Vikings in the Modern Imagination

The image of the Viking, horned helmet and all, is as universally recognized as that of Mickey Mouse. But how did this image come to be, and what is it about the Vikings that fascinates people of the modern world? This course explores the rise of modern Viking-mania from Early Modern antiquarianism, through its heyday in the Romantic era, and into the twenty-first century’s resurgence of interest in the Vikings. We will examine the context of attitudes toward the past of Scandinavia, and the valorization of its seaborne raiders. As we will see, these developments closely parallel the coalescence of modern nation-states and the development of nationalism. By the nineteenth century, the Viking has become internationalized, forming a component not only of Scandinavian but also of German, British, and even American identities. The Viking becomes a sought-after mascot, a figure whom many are eager to appropriate. In this figure, modern people have seen a valiant warrior, an intrepid settler, and a brutish, uncouth barbarian – often, paradoxically, all three at the same time. We will examine the relation of the modern Viking to shifting and developing attitudes toward national identity, cultural difference, masculinity, violence, and colonialism. We will look at a variety of sources, from Medieval and Early Modern histories to eighteenth and nineteenth century literature, poetry, and music, and on to twentieth and twenty-first century political propaganda, film and television, and other media. Students will gain an understanding of the historical and cultural context of the modern Viking, and how this figure has historically mediated modern attitudes toward the past and the present.