Suddenly rushing into the vastness of Europe in the 8th century, the Vikings wrote their name in world history with fire and sword. It would seem that we know everything about these fierce warriors and brave sailors - in any school textbook you can easily find all the necessary information: dates, main routes of movement, history of battles and invasions. But the history of the Vikings is still fraught with many unsolved mysteries. There remain questions that historians, politicians and readers continue to argue about, including the notorious “dispute about the Varangians.” Indeed, how and why were the Vikings able to break into Europe without encountering much resistance and rule it for centuries, shaking the foundations of powerful states such as the empire of Charlemagne? How did they manage to hold out and settle in Normandy, Sicily, Iceland? Did they stand at the origins of Russian statehood or not? Were they the engine of trade of their time or, on the contrary, did they slow it down? Did they discover America? Based on the latest archaeological data and original interpretation of sources, a recognized expert on Scandinavian history, Sorbonne professor Regis Boyer created not just a book - he wrote a real encyclopedia. Each chapter thoroughly examines a separate side of the history of the Vikings: their daily way of life, life, relations between men and women, law and court meetings, weapons, ships, campaigns and military strategy, laws of military brotherhood, trade and economics, beliefs and myths, contacts with neighboring peoples and states, Viking life in the traditional Scandinavian community and beyond. The presented book is distinguished from most encyclopedias by only one, but significant circumstance: Regis Boyer is an excellent storyteller who knows how to present material in a bright and captivating way. The true highlight of the book are the colorful and carefully drawn portraits of the key characters of that time: Harald Fairhair, Olav Tryggvason, Cnut the Great, Vladimir the Saint and Yaroslav the Wise. This book is intended for the general reader and is designed not to leave him indifferent.