Books with title Viking Tales:

Jennie Hall has captured the true spirit of the ancient age of the Viking. We follow Herald from just after his birth, through many Viking adventures and his eventual crowning as King of Norway. We also go exploring ever westward with other Vikings eager to get away from their crowded homeland and partake in great adventures and claim vast fortunes.

In Viking Tales, Jennie Hall writes of the Norse legends and travel tales of Iceland, the stories of kings and battles of ship sailing. These adventure tales, which include the discovery of America (named Vinland) by the Norse, are a gripping chronicle of the human desire for exploration and a tantalizing glimpse of what would many centuries later become the New World. Anyone interested in Viking lore and Icelandic legend will find this a valuable resource.

Jennie Hall is most noted for her fascinating travel memoirs of the late eighteenth century. She produced vibrant narratives and brilliantly vivid descriptions that have made her popular among readers who wish to be transported into another area or time period. Her "Viking Tales" is an excellent example of that. The story follows the life of the Viking Harald from infancy to his crowning as King of Norway. It focuses on the Vikings' eagerness for adventure and new lands as they set forth from Norway and sail westward across the Atlantic, island-hopping on their way to America. The legends of these men were passed down through generations of families, while they sat around the fireside on bitterly cold winter nights playing harps and working with wool. This adventurous book will entertain young and old readers alike as they take a look at the lifestyle and world view of these mysterious people.

Viking Tales is a historical children's book that recounts legends, myths and sagas of Vikings, their achievements, and the Viking ethos and culture. The journey starts in Norway with the birth of Harald Shock Hair, son of Halfdan the Black. Harald was the one who united the lesser kingdoms of Norway and formed a united, powerful nation. The best known part of his legend is that he vowed he would not cut his hair until he had defeated all his enemies, and become the great king, worthy of princess Gyda. From Norway, the book leads the way to Iceland, a land of ice and fire, and tells the stories of Viking leaders Ingolf and Leif who founded a colony on Iceland, Eric the Red being outlawed and discovering Greenland and founding a colony there, or Leif Ericson's discovery of Wineland (North America)

This spectacular collection of ancient Viking myths and legends was compiled by Jennie Hall - a leading enthusiast in Nordic mythology. The tales within this volume draw upon well-known legends involving the Nordic pantheon of the Gods, as well as the folk stories which follow a young hero named Harald. The two countries focused upon are Norway and Iceland, with the seafaring culture for which the Nordic peoples were renowned in the early Middle Ages receiving much prominence. Rich with swashbuckling valiance and heroism, the stories within this volume are recounted compellingly, starting with an account of Harald's infancy. The stories are imbued by Hall's deep research into the Nordic culture - the hierarchy of their society, the means by which they set laws and settled disputes, how they married and partook in family life, and how they fought and died in war. Together with this book's thrilling stories, Jennie Hall imbues her own researches into the language pronunciations and cultural traits of the Nordic peoples. These notes are included at the end of this edition, so that the reader may gain greater understanding of the society which created these unique myths.

Viking Tales by Jennie Hall Edited and Formatted for optional user enjoyment.- Our books are professionally produced and edited to provide the best reading experience- Our books contain unique illustrations that readers can enjoy - Check out our extensive range of top quality books on our site by searching Zellerz Publishing on Amazon Summary Iceland is a little country far north in the cold sea. Men found it and went there to live more than a thousand years ago. During the warm season they used to fish and make fish-oil and hunt sea-birds and gather feathers and tend their sheep and make hay. But the winters were long and dark and cold. Men and women and children stayed in the house and carded and spun and wove and knit. A whole family sat for hours around the fire in the middle of the room. That fire gave the only light. Shadows flitted in the dark corners. Smoke curled along the high beams in the ceiling. The children sat on the dirt floor close by the fire. The grown people were on a long narrow bench that they had pulled up to the light and warmth. Everybody's hands were busy with wool. The work left their minds free to think and their lips to talk. What was there to talk about? The summer's fishing, the killing of a fox, a voyage to Norway. But the people grew tired of this little gossip... Here are some of Amazon’s Excellent Reviews - "I love to read anything about the viking. I knew some stuff but there was a lot I didnt know. Great book“ Take advantage of our excellent books Get your kindle copy today!

ICELAND is a little country far north in the cold sea. Men found it and went there to live more than a thousand years ago. During the warm season they used to fish and make fish-oil and hunt sea-birds and gather feathers and tend their sheep and make hay. But the winters were long and dark and cold. Men and women and children stayed in the house and carded and spun and wove and knit. A whole family sat for hours around the fire in the middle of the room. That fire gave the only light. Shadows flitted in the dark corners. Smoke curled along the high beams in the ceiling. The children sat on the dirt floor close by the fire. The grown people were on a long narrow bench that they had pulled up to the light and warmth. Everybody's hands were busy with wool. The work left their minds free to think and their lips to talk. What was there to talk about? The summer's fishing, the killing of a fox, a voyage to Norway. But the people grew tired of this little gossip. Fathers looked at their children and thought:"They are not learning much. What will make them brave and wise? What will teach them to love their country and old Norway? Will not the stories of battles, of brave deeds, of mighty men, do this?"So, as the family worked in the red fire-light, the father told of the kings of Norway, of long voyages to strange lands, of good fights. And in farmhouses all through Iceland these old tales were told over and over until everybody knew them and loved them. Some men could sing and play the harp. This made the stories all the more interesting. People called such men "skalds," and they called their songs "sagas."

Nights were long in Iceland winters of long ago. A whole family sat for hours around the fire in the middle of the room. That fire gave the only light. Shadows flitted in the dark corners. Smoke curled along the high beams of the ceiling. The children sat on the dirt floor close by the fire. The grown people were on a long narrow bench that they had pulled up to the light and warmth. Everybody's hands were busy with wool. As the family worked in the red fire-light, the father told of the kings of Norway, of long voyages to strange lands, of good fights. And in farmhouses all through Iceland these old tales were told over and over until everybody knew them and loved them. Men who could sing and play the harp were called "skalds," and they called their songs "sagas."

Over the centuries, the West has become fascinated by the Vikings, one of the most mysterious and interesting European civilizations. In addition to being perceived as a remarkably unique culture among its European counterparts, what’s known and not known about the Vikings’ accomplishments has added an intriguing aura to the historical narrative. Were they fierce and fearsome warriors? Were they the first Europeans to visit North America? It seems some of the legends are true, and some are just that, legend. The commonly used term, Viking, for the trading and raiding peoples of Scandinavia, may have originated from Viken (the large bay leading to Oslo), or it may have come from the Old Scandinavian words vikingr (sea warrior) or viking (expedition over the sea). The people from the north were known in western Europe at the time as Northmen or Danes, in England as Danes or pagans and in Ireland as Finngall for those of Norwegian origin and Dubgall for those from Denmark. In the east, in Russia and in the Byzantine Empire, the Scandinavians were called Vaeringar or Varyags (Varangians) or Rus', the latter perhaps derived from the name Roslagen, a province in Uppland in Sweden. The ubiquitous picture of the Vikings as horn-helmeted, brutish, hairy giants that mercilessly marauded among the settlements of Northern Europe is based on a smattering of fact combined with an abundance of prejudicial historical writing by those who were on the receiving end of Viking depredations. At the same time, much of the popular picture of the Vikings is a result of the romantic imagination of novelists and artists. For example, there is neither historical nor archaeological evidence that the typically red haired, freckled Norsemen entered battle wearing a metal helmet decorated with horns. This headgear was an invention of the Swedish painter and illustrator Johan August Malmström (1829 - 1901) and his work was so widely disseminated in popular books that the image stuck. Today the imaginary Viking helmet is an almost mandatory costume accessory in productions of Wagner's opera Der Ring des Nibelungen, which is not about the Vikings at all. It seems the horned helmet evolved from an imaginary reinterpretation of genuine Viking images of a winged helmet that may have been worn by priests in Viking religious ceremonies. However, the Vikings’ reputation for ferocious seaborne attacks along the coasts of Northern Europe is no exaggeration. It is true that the Norsemen, who traded extensively throughout Europe, often increased the profits obtained from their nautical ventures through plunder, acquiring precious metals and slaves. Of course, the Vikings were not the only ones participating in this kind of income generation; between the 8th and the 11th centuries, European tribes, clans, kingdoms and monastic communities were quite adept at fighting with each other for the purpose of obtaining booty. The Vikings were simply more consistently successful than their contemporaries and thus became suitable symbols for the iniquity of the times.

So the best skalds traveled much and visited many people. Their songs made them welcome everywhere. They were always honored with good seats at a feast. They were given many rich gifts. Even the King of Norway would sometimes send across the water to Iceland; saying to some famous skald:"Come and visit me. You shall not go away empty-handed. Men say that the sweetest songs are in Iceland. I wish to hear them."

We follow the fortunes of Harald from the time he is given his own thrall at the cutting of his first tooth, through his exploits as a viking adventurer, to his crowning as King of Norway. Then population pressures at home and eagerness for adventure and booty from other lands combine to drive some of the bolder Vikings to set forth from their native land. Sailing ever westward across the Atlantic, they hop along the chain of islands that loosely connects Norway with America in search of home and adventure. "Nights were long in Iceland winters of long ago. A whole family sat for hours around the fire in the middle of the room. That fire gave the only light. Shadows flitted in the dark corners. Smoke curled along the high beams of the ceiling. The children sat on the dirt floor close by the fire. The grown people were on a long narrow bench that they had pulled up to the light and warmth. Everybody's hands were busy with wool. As the family worked in the red fire-light, the father told of the kings of Norway, of long voyages to strange lands, of good fights."

Viking Tales by Jennie Hall Edited and Formatted for optional user enjoyment .- Our books are professionally produced and edited to provide the best reading experience- Our books contain unique illustrations that readers can enjoy - Check out our extensive range of top quality books on our site by searching Zellerz Publishing on Amazon Summary Iceland is a little country far north in the cold sea. Men found it and went there to live more than a thousand years ago. During the warm season they used to fish and make fish-oil and hunt sea-birds and gather feathers and tend their sheep and make hay. But the winters were long and dark and cold. Men and women and children stayed in the house and carded and spun and wove and knit. A whole family sat for hours around the fire in the middle of the room. That fire gave the only light. Shadows flitted in the dark corners. Smoke curled along the high beams in the ceiling. The children sat on the dirt floor close by the fire. The grown people were on a long narrow bench that they had pulled up to the light and warmth. Everybody's hands were busy with wool. The work left their minds free to think and their lips to talk. What was there to talk about? The summer's fishing, the killing of a fox, a voyage to Norway. But the people grew tired of this little gossip. Fathers looked at their children and thought: "They are not learning much. What will make them brave and wise? What will teach them to love their country and old Norway? Will not the stories of battles, of brave deeds, of mighty men, do this?" Here are some of Amazon’s Excellent Reviews - "I love to read anything about the viking. I knew some stuff but there was a lot I didnt know. Great book“ Take advantage of our excellent books Get your kindle copy today!