The Vikings

Autorentext

Martyn Whittock is a licensed lay minister in the Church of England and taught high-school history for thirty-five years. He is the author or co-author of fifty-five books on a variety of historical themes and is a commentator on the interaction between faith, history, and politics. He has a particular interest in the impact of end-times beliefs on politics and culture. He has contributed guest blogs and commentary on several online Christian news platforms and publications, and also on television and radio.

Klappentext

The forgotten story of the 'Christian Vikings' We are all familiar with the fierce pagan warriors that burst out of Scandinavia during the eighth century, plundering, ravaging and shedding blood wherever they went. A lesser-known fact about these infamous pillagers is that the majority converted to Christianity in the centuries that followed. In England, children of the Vikings who had martyred the Christian king of East Anglia minted coins extolling his holiness. In Normandy the pagans became loyal supporters of the Catholic Church. In the east the former raiders founded the first Russian state and converted to Orthodox Christianity. Martyn and Hannah Whittock suggest that the Vikings had as much impact as converts as they did as deadly marauders. So how and why did this radical transformation happen, and what is their legacy today?

Zusammenfassung
From rape and pillage to exploration and piety - the whole story of the Vikings