The Vikings of Ribe

Of all Danish cities Ribe is the first to be named. It is recorded about 860 when King Horik the Younger grants to Ansgar - the Apostle of the North - permission to build a church in Ribe and to allow a priest permanent residence there. By 948 Ribe is the seat of a bishopric and in the following century it is named more and more often in written records. Ribe must have had a certain prestige, even outside the bounds of Denmark. In 1973, after some 20 years of seeking, we were successful in finding undoubted traces of Viking Ribe. Surprisingly enough they were found on the north side of Ribe River, on the opposite bank from the medieval city centre dominated by its cathedral. From the start the excavations revealed thick occupation levels with debris from a trading station dating all the way back to the beginning of the 700's. Ribe was thus more than a century older than written records had led us to believe. This book is rich in illustrations and photographs and covers the history and culture of Ribe, including handicrafts, religion, the market place and more.