Introduction Knut Helle; Part I. The Geography and Prehistory of Scandinavia: 1. The Scandinavian landscape and its resources Ulf Sporrong; 2. The Stone and Bronze Ages Ari Siiriäinen; 3. The Iron Age Bjørn Myhre; 4. Languages and ethnic groups Michael Barnes; Part II. From Vikings to Kings: 5. The Viking expansion Peter Sawyer; 6. Viking culture Else Roesdahl and Preben Meulengracht-Sørensen; 7. Scandinavia enters Christian Europe Birgit Sawyer and Peter Sawyer; 8. Early political organisation; 8(a). Introductory survey Thomas Lindkvist; 8(b). The making of the Danish kingdom Inge Skovgaard-Petersen; 8(c). The early unification of Norway Claus Krag; 8(d). The Norse communities of the western ocean Magnús Stefánsson; 8(e). Kings and provinces in Sweden Thomas Lindkvist; Part III. Material Growth (to c. 1350): 9. Demographic conditions Ole Jørgen Benedictow; 10. Rural conditions Eljas Orrman; 11. Urbanisation Hans Andersson; Part IV. The High Medieval Kingdoms: 12. Towards nationally organised systems of government; 12(a). Introductory Survey Knut Helle; 12(b). The Danish kingdom; consolidation and disintegration Inge Skovgaard-Petersen; 12(c). The Norwegian kingdom: succession disputes and consolidation Knut Helle; 12(d). Sweden under the dynasty of the Folkungs Herman Schück; 12(e). Growing inter-Scandinavian entanglement Knut Helle; 13. Church and Society Eljas Orrman; Part V. High and Late Medieval Culture: 14. Ideologies and mentalities Sverre Bagge; 15. Literature Lars Lönnroth, Vésteinn Ólason and Anders Piltz; 16. Art and architecture Anna Nilsén; 17. Music Ingrid De Geer. Part VI. Late Medieval Society: 18. Population and settlement Jouko Vahtola; 19. The condition of the rural population Eljas Orrman; 20. The towns Göran Dahlbäck; 21. The nobility of the late Middle Ages Erik Ulsig; 22. Church and clergy Lars Hamre; Part VII. Scandinavian Unions (1319-1520): 23. The political system Herman Schück; 24. Inter-Scandinavian relations Jens E. Olesen; Conclusion Knut Helle; Bibliography; Index.