Viking Age: Everyday Life During the Extraordinary Era of the Norsemen

by Kristen Wolf

Though infamous for their pirating and raiding, active Vikings were actually only a tiny fraction of the total Scandinavian population during the so-called Viking Age. This exploration of their culture goes beyond the myths into the prosaic realities and intimate details of family life; their attitude toward the more vulnerable members of society; their famed longships and extensive travels; and the role they played in the greater community. In addition to images and maps, a timeline lays out Viking history.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

272 pages, Hardcover

First published November 5, 2013

Reviews

[Mariell · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title I read this book under was ''Viking way - Everyday life during the extraordinary era of the norsemen''

This is one of the books I wish I started out with when I began my search for information about the Viking age. It would have saved me a lot of confusion and grief, as well as an easy platform to jump off from if I decided to go deeper.

While I wouldn't call the book deep as it only gives a summary overview of domestic life, culture, and history, I'd still recommend it.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unbelievable library of information of the Vikings from their peaceful and complete adoration of their children, to their brutal killings and decapitations of their enemies. It was interesting to me to see the opinions and outcomes of communities and kingdoms who decided to institute a coin system to take the place of trading and bartering, and from whence the silver for those coins came. I am only able to give it four stars since it didn't mention a damn word about shield maidens and the important military roles the women played.

[Maryanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and detailed. Nice colour pics. Really enjoyed the sections about the development of language and common words. Book print is quite small. But where, oh where are the sheildmaidens and heroic women?

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Viking Age is a solid introductory level book on the life of the vikings prior to their conversion to Christianity. It provides a very surface level review of their domestic life, political structures and religious life but doesn't go deep into any one topic.

For those with a general interest in this culture its a good introductory book. For those that have studied this culture it will probably come off as nothing new.

[Patrice · Rating 3 out of 5]

While it was informative, comprehensive and very well organized on an aspect of viking era Scandinavia that is not often focused on, it's a bit of a slog. The writing itself is not engaging or clear. I had to push myself to keep reading and frequently had to switch to the internet on several topics she discussed to get a better sense of what she was trying to explain or describe (Hurstwic.org was very good for filling in the gaps). Also, the book could have benefited a great deal from more visual aids, particularly maps in the trade route section. So, it's a useful resource of information but not a great read.

[Irene Adler · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is not the book for you if you are writing a thesis or similar. Some logical fallacies / syllogisms made me question much of the information contained therein where it was different to other sources or seemed out of date.

The author does have a disclaimer in the preface in which she states she is a philologist and literary historian - this might be why the section on language was more convincing than the rest of the book.

But as a bit of a stroll through Viking life, it wasn't bad. If you are into that sort of thing, which I am. Quite good illustrations throughout the text too.

[Chandra Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought the book to be very organized and informative. The writing is clear and insightful. I found the history of Nordic lands and their people very interesting.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good, a bit more scholarly than I expected. The section on poetry goes into grammar a bit and I couldn't follow all of it but otherwise enjoyable.

[Becky Owen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good overview...dry at times but if looking for a good overview of the culture this is a good reference.

[Agnieszka G · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5

[Damien Black]

I skim-read parts of this book and am using it more as a reference for my fiction, so with that in mind I want to say this provides a good overview of the nuts and bolts of Scandinavian life during the Viking Age.

For a little while, put aside Leif Eriksson, Ragnar Lothbrok, and Knud - the warriors, explorers and kings both legendary and real who contributed so much to the history, geography and storytelling of this often overlooked corner of north-west Europe - and enjoy a more refreshing take on the Viking era (posited as lasting roughly from the sacking of Lindisfarne in 793 to shortly after the Battle of Hastings). This comprehensive though not exhaustive study of medieval Scandinavia is conveniently divided into chapters addressing its material culture, hobbies, religion, politics, economics, technology and literature, each one packed with information useful to researchers and entertaining to enthusiasts alike.

My personal favourites among the many vignettes that feature in this short but impressive tome were the irate explorer who gave Iceland its name in a fit of pique after his bungled attempts at farming obliged him to abandon the newly discovered territory and go home; the revelation that Vikings seemed more interested in making horses fight each other for sport than simply riding them; and the boasting contests where honoured guests were encouraged to deliberately insult one another for 'fun' whilst quaffing vast quantities of mead (with presumably bloody consequences).

It's also a beautifully illustrated book, with plenty of Victorian sketches of contemporary historical figures and photographs of archaeological finds to keep a text-weary eye suitably distracted.

All in all, this is a good springboard for those wishing to embark on a voyage of discovery of their own into the daily life of ordinary Vikings, and one I'm sure I'll be keeping to hand whenever my own imaginative forays take me ultima thule.

[Julie Akeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really good book on the Vikings, if you are fans of the show and they are pretty accurate in their portrayal you should really read this book to go deeper into the knowledge of their history. I'm a history buff but am picky about what I read when it comes to history writing, I want it interesting, and this book was very interesting. I love this series of books because the writing is easy and the layout of the book is well organized and is worth the time. I have a list of other Viking books I want to read both fiction and non fiction. This one was very good to start off with.

[Monica H at The Readathon · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Rating: 3.5 Stars! I have read two of the Everyday Life books (Egypt and The Middle Ages), and I thought this one was much better. I liked the writing style of this book better because it was so much easier to understand than the other two were. Although it is still full of information, it flows better and is much more engaging than either Egypt or The Middle Ages were. I enjoyed learning about the everyday lives of the Vikings, and I learned a lot. You may read my full review on my book blog: www.the-readathon.blogspot.com.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not sure why this Goodreads entry uses the subtitle Fury of the Northmen - the actual subtitle is Everyday Life During the Extraordinary Era of the Norsemen. It’s only partly about vicious Viking raiders, but more about the lives of everyday people. While the latter appeals to me more, this book is more of an encyclopedia (and often quite dry) than a narrative. Useful as reference for medieval Scandinavian life, but not essential reading.

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great information about everyday life in this time period / region, a little heavy in the language and literary analysis areas (which are the author's central academic focus) but generally accessible.

[Misha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have enjoyed it more if it had been written by an historian rather than a linguistics professor. It was fine, if very general and familiar. I think it's the series, though.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent introduction to the Vikings, their way of life and travels.