Viking Age History

Broadcaster Richard Fidler and author Kári Gíslason are good friends. They share a deep attachment to the sagas of Iceland—the true stories of the first Viking families who settled on that remote island in the Middle Ages. These are tales of blood feuds, of dangerous women and people who are compelled to kill the ones they love the most. The sagas are among the greatest stories ever written, but the identity of their authors is largely unknown. Together, Fidler and Gíslason travel across Iceland, to the places where the sagas unfolded a thousand years ago.

En este libro descubrirá cómo era realmente la vida de los vikingos durante su época dorada. Aprenderá sobre los vikingos y las incursiones más importantes, y conocerá más sobre su vida cotidiana y las cuestiones que eran más importantes para ellos. También explorará su folclore y oirá hablar de monstruos, dioses, diosas y de las épicas aventuras que vivieron. La historia cobra vida en este libro con fotos atractivas, datos curiosos y actividades creativas. ¿A qué espera? ¡Viajemos en el tiempo para convertirnos en vikingos!

History books often portray the Vikings as ruthless souls who took no prisoners. However, that’s only a part of their story. This book goes beyond the dragon ships - beyond the beards and monstrous frames. It’s time to set the record straight - and have some fun en route!

Este libro le proporcionará detalles sobre la época en que reinaron los vikingos. Aprenderá cómo vivía el pueblo escandinavo, quiénes navegaban en las incursiones vikingas, las armas utilizadas en la batalla y sus creencias religiosas.

As the name suggests, the legendary sagas are works of fiction. It is in these sagas that we meet all manners of fantastic creatures, hear of the exploits of heroes and villains, and occasionally see the gods peek in to steer events or punish evildoers. The sagas of Icelanders, by contrast, are largely historical works that tell the stories of the families who left continental Scandinavian lands to settle Iceland beginning in the late ninth century.

When the Viking Great Army swept through England between 865 and 878 CE, the course of English history was forever changed. The people of the British Isles had become accustomed to raids for silver and prisoners, but 865 CE saw a fundamental shift as the Norsemen stayed through winter and became immersed in the heart of the nation. The Viking army was here to stay.

The idea of a powerful woman in the Middle Ages seems like an oxymoron. Females in this time are imagined to be damsels in distress, trapped in a high tower, and waiting for knights to rescue them, all while wearing traffic-cones for a hat. After rescue, their lives improved little. Their career choices were to be either docile queens, housewives, or be burned at the stake for witchcraft. But what if this image of medieval women is a complete fiction? It turns out that it is. Powerful female rulers fill the Middle Ages.

Intrigue. Disease. Adventure. War. Invention. Famine. This is the story of how humankind emerged from the Dark Ages prepared for the coming age of enlightenment. There is a good reason why many fantasy epics are based on events that took place in the Middle Ages. For nearly a thousand years, people battled nature, disease, and each other to survive. Visionaries laid the foundations that today’s world is built upon and their inventions and innovations gave rise to literacy, education, medicine, engineering and more. Explorers opened trade to foreign lands and flooded Europe with luxuries including silk, tea, and gold. Nearly half a million people died of the black plague. The feudal system failed, and aristocratic power dwindled. In Medieval History - Including: The Holy Roman Empire, Vikings, the Crusades, and "Columbus" Reaching the New World you’ll get a quick trip through the turbulent Middle Ages that is sure to inspire deeper study.

Ningún pueblo de la época medieval fue tan temido, odiado y sujeto a las más diversas leyendas. Sus avances en la navegación, armas, organización social y particular mitología, los haría la ola migratoria más importante y significativa de los primeros tiempos de la Cristiandad. Fue tal el pavor de los pueblos atacados que cuando se escuchaba a lo lejos sus gritos de guerra, este rezo se volvía común: "Señor, apártanos de la ira de los varegos".