Beyond the Northlands
- 344 pages
- 13 hours of reading
A vibrant account that evokes the spirit of the Viking age in a thoroughly entertaining, yet historically sound, fashion. Philip Parker, BBC World Histories
Eleanor Rosamund Barraclough Books
Eleanor Rosamund Barraclough is a scholar of medieval history and literature whose work delves into the rich tapestry of Nordic culture and its enduring influence. Her research often leads her to remote and evocative landscapes, from the icy fjords of Greenland to the ancient ruins of Rome, seeking to uncover the stories embedded in these places. As a recognized New Generation Thinker, she has a remarkable ability to translate complex academic research into engaging narratives, bringing the past to life for a wider audience. Her unique approach blends rigorous historical inquiry with a spirit of adventure, making the exploration of ancient traditions feel immediate and relevant.
Beyond the northlands : Viking voyages and the Old Norse sagas
- 317 pages
- 12 hours of reading
In the dying days of the eighth century, the Vikings erupted onto the international stage with brutal raids and slaughter. The medieval Norsemen may be best remembered as monk murderers and village pillagers, but this is far from the whole story. Throughout the Middle Ages, long-ships transported hairy northern voyagers far and wide, where they not only raided but also traded, explored and settled new lands, encountered unfamiliar races, and embarked on pilgrimages and crusades. To explore the sagas and the world that produced them, Eleanor Rosamund Barraclough now takes her own trip through the dramatic landscapes that they describe. Along the way, she illuminates the rich but often confusing saga accounts with a range of other evidence: archaeological finds, rune-stones, medieval world maps, encyclopaedic manuscripts, and texts from as far away as Byzantium and Baghdad. As her journey across the Old Norse world shows, by situating the sagas against the revealing background of this other evidence, we can begin at least to understand just how the world was experienced, remembered, and imagined by this unique culture from the outermost edge of Europe so many centuries ago.
