Sea Kings and Dragon Ships

"From the violence of the Northmen, O God deliver us!" That was the prayer that was often on the lips of the people of Western Europe during the ninth and tenth centuries — and not without reason. Who were these mighty men of the North? Why did they leave their homelands to seek food and plunder? And what heritage did they bring to the countries of the south, where many of them settled? King Canute, who ruled England wisely for many years, was the last of them in the British Isles, but their seed was spread even farther afield, for William the Conqueror of Normandy was a direct descendant of Rollo, one of the earliest of the marauding Vikings. In "Sea Kings and Dragon Ships", Alan Boucher, an eminent authority on the subject, gives us a vivid, authentic description of these bold, venturesome people. From their warships — the "dragon ships" of the title — to their final settlement in Iceland, he infuses life and vitality into the story of the Vikings, while never neglecting the historical connotations of their actions. In this lavishly illustrated book, Mr. Boucher describes in full detail fhe Vikings' tribal customs and raditions, their gods and temples, and the political beliefs that they brought with them to the New World.