Description du livre
The story of the viking age has been told almost exclusively through the lens of male raiders. Women were pushed to the margins—either romanticized as mythical shieldmaidens or dismissed as silent background figures. But open the medieval icelandic law codes, and a very different reality emerges. In a europe where many women could not independently control property, norse women negotiated dowries, reclaimed assets, initiated divorces, and held measurable political power.
Drawing from cutting-edge archaeological excavations, norse law codes, and major saga collections, this book offers a gripping, research-driven portrait of how women truly exercised authority in early nordic society. Not as legends. Not as anomalies. But as powerful, structural agents within their communities.
Discover a plethora of topics such as
•A seafaring people
•The northmen are coming!
•Expansion to the east
•New settlements: discovery of north america
•Viking warriors
•Christianity and the vikings
•And much more!
Over the centuries, the west has become fascinated by the vikings, one of the most mysterious and interesting european civilizations. In addition to being perceived as a remarkably unique culture among its european counterparts, what’s known and not known about the vikings’ accomplishments has added an intriguing aura to the historical narrative. Were they fierce and fearsome warriors? Were they the first europeans to visit north america? It seems some of the legends are true, and some are just that, legend.