
Ibn Fadlan and the Land of Darkness: Arab Travellers in the Far North (Paperback)
Ibn Fadlan (author), Caroline Stone (translator), Paul Lunde (translator)- 5+ in stock
In 922 AD, an Arab envoy from Baghdad named Ibn Fadlan encountered a party of Viking traders on the upper reaches of the Volga River. In his subsequent report on his mission he gave a meticulous and astonishingly objective description of Viking customs, dress, table manners, religion and sexual practices, as well as the only eyewitness account ever written of a Viking ship cremation.
Between the ninth and fourteenth centuries, Arab travellers such as Ibn Fadlan journeyed widely and frequently into the far north, crossing territories that now include Russia, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Their fascinating accounts describe how the numerous tribes and peoples they encountered traded furs, paid tribute and waged wars. This accessible new translation offers an illuminating insight into the world of the Arab geographers, and the medieval lands of the far north.
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
ISBN: 9780140455076
Number of pages: 304
Weight: 224 g
Dimensions: 198 x 129 x 17 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
You may also be interested in...
“Very interesting from a cultural anthropology and geography perspective.”
A fun read all about the encounters that that Ibn Fadlān and other medieval Arab travellers had with Northern Europeans. It recounts their perceptions of these people and detailed accounts of their cultural practices... More
Please sign in to write a review
Sign In / Register
Sign In
Download the Waterstones App
Would you like to proceed to the App store to download the Waterstones App?
Click & Collect
Alternatively, for multiple items you may find it easier to add to basket, then pay online and collect in as little as 2 hours, subject to availability.