From TV shows to computer games, the Vikings still manage to capture our imagination and ensnare us in an odd mix of fact and fiction. But who were they really? This new series aims to take a deep dive and provide challenging perspectives about the real Norse characters that shaped medieval Europe.

In this module we will walk (or sail!) in the footsteps of the Norse to discover how they changed and were changed by the worlds they encountered. In Britain, the great army conquered three kingdoms, intermingled with the local populace and forced the development of Wessex which would ultimately coalesce English unity. The assault on Ireland left monasteries devastated, but the Vikings also founded vital trade centres like Dublin and got involved in local wars. The raids in the Carolingian empire distrupted trade routes and eroded imperial power, ultimately leading to coopting the Norse into what would become the duchy of Normandy. To the East, the Rus reached the Byzantine empire where they formed elite guards, the Russian steppes beginning the process of state formation, as well as the far Muslim world they supplied with slaves. To the West, the troubled seas led them to settle the proto-democracy of Iceland, explore Greenland and even the coast of Canada. Through their travels, the course of medieval history was fundamentally altered by the Viking diaspora.

The module will follow an 8-session structure as shown below:

Outline	8-Session Structure
Week 1	Lecture 1: Norse kings in Britain and Ireland
	Discussion 1: Discussion about Lecture 1 material
Week 2	Lecture 2: Assault on the Frankish Empire
	Discussion 2: Discussion about Lecture 2 material
Week 3	Lecture 3: From Varangians to Russians
	Discussion 3: Discussion about Lecture 3 material
Week 4	Lecture 4: The Atlantic Way: Iceland, Greenland, Vinland
	Discussion 4: Discussion about Lecture 3 material