A Brief Introduction to the Viking Age provides an overview of the latest research on Viking Age society, politics, warfare, worldview, religion, and economy. This period has fascinated people far beyond the Nordic region, including those who research it. The Vikings traveled as far as Central Asia in the east, North Africa in the south, and the American continent in the west – partly to plunder, but also to trade and establish towns and kingdoms. In this book, you can learn more about the magnificent ship burials, the exploitation of natural resources, the rich art and mythology, as well as the spectacular literary traces they left behind on runestones and in skaldic poetry. The book uses examples from various sources, both written and material, to highlight the nuances and variations between different regions, and what it was like to grow up and live in different social and ethnic groups – for example, as thralls, farmers, children, women, and Sámi. In this way, we are presented with a richer and more complex culture than the uncompromising warrior we meet in popular culture.