Why This Children of Ash and Elm Review Changes How You See the Vikings
Neil Price wrote Children of Ash and Elm to change how we see the Vikings. He pushes past the old myth of raiders and warriors. He shows us farmers, traders, and poets instead. He digs into old graves and old sagas to build his case. The book paints Norse life in full color. Price writes with real passion on every page. He wants us to meet actual people, not legends. This history feels fresh and alive.
About the Author
Neil Price is a Distinguished Professor of Archaeology at Uppsala University in Sweden. He spent decades studying Viking Age Scandinavia. His work focuses on religion, mythology, and burial practices.
Price wrote The Viking Way, a study of Norse belief systems. He also wrote The Archaeology of Shamanism, which examines global ritual practices. For years, he led excavations at Viking sites across Scandinavia.
Price combines physical evidence with old texts to rebuild the Viking worldview. He avoids modern judgment and presents Viking culture on its own terms. He treats grave goods and rune stones as historical evidence.
His research links Viking activity across Europe, Asia, and North America into one story. Price writes for scholars and general readers. He balances academic rigor with clear prose. Today, he continues to teach and publish on Iron Age history.
Children of Ash and Elm Review
I watched the History Channel’s Vikings series for months. I wanted real facts instead of drama. My expectations were far exceeded. I went in cold and came out changed, as shared in this Children of Ash and Elm review. The book covers the years before and during the Viking Age. It goes beyond telling you what raiders did and shows how they saw the world.
The author splits the book into three parts. The first part explores the world before the Viking Age. It digs into myth and religion, which surpassed my expectations. I knew almost nothing about Norse cosmology before this. I knew Odin and Thor from movies, but I missed the true depth of their belief system. The second part covers raids, trade, and the spread of Norse influence across Europe. The third part looks at Viking colonies, from Russia to Iceland and North America. Here, the book proves its place as a serious Viking age history, going far beyond a story about ships and swords.
The central argument surprised me. Price does not treat East and West as separate stories. Most books split the Vikings who went to Russia from those who went to England or Greenland. Price refuses to do that. The same people and culture moved in different directions for different reasons. That connection stuck with me. It reframed the Viking world as one large, moving network instead of a few isolated groups.
One idea grabbed me right away. Price treats Viking funerals like theater. He describes sacrificed animals and grave goods. He also views human sacrifices as actors in a scene. At first, this felt like a strange way to talk about death. Then I thought about it more, and it made sense. A burial was a public event. It told a story about a person and their beliefs. Price backs his argument with real digs and physical objects, far beyond mere theory.
I had not realized how much a single object reveals. Price highlights a Buddha statue in a Swedish treasure hoard. The statue sat thousands of miles from its origin. He also mentions a runic stone for a woman who traveled to Jerusalem. These small details prove Viking reach better than any battle description. This Viking raiders and traders story builds on tiny clues, not grand claims.
Not everything worked for me. Early on, Price promises to explain the Viking self-image. He breaks it down into four distinct parts. These include appearance, personality, luck, and a feminine sense of family. I found this idea fascinating, but he barely returns to it. The first two parts get some attention. The luck component feels rushed. The fourth part never gets the space it needs. I closed the book wanting more, unconvinced that he delivered on his initial promise.
I want to address a point other readers mention. Critics question Price’s approach to two topics. They say he views Viking Christianity and gender roles through a modern lens. His tone shifts during discussions about Christianity in Scandinavia. Lacking a history background, I cannot judge if this shows bias or new research.
The gender chapter felt speculative. Price draws bold conclusions from a small number of burial finds. Parts of it provoke thought. Other parts demand stronger evidence.
The writing style deserves real praise. This book spans over six hundred pages, yet it rarely drags. Price writes with unexpected rhythm for a history book. Some sentences read like poetry. That said, this is not a light read. It demands full attention. Casual readers may struggle with middle sections. The book shifts topics without warning and becomes dense. I sometimes lost the thread and backtracked a page or two.
This is not a beach read. It targets readers curious about Norse history who crave real depth, not a quick overview. If you finished the TV series and want the real story, this book delivers. If you want a fast, simple introduction, look elsewhere first and return to this book later.
Was it worth the time? Yes, without a doubt. I finished it knowing far more about Eirík Bloodaxe and Gudríd Thorbjarnardóttir than I ever expected. I learned to see a burial site as a story instead of mere bones and metal. That shift in perspective stayed with me most.
The book fails to deliver on every promise. Still, it paints a richer, more human picture of a people I thought I already understood.
Children of Ash and Elm Book Details
For centuries, outsiders told the Viking story for their own reasons. Three separate groups bent the truth for their own needs. These groups included medieval monks, Victorian writers, and Nazi propagandists.
This book lets the Vikings speak through their own graves, sagas, and artifacts. An archaeologist digs through burial sites, rune stones, and old texts. He rebuilds how these people saw their world. He covers their gods, politics, and daily struggles to survive.
The book follows real figures like Eirík Bloodaxe, who fought for his throne. It also follows Gudríd Thorbjarnardóttir, a woman who traveled farther than almost anyone in her time. Readers meet farmers and traders alongside famous raiders.
The author refuses to split the story into East and West. This choice reveals one connected culture that shaped Russia, Iceland, and beyond. Middle sections demand patience, but the book offers real depth and insight. Anyone curious about Norse life beyond the stereotypes will find fresh ideas here. This account rebuilds Viking history. History flattened these people for too long. The book restores their full, complex humanity.
My Goodreads Review
Children of Ash and Elm: A History of the Vikings by Neil Price
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This book breaks the old Viking myth wide open. It shows farmers, traders, and mothers, not just warriors. The author digs through graves, bones, and old songs. Each chapter builds a real picture of daily life. You finish it and see the Vikings as true people.
I always read before going to bed. It took me a long time to finish the book as I easily felt sleepy. Boring in general but a throve of information. Don’t get me wrong about the “boring” stuff. It is still a good book if you love history and want to know more about the Viking Age.
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