The Hammer And The Cross

Beskrivelse

Discover the Viking Age like never before with Robert Ferguson’s captivating exploration. From the infamous raid on Lindisfarne to the fall of the Norse temple at Uppsala, this book paints a vivid picture of three centuries of Viking history.

A comprehensive journey through the Viking Age, blending history, legend, and archaeology.

For those outside Scandinavia, the Viking Age is often marked by the 793 attack on the monastery at Lindisfarne-a brutal event that signaled the turbulent times ahead for Britain and much of Europe. This era stretched on for nearly 300 years, culminating in the destruction of the heathen temple dedicated to Norse gods at Uppsala around 1090.

Robert Ferguson skillfully navigates the tricky boundary between legend and fact, drawing on his deep knowledge of Scandinavian literary culture. He brings together the eddas, skaldic poetry, and sagas with the latest archaeological finds, including picture-stones, runes, ships, and artifacts scattered across northern Europe.

"The Hammer and the Cross" offers the most compelling modern portrayal of the Viking Age available, covering a vast geographical area from Scandinavia to Kievan Rus and Byzantium in the east, and from Iceland and Greenland to the early North American settlements in the west.

Beyond geography, the book immerses readers in a misty world inhabited by figures like Hallfred the Troublesome Poet, Harald Bluetooth, Ragnar Hairy-Breeches, Ivar the Boneless, and Eyvind the Plagiarist-where literature, history, and myth seamlessly intertwine.

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