Violence in Viking Society: Brutal Warriors or Just Farmers?

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In popular imagination, the mention of Vikings immediately conjures images of bloodthirsty warriors, raiding and killing their way across any land their dragon-prowed longships could reach. There is barely a corner of this world that has not heard of Vikings and associated them with violence. Even the dates of the age they lived in, the Viking age, is defined by their violent acts, beginning with the raid in Lindisfarne in 793 and ending in the Battle of Stamford Bridge in 1066. Yet, since the mid-twentieth century, a contrary view has become widespread in scholarly and popular circles, suggesting that, while Vikings did indulge in violence at times, they were primarily peaceful farmers and traders. William R. Short and Reynir A. Óskarson’s previous book on Viking combat drew a strong reaction from academics holding this revisionist view. In response, the authors have made a fresh review of the evidence to test and reassess these previous interpretations. The reader will be taken on a journey of adventuresome discovery analyzing the violence in Viking society. Were they brutal warriors or just farmers? The authors’ thoroughly researched and clearly argued reappraisal delivers a hefty logical axe-blow to the argument.

AUTHORS:
Dr. William R Short has an academic background in scientific research, notably in the field of acoustics. He received a Doctor of Science degree from MIT, holds many patents, and was joint IPO Inventor of the Year in 1987. But a casual reading of some of the Icelandic sagas ignited his passion for Viking history and triggered a switch to full-time study of Vikings. For more than 25 years, William has used his extensive scientific background to conduct some groundbreaking experiments on Viking activities in associations with notable institutions such as the National Museum of Iceland. William has authored several books and given lectures on various topics concerning Vikings in museums and universities around the globe.

Reynir A. Óskarson grew up in Iceland, a land steeped in Viking history where the sagas are required reading in school. As a young man, Reynir received extensive martial arts training in many forms of combat, and he holds instructor’s degrees in a number of combat arts. Once Reynir joined together his martial expertise, his upbringing in the land of the sagas, and the scientific research of Hurstwic, new dimensions unfolded in the research of the combat of Vikings in leading to a new depth of understanding of the subject. Reynir has given lectures, classes and demos domestically and internationally on the weapon usage of Vikings as well as the empty-hand Viking fighting system of glíma, and he has coauthored a comprehensive book analysing Viking combat.

20 b/w illustrations

ISBN: 9781036184209
Author: SHORT, WILLIAM R.
Format: Hardcover
Publication date: 01/11/2026
RRP: $69.99
Pages: 200
Dimension: 234mm X 156mm
Imprint: Pen and Sword