Researchers from Coventry University have uncovered complex social networks within ancient Icelandic manuscripts which debunk the portrayal of Vikings as bloodthirsty savages.
Through applying methods from statistical physics to social networks written in 1000-year-old Viking sagas, they have mapped out interactions between over 1,500 characters that appear in 18 sagas, including five particularly famous tales.
Although the historical accuracy of these tales are often questioned, some believe that they may contain fictionalised distortions of real societies.
Read more at Coventry University