Viking raiders in longships burst through the defenses of ninth-century Europe,
striking terror in the hearts of peasants, monks, and kings for the next three
centuries. Yet the impact of these sea-born Scandinavians on European
civilization was more complex and constructive than portrayed by medieval
chroniclers. Vikings acted as merchants, craftsmen, farmers, settlers, and
mercenaries, and they colonized regions beyond the edges of the known world
like Russia, Iceland, and North America. This course explores the complicated
relationship of the Vikings with the medieval world and examines important
developments within Scandinavian society such as kingship, trade, and
Christianization. At the same time, we will consider the methodological
difficulties presented by the diverse and often contradictory historical sources
for the Vikings such as monastic chronicles, archaeology, inscriptions, and
Scandinavian sagas.
Format: seminar/lecture. Evaluation will be based on class participation and
several papers and assignments.
No prerequisites. Enrollment limit: 19 (expected: 19). Preference will be given to
first-year students, and then sophomores, who have not previously taken a
100-level seminar.
Groups B and D