"The Vikings" Prof. Kenneth W. Harl,
(36 Lectures / 30 Minutes Per Lecture /  6x DVD - The Great Courses)
This historical investigation provides a rigorous analysis of the Scandinavian seafaring societies that fundamentally restructured the geopolitical landscape of Europe and the North Atlantic between 793 and 1066 C.E. Professor Kenneth W. Harl shifts the academic focus from peripheral raiding to the central role of the Vikings as sophisticated mercantile and political agents who established a vast "trans-oceanic" network. By synthesizing archaeological data from settlement sites like L’Anse aux Meadows with primary textual sources such as the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and Old Norse sagas, the lectures reconstruct the internal social dynamics and the specialized maritime technology that enabled this expansive era of Norse hegemony.
 
The curriculum further explores the long-term historical consequences of Viking integration, detailing how Norse influence was foundational to the development of the medieval English state, the formation of the Kievan Rus', and the establishment of the Duchy of Normandy. It meticulously traces the religious and administrative transition from decentralized pagan chiefdoms to the centralized Christian monarchies of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. This comprehensive survey ultimately demonstrates that the Viking Age was a pivotal catalyst for the medieval "world system," leaving a permanent legacy in the legal, linguistic, and economic structures that would define the emergence of modern European civilization.