This issue looks at the first medieval “pirates” - the Vikings - and why their pillage and plunder mode of life came to a halt. We look at the pirates of Arab Crete who terrorized Byzantium and explore piracy during the Crusades and its use as a political tool.We also look at seafarers and trade, as sea trade was a vital part of the medieval economy. We examine London’s role in the Hanseatic League, the evolution of instruments such as the lute in musical trade, and the role sea travel played in the Norse world in the Konungs skuggsjá.

Now walk the plank!