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Children of Ash and Elm: A History of the Vikings by Neil Price - 4.5* - My Review

Neil Price, an archaeologist with over thirty years’ experience studying Viking culture, has written a history of the Viking Age from about 750 to 1050 CE. Unlike some histories that focus solely on their raids and warfare, this book covers the full scope of Viking society, such as creation myths, settlement patterns, trade networks, religious practices, social hierarchies, and daily life. Price provides archaeological evidence, interpreting burial objects, runestones, and physical remains of ships and buildings. It is mostly set in their original homelands in what is today Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, but also includes migrations to other locations such as today’s Iceland, Greenland, Ireland, the UK, (and more) where they have had a significant impact. Price weaves in the oral histories and creation stories, since they are so pivotal to understanding the Viking culture.

The book is structured chronologically by theme such as family life, belief systems, slavery, gender roles, and transition to Christianity. He tracks historical changes over the course of three centuries by zooming in on specific details, such as the contents of a single burial, and zooming out to cover trends and patterns across regions. It is certainly not an attempt to “reclaim” their image, but it challenges romanticized views and those put forth by the people who were raided. If you enjoy history with a comprehensive approach, you will find much to enjoy here. Some may find it contains too much detail, but I think thoroughness is one of its strengths. In my view, Price succeeds in his goal to present the Vikings as complex people within a specific historical moment. I found it fascinating.

4.5