The Challenges of Understanding the Viking Era Scandinavians

This chapter explores the difficulties in understanding the Viking era Scandinavians due to the lack of reliable eyewitness accounts. It discusses the influence of Christian monks as primary sources and highlights rare accounts from non-Christian witnesses. The chapter also mentions the famous account of Ibn Fudlan, a Muslim traveler, and the uncertainties surrounding his encounter with a group that may have been Viking era Scandinavians.