Describes the history, culture, and exploits of the Vikings and discusses their impact on the civilization of the British Isles and Europe in the eighth and ninth centuries.

History

Chapter One RAIDERS AND TRADERS

 Masters of the Sea

 The Fury of the Northmen

 The Vikings Settle In

 To the Edge of the World

 The Profitable East

 The Final Blaze of Glory

 Map

Cultural History

Chapter Two SHIPBUILDERS, ARTISTS, AND POETS

 The Vikings on the Move

 The Vikings at Home

 A Vigorous Style

 Words to Remember

Belief System

Chapter Three FROM CREATION TO DOOM

 The Creation

 The World Tree

 The All-father and His Family

 Bringers of Pleasure and Plenty

 The Troublemaker of the Gods

 The Doom of the Gods

Beliefs and Society

Chapter Four A WORLD OF HONOR AND LOYALTY

 Law and Order

 Government by the People

 The Three Classes

 Women in the Viking Age

The Legacy of the Vikings

Chapter Five IN THE WAKE OF THE LONGSHIPS

 Lasting Impressions

 Change at Home

 The Continuing Story

 THE VIKINGS: A CHRONOLOGY

 GLOSSARY

 FOR FURTHER READING

 BIBLIOGRAPHY

 INDEX