Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Brimming with vivid storytelling and the latest archaeological research, this provocative narrative reveals how women shaped the Viking era. Until Scandinavia converted to Christianity and came under the rule of powerful kings, the Vikings were a dominant force in the medieval world. Outfitted with wind-powered sailing ships, they left their mark, spreading terror across Europe, sacking cities, deposing kings, and ransacking entire economies. But not all disruption is harmful. The Vikings also constructed cities, founded one of the world's earliest legislative assemblies, became the first Europeans to set foot in North America, and enriched the English language. After the Vikings, the world was never the same.
But as much as we know about this celebrated culture, there is a large missing piece: its women. All but ignored by contemporary European writers, the Northwomen were thought to have played little part in the famous feats of the Vikings, instead remaining at home as wives, mothers and homemakers.
In this enthralling narrative, renowned science journalist Heather Pringle turns those assumptions on their head, using the latest archaeological research and historical findings to reveal these women as formidable figures who served as sorceresses, warriors, traders, artisans, explorers, settlers, landowners and power brokers, both at home and abroad. This cutting-edge, revisionist portrait of this crucial cohort helps to portray the Vikings as they actually were--a complex society rich in culture, courage, and a surprisingly modern gender ideology.
Synopsis
Brimming with the latest archaeological research, this provocative narrative is the true story of some of the most alluring and little-known figures in the Viking world: its women. Until Scandinavia converted to Christianity and came under the rule of powerful kings, the Vikings were a dominant force in the medieval world. Outfitted with wind-powered sailing ships, they left their mark, spreading terror across Europe, sacking cities, deposing kings, and ransacking entire economies. But not all disruption is harmful. The Vikings also constructed cities, founded one of the world's earliest legislative assemblies, became the first Europeans to set foot in North America, and enriched the English language. After the Vikings, the world was never the same.
But as much as we know about this celebrated culture, there is a large missing piece: its women. All but ignored by contemporary European writers, the Northwomen were thought to have played little part in the famous feats of the Vikings, instead remaining at home as wives, mothers and homemakers.
In this enthralling narrative, renowned science journalist Heather Pringle turns those assumptions on their head, using the latest archaeological research and historical findings to reveal these women as formidable figures who served as sorceresses, warriors, traders, artisans, explorers, settlers, landowners and power brokers, both at home and abroad.
Synopsis
For fans of provocative history and "Game of Thrones" alike, this revisionist narrative reveals how the little-known women of the Viking era shaped their world. Until Scandinavia converted to Christianity and came under the rule of powerful kings, the Vikings were a dominant force in the medieval world. Outfitted with wind-powered sailing ships, they left their mark, spreading terror across Europe, sacking cities, deposing kings, and ransacking entire economies. After the Vikings, the world was never the same.
But as much as we know about this celebrated culture, there is a large missing piece: its women. All but ignored by contemporary European writers, these shadowy figures were thought to have played little part in the famous feats of the Vikings, instead remaining at home as wives, mothers, and homemakers.
In this cutting edge, revisionist portrait, renowned science journalist Heather Pringle turns those assumptions on their head, using the latest archaeological research and historical findings to reveal this group as they actually were. Members of a complex society rich in culture, courage, and a surprisingly modern gender ideology, the women of the Viking age were in fact formidable figures who served as:
- Sorceresses
- Warriors
- Traders
- Artisans
- Explorers
- Settlers
- Landowners
- Power brokers
Both ambitious and compelling, THE NORTHWOMEN is the true story of some of the most alluring denizens of the Viking world--and what they reveal about the modern age.