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April 2025  Launchpad  Hybrid
Module 2 in A History of the VikingsCluster
Mixed Lecture/Discussion • Low intensity
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

Required Texts

The Viking World, ed. by S. Brink and N. Price, Routledge 2008. Other materials will be provided by the preceptor.

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This will be a Hybrid class (4 lectures & 4 discussion sessions). Each week will consist of 1 hour of recorded lecture and 1 hour of live discussion (not recorded) for a total of 8 class hours over the course of the month.

Delivery Plan
1. The first session each week will be a pre-recorded lecture sent to students at least 2 days before the live discussion session.
2. The second session each week will be a live discussion session (not recorded).

Days and Times

As soon as we obtain enough interest in this class we will be in touch to work out a meeting time that works for the group. Thank you for keeping your Blackberry availability up to date!

If you have any questions about the SPACE program, please reach out to [email protected].