The Vikings

ARC00027M

Module leaders: Steve Ashby and Søren Sindbæk

Aims

This course aims to survey the impact of the early medieval Scandinavian settlement of the British Isles, with reference to the situation elsewhere in continental Europe and the North Atlantic.

In so doing it also explores the diverse sources of evidence for this period, and the problems and potentials of interdisciplinary research. It is intended to illustrate how the Viking Age encapsulates a critical watershed in Old World social, political and economic dynamics.

A variety of theoretical approaches to the period will be considered, including both traditional narratives and more recently developed models.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this module students should have:

  • an understanding of the chronology and political geography of Viking Age Britain, and its place in ‘Scandinavian’ Europe
  • a familiarity with the diversity of sources used by scholars of this period, and with the relative merits of these sources
  • an awareness of the transformations that took place across northern Europe during this period, and their particular impact on the British Isles
  • an appreciation of the long term social, political, and economic significance of these developments
     

    A runestone from Sigtuna, Sweden