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Post by Gunnar Wolfgard on Feb 11, 2019 17:19:22 GMT
Since the question has come up on my sources of information on Viking I thought I would post some of them.
Books VIKINGS by Magnus Magnusson. In my opinion the best, he is the only one to point out that Valholl Hall of the Slain was wrongly transliterated in English as Valhalla. Another horned helmet thing. THE HISTORY OF THE VIKINGS by Gwyn Jones THE VIKINGS : VOYAGERS OF DISCOVERY AND PLUNDER by R. Chartrand, K. Durham, M. Harrison and I.Heath THE VIKINGS by Crescent Books, several contributors. THE VIKINGS : LIFE, MYTH AND ART by Tony Allen THE SEAFARERS THE VIKINGS by Robert Wernick THE VIKINGS by Alan Baker THE LAST KINGS OF NORSE AMERICA by Robert G. Johnson and Janey Weestin. Possible Norse sites other than the well known ones. TO NAME A FEW.
Books on swords SWORDS OF THE VIKING AGE by Ian Peirce In my opinion the best. THE SWORDS IN ANGLO-SAXON ENGLAND by H.R. Ellis Davidson. Good drawings of Viking and Migration swords excavated. EARLY MEDIEVAL SWORDS FROM CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE by Lech Marek. Also good drawings of Viking swords excavated.
Documentaries on DVD THE VIKING by NOVA. Very good. VIKINGS IN NORTH AMERICA by A&E VIKINGS JOURNEY TO NEW WORLDS by IMAX VIKINGS DARK WARRIORS by History Channel. Actually three documentaries on one disc.
There you have it some of my sources on the Vikings. If any of you have others you would recommend please post them. Can never have to many sources.
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Post by MOK on Feb 11, 2019 17:58:05 GMT
Viikinkien perintö by Istvan Rácz, a volume of about a hundred high quality photographs of various Norse and viking-related artifacts from museums around Europe - weapons, tools, jewelry, all kinds of things. Sadly only in Finnish...
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Post by elbrittania39 on Feb 11, 2019 18:56:09 GMT
Vikings: The History Channel Drama I'm kidding I'm kidding, don't blood eagle me
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Post by AndiTheBarvarian on Feb 11, 2019 19:08:27 GMT
I started in the 70s with Vicky the Viking!
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christain
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It's the steel on the inside that counts.
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Post by christain on Feb 11, 2019 21:11:24 GMT
I have a hardback book called "Vikings-Raiders, Traders, and Masters of the Sea" by one Rodney Castleden and produced by Chartwell Books. It's well illustrated with maps and photos of Viking relics and such. Great read...if you can find it. Mine came from Barnes & Noble a few years ago. Just FYI.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2019 21:36:58 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2019 21:38:27 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2019 21:55:24 GMT
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Post by zabazagobo on Feb 13, 2019 0:57:17 GMT
Awesome thread y'all! The works listed are excellent, I've read a couple and was happy to see them listed here. Even more happy to have some new books to add to my reading list. Thanks again for posting.
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Post by tancred on Feb 13, 2019 2:28:07 GMT
Edelweiss, glad you posted the Fordham link. Saved me the time of having to do so myself. That is such a wonderful historical source for all things Medieval. In college, we would be doing research, and return to our professor with a history book. In his most polite way, he'd basically say, "yeah, that book is terrible. Go to the Fordham link, read what they have there to get you started, and then use their bibliography for further research." Wise advice, I thought.
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Post by tancred on Feb 13, 2019 2:32:05 GMT
Vikings: The History Channel Drama I'm kidding I'm kidding, don't blood eagle me Elbrittania39, I can't stop watching that show. Its been all sorts of stupid from the first episode, though. (terrible and underwhelming season finale a couple of weeks ago, too) I haven't looked over all the historical sources recommended, but Edelweiss' link to the Fordham collection is a great one that I am familiar with. Highly recommend that one to anyone interested.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 13, 2019 2:58:49 GMT
Edelweiss, glad you posted the Fordham link. Saved me the time of having to do so myself. That is such a wonderful historical source for all things Medieval. In college, we would be doing research, and return to our professor with a history book. In his most polite way, he'd basically say, "yeah, that book is terrible. Go to the Fordham link, read what they have there to get you started, and then use their bibliography for further research." Wise advice, I thought. I think I bore a lot of folk when suggesting links as suggested. There is no one single source. Fresh titles typically base a lot of their take on previous titles, so always check a diligent author's bibliography. In the same vein, wonder why some authors don't reference the shoulders they are standing on. New information is great and I hope to one day publish some findings in my own fields but there are so many, many millions of pages on virtually any vintage to ancient topics to cover. Yup, the Fordham site is amazing, not just for medievalists and ancients. The British History online breaks down basic browsing to timelines as well and back before the migration period. The Muhammad and Charlemagne title suggested from Pierre's notes a refreshing introspective look at that there really were no Dark Ages. Granted, a lot of old texts end up being dry tedium but the digitized age now allows us to search them out. Walsingham is referenced in another topic here and translations are available but not really relating much about the Norse invasions or the peoples. Anyway, many are just browsing some interests (as I mostly do) but the in depth stuff is out there. Google books and archive.com. My Google shelf is over burdened and I'll never read it all. I work mostly on a few decades of the American sword market. Vikings? WhadoIknowanyway? That's why I have mead and whiskey drinking Hurstwic acquaintances
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Post by elbrittania39 on Feb 13, 2019 3:27:42 GMT
Vikings: The History Channel Drama I'm kidding I'm kidding, don't blood eagle me Elbrittania39, I can't stop watching that show. Its been all sorts of stupid from the first episode, though. (terrible and underwhelming season finale a couple of weeks ago, too) I haven't looked over all the historical sources recommended, but Edelweiss' link to the Fordham collection is a great one that I am familiar with. Highly recommend that one to anyone interested. It's a weird blend of quality in that show. The actors and actresses are truly excellent, but the budget feels like it could be measured in nickels at times and holds back stuff like sets and scale.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 13, 2019 4:27:36 GMT
I have yet to watch an episode of Vikings but I do plan to binge on it at some point. The Game of Swords, same thing.
errrp Game of Thrones
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Post by zabazagobo on Feb 13, 2019 5:31:57 GMT
I think everyone here, who hasn't done so already, needs to watch the show "Norsemen". It's currently on netflix and it is hilarious in a very dry and somewhat dark way.
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Post by Gunnar Wolfgard on Feb 13, 2019 5:38:41 GMT
I think by now most of us have figured out that TV shows and movies are not a source of information on the Vikings or any history for that matter. As we know the name Vikings didn't even come into use until after the Viking Age. I will give The Last Kingdom credit for one thing and that is the use of the name Danes instead of Vikings. They did slip once in the first episode where Uhtred's father Uhtred did call them Vikings. They must have gotten grief about it because it didn't happen again. Now if we can only get them to stop calling Valholl Valhalla. I know, I'm kidding myself.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 13, 2019 6:03:06 GMT
Isn't it though more correct in "going a viking"? An action rather than a noun? Oh, I see. It's a crick or camp. Or a peoples en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Viking
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Post by tancred on Feb 13, 2019 6:44:54 GMT
It's a weird blend of quality in that show. The actors and actresses are truly excellent, but the budget feels like it could be measured in nickels at times and holds back stuff like sets and scale. Just my opinion, but I think the show's worst problem is the writing. Or, the main writer/show creator, Michael Hirst. Throughout all of the movies and shows he's written, it seems that getting his theme or viewpoint across trumps everything else. I think he also comes from a similar writing school as Joss Whedon, in the sense that he relies too much on shock value; something doesn't have to make sense from either a story or character stand point, just as long as its shocking, and gets a reaction from the audience. I do agree with you about the sets. The props are often the same. I actually do like many of the props they use as far as swords go. But the armor and helms, or most often, the lack thereof is laughable. But back to your original complaint about the sets, you're absolutely right. Through the several seasons, the show has spanned at least one generation. Yet, during that time, there have been no real defensive improvements in any of the main sets.
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Post by elbrittania39 on Feb 13, 2019 7:57:35 GMT
It's a weird blend of quality in that show. The actors and actresses are truly excellent, but the budget feels like it could be measured in nickels at times and holds back stuff like sets and scale. Just my opinion, but I think the show's worst problem is the writing. Or, the main writer/show creator, Michael Hirst. Throughout all of the movies and shows he's written, it seems that getting his theme or viewpoint across trumps everything else. I think he also comes from a similar writing school as Joss Whedon, in the sense that he relies too much on shock value; something doesn't have to make sense from either a story or character stand point, just as long as its shocking, and gets a reaction from the audience. I do agree with you about the sets. The props are often the same. I actually do like many of the props they use as far as swords go. But the armor and helms, or most often, the lack thereof is laughable. But back to your original complaint about the sets, you're absolutely right. Through the several seasons, the show has spanned at least one generation. Yet, during that time, there have been no real defensive improvements in any of the main sets. Sometimes I just want more extras. The characters will be all "BEHOLD! THE ARMIES OF EUROPE!" and a dozen doughy guys with gambesons and spears jog up.
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Post by MOK on Feb 13, 2019 8:57:22 GMT
I think by now most of us have figured out that TV shows and movies are not a source of information on the Vikings or any history for that matter. As we know the name Vikings didn't even come into use until after the Viking Age. I will give The Last Kingdom credit for one thing and that is the use of the name Danes instead of Vikings. They did slip once in the first episode where Uhtred's father Uhtred did call them Vikings. They must have gotten grief about it because it didn't happen again. Now if we can only get them to stop calling Valholl Valhalla. I know, I'm kidding myself. As edelweiss alluded to, the term "viking" in itself is perfectly cromulent and historically authentic to the period. Some Danes were vikings, but not all, and not all vikings were Danes, either - "viking" was not a name, but a (usually part-time) occupation. When a Dane went raiding and trading overseas, that particular Dane would be quite properly called a viking, as would a Finn, Icelander or whoever; when they stayed home, they were farmers and hunters and whatever else instead. But yeah, the use of "viking" as a synonym for Norse peoples in general is a much later development.
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