A living historical book about the Viking world — from the fjords of Scandinavia to the edge of the known world.
This chronicle is written and published chapter by chapter. It brings together research, historical sources, and context to present the Viking Age not as a series of isolated events, but as a coherent world — with its own logic, routes, fears, and choices that shaped the lives of the people of the North.
About the Chronicle
This book did not begin as a one-time project, nor as an attempt to retell well-known facts. I have been working on it for many years, returning to sources, comparing archaeological evidence, chronicles, and sagas, trying to understand not only what happened, but how the Viking world itself functioned.
That is why the chronicle is published here — openly, chapter by chapter. It is not an encyclopedia and not a list of dates. It is a continuous narrative in which sea and land, trade and war are closely connected. Each chapter stands on its own, yet together they form a coherent picture of the northern world.
Many people first encounter the Viking Age through games and popular culture. This chronicle offers a deeper view — revealing the real settlements, trade routes, camps, and distant expeditions behind familiar images. It does not diminish interest, but expands it, providing the context without which the era remains only a backdrop.
Chronicle Contents
Part I. The Northern World
Land, sea, and the people where it all began
- A Seafaring People
How the geography of Scandinavia, shipbuilding, and the sea turned northern communities into the greatest seafarers of their age. - Viking Settlements in Scandinavia
Farms, villages, and the first towns: where and how the Vikings lived, and why land shaped their choices. - The Causes of the Viking Age
Why the people of the North went to sea: trade and raiding, land and power, colonisation and rule.
Part II. Trade and Power
Silver, markets, and control of the routes
- Major Viking Trade Centers (in progress)
Key hubs of the northern world: Kaupang, Hedeby, Birka, and other places where the roads of the age converged. - Fortified Military Camps (in progress)
Island bases, winter camps, and strategic strongholds that changed the nature of Viking expeditions.
Part III. Vikings and the British Isles
From early raids to conquest and settlement
- The Northern British Isles (in progress)
- Rivalry in England (in progress)
- England Between Success and Defeat (in progress)
- Vikings as Settlers (in progress)
- The Saga of Stamford Bridge (in progress)
- Ireland and the Irish Sea (in progress)
Part IV. Beyond the Edge of the Known World
Routes where the maps once ended
- The Faroe Islands (in progress)
- Iceland (in progress)
- Greenland (in progress)
- Vinland (in progress)
How to Read the Chronicle
This chronicle does not require reading from the first page to the last. You can begin with any chapter — each one stands on its own and offers a complete view of its subject.
Read in sequence, the chapters form a continuous narrative of the Viking Age — from the shaping of the northern world to distant voyages and colonies. Read selectively, the chronicle remains clear and coherent. The texts are connected, but they do not depend on one another directly.
This format allows the chronicle to be revisited again and again, approached from different angles, without the sense that something essential has been missed.
Context of the Age
For many, the first encounter with the Viking Age comes through games. They provide imagery, atmosphere, and a sense of a world that invites deeper exploration.
This chronicle does not repeat game narratives or explain mechanics. Instead, it reveals the historical reality behind familiar images — why trade centers and camps emerged, how long-distance expeditions became possible, and what stood behind the choice between home and the road.
Historical context does not diminish interest; it expands it, allowing well-known images to be seen as part of a real world rather than mere decoration.
Chronicle Status
This book is not finished — and that is intentional. The chronicle is written and expanded over time. New chapters appear only when a topic has been fully explored and is ready to become part of the larger narrative.
The text is not fixed once and for all. Individual sections may be refined, expanded, or updated as new material and research emerge. In this way, the chronicle remains alive and continues to grow with the project.
Last updated: 16-02-2026
This chronicle is not complete. Like the age itself, it unfolds gradually.