Vikings and Medieval Scandinavia

3 Units

A survey of the history of the Vikings and medieval Scandinavia, covering approximately the eighth to the fifteenth centuries AD. Topics explored include: causes of the "outbreak" and cessation of Viking expeditions, the role of the Vikings as raiders and/or traders in Western Europe, the role of the Vikings in the emerging states of Russia, Iceland and medieval Scandinavian law, the historicity of the saga literature, and Viking descendents--Normans and "Rus." Counts as a CAS Global & Cultural Diversity course.