Viking Tales

For those wanting an interesting peek into the lifestyle of the vikings and an insight into their mindset, this will be a worthwhile read. Find out how slaves (or thralls) were used and treated by the privileged of society. Get a glimpse into the clothing worn and foods eaten. Most importantly, this text will help explain the worldview of these mysterious people. They worshiped strange gods, and felt their life after death would be humiliating if they didn't die courageously in battle. To die any other way would've been shameful. The sense of extreme entitlement struck me strongly as I read, seeing these men take what they wanted, whenever they felt the need, killing persons standing in their way. You'll gain insight into some more famous men and vikings from history and lore: Harald, King of Norway, as well as Eric the Red and Leif the Lucky. Stories are told in a straight-forward manner with little building of tension or drama. Otherwise, I would've given this book a 5 star. This is definitely a worthwhile read for those studying the Middle Ages with young children or who simply want to share these stories with little ones. Recommended for children 6 or older.

This book has been an interesting read for us because it has given rise to many discussions about the Vikings and their values/beliefs. It is full of tales about their lifestyle, which was often violent and full of hardship. To give a few specifics....Harald (the king) has a "thrall" which is essentially a slave/servant with an iron collar banded around his neck, and there is much talk of the Viking Gods and their view of "heaven." I find it a fascinating book in many regards, but not always the easiest or most captivating reading for my seven-year old--it's taken some work on my end to develop/sustain her interest in some of these stories. I'd recommend it for a bit older age range (perhaps 10 and up)

This was an excellent read for a Viking tale. It provided insight on how vikings lived and thought. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn about vikings.

This book teaches us the history of these ancient explores in sory form. Very fun. Too bad we never got to read this stuff when I was in school! I would have loved History class!

Hall writes of the Norse legends and travel tales of Iceland, the stories of kings and battles of ship sailing. These stories have three values. These adventure tales, including the discovery of America (named Vinland) by the Norse, are a gripping chronicle of the human desire for exploration and a tantalizing glimpse of what would many centuries later become the New World. Anyone interested in Viking lore and Icelandic legend will find this a valuable resource.