Search advanced search
 
Books
Search:
x dismiss this message

Did you know you can edit this page?

The Long Ships
  • Rated 0 stars
Read The Long Ships

The Long Ships (1954) (edit title/settings)

A Saga of the Viking Age

by Frans Gunnar Bengtsson (Author) (edit contributors)

Share this book on:
see page history

Description edit see section history

Frans Gunnar Bengtsson’s The Long Ships resurrects the fantastic world of the tenth century ad when the Vikings roamed and rampaged from the northern fastnesses of Scandinavia through the Straits of Gibraltar to Byzantium in all its fabled splendor. Bengtsson’s hero, Red Orm, is a boy when... read more

Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit

Write a ridiculously simplified synopsis.

Summary edit see section history

The first book covers the years 982 to 990. While still a youth, Orm is taken captive by a Viking party raiding the sheepfold of his father's farm in Skåne after an unprofitable campaign among the Wends. The party consists of three ships, some 180 men, led by Krok. Orm is accepted as a crew... read more (warning: may contain spoilers)

The first book covers the years 982 to 990. While still a youth, Orm is taken captive by a Viking party raiding the sheepfold of his father's farm in Skåne after an unprofitable campaign among the Wends. The party consists of three ships, some 180 men, led by Krok. Orm is accepted as a crew member and makes a lifelong friend of Toke Greygullson. They sail south, along the coast of the Frankish Empire. During an encounter with a party of Danes from Jutland, they collect an escaped prisoner, Solomon, an Andalusian Jew. Solomon guides them to the castle of the Castilian Margrave who had betrayed him. The Vikings sack the castle and take the spoils to the ships, Solomon returning to his own land. As they sail off, they are attacked and defeated by an Andalusian fleet, and Orm together with Krok and seven others are captured and made slaves.
They serve as galley slaves for more than two years, during which time Orm becomes left-handed (due to his position on the rowing bench), and Krok dies killing their hated supervisor. Thanks to the intervention of Solomon, the surviving eight Norsemen are made members of the slave-bodyguard of Al-Mansur. They nominally convert to Islam and take part in Al-Mansur's campaigns in the Marca Hispanica for four years. Raiding Iria Flavia, the burial place of St. James, Al-Mansur charges the Norsemen with shipping the captured bell of the Christian church back to Cordova. On their way back, they encounter and slay the killers of Krok, and are forced to flee Andalusia, taking the bell with them. They cross to Ireland, and learning that Brian Boru has gained the upper hand over the Norse there, continue directly to the court of Harold Bluetooth.
Harald has recently converted to Christianity, and they present him with the bell of St. James, upon which Harald invites them to celebrate Yule with him. Both Orm and Toke are wounded in duels during Yule. After convalescence, during which he meets Ylva, daughter of Harold, and presents her with a golden necklace given to him by Al-Mansur, Orm returns to Skåne. Toke runs off with an Andalusian slave-concubine of Harald's and continues back home to Blekinge. The one-eyed Rapp, another of Orm's companions from Andalusia, stays with him, being an outlaw in his home district.

Characters/People edit see section history

Show all 107 characters
Popular Covers

Loading covers…

Choose your book’s cover

Table of Contents edit see section history

PROLOGUE. How the shaven men fared in Skania in King Harald Bluetooth’s time

PART ONE: THE LONG VOYAGE
I Concerning Thane Toste and his household
II Concerning Krok’s expedition, and how Orm set forth on his first voyage
III How they sailed southwards, and how they found themselves a good guide
IV How Krok’s men came to Ramiro’s kingdom, and how they paid a rewarding visit
V How Krok’s luck changed twice, and how Orm became left-handed
VI Concerning the Jew Solomon and the Lady Subaida, and how Orm got his sword Blue-Tongue
VII How Orm served Almansur, and how he sailed with St. James’ bell
VIII Concerning Orm’s sojourn among the monks of St. Finnian, and how a great miracle occurred at Jellinge
IX How King Harald Bluetooth celebrated Yule
X How Orm lost his necklace
XI Concerning the wrath of Brother Willibald, and how Orm tried his hand at wooing
XII How Orm came home from his long voyage

PART TWO: IN KING ETHELRED’S KINGDOM
I Concerning the battle that was fought at Maldon, and what came after it
II Concerning spiritual things
III Concerning marriage and baptism, and King Ethelred’s silver
IV How Brother Willibald taught King Sven a maxim from the Scriptures

PART THREE: IN THE BORDER COUNTRY
I How Orm built his house and church and how they named his red-haired daughters
II How they planned a christening feast for King Harald’s grandson
III Concerning the strangers that came with salt, and how King Sven lost a head
IV How Orm preached to the salt-peddler
V Concerning the great christening feast, and how the first Smalanders came to be baptized
VI Concerning four strange beggars, and how the Erin Masters came to Father Willibald’s assistance
VII Concerning the King of Sweden’s sword-bearer, and the magister from Aachen and his sins
VIII Concerning the sinful magister’s second sin and the penance to which he was condemned for it
IX How the magister searched for heifers and sat in a cherry tree
X Concerning the women’s doings at the Kraka Stone, and how Blue-Tongue’s edge became dented
XI Concerning Toke Gray-Gullsson and a misfortune that befell him, and of a foul gift Orm received from the Finnvedings
XII Concerning the Thing at the Kraka Stone

PART FOUR: THE BULGAR GOLD
I Concerning the end of the world, and how Orm’s children grew up
II Concerning the man from the East
III Concerning the story of the Bulgar gold
IV How they planned to get the gold
V How they sailed to the Gotland Vi
VI How they rowed to the Dnieper
VII Concerning what happened at the weirs
VIII How Orm met an old friend
IX Concerning their journey home, and how Olof Summerbird vowed to become a Christian
X How they settled accounts with the crazy magister
XI Concerning the great hounds’ chase

Series & Lists edit see section history

This book is in NPR Summer Books 2010. (authoritative list)

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

  1. Frans Gunnar Bengtsson (Author)

Other Contributors:

  1. Michael Chabon (Introduction)
  2. Michael Meyer (Translator) - English

First Edition edit see section history

Original Language: Swedish
Publisher: Add the publisher.
Country: Add the country of publication.
Publication Date: 1954
ISBN: Add the ISBN.
Page Count: 503

Classification edit see section history

  • Library of Congress: PZ3.B4308
  • Dewey: 839.7372

Movie Connections edit see section history

More Books Like This edit see section history

   
  • Fiji

We’re hiding the errata, books that influenced this book, books influenced by this book, books that cite this book and books cited by this book sections. If you would like to add content to them, you must first make them visible.

© 2006-2013 Shelfari | Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Copyright Policy

Close