The Black Viking

Who was Geirmund Heljarskinn, one of the first settlers of Iceland—and why has history all but forgotten him? Drawing on medieval sagas, archaeology, linguistics, genetics, and his own family history, Bergsveinn Birgisson reconstructs the life of this remarkable Viking chieftain, whose mother is believed to have come from the far north of Eurasia and whose appearance challenged conventional ideas about Viking identity.
Following Geirmund's rise in ninth-century Norway and Iceland, the book reveals a Viking world shaped by long-distance trade, migration, slavery, and cultural exchange rather than ethnic homogeneity. At the same time, it explores how historical memory is created—and why certain figures disappear from it.
Blending scholarship with literary storytelling, The Black Viking offers a compelling new perspective on the Viking Age and challenges enduring myths about its people and their origins.