Les Vikings: Mythes, Réalités, Héritages – Une Histoire Expliquée Par Lusie Malbos

Presses Universitaires de France and Frémeaux & Associés present this history of the Vikings, narrated by Lucie Malbos, Senior Lecturer in Medieval History at the University of Poitiers, member of the Centre for Advanced Studies in Medieval Civilization, and a specialist in the Scandinavian world of the Early Middle Ages.
Horned warriors, “longships” cutting through icy seas, daring explorers reaching America before Christopher Columbus—the images associated with the Vikings are numerous, captivating, yet often far removed from historical reality. This lecture moves beyond such clichés to rediscover complex, dynamic societies deeply embedded in the major developments of medieval history. By tracing how the figure of the Viking was constructed from the Middle Ages to our contemporary imagination, Lucie Malbos invites listeners on a journey into the heart of a period and regions that remain largely misunderstood.
Drawing on the most recent research—archaeology, genetic analysis, textual studies, and more—she reveals Scandinavian societies undergoing profound transformation, shaped by conflict, exchange, cultural integration, and social innovation. She demonstrates how the Vikings contributed to the rise of medieval Europe. Far more than a simple account of conquest, this exploration offers a fresh perspective on the Viking Age, the interactions between the Nordic, Western, and Eastern worlds, and the far-reaching transformations that shaped Northern Europe during the Middle Ages.