The World's Greatest Civilizations: The History and Culture of the Vikings Charles River Editors (Author)
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Scandinavia
*Includes pictures of Viking boats, ruins, and historic depictions of Vikings.
*Analyzes the legends and mischaracterizations of the Vikings, separating fact from fiction.
*Discusses the everyday life, settlements, history, religion, and culture of the Vikings.
*Includes a Table of Contents.
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.
The commonly used term, Viking, for the trading and raiding peoples of Scandinavia, may have originated from Viken (the large bay leading to Oslo), or it may have come from the Old Scandinavian words vikingr (sea warrior) or viking (expedition over the sea). The people from the north were known in western Europe at the time as Northmen or Danes, in England as Danes or pagans and in Ireland as Finngall for those of Norwegian origin and Dubgall for those from Denmark. In the east, in Russia and in the Byzantine Empire, the Scandinavians were called Vaeringar or Varyags (Varangians) or Rus', the latter perhaps derived from the name Roslagen, a province in Uppland in Sweden.
The ubiquitous picture of the Vikings as horn-helmeted, brutish, hairy giants that mercilessly marauded among the settlements of Northern Europe is based on a smattering of fact combined with an abundance of prejudicial historical writing by those who were on the receiving end of Viking depredations. At the same time, much of the popular picture of the Vikings is a result of the romantic imagination of novelists and artists. For example, there is neither historical nor archaeological evidence that the typically red haired, freckled Norsemen entered battle wearing a metal helmet decorated with horns. This headgear was an invention of the Swedish painter and illustrator Johan August Malmström (1829 - 1901) and his work was so widely disseminated in popular books that the image stuck. Today the imaginary Viking helmet is an almost mandatory costume accessory in productions of Wagner's opera Der Ring des Nibelungen, which is not about the Vikings at all. It seems the horned helmet evolved from an imaginary reinterpretation of genuine Viking images of a winged helmet that may have been worn by priests in Viking religious ceremonies.
However, the Vikings’ reputation for ferocious seaborne attacks along the coasts of Northern Europe is no exaggeration. It is true that the Norsemen, who traded extensively throughout Europe, often increased the profits obtained from their nautical ventures through plunder, acquiring precious metals and slaves. Of course, the Vikings were not the only ones participating in this kind of income generation; between the 8th and the 11th centuries, European tribes, clans, kingdoms and monastic communities were quite adept at fighting with each other for the purpose of obtaining booty. The Vikings were simply more consistently successful than their contemporaries and thus became suitable symbols for the iniquity of the times.
The World’s Greatest Civilizations: The History and Culture of the Vikings comprehensively covers the culture and history of the Vikings, discussing everything from their religion to their way of life, in an attempt to separate fact from fiction. Along with pictures of Viking art and ruins, as well as historic art depicting the Vikings, you will learn about the Vikings like you never have before, in no time at all.
- Rank: #52533 in eBooks
- Published on: 2012-07-22
- Released on: 2012-07-22
- Format: Kindle eBook
- Number of items: 1
Description #1 by Learning Bug:
Display the panels together as a topper or as separate posters around your room! Five posters or a 10' topper! (5) 24" x 17" panels with superb artwork of some of the most well-known civilizations and cultures in world history including: Ancient Egypt, Babylon, China, Classical Greece, the Roman Empire, Genghis Khan and the Mongols, the Maya, the Inca Empire, the Byzantine Empire, the Vikings, the Ottoman Empire, the Aztecs, and the Great Zimbabwe 10' long when assembled Resource guide
Description #2 by Cokesbury.com:
The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of "Guns, Germs, and Steel" examines the downfall of some of history's greatest civilizations In his million-copy bestseller "Guns, Germs, and Steel," Jared Diamond examined how and why Western civilizations developed the technologies and immunities that allowed them to dominate much of the world. Now in this brilliant companion volume, Diamond probes the other side of the equation: What caused some of the great civilizations of the past to collapse into ruin, and what can we learn from their fates?As in "Guns, Germs, and Steel," Diamond weaves an all-encompassing global thesis through a series of fascinating historical-cultural narratives. Moving from the Polynesian cultures on Easter Island to the flourishing American civilizations of the Anasazi and the Maya and finally to the doomed Viking colony on Greenland, Diamond traces the fundamental pattern of catastrophe. Environmental damage, climate change, rapid population growth, and unwise political choices were all factors in the demise of these societies, but other societies found solutions and persisted. Similar problems face us today and have already brought disaster to Rwanda and Haiti, even as China and Australia are trying to cope in innovative ways. Despite our own society's apparently inexhaustible wealth and unrivaled political power, ominous warning signs have begun to emerge even in ecologically robust areas like Montana.Brilliant, illuminating, and immensely absorbing, "Collapse" is destined to take its place as one of the essential books of our time, raising the urgent question: How can our world best avoid committing ecological suicide? Also look out for Jared Diamond's latest book, "The World"" Until Yesterday," coming from Viking in January 2013.
Description #3 by audiobooksonline.com:
Written by Jared Diamond - Audio book narrated by Christopher Murney - Abridged Nonfiction - 8 COMPACT DISCS - 9.5 hoursPublisher, Penguin Audio (December 2004)In his million-copy bestseller Guns, Germs, and Steel, Jared Diamond examined how and why Western civilizations developed the technologies and immunities that allowed them to dominate much of the world. Now in this brilliant companion volume, Diamond probes the other side of the equation: What caused some of the great civilizations of the past to collapse into ruin, and what can we learn from their fates?As in Guns, Germs, and Steel, Diamond weaves an all-encompassing global thesis through a series of fascinating historical-cultural narratives. Moving from the Polynesian cultures on Easter Island to the flourishing American civilizations of the Anasazi and the Maya and finally to the doomed Viking colony on Greenland, Diamond traces the fundamental pattern of catastrophe. Environmental damage, climate change, rapid population gr
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