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Viking Tales (Yesterday's Classics) | 
 enlarge | Author: Jennie Hall
Creator: Victor R. Lambdin
Publisher: Yesterday's Classics
Category: Book
Buy New: $8.95
New (15) Used (6) from $7.75
Rating:  4 reviews
Sales Rank: 113904
Media: Paperback
Reading Level: Ages 9-12
Pages: 168
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.5
ISBN: 1599150042
Dewey Decimal Number: 940
EAN: 9781599150048
ASIN: 1599150042
Publication Date: November 17, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
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Product 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. In this book 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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| Customer Reviews:
 Definitely a Different Culture... March 14, 2007
bethlovesbooks (North Carolina)
14 out of 15 found this review helpful
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)
 A valuable resource February 1, 2004
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
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.
Viking Tales August 3, 2006
Patricia Sennett (frisco texas)
7 out of 8 found this review helpful
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!
Viking Tales January 9, 2007
Mark Nielson (Eagle, Idaho)
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
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.
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