Historical fiction book · Curated
The Long Ships
Frans G. Bengtsson · historical fiction
Series: Röde Orm
In the 980s red-haired Orm is taken off his father’s Scanian farm onto a Viking ship, then rowed through al-Andalus, the court of Harald Bluetooth, and Ethelred’s England, with his friend Toke beside him as Scandinavia is pressed to convert. Frans G. Bengtsson’s novel (Swedish parts 1941 and 1945; one English volume, 1954) is medieval adventure historical fiction of the late Viking Age, from a boy at the oar to a chieftain who has served Al-Mansur and outlived the year 1000.
Why read it: A widely searched Viking novel—the Bengtsson title readers look up by name. This entry is the complete English Long Ships (both Swedish parts in one volume), and a Scanian counterpart to The Last Kingdom already on the shelf (not a separate Red Orm sequel).
About this historical novel
The Long Ships by Frans G. Bengtsson is historical fiction set around 982–1026 in the Medieval period with key settings including Scania, Denmark, Córdoba, England. In the 980s red-haired Orm is taken off his father’s Scanian farm onto a Viking ship, then rowed through al-Andalus, the court of Harald Bluetooth, and Ethelred’s England, with his friend Toke beside him as Scandinavia is pressed to convert. Frans G. Bengtsson’s novel (Swedish parts 1941 and 1945; one English volume, 1954) is medieval adventure historical fiction of the late Viking Age, from a boy at the oar to a chieftain who has served Al-Mansur and outlived the year 1000.
On HisFic we tag it under 6. Adventure & epic and 7. Family saga so you can pair it with similar story types. Recurring themes include vikings, voyaging, luck, faith, and friendship. A widely searched Viking novel—the Bengtsson title readers look up by name. This entry is the complete English Long Ships (both Swedish parts in one volume), and a Scanian counterpart to The Last Kingdom already on the shelf (not a separate Red Orm sequel).
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Plot summary
In the 980s red-haired Orm is taken off his father’s Scanian farm onto a Viking ship, then rowed through al-Andalus, the court of Harald Bluetooth, and Ethelred’s England, with his friend Toke beside him as Scandinavia is pressed to convert. Frans G. Bengtsson’s novel (Swedish parts 1941 and 1945; one English volume, 1954) is medieval adventure historical fiction of the late Viking Age, from a boy at the oar to a chieftain who has served Al-Mansur and outlived the year 1000. A widely searched Viking novel—the Bengtsson title readers look up by name. This entry is the complete English Long Ships (both Swedish parts in one volume), and a Scanian counterpart to The Last Kingdom already on the shelf (not a separate Red Orm sequel).
Subgenres
Eras
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Regions & places
Europe
Scania · Denmark · Córdoba · England
Themes
- vikings
- voyaging
- luck
- faith
- friendship
Tags
adventure · classic