Civilizing the Vikings

4 credits · Undergraduate

This course covers the history of Scandinavian political society from the Viking invasions to the formation of kingdoms. After examining the attacks on England and the European Continent, discussion turns to Viking mythology, the colonization of the North Atlantic (including Vinland), and Icelandic feuding. A fair amount of attention will be devoted to archaeological excavations. The course also works with Norse mythologies, and the ways the history of early Scandinavian kings was grafted into those mythologies. We will end with the beginnings of the Scandinavian kingdoms in the 13th century. Readings are both primary and secondary sources. The primary sources include histories, chronicles, Eddic poetry, sagas, and law codes.