Just Finished Reading: The Hammer and the Cross – A New History of the Vikings by Robert Ferguson (FP: 2009)

It’s odd sometimes when you read two books covering very much the same subject in quick succession. There’s always the real danger that the books will be so similar as to be positively boring. Such was not the case here. In fact things could hardly have been more different.

Despite the fact that the history of those times are probably as well known to both authors (although this author has a significant edge, I suspect, as he’s renowned as being one of the world’s leading experts in Scandinavian studies) the emphasis and analysis are worlds apart. Whilst the first book in the mini-blitz was what I call a ‘list’ book this volume had a definite narrative and a distinct story arc. Rather interestingly the author framed the Viking Age inside an ongoing religious war between militant Christianity – exemplified by Charlemagne and the Holy Roman Empire – and the Pagan world (the author consistently refers to them as Heathens rather than Pagans which mildly irritated me). Not only does this give context to the opening attack on Lindisfarne in AD793 – not just because monasteries contained known religious relics and other items of great expense – as an attack on Christianity itself but one that was in direct retaliation for Christian attacked on Heathen/Pagan sacred places. To me that makes a LOT more sense that 300 years of random and inexplicable attacks that almost stopped as soon, and as abruptly, as they began. Within a greater religious context just about everything falls into place and makes sense once again.

But it wasn’t just the overall narrative scaffold that made this a superior book – it was the author’s narrative style that made it such an enjoyable read as well as an informative one. Almost immediately I got the impression that here was someone completely at ease with his subject. This allowed him to relax into things and chat to, rather than lecture, the reader. His confidence shone through every page and this gave him the space and the opportunity to have fun with his subject. I doubt if many books on the Vikings have laugh out loud moments but this one certainly did. It helps, as you might imagine, to have a fairly dark sense of humour (something no doubt the Vikings would appreciate) but the humour is definitely there. The author is also determined to reclaim the Vikings from those who wish to see them as misunderstood traders and explorers who ‘occasionally roughed up the locals’. These where particularly violent people living in a violent time and violence was something they were very good at – so much so that they scared the pants off most of Europe for the best part of 3 centuries. In that time they influenced the destinies of nations throughout the Continent including France, Russia, Ireland and England (their significant influence in Scandinavian and Icelandic history is too obvious for comment here), adding genes, words and place names across a huge swathe of land, had colonies as far as field as Greenland and North America and even fought against Islam (where they generally came off much worse than when fighting Christians!).

The author not only has a deep knowledge of his subject but also has a deep love for it too. There’s a LOT of information packed into these 382 pages and there’s lots of names to contend with. What I can’t think of though are many times where he lost my interest or lost the thread of the story he was telling. I know it’s a much used cliché but he did manage to bring the subject alive and I managed to pick up on things that have intrigued or confused me before. So much so that if I had to pick a religion or a God to worship I’d pick Odin with little hesitation. Knowing what he did and why he did it definitely makes him the God for me. Recommended for anyone interesting in a violent time and a fascinating culture.