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Book Description
Nights were long in Iceland winters of long ago. A whole family sat for hours around the fire in the middle of the room. That fire gave the only light. Shadows flitted in the dark corners. Smoke curled along the high beams of the ceiling. The children sat on the dirt floor close by the fire. The grown people were on a long narrow bench that they had pulled up to the light and warmth. Everybody's hands were busy with wool. As the family worked in the red fire-light, the father told of the kings of Norway, of long voyages to strange lands, of good fights. And in farmhouses all through Iceland these old tales were told over and over until everybody knew them and loved them. Men who could sing and play the harp were called "skalds," and they called their songs "sagas." Eventually these stories were written down on sheepskin or vellum so that we can enjoy them today. We follow the fortunes of Harald from the time he is acknowledged by his father as a baby and given his own thrall at the cutting of his first tooth, through his exploits as a viking adventurer, to his crowning as King of Norway. It is when Harald is King of Norway that population pressures at home and eagerness for adventure and booty from other lands combine to drive some of the bolder Vikings to set forth from their native land. Sailing ever westward across the Atlantic, they hop along the chain of islands that loosely connects Norway with America-Orkneys and Shetlands, Faeroes, Iceland, and Greenland. It is from link to link of this chain that the characters in our story sail in search of home and adventure. Discoveries are made by accident. Ships are driven by the wind into unknown ports, resulting in landings and settlements in Iceland, Greenland, and America. The crude courage of these men and strangeness of their adventures appeal strongly to children, while their love of truth, hardy endurance, and faithfulness to the promised word make them characters to emulate. Suitable for children ages 9 and up to read to themselves and for children as young as 6 as a read-aloud.
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KING HALFDAN lived in Norway long ago. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
KING HALFDAN lived in Norway long ago. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most helpful customer reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent introduction to Viking history for kids,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Viking Tales (Paperback)
Viking Tales by Jennie Hall was originally published in 1902. This reprinting by Yesterday's Classics is a good quality trade paperback with a clear, large print that is easy for children to read. Although the original text is over a hundred years old, it was written at that time with children in mind and so is not too wordy or difficult to understand.The back of the book indicates that it is for children aged 6 and up, and I would agree with this, although a 6 year old would likely need to have the book read out loud, as it is in a "chapter book" format (although there are a few black and white illustrations). My 8 year daughter enjoys reading this book on her own without any difficulty. At first glace Viking Tales might appear to contain stories of Norse legends and mythology. But this is not the case--although a few times characters speak of Thor or Odin, these do not appear. The book actually chronicles the adventures of real life historical figures--as we know them from the old sagas--and puts these adventures in the format of a story that children can understand. In this way, the characters--like King Harald Shockhead, who united all Norway, Ingolf, who orchestrated the settlement of Iceland, Eric the Red, who discovered Greenland, and Eric's son Leif, who discovered "Vineland," which was the tip of Newfoundland--come alive in a way that they do not in a standard history book. Of course, some of the stories do involve warefare, and there is some violence and death, but no more than you would find in any fairy tale, and nothing graphic is described. My daughter and I are truly enjoying reading through this book together, and I am happy to see how it is bringing history alive for her. I wish I could find more books by Jennie Hall.
5.0 out of 5 stars
A valuable resource,
By A Customer
This review is from: Viking Tales (Paperback)
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.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.4 out of 5 stars (11 customer reviews) 38 of 40 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Definitely a Different Culture...,
By bethlovesbooks - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Viking Tales (Paperback)
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)
17 of 19 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A valuable resource,
By A Customer - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Viking Tales (Paperback)
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.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good view into viking life,
By T. Walker - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Viking Tales (Paperback)
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.
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