Lords of the Salt Road
The Norse Earls of Orkney and the Viking World
Lords of the Salt Road
The Norse Earls of Orkney and the Viking World
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Description
The story of the Norse Earls of Orkney, whose lands once covered much of Scotland, and whose reach extended as far as Scandinavia, continental Europe and even the Mediterranean.
Lords of the Salt Road reveals the dramatic history of the Norse earls of Orkney, who owed their allegiance to the Kings of Norway and ruled their own semi-autonomous empire with lands in mainland Scotland and the Western Isles. At their military height in the 11th century, they held a 400-mile swathe of territory, stretching from Shetland down to the Clyde Estuary.
Drawing on contemporary sagas as historical sources, and capturing some of their spellbinding narrative drive, renowned historian and Orkney native Angus Konstam describes how these Norse earls and their followers led Viking raids around the British Isles and even further afield. For over four centuries their warriors and longships battled alongside Scandinavian kings and Norse rebels, and as Norse kingmakers these warlike earls sometimes paid the ultimate price for dabbling in international affairs. They were the key players in Viking Britain.
Using a wide range of historical sources such as Celtic-Scottish, Irish, Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon chronicles, this is a spellbinding tale of love, war, triumph, tragedy, treachery, murder, rebellion and greed.
Table of Contents
Dramatis Personae
Genealogy
Acknowledgements
Preface
Introduction
Part I: The Coming of the Norsemen
Chapter 1: Harald 'Finehair'
Chapter 2: Origin Myths
Chapter 3: Land and People
Chapter 4: The Earldom
Part II: Carving Out a Kingdom
Chapter 5: Earl Sigurd 'the Mighty'
Chapter 6: A Tooth and an Eye
Chapter 7: Trouble on the Salt Road
Chapter 8: Eirík 'Bloodaxe' and His Brood
Part III: Glory, God and Gold
Chapter 9: The Phoenix from the Ashes
Chapter 10: Earl Sigurd 'the Stout'
Chapter 11: The Rise of Earl Thorfinn
Chapter 12: The Prince of the Salt Road
Part IV: The Great Feuds
Chapter 13: Thorfinn and Rognvald
Chapter 14: A Game of Thrones
Chapter 15: Hákon and Magnus
Chapter 16: Murder and Miracles
Part V: The Earldom's Renaissance
Chapter 17: Kali Kolsson
Chapter 18: The Light in the North
Chapter 19: Earl Rognvald the Crusader
Part VI: The Crumbling Earldom
Chapter 20: The War of the Three Earls
Chapter 21: Declining Fortunes
Chapter 22: The Last Earl and the Great Sea King
Epilogue
Notes
Bibliography
Index
Product details
| Published | 04 Jun 2026 |
|---|---|
| Format | Hardback |
| Edition | 1st |
| Pages | 320 |
| ISBN | 9781472874733 |
| Imprint | Osprey Publishing |
| Illustrations | 8-page plate section in colour |
| Dimensions | 234 x 153 mm |
| Series | General Military |
| Short code | GNM |
| Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing |
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