I am a writer of historical fiction. When I was in my teens, my family embarked on a project to trace our ancestry and identify our living relatives. Through church records in Sweden and Norway, we found that Harald Fairhair (Harfagr), the first king of Norway is one of our ancestors. Those explorations gave me the seeds of my first novel of Viking-Age Norway, The Half-Drowned King, and the subsequent books in the trilogy.
An exhilarating saga of the Vikings that conjures a brutal, superstitious, and thrilling ninth-century world and the birth of a kingdom—the debut installment in a historical literary trilogy that combines the bold imagination and sweeping narrative power of Game of Thrones, Vikings, and Outlander. Centuries ago, in a blood-soaked land ruled by legendary gods and warring men, a prophecy foretold of a high king who would come to reign over all of the north...
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This is one of the first books of Viking history that approached the Vikings on their own terms rather than their effect on Christian Europe. It illuminates areas of their lives like Viking technology, laws, and social organizations, and then how Viking explorers, traders, and raiders exported those abroad. As I began researching my Viking novels, this was one of the books that brought me into the Viking world the most fully.
One of the best ways to envision a historical period is to see its artifacts. Vikings: The North Atlantic Saga is a companion to a Smithsonian exhibit of the same name and contains a rich trove of images and descriptions of viking physical culture, along with essays about the archeology of their discovery, and how they were used in the exploration of the North Atlantic, and the eventual journey to the New World.
Myths about viking women abound, but Judith Jesch’s book is grounded in what we can know from the archeological, historical, and literary record. That still paints a vivid picture of the Viking women who remained in the traditional feminine sphere, and those who ventured into men’s. As Women in the Viking Age reveals, Viking women were farmers, housewives, managers of hundreds of servants, explorers, priestesses, rich benefactors, and war-leaders. In many ways, their lives were more varied than men’s.
Snorri Sturluson wrote many of the Icelandic Sagas from which we draw our knowledge of Vikings and Norse mythology. Though he lived in post-Viking 12th century Iceland, understanding his context and remarkable life is key in understanding how we perceive Vikings today. Snorri, as Brown says, is the Homer of the North, but we know a great deal more about him than Homer, from his tempestuous homelife, and his political machinations to his violent end. I picked up this book wanting to learn more about Vikings but ended up both entranced and frustrated by Snorri’s larger-than-life personality.
Why am I including a children’s book? Because this is where it all started for me, with these beautifully illustrated stories of Thor, Oddi, Freya, Sif, frost giants, dwarves and gods. My father read this book to me before I could read it myself: a wonderful distillation of the myths from the Eddas, full of evocative drawings of its characters and settings, from the opening view of the nine realms, to their fall at Ragnarok.
5,888 authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about vikings, the Norsemen, and Norse mythology.
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From Asa's list on the gods and world of Norse mythology.
If you’re looking for a comprehensive reference book on the Norse deities, this is the title to get. In addition to describing the historical context and importance of Scandinavian mythology, the book alphabetically lists, describes, and explains the gods, the goddesses, as well as important mythological artifacts and creatures. It also has a section for additional resources and an excellent index. This is the book I find myself referring back to over and over again to make sure I’ve got my details right in my own writing.
From Tiana's list on Norse mythology for fans of Thor.
This has to be the best modern adaptation of the original Norse myths. Neil Gaiman has adapted them into something fun, easy to read, and super entertaining. The Thor and Loki tales were easy to get into, and at times hilarious! I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about the original Norse myths. This is more entertaining than reading the source material, and I think Neil Gaiman did a great job captivating the original spirit.
From Jake's list on Norse mythology from a wide range of perspectives.
For serious readers of Norse mythology, its origins in literature and early culture the Byock translation of the 13th-century text by Snorri Sturluson presents the Viking equivalent of Heroditus’ Histories of the Ancient Greeks and the religious texts of the Abrahamic religions. It’s a thrilling read and forms the basis of all modern versions of Viking legend. I still refer to this, years after first reading it.
