Remembering the Vikings: Ancestry, cultural memory and geographical variation

Ellis, Caitlin

Abstract

The Vikings are an excellent example of the significance of cultural memory: from post-Viking-Age sources to their rediscovery in the Victorian period to their popular appeal in current times. Ancestry is a key dimension as vikings could be dynasty founders or imbue a region with Scandinavian heritage. The importance of settlements remaining connected with Iceland and the Old Norse cultural milieu is highlighted. Archaeological evidence and non-Scandinavian sources can highlight the gaps in Norse memory, where specific events have been forgotten and some regions of the Viking world have received less attention than others. Stretching from America to Russia, the impact of post-medieval political events, of modern marketisation and of different scholarly approaches is also considered.

Citation

Ellis, C. (2021). Remembering the Vikings: Ancestry, cultural memory and geographical variation. History Compass, 19(4), https://doi.org/10.1111/hic3.12652

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Feb 15, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Mar 26, 2021
• Publication Date: 2021
• Deposit Date: Sep 20, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 20, 2021
• Journal: History Compass
• Electronic ISSN: 1478-0542
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 19
• Issue: 4
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/hic3.12652
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1250232