Viking Legacy

Book excerpt: More than marauders and bloodthirsty conquerors, the Vikings were builders of a civilization which influence may still be seen in the modern world. The Viking Age is arguably one of the most fascinating epochs in history, and in this book, a new narrative is presented based on Viking history as it is told in the Norse Sagas. Viking Legacy represents a new generation of books exploring the Viking Age. By integrating the Saga literature with other sources, a more complete picture emerges of this increasingly popular era, and a civilization that would change the course of history. Torgrim Titlestad, professor, dr.philos. is one of Norway’s foremost experts and most prolific authors on the Viking Age and Saga history. He is the recipient of the Saga Award (2016) and was appointed Knight of the Order of the Falcon (2017) by Iceland’s President, Guðni Th. Jóhannesson, for his work with the Norse sagas, especially Tormod Torfæus’ Magnum Opus Historia Rerum Norvegicarum and the Icelandic saga treasure Flateyjarbók.