Description
By Jennie Hall. Illustrated by Victor R. Lambdin. Set sail across the stormy northern seas and enter the adventurous world of the Vikings in this classic retelling of Norse history, saga traditions, and exploration.
In Viking Tales, author Jennie Hall brings to life the world of the Norse seafarers whose voyages carried them from Scandinavia across the North Atlantic centuries before Columbus. Drawing upon the Icelandic sagas and Scandinavian tradition, Hall introduces readers to Viking life in Norway and follows the westward journeys that eventually led Norse explorers to Iceland, Greenland, and North America.
The stories begin in Norway during the age of Harald Fairhair, recounting feuds, battles, royal ambitions, and the events that led many Norsemen to seek new homes across the sea. From there, the narrative journeys west to Iceland, where settlers established farms and communities in a rugged new land, and then follows Eric the Red to Greenland and Leif Erikson to the shores of the land the Norse called Vinland.
Alongside voyages, battles, and discoveries, Hall offers glimpses into the everyday world of the Vikings—their homes and farms, customs, ships and seafaring, family life, feasts, and life under the Norse kings. Her lively treatment of the old sagas was written especially for children, combining adventure with an introduction to the people, places, and events of the Viking Age.
Enhancing the volume are the illustrations of Victor R. Lambdin, depicting Viking ships, northern landscapes, battles, settlements, and scenes from everyday Norse life. His artwork complements Hall’s narrative and helps evoke the distant world in which these tales unfold.
This carefully restored edition revives a classic introduction to Viking history and adventure. Ideal for students, families, and readers fascinated by Norse history and exploration, Viking Tales traces the remarkable westward movement of the Vikings from Norway to the distant shores of North America.
About the author: Jennie Hall (1875–1921) was an American teacher and writer best known for historical books written for children. Her works introduced young readers to subjects ranging from ancient history and mythology to exploration and the Viking Age.
About the illustrator: Victor R. Lambdin was an American illustrator whose work appeared in books and periodicals during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. His illustrations for Viking Tales depict the characters, landscapes, ships, and events of Hall’s account of the Viking Age.
