| International Standard Book Number |
9781324089230
|
| International Standard Book Number |
1324089237
|
| Dewey Decimal Classification Number |
948/.022
|
| Personal Name |
Barraclough, Eleanor Rosamund.
|
| Title Statement |
Embers of the hands : hidden histories of the Viking Age / Eleanor Barraclough.
|
| Edition Statement |
First American edition.
|
| Imprint |
©2024.
|
| Imprint |
New York : W. W. Norton & Company, 2025.
|
| Physical Description |
373 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm.
|
| Bibliography, Etc. Note |
Includes bibliographical references (pages 327-348) and index.
|
| Formatted Contents Note |
Prologue: Kindling -- Introduction -- Beginnings -- Love -- Travel -- Belief -- Bodies -- Home -- Play -- Unfreedom -- Endings -- Endnotes -- Further Reading -- Bibliography -- List of Illustrations -- Acknowledgements -- Index.
|
| Summary, Etc. |
"A "brilliantly written, brilliantly conceived" (Tom Holland) history of the Viking Age, from mighty leaders to rebellious teenagers, told through their runes and ruins, games and combs, trash and treasure. In imagining a Viking, a certain image springs to mind: a barbaric warrior, leaping ashore from a longboat, and ready to terrorize the hapless local population of a northern European town. Yet while such characters define our imagination of the Viking Age today, they were in the minority. Instead, in the time-stopping soils, water, and ice of the North, Eleanor Barraclough excavates a preserved lost world, one that reimagines a misunderstood society. By examining artifacts of the past--remnants of wooden gaming boards, elegant antler combs, doodles by imaginative children and bored teenagers, and runes that reveal hidden loves, furious curses, and drunken spouses summoned home from the pub--Barraclough illuminates life in the medieval Nordic world as not just a world of rampaging warriors, but as full of globally networked people with recognizable concerns. This is the history of all the people--children, enslaved people, seers, artisans, travelers, writers--who inhabited the medieval Nordic world. Encompassing not just Norway, Denmark, and Sweden, but also Iceland, Greenland, the British Isles, Continental Europe, and Russia, this is a history of a Viking Age filled with real people of different ages, genders, and ethnicities, as told through the traces that they left behind. "Embers of the hands" is a poetic kenning from the Viking Age that referred to gold. But no less precious are the embers that Barraclough blows back to life in this book--those of ordinary lives long past"-- Dust jacket flap.
|
| Summary, Etc. |
When we think of Vikings, an image of fierce warriors often comes to mind: figures charging from their longboats, ready to attack a village in northern Europe. While this image is commonly associated with the Viking Age, it represents a small part of the larger story. In her exploration of the North, Eleanor Barraclough uncovers a more complex society, challenging common misconceptions. By studying artifacts such as wooden gaming boards, beautifully crafted antler combs, doodles, and runes that express personal emotions, she sheds light on a world far beyond the stereotype of violent invaders. Barraclough reveals a society of connected people, whose everyday concerns and relationships--such as love, conflict, and home life--transcended the image of the warrior. This is a history of the diverse people who lived in the medieval Nordic world--not just the Vikings, but also children, enslaved individuals, artisans, travelers, and many others. The scope of this history stretches across Scandinavia, Iceland, Greenland, the British Isles, Continental Europe, and Russia, offering a more complete picture of the Viking Age, reflecting different ages, genders, and backgrounds.
|
| Subject Added Entry - Topical Term |
Civilization, Viking.
|
| Subject Added Entry - Topical Term |
Vikings History.
|
| Subject Added Entry - Topical Term |
Northmen History.
|
| Subject Added Entry - Topical Term |
Vikings Social life and customs.
|
| Subject Added Entry - Geographical Term |
Scandinavia History To 1397.
|