
The Vikings
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Narrated by:
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Kenneth W. Harl
As raiders and explorers, the Vikings played a decisive role in the formation of Latin Christendom, and particularly of western Europe.
Now, in a series of 36 vivid lectures by an honored teacher and classical scholar, you have the opportunity to understand this remarkable race as never before, studying the Vikings not only as warriors, but in all of the other roles in which they were equally extraordinary - merchants, artists, kings, raiders, seafarers, shipbuilders, and creators of a remarkable literature of myths and sagas. Professor Harl draws insights from an astonishing array of sources: The Russian Primary Chronicle (a Slavic text from medieval Kiev), 13th-century Icelandic poems and sagas, Byzantine accounts, Arab geographies, annals of Irish monks who faced Viking raids, Roman reports, and scores of other firsthand contemporary documents.
Among the topics you'll explore are the profound influence of the Norse gods and heroes on Viking culture and the Vikings' extraordinary accomplishments as explorers and settlers in Iceland, Greenland, and Vinland. And with the help of archaeological findings, you'll learn to analyze Viking ship burials, rune stones and runic inscriptions, Viking wood carving, jewelry, sculpture, and metalwork. By the end of the series, you'll have a new understanding of what it meant to be a Viking and a richer appreciation of this remarkable race - a people who truly defined the history of Europe, and whose brave, adventurous, and creative spirit still survives today.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
©2005 The Teaching Company, LLC (P)2005 The Great CoursesListeners also enjoyed...




















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Good but a bit dry
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Well-Organized Course
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Amazing
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Wonderful
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A great education on the Vikings
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Informative
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If you could sum up The Vikings in three words, what would they be?
This is my favorite course from Professor Harl. It is the 8th one I've listened to and while I struggled with most of the previous ones and did not take to his teaching style, this is a very solid course.It has good historical narrative on the peoples of Scandinavia (Norway, Denmark, and Sweden) from Apx. 8000 BC to Aprx. 1400 AD focusing on the Vikings age of 790 AD to 1100 AD which centered on their raids and attacks against Europe as well as the formations of the kingdoms of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden:
o Attacks on the Frankish kingdom in the 9th century (Danes)
o Attacks on the kingdoms of England in the 9th, 10th, and 11th centuries (Danes)
o Attacks on the Celtic West (Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Isle of Man) in the 9th, 10th, and 11th centuries (primarily Norwegians)
o Settlement of Iceland (9th century by Norwegians)
o Settlement of Greenland (10th century by Norwegians)
o Discovery of Vinland (Newfoundland) in the early 11th century by Norwegians
o The forays of the Russ (from Sweden) into eastern Europe including founding a state in current day Russia and their conflicts and alliances with the Byzantine Empire (9th century)
o Unification of Norway (end of the 9th century)
o Unification of Denmark (10th century)
o Emergence of Sweden (11th century)
In the past I'd typically characterized Professor Harl's teaching style as throwing out as many facts as you can in 30 minutes rapid-fire style, hopping all over the map and across various ruling families while doing so. Relating info vs. teaching. There's still a bit of that in this course. It is sometimes hard to follow the various dynastic family members, marriages, relationships, and conflicts due to him covering a lot of ground in a short period of time. However, I did find myself enjoying these lectures much more than past courses. While the professor still makes it "hard work" to listen to his lectures (no multi-tasking or listening in the background or you will get lost very quick or miss key points!) I actually found these to be easier to listen to than previous courses. And that sensation of "can't wait to listen to the next lecture and the one after that" returned. And it wasn't because I just wanted to get through the course.
Another somewhat negative: when the professor discusses the fall of one empire and the rise of another (for example Norwegians in Ireland who are essentially toppled by the Irish kings in 980) often times he doesn’t explain why this occurred or the primary reasons for the circumstances changing. Just a statement of fact and then moves on.
But all in all I am happy I purchased this course. If you have any interest at all in the early kingdoms of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway and how the Viking warriors of the early Middle Ages impacted the rest of Europe including the formations of states such as France, England, Ireland, and Russia then I definitely recommend this course. it fills a gap in The Great Courses' offerings nicely. Now if we can only get a course on Scandinavia post the Vikings age....
Best Course from Harl
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Great listen folks.
Explorers, warriors, poets, savages...VIKINGS!
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Great listening
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Very different and entertaining
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