The Viking Age is, in Roesdahl's own words, "an important and fascinating period of Scandinavia's past".1 Else Roesdahl, Professor of Medieval Archaeology at the University of Arhus, Denmark, in her own words sets out to charter what she deems to be "the most important aspects of the Viking Age, where interpretations and problems are reasonably clear."2 The book is a revised edition of an earlier 1992 edition, whereby it has been updated with information from new archaeological excavations. With the current influx of new information and research, our perception of the period is under constant revision.
3 Our knowledge of the Viking Age in Scandinavia and abroad is based on a wide range of sources: written sources, (such as runic inscriptions on stones) poetry, archaeological finds, landscape and climate. Each source poses its own advantages and disadvantages. In the book, The Vikings, Roesdahl goes through each source in detail providing the reader with examples of finds from that particular source and the importance and impact of that find. Pictures and maps are provided to help us gain a better mental picture of how it was to live during this exciting period in history.With this book we are led to believe that Roesdahl's aim was to give the lay person a good solid introduction to the life and times of the Viking era. Was this achieved? To a certain extent, yes.
The bulk of the book is concerned with painting for us a vivid picture of culture and society during the Viking Age. She does this by providing us with information displayed clearly and in an easy to follow format of chapters, including geography, language, travel, trading, religion, art and poetry etc. Her central theme is to show the reader that the modern day 'classic image' of the Vikings "appearing on foreign shores in their ships, sword in hand, performing bloody deeds, plundering churches, extorting money, engaging in battle, murder and abductions, is a one-sided picture."4 She maintains that this view comes from contemporary clerics in Western Europe and by exaggerated tales told by medieval storytellers and historians, including the Scandinavians themselves.She goes to great lengths to show us that the Vikings were not just "plundering" warlords, but infact great politicians, engineers, merchants, skilled craftsmen, poets, authors and explorers.
We are told of how the Viking people took pride in their appearance, how "jewellery was a practical way of carrying one's wealth."5 How the significance of "honour and reputation are the only things which endure forever."6 The need arose for larger and firmer political units around the beginning of the Viking Age, and Roesdahl tells of how a power structure with a single powerful leader was established. From this a court and representatives around the country were set up. We are told of how Viking kings were surrounded by 'glittering splendour', and the scalds, who composed their poems in honour of princes, praised victorious battles, courage and loyalty, great booty and distant expeditions. All of this is creating in our minds a mystical view of life back then, which is undoubtedly the author's central aim.
Roesdahl lends weight to these concepts by providing us with an archaeological background to back up her material. A Professor in Medieval Archaeology, she is primarily concerned with evidence of this nature. Unlike written sources and place-names, archaeological sources increase constantly7, giving us a more informative over-view. We are constantly reminded of the importance of excavational finds as a reliable source. Even down to our knowledge of dress during the period, where she draws our attention to fragments of "kraftan-like jackets of fine wool and linen, fastened with buttons or crossed over and worn with magnificent belts"8, which were found in rich graves in Birka.So much can be learned from artefacts found during the period, especially rune stones which were used for numerous reasons, such as to immortalise splendid Viking ships, travellers and conquests, to celebrate the building of bridges and causeways, which were not built in Scandinavia until the Viking Age and as tributes to the wealthy and people of high social standing.
The importance of this type of source analysis is made abundantly clear in the excavation of Vorbasse. Here Roesdahl goes into great detail explaining how the village evolved over the years and how our knowledge of all of this is made possible through archaeological excavations. This area is where Roesdahl excels, giving the reader enough information without getting too technical or delving too deep.As regards written evidence, Roesdahl adapts a critical attitude towards such sources. In the past, the study of the Viking Age was based chiefly on written evidence. Extensive studies have shown that many of the exciting stories about the Viking Age are more like 'historical novels' than accurate accounts.
9 They were written perhaps with the intention of glorifying a particular person or family of high rank or social standing. Despite the large fictional content, works of this kind have been instrumental in creating stereotypes of the Viking Age.Roesdahl practically rejects all works done after the Viking Age. Nearly everything bar contemporary annals and skaldic poetry is rejected.
Clearly taking this stance from an archaeological viewpoint, she tells the reader of how historical events and their interpretation, which would have been passed on by word of mouth, often acquired a deliberate bias when they were eventually written down. Be it a change in the way a character is portrayed or a new episode added, the intention to glorify a certain character or family. The end result being that we cannot rely on these as concrete sources of information from the period.The geography of Scandinavia has always exerted an influence on its historical development, most obviously in the field of communications.
The nature of the land also had a great effect on the political development of the time. Communication by both land and sea were easiest in Denmark, which meant they had the densest population and as a result, the first unified state. The economy of the three countries was of course dependant on local conditions, but in most places agriculture was the backbone of the economy. Roesdahl tells us that their experience in many different types of farming allowed the Vikings to colonize "areas as varied as verdant Normandy and the mountainous Faroes in the middle of the Atlantic."10 Roesdahl goes on to tell us that our understanding of the development of settlements in Denmark has been completely altered by a large number of excavations. The new evidence about the appearance and structure of farms and villages has given us important insights into Viking Age economy.
Vorbasse being a prime example.Another area where Roesdahl's background comes into play is with the astounding exclusion of Iceland. The book adopts a strong nationalist perspective, which in the case of Roesdahl, is the Danish perspective. She merely touches on Iceland, concentrating instead on Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Analysis of these three countries under different topics can be seen as a running theme throughout her work. The first section of the book, which is devoted to Viking culture and society, sees Roesdahl examine every aspect of Viking life, yet there is barely mention of Iceland, a country that would have played a considerable contributing role to the aforementioned.
She tells us how Scandinavia's own culture had strong traditions, and that only through extensive contact with other countries, assimilating and transforming many foreign influences, did that culture develop. We are told how trading and markets was key in uniting these countries and in the circulation of similar ideas and fashions. Surely this too applies to Iceland? Indeed, a great deal of what we know about Viking culture and society comes from Icelandic material. In this respect it makes her central theme of the book a little narrowly focused.
We are not getting the broader picture and therefore not a full interpretation of events.The modern fascination with the Vikings has inspired many books on the topic. John Haywood's Historical Atlas of the Vikings bares quite a few differences in layout to Roesdahl work. Haywood focuses on the Viking raids and the series of terrifying attacks they initiated on the coasts of Britain, Ireland and Francia.
Haywood goes on to inform us that the term 'Viking' actually means someone who plunders. And so the aim and the central theme to his book are in stark contrast to that of Roesdahl. Both books however offer the reader with a sufficient introduction to the world of the Vikings, no matter which viewpoint you come in with.Overall, the layout of the book is easy to follow and the material is not hard to read. Maps and images of rune stones and other archaeological finds are provided which give the reader a visual aspect also. Ruth Mazzo Karras, of the University of Pennsylvania, puts forward the idea that while it's not a bad book, it does cover well-worn territory.
This, I whole-heartedly agree with. While Roesdahl achieves her goal of writing a comprehensive description of life in the Viking Age, that's all it is, a description of life in the Viking Age. A basic survey, where she "covers the most important topics and presenting material straightforwardly without going into excessive detail on narrowly scholarly issues."11 No new material or groundbreaking discoveries are present and Roesdahl draws no new conclusions.The result makes the book a little dull and boring at times, as sometimes it appears to be just a long list of names and findings from archaeological excavations.
The book is without a doubt bias towards Iceland, which as a result, doesn't give the reader a well-rounded picture of the Viking Age. However, in saying all this, Roesdahl seems to have set out to provide us with an insight into the life of the Viking people. After reading the book, I do feel more informed of their social structures, their daily dress, languages, forms of art and poetry, how their towns were established and kingdoms set up. As a first book on the Vikings I would recommend it, but only as a stepping stone to delve deeper into the mystical world of the Vikings and learn more about their terrifying raids and legendary expansion.
