“The greatest punishment in Nordic law was exclusion from society: the convicted was pronounced an outlaw, an enemy of the people, whom no one could shelter, whom anyone could pursue or kill. His property was forfeit and distributed, his wife and children renounced him, his clan blotted out his existence.”
Combining the skills of journalist, scholar, and storyteller, Poertner discusses Viking institutions and customs, art and economy, social structure and strictures; the slave trade, ship building, burial rites, and sexual practices.
New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1975. Hardcover. Octavo. 313 pages. Dust jacket in good condition with edge wear and light chipping—in protector. Boards clean with superficial scratch to top board—no other signs of wear. Binding tight and square. Pages clear. Solid copy.
