The A to Z of the Vikings 2. This book provides a comprehensive work of reference for people interested in the Vikings, including entries on the main historical figures involved in this dramatic period, important battles and treaties, significant archaeological finds, and key works and sources of information on the period. It also summarizes the impact the Vikings had on the areas where they traveled and settled. There is a chronological table, detailed and annotated bibliographies for different themes and geographical locations, and an introduction discussing the major events and developments of the Viking age | X EDITOR S FOREWORD Denmark Norway and Sweden and the places they visited as it were in modules on the Vikings at home and abroad and especially in the British Isles. Aside from this she has undertaken several research projects dealing mainly with runic inscriptions. Dr. Holman has also published a number of articles again largely on runes but also on other aspects of the Vikings and Viking Age. Her specialization requires method and precision something perhaps a bit remote from adventure but fortunately providing a stronger foundation for any interpretation or conclusions. Jon Woronoff Series Editor Reader s Note A dictionary is of course organized alphabetically but when it comes to the Vikings this is not as easy a task as it may sound there are a number of additional characters in the Scandinavian and Icelandic languages a ce a o 0 S p which have to be included. As this dictionary is primarily designed for an English-language audience which may include people unfamiliar with the conventions of the Scandinavian and Icelandic languages I have chosen to anglicize these characters. Thus a and a are treated simply as the letter a e as the letters ae o and 0 as the letter o sometimes I have replaced d and p with the letters th which corresponds to the sound represented by d and p however where a spelling with the Icelandic characters is very well known I have kept the original letters but treated them as th for the purposes of alphabetizing. The length markers over vowels have been retained in spellings where there is no generally accepted anglicized form but ignored in the alphabetical ordering of entries. Hooked o has been normalized as o and hooked or nasal a as a. The forms of personal and place-names are a further source of headaches for the person seeking to provide a work of reference such as the The A to Z of the Vikings. In this book I have used anglicized spellings of place names where these exist and are presently well known . Copenhagen not Danish .
