Iceland and Vikings are shorn together in their mutual historys that it is tough to separate the one from the other.

The Age of the Vikings spanned for just three centuries, from about 750 to 1050 CE, but their historical shadow casts itself into the modern era. And like shadows, the representation of “Vikings” is shrouded in darkness and the “true” Vikings culture is overshadowed by stereotypes and half-truths.

Can we really known the group of people we call “Vikings”? Well no, but can we cut through the stereotypes and see the “real” Vikings? The answer is yes but lazy thinking with keep the repeated straw men in amber.

When one travels to a new land and culture the onus falls on the individual to educate themselves and the past culture of the land they will be stepping into. For me I started to read “ A History of the Vikings: Children of Ash and Elm by Neil Price.