Viking Ethnicities: A Historiographic Overview
Clare Downham
The ‘Viking Age’ is well established in popular perception as a period of dramatic change European history. range viking activities from North America to the Middle East has excited interest many commentators. Vikings are variously regarded blood thirsty barbarians or civilised entrepreneurs; founders nations anarchic enemies. But how cohesive was identity ‘Vikings’ and did they see themselves? In recent years answer this question been evaluated perspectives. Established paradigms (often situated within nationalist framework thought) have come under greater scrutiny new ideas entered debate. This paper will review some trends historiography ethnicities cultural identities 800–1000 AD. overview also highlights value comparative analysis human migrations field Viking Studies.
History Compass