Raiders Of The Lost Arts

Sagas, Swords, And Surprises On The Trail Of All Things Viking From Newfoundland To Norway.

- Judith Fein

I always believed that the Vikings were a bunch of raiders and pillagers whose only redeeming quality was that they built sophisticated ships to carry out their murderous missions. But one day, at an exhibit in Los Angeles, I saw elegant jewellery by Viking goldsmiths, encountered writing on rune stones, and learned that Vikings practiced a form of democracy and that their women had personal and political power. That’s when my fascination with the eighth-to-eleventh century culture began.

I planned a trip to L’Anse aux Meadows, in Newfoundland, Canada; it’s the only authenticated Viking site in North America. There I saw my first longhouse, built with thick sod walls and a sod-covered roof. Inside, historical interpreters recreated quotidian Viking chores such as weaving, candle making, and cooking over an open fire. But what made the deepest impression was learning that Vikings suffered from lung disease, caused by smoke from indoor fires. They were no longer “the Vikings” but, rather, humans who lived, loved, laughed, worked, and had lung issues.