Description
| Product ID: | 9781350165359 |
| Product Form: | Paperback / softback |
| Country of Manufacture: | GB |
| Title: | Dragon Lords |
| Subtitle: | The History and Legends of Viking England |
| Authors: | Author: Eleanor Parker |
| Page Count: | 288 |
| Subjects: | Precious metal, precious stones and jewellery: artworks and design, Precious metal, precious stones & jewellery: artworks & design, Literary studies: ancient, classical and medieval, European history, History, Social and cultural history, Archaeology, Norse religion and mythology, Folklore studies / Study of myth (mythology), Literary studies: classical, early & medieval, British & Irish history, Medieval history, Social & cultural history, Archaeology, Norse religion & mythology, Folklore, myths & legends, England, Northern Europe, Scandinavia, c 500 CE to c 1000 CE |
| Description: | Select Guide Rating Why did the Vikings sail to England? Were they indiscriminate raiders, motivated solely by bloodlust and plunder? One narrative, the stereotypical one, might have it so. But locked away in the buried history of the British Isles are other, far richer and more nuanced, stories; and these hidden tales paint a picture very different from the ferocious pillagers of popular repute. In this book, Eleanor Parker unlocks secrets that point to more complex motivations within the marauding army that in the late-9th century voyaged to the shores of eastern England in its sleek, dragon-prowed longships. Exploring legends from forgotten medieval texts, and across the varied Anglo-Saxon regions, she depicts Vikings who came not just to raid but also to settle personal feuds, intervene in English politics and find a place to call home. Native tales reveal the links to famous Vikings like Ragnar Lothbrok and his sons, Cnut, and Havelok the Dane. Each myth shows how the legacy of the newcomers can still be traced in landscape, place-names and local history. Meticulously researched and elegantly argued, Dragon Lords uncovers the remarkable degree to which England is Viking to its core. Why did the Vikings sail to England? Were they indiscriminate raiders, motivated solely by bloodlust and plunder? One narrative, the stereotypical one, might have it so. But locked away in the buried history of the British Isles are other, far richer and more nuanced, stories; and these hidden tales paint a picture very different from the ferocious pillagers of popular repute.In this book, Eleanor Parker unlocks secrets that point to more complex motivations within the marauding army that in the late-9th century voyaged to the shores of eastern England in its sleek, dragon-prowed longships. Exploring legends from forgotten medieval texts, and across the varied Anglo-Saxon regions, she depicts Vikings who came not just to raid but also to settle personal feuds, intervene in English politics and find a place to call home. Native tales reveal the links to famous Vikings like Ragnar Lothbrok and his sons, Cnut, and Havelok the Dane. Each myth shows how the legacy of the newcomers can still be traced in landscape, place-names and local history. Meticulously researched and elegantly argued, Dragon Lords uncovers the remarkable degree to which England is Viking to its core. |
| Imprint Name: | Bloomsbury Academic |
| Publisher Name: | Bloomsbury Publishing PLC |
| Country of Publication: | GB |
| Publishing Date: | 2020-09-17 |
