In the year 793 AD the Vikings entered the annals of history with the attack on the monastery at Lindisfarne, England. The following approx. 300 years constitute 'the Viking Age' in which the peoples of Scandinavia put their cultural imprint on the British Isles, Normandy, Paris, Russia, the Mediterranean, the Middle East and other places. They were not only conquerors but also partners in a vibrant Europe of cultural exchange and trade witnessed by numerous finds of Southern European, Middle Eastern and Asian items in Scandinavia. They were quick to settle and become locals. Yet, who were the Vikings? How did they live when they weren't on the longboats? Were law and order part of their societies? What were their beliefs, myths and legends - before they converted to Christianity? Did they indeed discover America? It is the purpose of this seminar to study their literary legacy, the results of centuries of oral traditions: the Icelandic sagas -- in order to gain insights into a human culture seemingly distant from our own. We'll read and discuss some of these vivid tales of love, sex, violence, of defending rights, and of the practical and supernatural uncertainties of exploration. We will make use of movies and short films. Final grade will be determined by active participation and written assignments.