Book time: The Vikings by Else Roesdahl

 

The Vikings 

By Else Roesdahl 

Paperback 324 pages 

First published 1987 as “Vikingernes” by Gyldendal , Copenhagen ( in Danish)

Edition discussed Second Edition in English by Penguin Books, 1998 ( from my own library)

The Vikings by Else Roesdahl is widely regarded as one of the finest single-volume introductions to the Viking Age. First published in English in 1987 in Denmark and later thoroughly revised and expanded, the current Penguin edition (324 pages) incorporates decades of new archaeological discoveries and scholarship. 

Roesdahl is one of Denmark’s foremost Viking scholars, having spent much of her career excavating Viking sites, studying medieval Scandinavia, and curating major museum exhibitions. Her academic expertise gives the book a strong archaeological foundation while remaining accessible to general readers. 

Rather than presenting the Vikings simply as fearsome raiders, Roesdahl paints a comprehensive portrait of an entire civilisation. She argues that although Viking raids captured the imagination of medieval chroniclers, warfare was only one aspect of a sophisticated society that was equally shaped by farming, craftsmanship, trade, exploration, poetry, law, and religion. 

The artwork and black and white plates help to illustrate the book perfectly including maps of the Vikings’ settlements and conquests.

The book follows the Viking Age from approximately AD 750 to 1100, examining how Scandinavian peoples expanded across Europe and beyond while simultaneously transforming their own societies.

Among the subjects explored are:

• The origins of the Viking Age.
• Daily life on Scandinavian farms.
• Family structure and social hierarchy.
• Jarls, kings, and political organisation.
• Viking longships and navigation.
• Trade routes stretching from North America to Byzantium and the Islamic world.
• Weapons and warfare.
• Pagan beliefs, mythology, and ritual practices.
• Burial customs and funerary archaeology.
• Rune stones and writing.
• Viking art, jewellery, and craftsmanship.
• The conversion to Christianity.
• The end of the Viking Age and its lasting legacy. 

One of the book’s greatest strengths is its reliance on archaeology rather than later medieval legends alone. Roesdahl explains what excavations at sites such as Birka, Hedeby, Jelling, and Oseberg reveal about Viking society, often correcting long-standing myths.

The book also highlights the remarkable reach of Viking travel. Readers learn how Scandinavians established settlements in:

• England
• Ireland
• Normandy
• Iceland
• Greenland
• Vinland (North America)
• Russia
• Byzantium
• The Abbasid Caliphate through extensive trade networks

This broader perspective demonstrates that the Vikings were explorers, merchants, settlers, diplomats, and craftspeople as much as they were warriors. 

Relevance to Paganism

Although primarily a historical work rather than a book on mythology, The Vikingscontains valuable chapters on pre-Christian Norse religion, including:

• The worship of Odin, Thor, Freyr, Freyja, and other deities.
• Sacred places and ritual sites.
• Sacrifice and religious ceremonies.
• Burial rites and beliefs about the afterlife.
• The gradual Christianisation of Scandinavia.

For readers interested in modern Heathenry or Norse paganism, these chapters provide an evidence-based account of what can reasonably be inferred from archaeology and historical sources, while also explaining where certainty ends and speculation begins.

Despite its academic credentials, the book is highly readable. Roesdahl writes clearly and avoids excessive technical jargon, making it suitable for enthusiastic beginners while remaining detailed enough for university students and serious history enthusiasts.

Illustrations, photographs of artefacts, maps, reconstructions, and site plans greatly enhance the text, helping readers visualise Viking life.

The book has long been considered a standard introduction to Viking studies and is frequently recommended by historians, archaeologists, and online academic communities as one of the best starting points for understanding the Viking Age. More recent works—such as Neil Price’s Children of Ash and Elm or Anders Winroth’s The Age of the Vikings—offer newer interpretations in some areas, but Roesdahl’s work remains respected for its balanced, evidence-based overview. 

For anyone interested in Viking history, Norse culture, or the archaeological realities behind the popular image of the Vikings, The Vikings is an outstanding choice. It succeeds in replacing stereotypes of “helmeted raiders” with a nuanced picture of a complex civilisation that profoundly influenced medieval Europe. It is especially valuable because it balances accessibility with scholarly rigour, making it one of the most enduring introductions to the Viking world.

The book is readily available new and used.

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

ISBN: 9780141984766

https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-vikings/else-roesdahl/kirsten-williams/9780141984766

Also available free from the Internet Archive 

https://archive.org/details/vikingsreviseded00else

About the author 

Else Roesdahl (born 26 February 1942) is a distinguished Danish archaeologist, medieval historian, and author who is internationally recognised as one of the world’s leading authorities on the Viking Age. Over a career spanning more than five decades, she has combined meticulous archaeological research with an ability to communicate Viking history to a broad audience. 

Roesdahl was born in Sønderborg, in southern Denmark. She studied history and Nordic archaeology at the University of Copenhagen, graduating in 1969. Shortly afterwards, she joined the newly established Department of Medieval Archaeology at Aarhus University, where she would spend the majority of her academic career. 

Roesdahl became a professor of Medieval Archaeology at Aarhus University in 1996 and is now Professor Emerita. Her research has focused on:

• Viking settlements and fortresses.
• Medieval Scandinavian society.
• The Christianisation of Denmark.
• Viking trade networks.
• Burial customs and material culture.
• The use of walrus ivory and other luxury goods in the Viking world. 

She has published more than two dozen books, numerous book chapters, and dozens of scholarly articles, making her one of the most prolific researchers in Viking studies. 

Contributions to Viking Archaeology

One of Roesdahl’s most significant achievements has been her work on Denmark’s great Viking ring fortresses, particularly Fyrkat, one of the circular military fortifications associated with King Harald Bluetooth. Her excavations and publications have greatly advanced understanding of Viking military organisation, settlement patterns, and royal authority. 

She has consistently demonstrated that the Vikings were far more than raiders. Through archaeological evidence, she has shown them to have been:

• Skilled farmers.
• Master shipbuilders.
• Long-distance traders.
• Craftspeople.
• Explorers.
• Lawmakers.
• Artists. 

Museum and Exhibition Work

Beyond academia, Roesdahl has played a major role in bringing Viking history to the public. She coordinated several major international exhibitions, including:

• The Vikings in England and Their Danish Homeland (1981–82), shown in Denmark and York.
• From Viking to Crusader: Scandinavia and Europe 800–1200, a landmark exhibition that travelled to Paris, Berlin, and Copenhagen. 

These exhibitions helped reshape public understanding of the Viking Age by presenting it as a rich and sophisticated civilisation rather than simply an era of conquest.

Notable Books

Among her best-known publications are:

• The Vikings (1991; revised editions).
• Viking Age Denmark.
• The Viking World (Vikingernes Verden in Danish).
• Daily Life in Medieval Denmark.
• Works on Greenland’s Norse settlements and Viking archaeology. 

Awards and Honours

Roesdahl has received numerous honours for her scholarship, including:

• The Søren Gyldendal Prize (1988), one of Denmark’s most prestigious literary and cultural awards.
• Appointment as a Knight of the Order of the Dannebrog, later promoted to First Class.
• Honorary doctorates from Trinity College Dublin (1995) and the University of York (2009).
• Election to the Academia Europaea in 2022 in recognition of her outstanding contributions to historical and archaeological research. 

Legacy

Else Roesdahl’s greatest contribution has been to bridge the gap between academic research and popular history. Her books are admired for their clarity, balance, and reliance on archaeological evidence, making them standard references for students, historians, reenactors, and anyone interested in Norse history.

She has also helped dispel many enduring myths—such as the popular image of Vikings wearing horned helmets—by grounding her work firmly in the archaeological record. Her scholarship presents the Viking Age as a period of cultural exchange, innovation, and exploration, offering a far richer and more nuanced understanding of Scandinavia’s medieval past than traditional stereotypes allow.