Icelanders in the Viking Age : The People of the Sagas

The Sagas of Icelanders are enduring stories from Viking-Age Iceland filled with love and romance, battles and feuds, tragedy and comedy. Yet these tales are little read today, even by lovers of literature. The culture and history of the people depicted in the Sagas are often unfamiliar to the modern reader, though the audience for whom the tales were intended would have had an intimate understanding of the material. This text introduces the modern reader to the daily lives and material culture of the Vikings. Topics covered include Icelandic religion, social customs, the settlement of disputes, and major milestones in life of Viking-Age Icelanders. Issues of dispute among scholars, such as the nature of settlement and the division of land, are addressed in the text.

The Sagas of Icelanders are enduring stories from Viking-Age Iceland filled with love and romance, battles and feuds, tragedy and comedy. Yet these tales are little read today, even by lovers of literature. The culture and history of the people depicted in the Sagas are often unfamiliar to the modern reader, though the audience for whom the tales were intended would have had an intimate understanding of the material. This text introduced the modern reader to the daily lives and material culture of the Vikings. Topics covered include religion, housing, social customs, the settlement of disputes, and the early history of Iceland. Issues of dispute among scholars, such as nature of settlement and the division of land, are addressed in the text.

The Sagas of Icelanders are enduring stories from Viking-age Iceland filled with love and romance, battles and feuds, tragedy and comedy. Yet these tales are little read today, even by lovers of literature. The culture and history of the people depicted in the Sagas are often unfamiliar to the modern reader, though the audience for whom the tales were intended would have had an intimate understanding of the material. This text introduces the modern reader to the daily lives and material culture of the Vikings. Topics covered include religion, housing, social customs, the settlement of disputes, and the early history of Iceland. Issues of dispute among scholars, such as the nature of settlement and the division of land, are addressed in the text. Cover 1 Acknowledgments 6 Table of Contents 8 Introduction 10 1. The Land 18 2. The Settlement 23 3. Government and Law 31 4. Social Structure and Gender 41 5. Feuds, Honor, and the Culture of Combat 49 6. Milestones in Life 67 7. Farm, Food Production, and Home Life 83 8. Manufacture and Trade 119 9. Transportation and Navigation 137 10. Art and Leisure 172 11. Religion, Myth, and Cult 195 12. Exploration and Settlement to the West 211 13. Iceland’s Heritage 217 Glossary 224 Appendix 232 Chapter Notes 236 Selected References 273 Index 276 "This text introduces the modern reader to the daily lives and material culture of the Vikings. Topics covered include Icelandic religion, social customs, the settlement of disputes, and major milestones in life of Viking-age Icelanders. Issues of dispute among scholars, such as the nature of settlement and the division of land, are addressed in the text"--Provided by publisher. The land The settlement Government and law Social structure and gender Feuds, honor, and the culture of combat Milestones in life Farm, food production, and home life Manufacture and trade Transportation and navigation Art and leisure Religion, myth, and cult Exploration and settlement to the West Iceland's heritage Glossary Appendix: Sagas for outlanders.