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commented on Die Wikinger-Saga by Rudolf Pörtner

Rudolf Pörtner: Die Wikinger-Saga (German language, 1975, Droemer-Knaur) No rating

Rudolf Pörtner, the German author of this work became quite famous for his nonfiction works in the second half of the 20th century. However, his Wikipedia entry reveals that he wrote a lot of Nazi propaganda in his younger days, during the Third Reich.

There doesn't seem to be any indication that he continued to be active in right-wing extremist circles, so likely he used the "Stunde Null" ("Zero Hour") to drop this whole part of his personal history and reinvent himself. But it is unclear how much he actually recanted his former convictions.

Which leaves me with the question: Is his "Die Wikinger-Saga", a nonfiction work on the Vikings I found on a public bookshelf, still worth reading - considering his past and context?

#Nazis #Vergangenheitsbewältigung #Vikings de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudolf_P%C3%B6rtner

The Sea Wolves: A History of the Vikings

There is more to the Viking story than brute force. They were makers of law - the term itself comes from an Old Norse word - and they introduced a novel form of trial by jury to England. They were also sophisticated merchants and explorers who settled Iceland, founded Dublin, and established a trading network that stretched from Baghdad to the coast of North America.

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In AD 793 Norse warriors struck the English isle of Lindisfarne and laid waste to it. Wave after wave of Norse ‘sea-wolves’ followed in search of plunder, land, or a glorious death in battle. Much of the British Isles fell before their swords, and the continental capitals of Paris and Aachen were sacked in turn. Turning east, they swept down the uncharted rivers of central Europe, captured Kiev and clashed with mighty Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire. But there is more to the Viking story than brute force. They were makers of law - the term itself comes from an Old Norse word - and they introduced a novel form of trial by jury to England. They were also sophisticated merchants and explorers who settled Iceland, founded Dublin, and established a trading network that stretched from Baghdad to the coast of North America. In The Sea Wolves, Lars Brownworth brings to life this extraordinary Norse world of epic poets, heroes, and travellers through the stories of the great Viking figures. Among others, Leif the Lucky who discovered a new world, Ragnar Lodbrok the scourge of France, Eric Bloodaxe who ruled in York, and the crafty Harald Hardrada illuminate the saga of the Viking age - a time which “has passed away, and grown dark under the cover of night”.

The Age of the Vikings

A major reassessment of the vikings and their legacy

The Vikings maintain their grip on our imagination, but their image is too often distorted by myth. It is true that they pillaged, looted, and enslaved. But they also settled peacefully and traveled far from their homelands in swift and sturdy ships to explore. The Age of the Vikings tells the full story of this exciting period in history.

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Drawing on a wealth of written, visual, and archaeological evidence, Anders Winroth captures the innovation and pure daring of the Vikings without glossing over their destructive heritage. He not only explains the Viking attacks, but also looks at Viking endeavors in commerce, politics, discovery, and colonization, and reveals how Viking arts, literature, and religious thought evolved in ways unequaled in the rest of Europe. The Age of the Vikings sheds new light on the complex society, culture, and legacy of these legendary seafarers. Review "Honorable Mention for the 2015 PROSE Award in European & World History, Association of American Publishers" "Winroth really knows what he is writing about. . . . I recommend the work to anyone with little knowledge of the subject and a wish to learn more." ---Eric Christiansen, New York Review of Books

In Scandinavia in the Age of Vikings , Jón Viðar Sigurðsson returns to the Viking homeland, Scandinavia, highlighting such key aspects of Viking life as power and politics, social and kinship networks, gifts and feasting, religious beliefs, women's roles, social classes, and the Viking economy, which included farming, iron mining and metalworking, and trade.

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Drawing of the latest archeological research and on literary sources, namely the sagas, Sigurðsson depicts a complex and surprisingly peaceful society that belies the popular image of Norsemen as bloodthirsty barbarians. Instead, Vikings often acted out power struggles symbolically, with local chieftains competing with each other through displays of wealth in the form of great feasts and gifts, rather than arms. At home, conspicuous consumption was a Viking leader's most important virtue; the brutality associated with them was largely wreaked abroad. Sigurðsson's engaging history of the Vikings at home begins by highlighting political developments in the region, detailing how Danish kings assumed ascendency over the region and the ways in which Viking friendship reinforced regional peace. Scandinavia in the Age of Vikings then discusses the importance of religion, first pagan and (beginning around 1000 A.D.) Christianity; the central role that women played in politics and war; and how the enormous wealth brought back to Scandinavia affected the social fabric―shedding new light on Viking society. Review In this impressively well-written book, Jon Viðar Sigurðsson synthesizes a large body of scholarship to present a fascinating social history of Scandinavia during the Viking Age. Brilliantly addressing such subjects as networks, conflicts and their resolution, the role of honor, class and gender divisions, and the role of women, this book is a significant contribution.

The Waking of Angantyr by Marie Brennan is out today in the UK. It's historical fantasy set in the Viking era, brutal and a bit heartbreaking, but really good. Here's my review:

https://susannashore.blogspot.com/2023/10/the-waking-of-angantyr-by-marie-brennan.html

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