true. They were expert shipbuilders and seafarers, they had a famous contempt for death (bravery in battle), and they had a rich culture and belief system. They also had, as you will discover in the book, slavery, infanticide of unwanted children (usually by exposure), human and animal sacrifice, and a misogyny that exceeded even the other backwards peoples of their time. To put it mildly, there were no Viking women warriors, as on the TV series. The book is not a criticism of the Vikings, in fact quite the opposite, but if you loved the TV series and want to learn more about the real Vikings, this might be a good place to start.

I majored in history in college, but mostly Middle Eastern and Chinese/Japanese history, so the history of these Nordic white people, my ancestors, is new to me. Although I should say not really my ancestors, since the Vikings were those who left Scandinavia, usually for good, and it's Americans of Irish, Norman, Icelandic, or even some Russian extraction who are mostly likely descended from Vikings. The famous Irish red hair, for example, comes from Norwegian colonization, not the original Celtic settlers. The name of Russia, stemming from Rus, or "-rod" or "those who row [ships]" comes from the Swedish traders who forced their way in and established themselves in Kiev and other cities now absorbed by Slavs.

The book is very thorough. In just over 300 pages you get a history of the full Viking phenomenon, from about 800 to 1100, broken into the Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish variations of Vikings (all very different, as you will read), the cause(s) of the Viking expansion, as well as their weaponry, seafaring technology, town structures, family and social structures, the runic stones, poems and religious beliefs (from paganism to Christianity), and more.

It draws upon sagas by the Vikings themselves, the runic stones, their literature, but mostly historians and archaeology. Adam of Bremen, Ibn Fadlan (the fictionalized narrator of Michael Crichton's The 13th Warrior, aka Eaters of the Dead, still his best work, IMHO), and Ibn Rustah, are primary sources, and although the book was published in 1960, modern archaeological techniques such as carbon 14 dating were in use to establish the facts of graves and earthworks and other finds. At time of publication, Leif Erikson's rediscovery of Vinland, some 400 years prior to Columbus' rediscovery of Hispanolia (modern day Cuba), had not been verified with an archaeological discovery, so only his saga (written history) is mentioned. I took an introduction to anthropology class and learned about such things as carbon 14 dating, fission track dating, obsidian hydration dating, and so on, so I have great respect for an author like Brønsted who relies on the scientific method to back up his research.

All in all, this is the best book I can think of, and relatively short, in between pop history and tedious reams of academic archaeology, and you can learn a lot about the Vikings that is true but not tedious and esoteric.

[Katrin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book about the viking age! Brøndsted wrote this in 1960, so that's 60 years ago! there surely have been many new discoveries and new excavations with more insights. Still this book is a very solid book on everything related to viking life, tradition, expansion and culture. The book is at times a bit dry, but I experienced it as a very informative book with enough chapters and sub-chapters to not tire the reader too much. I highly recommend this book, although it would nowadays probably be advised to read some more recent studies on vikings, too.

[B.W. Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

An academic study of the Vikings, one of the first to look beyond the romantic image and actually deal with the realities of the Vikings, as traders, explorers and migrants.
Despite such excellent studies, the public perception of the Viking Age has chnged little in the half century since it was written.

[Gabriel Clarke · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little dated but a solid overview.

[Riversue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good if a bit dated especially on the subject of Christianity.

[Ettore Pasquini · Rating 2 out of 5]

Libro molto pesante da leggere, pur essendo breve in quanto a numero di pagine. Il fatto è che l'autore si perde in descrizioni sì molto minuziose degli scavi archeologici, ma che alla fine mancano di una conclusione, come un lavoro di ricerca senza una tesi o sintesi finale.

Le parti più interessanti del libro sono quelle sulla religione, dove vengono confermate -- e non posso nascondere una certa sorpresa -- alcune tesi (quelle meno farneticanti) di Vikernes (si, quello di Burzum, quello lì), ossia che i vecchi templi pagani furono non solo distrutti dai cristiani, ma sulla stesso sito furono costruite chiese con l'intento appunto di cancellare la memoria storica pagana dai popoli scandinavi. Riguardo alla Norvegia in particolare, Brøndsted arriva a parlare di terrorismo relativamente alle modalità con cui venne "installato" il cristianesimo, in particolare da parte di Olaf "il Santo" (pensa te) che non esitó a fare stragi di tutti coloro che osavano opporsi. Gli Svedesi furono quelli che resistettero di più: fino al XII secolo. Non che il vandalismo di inizio anni 90 ne esca giustificato, ma la presenza di un lavoro scientifico di distruzione teologica (forse mai riconosciuto ufficialmente?) viene qui confermato.

Altre cose interessanti sono lo status delle donne, piuttosto avanzato relativamente ai tempi (tipo la presenza della pena di morte per chi stuprava).

Larghe sezioni sono dedicate all'architettura e alla tecnica edilizia, urbanistica, nonché scultura, storia (anche questa prolissamente dettagliata), tragitti commerciali, arte. Invece paradossalmente dell'ingengneria navale si parla poco.

Avrei voluto anche sapere di più su cosa fecero esattamente i Vichinghi in Canada: se ne parla in alcuni passaggi ma in modo piuttosto frettoloso.

[Kathy · Rating 1 out of 5]

It always blows my mind how scholars use their Monotheistic bias to demonstrate what cultures have contributed. It's even worse when the author is descended from the people he is writing and calls the book " The Vikings" when said author literally dedicated pages stating that the Scandinavians of the 6th to the 11th century were farmers. Tone deaf much?

"What did the Vikings give to Europe? What did they get from Europe? To begin with they dealt out the dona danaorum: destruction, rape, plunder, and murder; later they explanded their energy and blood on colonization. Otherwise, the Vikings could teach Europe nothing." Pg. 320-321.

I ask the author this: Why write a whole book about your ancestors if you think they were brutes? I don't understand. Why do cultures need to have one God for them to be civilized? As an Atheist Pagan with Scandinavian ancestry this book blew my mind from how ignorant it was. I knew it was old, but cripes my guy did you even use an editor? What purpose does this book serve? Look how cultured we all are, now that we're Christian? Hard Yikes.

[Sylvain · Rating 3 out of 5]

C'est toujours intéressant d'apprendre des choses sur l'histoire surtout après (ou avant) qu'on fasse des voyages dans d'autres pays. J'ai vu ce livre après que l'on soit allé en Islande et je l'ai pris afin de mieux connaître l'histoire des Vikings. Le livre est un livre d'Histoire (avec un grand H); cependant, le texte se lit bien et j'ai appris plein de choses. Je ne savais pas ce que "Ragnarok" signifiait et, grâce à ce livre, je comprend maintenant mieux le film de Marvel sorti en 2017. J'ai bien aimé le livre mais je dois dire qu'il était daté car il a été écrit avant la découverte du site de l'Anse-aux-Meadows à Terre-Neuve.

[Chris Bjorn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Published i 1960 this scholarly introduction to viking life and viking age may be dated in certain areas. However, it is also free of political pollution from wokism and honest about questions unanswered. Written by one of the great danish scholars on the subject and with several references for further research I can recommend this read for readers who are not put of by a slightly dry writing style. If read in the original language(Danish), you'll experience a more old school scholarly use of our language, something that I really appreciate.

[Richard A · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting and relatively easy read. The original edition was published in 1960; I must wonder how this history would be expanded or changed if it were written today. My point is that it might be better to read a more recent work, although I don't know if that would make any difference.

[Ela Bělíková · Rating 4 out of 5]

Does he know?

[Redsteve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Written prior to what John Marsden refers to as the “rehabilitation” of the Vikings (i.e. during the period in which the Vikings were viewed primarily as raiders and invaders, rather than explorers and merchants) but still pretty even-handed in its treatment of the Norsemen. He does not reject out of hand Leif Eriksson’s discovery of North America, even though this book was written before the discovery of the Norse settlement at L'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland – but, coincidentally published in the same year (1960) – which, I would imagine probably annoyed the author. It was also evidently written when archaeologists still views the domed brooches worn by Norse women as metal “boob covers.” He also refers to the Muslims of that period as “Mohammedans” which emphasizes that the author’s area of expertise is not Middle Eastern religious studies – at first I though he was just using a period name for the forces of Islam, but, after a few repeats, it seems that he just thinks that is an acceptable name.

[Anthony Wokasch · Rating 3 out of 5]

i thought i learned a lot about my culture

[Deb Omnivorous Reader]

Heavy work, worth it so far but it is going to be a long battle...

[Anders · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite dated, but well-written and worth a read if history is your thing.

[Rafael Albani · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a great source of the history of the nordic people.