When Norwegian Vikings first raided the European coast in the 8th
Century AD, their leaders were from the middle ranks of warriors known as
hersirs. At this time the hersir was typically an independent landowner or local
chieftain with equipment superior to that of his followers. By the end of the
10th Century, the independence of the hersir was gone, and he was now a regional
servant of the Norwegian king. This book investigates these brutal, mobile
warriors, and examines their tactics and psychology in war, dispelling the idea
of the Viking raider as simply a killing machine.
Contents
Historical Background * Chronology * Training * Tactics *
Logistics * The Viking in Battle * Motivation and Psychology * Appearance
and Equipment * Weapons * Manufacture of Weapons * Museums * Collecting *
Glossary