American Vikings: How the Norse Sailed into the Lands and Imaginations of America

by Martyn Whittock

A vivid and illuminating new history—separate fact from fiction, myth from legend—exploring the early Vikings settlements in North America.

Vikings are an enduring subject of fascination. The combination of adventure, mythology, violence, and exploration continues to grip our attention. As a result, for more than a millennium the Vikings have traveled far and wide, not least across the turbulent seas of our minds and imaginations.

The geographical reach of the Norse was extraordinary. For centuries medieval sagas, first recorded in Iceland, claimed that Vikings reached North America around the year 1000. This book explores that claim, separating fact from fiction and myth from mischief, to assess the enduring legacy of this claim in America. The search for “American Vikings” connects a vast range of different areas; from the latest archaeological evidence for their actual settlement in North America to the myth-making of nineteenth-century Scandinavian pioneers in the Midwest; and from ancient adventurers to the political ideologies in the twenty-first century. It is a journey from the high seas of a millennium ago to the swirling waters and dark undercurrents of the online world of today.

No doubt, the warlike Vikings would have understood how their image could be “weaponized.” In the same way, they would probably have grasped how their dramatic, violent, passionate, and discordant mythologies could appeal to our era and cultural setting. They might, though, have been more surprised at how their image has been commercialized and commodified. A vivid new history by a master of the form, American Vikings explores how the Norse first sailed into the lands, and then into the imaginations, of America.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Audiobook, American History

272 pages, Hardcover

First published November 7, 2023

About the author

I graduated in Politics from Bristol University in 1980, where my degree special studies were in radical Christian politics and theology of the seventeenth century & also the development of the Soviet State.
I taught history for thirty-five years (as Head of History & Director of Humanities Faculty at a number of secondary schools in the UK). Latterly I was curriculum leader for Spiritual, Moral, Social and Cultural education at a secondary comprehensive school in the UK. During this time I developed an interest in early medieval history (especially Anglo-Saxons and Vikings), as well as continuing my interests in radical Christian millenarianism and also Soviet history.
I have acted as an historical consultant to the National Trust, the BBC and English Heritage. I am a Licensed Lay Minister, in the Church of England, with an active interest in theology.
I retired from teaching in 2016 to devote more time to writing, historical & political commenting & guest blogging.
I am the author or co-author of fifty-three books. These include school history textbooks and adult history books. The latter are written with the aim of making historical themes both engaging and accessible to adult readers.

Reviews

[Mark Creamer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stat padding with this one on the treadmill

[Rowdy Geirsson · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solidly decent book which I think might come closer to 4 stars for the right reader, though I'm doubtful there are many people who align greatly as being the "right reader," so it's a bit of a conundrum.

So basically, the book covers the history of the vikings in North America in a very broad sense--from the Vinland of the sagas and the site at L'Anse aux Meadows to the Kensington Runestone and the 19th century surge of viking interest to the Thor movies and present-day white supremacist movements. It's an interesting topic and charts its course pretty well for the most part. However, it is written for an audience that basically has zero prior knowledge of anything viking-related, meaning that for anyone with some prior knowledge, there's going to be a fair amount of rehashing of facts already known. And I suspect that most people who might be interested in this book will already have some prior knowledge. Hence my thoughts that the "right reader" might be relatively rare. I may be mistaken, but I doubt that the first non-fiction book about vikings for anyone interested in the subject will be this one, and most books dealing with the subject cover some of the same subject matter. For anyone with some prior knowledge, this book doesn't really start until about page 50, at which point you're already a quarter of the way through.

That all said, it does provide a cohesive and easy to follow overview. I thought that the handling of the Scandinavian settlers in the Midwest and general 19th century fascination with vikings was pretty well done. Generally good bit-by-bit information in that section about supposed archaeological finds and the wishful thinking of the era. Same may be said of the sections dealing with a search for an American foundation myth and present-day nefarious forces. But the emphasis towards the end on comics and movies/tv shows threw me for a bit of a loop. They just felt tacked on, like the author was a fan of certain comics himself and really wanted to make sure they got a lot of attention but then felt like he needed to add a chapter on movies/tv series just so that he didn't get criticized for only focusing on comics, but that just opens up a whole can of worms in itself. If the book is going to have one chapter devoted to comics and one chapter devoted to film, then why isn't there another chapter devoted to fiction? The book's emphasis would imply that Tolkien wouldn't receive a great deal of attention (since wasn't American), but the guy did help launch the present day fantasy genre that thrives on both sides of the Atlantic with many books featuring blatant Norse themes. And that doesn't even touch on historic fiction. Nor does the book touch upon music and how viking imagery has so thoroughly infiltrated certain genres. So this portion of the book was, to me at least, very half-baked. Either fully tackle the topic of vikings in pop culture in North America, or very briefly touch on it. Trying to split the difference and arbitrarily focusing on comics and film was a poor decision.

Anyway, as I said at first, the book is solidly decent. It's a quick read, and if you actually know nothing about vikings, then you'll learn a lot, and if you know something about vikings, you'll likely discover some new tidbits of information mixed among the rehashing of things you already know. And before it's over, you'll also receive a deluge of information about Marvel's Thor and American Gods (the show, of course, not the book), whether you want it or not.

[Lianne]

Vikings have entered into the psyche of the United States. Football teams have been named after them; a self-described shaman protester wearing Viking horns breached the Capitol building on behalf of white supremacy, What is most remarkable is that Vikings actually came to North America in about 1000, at the same time they had headed down the Dnieper river in Ukraine where they were called Varangians. They embraced Christianity before many other Europeans. It is instructive to know that the Danes, then the Norse built settlements ever westward, in Iceland, even in Greenland. As intrepid navigators and seamen they crossed the North Atlantic in open boats. Famously Eric the Red established a base camp in Newfoundland and later his son Lief the Lucky followed. Some expeditions made their way to the interior of Baffin Island.Found fragments of jewelry, metal tools and weapons are the proof. The background information of these voyages has been recorded in the sagas of the Norse. Archaelogical digs have corroborated the legends. The author has laid out the recent assumptions about how physical artifacts and the sagas tell the story of the travelers. The author, medieval historian Martyn Whitlock does a good job laying out the evidence that the Northerners did come to North America before Columbus and before the Spaniards. In the nineteenth century proof that the that white Northerners beat the Italians and Spanish to the continent mattered a great deal. And before World War II those sympathetic to the Nazi cause worked hard to promote this origins story. And now, the MAGA forces and ultra right groups have picked up the banner using the symbols of the Vikings to proclaim their rugged accomplishments.. Millennia of aboriginal history are easy to dismiss. Genetic testing has shown that Vikings and aboriginal tribes like the Inuit intermarried. Some interactions with the residents wee peaceful but there wee also skirmishes with both sides killing and being killed. What a remarkable and wild tale it is to take this all in. History on this continent is much older than 1492 and the Mayflower. This is a surprisingly readable treatment about a complex and still unfolding story. It probably is selling very well in Minnesota.

[Ernest Spoon · Rating 4 out of 5]

OK, I was first introduced to Vikings when my parents took me to see the 1958 Kirk Douglas, Tony Curtis, Janet Leigh action-adventure film The Vikings. My interest in Norse mythology was furthered during one of the worst winters of my young life. My dad's job took us to Grand Forks, ND, where I was the weird "southern" kid, an outcast. It was a cold, literally, and lonely time for me, alleviated only by the fact that our third-grade reading book contained tales of the Norse gods, primarily Thor and Loki. I was hooked.

Since then I have been enthralled by the history and mythology of the Norse. Thus is life in the Midwest. Vikings are everywhere. As of this writing the opening kick-off of our local NAIA football power, the Grand View University Vikings, is a little over a month away. Grand View was founded as Danish Lutheran junior college in 1896 on Des Moines' east side. And the outsized influence, for better or worse, of all things Scandinavian in the United States is the theme of this book.

While most of the Viking inspired culture and literature in the US is benign, and in many cases comedic, there is also the dark side, exemplified by Charles Lindbergh's America First Committee, the German American Bund, in the run up to World War II, and many of today's various "militias" that have adopted ersatz Runic symbolism.

Overall, I found this an informative and interesting, and, in the matter of several so-called rune stones, debunking survey of all things American Viking.

[James Sylvester · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an OK read. The information that is provided regarding the Vikings coming to North America is really interesting, but I'm not sure there was enough substance to write an entire book about it. This probably would've made a decent short documentary. A lot of the "Viking artifacts" that the author writes about he believes to be fake, and notes that they do not really provide any solid evidence for the existence of Vikings in the US. Which begs the question, why include any of that at all? Some of the references to Vikings in modern pop culture are amusing, but I wasn't too sure what the author was trying to do with the references to QAnon and the events that took place on January 6th at the US Capitol. Seemed like a stuck up British guy trying to squeeze his opinions on US politics into a book about Vikings. There were also a few typos throughout the book which I didn't appreciate. Bad editing. The first half of the book which is about the old Norse/Scandinavian sagas and the discoveries made at L'Anse aux Meadows is really interesting, but really the only thing in here worth reading about. Once you get past that, you can just put it down. I definitely wouldn't spend any money to get your hands on this, go pick it up at a library.

[Fred Schreiber · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half of the book discussed what is known about Vikings both fact and myth. The book covered both European Vikings and what was surmised about a Viking presence in North America predating Columbus. The book discussed the numerous hoaxes regarding a Viking presence in North America. This part of the book was OK. The book became confusing towards the middle because of the conflating (in my mind) of the words “Norse”, “Norway” and “Nordic” with “Scandinavia” to such an extent that I had to look up the last two. The definitions of “Nordic” and “Scandinavia” seem to cover different areas, or the same areas, or overlapping areas, depending on who is writing about them. I recently learned that Finns don’t consider Finland a Scandinavian country; it’s a Nordic country. Then again, white supremacists and Nazis promulgated the Nordic myth for Germans, even though Germany is not Nordic. The latter half of the book went into the Viking presence in comic books, TV and the movies, sports teams, plus QANON, and even that weirdo that wore the Viking outfit while he was invading the Capitol on January 6th. I stopped reading the book after it got into the comic books.

[Bob · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty disappointing. I thought this would be a 'history' book, but it isn't, unless you want this history of Viking hoaxes or the history of Viking-related commercial products.

If I read it correctly, there's 2 pieces of actual evidence that the Vikings landed in North America around the year 1000. The first is a settlement, the second a coin. These 2 pieces of evidence felt like they were hardly explored by the author for more than a chapter, but should have been the main centerpiece of the book.

Instead, he spent the majority of the book (literally the majority of the chapters) telling you all about fake evidence of Viking exploration (if it's fake...who cares?!!?). The rest of the time he was talking about comic books, tv, or movies that have anything to do with Thor, essentially (oh and Qanon).

A real let down if you're hoping to learn some actual history about what archeology has uncovered. But probably great if you like crappy Marvel movies or stories about "Norse" carvings that scientists debunked long ago.

[Austin Menzia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Listening via spotify. Very academic approach that got dry at times, but overall an informative read. Concepts around past archaeological biases where experts failed to recognize indigenous sites and indigenous because they were too “sophisticated” is something that will stick with me. Other highlights included the brief overview of mythology, as well as highlights of the main archaeological sites in Canada. The “viking discoveries” portion was drawn out. I feel like they didn’t need to recognize every significant clear fake in the U.S. However, it did open my eyes to the fact that this is something that people would forge in order to ideally promote their particular cultural identity.

Despite these highlights, would not recommend the book. It would be better served as a resource where readers can reference certain chapters based on their interests. There was a crazy amount of redundant sections, synopsis of irrelevant shows, and other elements that were just too drawn out

[Fraser Sherman · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5. As Whittock sees it, English colonists credited English explorers for discovering North America. When the Revolution made that politically unappetizing they switched to Columbus but the 19th century's influx of Italian immigrants got people thinking of Vikings as a more suitable candidate for the discoverers. Which is why we wind up with fake Viking artifacts "proving" they were in Minnesota and other parts of the country, football teams get named for Vikings and people cosplay them ��� they're part of our cultural DNA now.
The book's weakness is missing some stuff in the comics (I'll skip the nerdy details) and not paying much attention to movies and TV before this century. Overall though, good.

[Wren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book not only described various trips that Vikings made to Canada but also some of the settlements they established that, granted, did not last very long. However, what sets this book apart from other books about American Vikings is its treatment of the way Vikings have inhabited the national identity of Americans. He describes their role in a founding myth down to how Vikings are used in advertising. Most disturbing is now white nationalists have used Vikings as a way to promote their agenda, not only about race but about masculinity. Nevertheless, it's interesting to see how Americans have a fascination about Vikings--from Marvel's Thor to the MN football team--that only seems to be growing.

[Sven Davisson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the book to be a solid survey of textual and archaeological evidence of the Norse presence in North America. Whittock takes the reader through a balanced study of all "Viking" material find claims from the Kensington runestone to those found in Oklahoma. The criticism that some have seen with the book, I believe, stems from a political reaction to the author's discussion of how Viking imagery and exploration myths have been exploited by those wishing to show white supremacy over native peoples. He draws this narrative arc from the post-revolutionary period to the present-day storming of the US Capitol. His analysis is well-founded.

[Bookewyfe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book discusses the ship routes taken by the peoplx we call ‘Vikings’ and also the long fascination we’ve had with them. We know they were the first to discover America. The sagas aren’t just stories, they contain actual history; some of the places mentioned are thought to be places in America, and Canada. What is it about these ancient peoplx that fascinates us so much? This book delves into that question, exploring the many things they are found in today, including sports, movies, tv shows, comic books. It also talks about the darker side of this obsession. Think the American Nazi Party in the 1930s, fascism then and now, not just in America but other countries as well; the ‘QAnon Shaman’ from January 6, 2021 at the Capitol is also mentioned. Very interesting historical read but the question remains: why the obsession?

[Shawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half of the book is informative and good. After that it started reading like one of my old high school term papers where I just tried to fill up pages by stretching out any idea until it was fluffier than cool whip. (I would suggest putting on the viking trivia from the end in a few graphs vs 100 pages). All that aside, I recommend the book if you are really into vikings or your nordic ancestry.

[John · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started interesting, like every Netflix show, takes a turn toward wokism and finger wagging.

Every history book the applies the political temperament of the current day instantly becomes unreliable.

If you believe that the landing of the Nordics and their decimation (to the point that it is forgotten for 309 years) by the indigenous people is still “white supremacy” then this book is for you.

[John Adams · Rating 3 out of 5]

An engaging survey of the (probably real and probably fake) evidence for Vikings in North America, coupled with remarks on the place of Vikings in American culture. The length is weirdly padded (many repetitions from chapter to chapter, coupled with undetailed lists such as Vikings in comics), but the core thesis is interesting.

[Jeffrey Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strange book. It goes from reviewing ancient Norse culture to evaluating archaeological sites for Viking settlements in North America and then giving an overview of Vikings in modern US culture. It was interesting at times and being trite at other times

[Jared · Rating 2 out of 5]

Could have been interesting. Overly academic and wordy. I don’t mean dense. I mean it felt like trying to hit the word count on their dissertation and said a lot of words without saying much. Bummer, because I was interested in the topic.

[Kelly Kress · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so cool! Tons of information that I’ve never explored before, especially with North American influence! Would 1000% recommend!

[Dan. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really an essay on the current conventional wisdom on the evidence for Viking exploration in North America (they likely didn't get far into the US, if at all, and weren't here for long), with asides about cultural influence on American culture and attempts to co-opt the Vikings as a symbol of white supremacy. All of these are interesting topics, but never in my view developed or made into a cohesive whole.

[Keegan Epping · Rating 2 out of 5]

Audiobook

[Mattaniah Gibson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This really reads like a college easy assignment where the author had to meet a certain word or page count, there's some good parts but lots of fluff too

[The_J · Rating 4 out of 5]

They crossed the Atlantic in open boats. They tried to create a New Viking homeland. This is their story and how it survives today.

[Maximilian Itsikson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great concept, poor execution

[Lindsay · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. The beginning was all hypothetical and I wanted a more definitive history.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

This reads like a bored student paper. Hodgepodge of topics dealt with superficially and inconsistently. Had potential, but there are so many better books on the topic of the Vikings.

[Liz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Audio book. Started out interesting, but sometimes went on for too long. I think it would have been just enough content for a long form podcast episode, but not enough content for a book. Sorry. 🤷‍♀️

[babybat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was interesting