Diasporic identities in the Viking Age North Atlantic: a comparative analysis of mobility and connectivity between Norway, the Scottish Isles, and Iceland

Abstract

Between the 8th and 11th centuries AD, Scandinavians migrated to places already inhabited (e.g., Britain, Ireland and northern France) but also built new societies in previously empty landscapes (e.g., Iceland and Faroe Islands). With these movements, new identities were formed. This dissertation, explores the development of the ‘diasporic identities’ among the Viking Age Scandinavian immigrant communities, using case studies from western Norway, the Scottish Isles, and northern and western Iceland. While looking at the migration from Norway into Scotland or Iceland shows the ways in which Viking Age society changed throughout this period, analyzing the shifts in social and ritual practices in these three areas sheds light on the different ways in which identities can form throughout the process of migration. Additionally, the study of the links that these diaspora communities maintained with their original Norwegian homeland are explored, providing a better understanding of Viking Age society in the North Atlantic.