One of the most popular characters on the History Channel’s Vikings is undoubtedly the monk Athelstan, who finds himself torn between the Viking and Christian worlds, and his loyalty to his own people and his friendship with Ragnar Lothbrok. But is the character that we see in the Vikings series real? The short answer to…
Vidar is one of the many Aesir gods venerated by the Vikings, but little knowledge has come down to us about him. However, although he is obscure today, he seems to have been an important deity in the Norse pantheon. One of the many sons of Odin the Allfather, Vidar was known by several kennings.…
Floki, the best friend of Ragnar Lothbrok, is undeniably one of the most popular characters on Vikings. But is the character of Floki based on a real historical figure or just developed for the show? While the character of Floki is named after the 9th century Viking explorer Hrafna-Floki, on-screen he actually an amalgam of…
Looking for Viking names for your loved ones? Here is our list of 40 of the best Norse names that have come down to us through the sagas and inscriptions. What’s in a name? The Vikings believed that their runes were more than just an alphabet. Words had power, and a word written down had…
Indisputably one of the most popular characters on the Vikings TV Series is Lagertha, the legendary Danish shield maiden warrior who was the first wife of Ragnar Lothbrok, mother of Bjorn Ironside, and, at one point, queen in her own right. But how much of this character is based on historic fact and how much…
When you dip your toe into the Viking world, it isn’t long before you want to jump in headfirst and learn everything there is to know about the Vikings. If you are a Viking fan who has watched the Viking TV series and seen the Viking films and you are ready to go beyond the…
When the first Marvel Thor movie came out in 2011, there was some talk of team Jane Foster and Team Lady Sif, because many people knew that in Norse mythology, Thor is married to Sif (not that it stops him from having flings with lots of other women). But this is not the only thing…
Ullr is one of the Viking gods that didn’t make it into the Marvel cinematic universe. But, while he is among the lesser-known gods, he seems to have been a very important Norse god, in both pre-Viking and Viking times. The son of Sif and stepson of Thor, he was a god of winter, skis,…
Did Viking women (and men) really wear the elaborate braided hairstyles that we see in modern re-imaginings on TV? The short answer is yes, though they might not have looked exactly as they do on today’s actors. Today we are going to have a very quick look at the evidence for the Viking braid. We…
We spend a lot of time talking about Viking warriors, but often, it is the opponent that makes the warrior. Where is the glory without a formidable foe? To many Vikings in the second half of the 9th century, Alfred the Great, the King of Wessex, was that foe. Alfred the Great is largely considered…
Vikings’ Athelstan: Was He A Real Person?
Vidar: The Silent God
Floki from Vikings: Fact or Fiction
The Best Viking Names