Viking Dynasties

Beskrivelse

Discover the fascinating origins of Scandinavia’s earliest kingdoms through the lens of history, archaeology, and saga scholarship. This book dives into the legendary royal sites of Lejre and Gamla Uppsala, exploring their significance in Nordic history and myth.

An interdisciplinary investigation into the roots of Viking Age dynasties and their royal power centers.

The royal sites of Lejre and Gamla Uppsala hold a towering place in Nordic history and folklore, seen as aristocratic power hubs founded by descendants of the gods. Since there are almost no contemporary Scandinavian records, much of what we know about the early Viking Age kings of Denmark and Sweden comes from foreign chroniclers and medieval legends-sources that often mix myth with bias.

Scholarly approaches to these texts have swung between full acceptance and outright dismissal of their historical value. This book represents the outcome of a unique six-year Danish-Swedish collaboration involving historians, saga experts, and archaeologists. Together, they examine these elusive written records alongside remarkable new archaeological finds at both Lejre and Gamla Uppsala, uncovering evidence of high-status royal environments.

The authors explore whether it’s possible to shed light on the shadowy early history of Northern Europe and create a genuine chronicle of its first kingdoms and peoples. They also compare the archaeological remains of what can genuinely be called royal palaces with the textual evidence. Embracing lively debate without necessarily reaching full agreement, this work presents the current cutting-edge understanding of the dynasties that shaped the Northern world.

Yderligere information