The Northern Routes to Kingship: A History of Scandinavia AD 180-550

This book argues that tribal Scandinavia was set on the route to kingship by the arrival in the AD 180s-90s of warrior groups that were dismissed from the Roman army after defeating the Marcomanni by the Danube.Using a range of evidence, this book details how well-equipped and battle-seasoned warriors, familiar with Roman institutions and practices, seized land and established lordly centres.It shows how these new lords acquired wealth by stimulating the production of commodities for trade with peers and Continental associates, Romans included, to reward retainers and bestow on partners.In these transcultural circumstances, lords and their retainers nurtured artisanal production of exquisite quality and developed a heroic ethos and refined hall etiquette.The topic of warfare, created by the volatile politics of lordly cooperation and competition, is also explored.Venturing substantially beyond the usual scope of syntheses of this period, this book looks at how the break-up of the Weste