SASA Live Master Class: "Viking Voyages Part II: The Eastern Road"

SASA Live Master Class: "Viking Voyages Part II: The Eastern Road" led by Dr. Irina-Maria Manea  

Although often viewed as on the northern periphery of Europe, medieval Scandinavia was centrally located in a network of vital trade routes. The Norse navigated the seas to reach the North Atlantic, the British Isles, and even the Iberian Peninsula, while the vast river systems of the Dnieper and Volga provided access to the heartlands of modern Russia and Ukraine.

This lecture delves into how these waterways allowed the Norse to travel as far as Constantinople, the Byzantine capital, and the Khazar Khaganate near the Caspian Sea, connecting them with a rich tapestry of cultures, including Orthodox Christians, pagan Slavs, Jewish Khazars, and Muslims from the Abbasid Caliphate. Unlike their raids in Western Europe, Norse interactions in the East were marked by lengthy and perilous journeys, requiring strategic settlements along the trade routes.…