The Viking Diaspora

The Viking Diaspora presents the early medieval migrations of people, language and culture from mainland Scandinavia to new homelands as a form of 'diaspora'. Rather than the movements of armies, this book concentrates on the movements of people and the shared heritage and culture that connected them. Judith Jesch considers connections including law, literature, material culture and even environment, and highlights in detail the most significant forms of cultural contact: gender, beliefs and identities.

This book is the first to explain Scandinavian expansion using this model, and presents the Viking Age in a new and exciting way for students of Vikings and medieval history.

Acknowledgements Chapter 1. Vikings and their Ages: Definitions and Evidence Chapter 2. The Viking World: Geography and Environment Chapter 3. The Viking Diaspora Chapter 4. Gender and Family Chapter 5. Cults, Beliefs and Myths Chapter 6. Networks and Identities Bibliography Index