Norway

A sweeping portrait of Norway’s earliest centuries, this volume begins by tracing the ancient peoples who first settled the rugged fjords and mountains, from the distant Asian origins of the North‑Germanic tribes to the emergence of the free‑holding farmers who would become the backbone of society. It explains how these early Norwegians turned a landscape of timber‑clad valleys into thriving agricultural communities, while still relying on fishing, hunting, and the occasional raid that brought thralls into their households.

The narrative then moves to the distinctive political life of these fledgling kingdoms, describing the local assemblies known as Things where laws were debated, judges pronounced verdicts, and community justice was fiercely protected. Readers gain insight into the unique udal land‑ownership system that kept property within families, the balance between freedom and servitude, and the early legal codes that shaped a culture renowned for its independence and communal responsibility.