Other editions of book 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.

The Vikings (from Old Norse víkingr) were seafaring north Germanic people who raided, traded, explored, and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia, and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th centuries. The Vikings employed wooden longships with wide, shallow-draft hulls, allowing navigation in rough seas or in shallow river waters. The ships could be landed on beaches, and their light weight enabled them to be hauled over portages. These versatile ships allowed the Vikings to travel as far east as Constantinople and the Volga River in Russia, as far west as Iceland, Greenland, and Newfoundland, and as far south as Nekor. This period of Viking expansion, known as the Viking Age, constitutes an important element of the medieval history of Scandinavia, Great Britain, Ireland, Russia, and the rest of Europe.

Viking Tales...This is a charming little book narrating the tales of two of the greatest Viking leaders in History. The journey starts in Norway with the birth of Harald Finehair, son of Halfdan the Black. Harald was the one who united the lesser kingdoms of Norway and formed a united, powerful nation. The rejection of his marriage proposal by princess Gyda unless he became a great king and the vow that he would not cut or comb his hair until he had defeated all his enemies are the most well-known parts of his legend.

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.

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!

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."

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!

Rare edition with unique illustrations and elegant classic cream paper. For those wanting an interesting peek into the lifestyle of the vikings and an insight into their mindset, this will be a worthwhile read. Find out how slaves (or thralls) were used and treated by the privileged of society. Get a glimpse into the clothing worn and foods eaten. Most importantly, this text will help explain the worldview of these mysterious people. They worshiped strange gods, and felt their life after death would be humiliating if they didn't die courageously in battle. To die any other way would've been shameful. The sense of extreme entitlement struck me strongly as I read, seeing these men take what they wanted, whenever they felt the need, killing persons standing in their way. You'll gain insight into some more famous men and vikings from history and lore: Harald, King of Norway, as well as Eric the Red and Leif the Lucky. Stories are told in a straight-forward manner with little building of tension or drama. Includes vintage illustration!

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