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…
The Vikings were fearless warriors, but empires were not built by individual warriors. The Vikings had to form bands to conduct their raids and live in communities to protect what was theirs. That means that they had leaders. Viking rulers were more like chieftains than kings, though some of them styled themselves kings within their…
Anyone who has watched an episode of the History Channel’s epic show Vikings would be forgiven for thinking that all Viking women were Valkyrie warriors on par with their menfolk, that enjoyed significant power and freedom. But, while Viking women enjoyed more freedoms than their counterparts in other parts of Europe, they were far from…
Erik Torvaldsson, better known as Erik the Red, was a famous Viking adventurer from Norway who, among other things, discovered the icy island of Greenland and led the first Viking settlement there. He also taught his children his adventurous ways and was the father of Leif Erikson, the Viking credited with reaching North America. Since…
Culture and language are intimately linked. Therefore, one of the best ways to better understand a people is to better understand their language. So, Vikings fans – what language did the Vikings speak? The answer to that question is complicated as the Vikings were not homogeneous over space and time, and neither was their language.…
The History Channel’s TV show Vikings has been largely responsible for a significant increase in popular interest in our Norse ancestors. Centering on the Viking chieftain Ragnar Lothbrok and his family, the show lifts the veil on the Viking world of the 9th and 10th centuries. But, while the History Channel always endeavors to make…
Anyone who has seen the History Channel’s epic show Vikings will be familiar with Ivar the Boneless, Ivar hinn Beinlausi, the brutal but crippled son of Ragnar Lodbrok. A cunning and ruthless tactician, he leads his brothers on an invasion of England in order to avenge the death of his father. But how likely is…
What do you think of when you hear the name William of Conqueror or also called Guillaume Le Conquérant in French? King of England after the Battle of Hastings in 1066. True. French leader as the Duke of Normandy. Also true. Viking Warrior King ? This one is true as well. A descendant of the…
The Viking sagas are full of powerful warriors that called themselves kings while raiding across Europe – it is difficult to know how much of their stories are history, and how much are legend. One of the most memorable of these mythical figures is the 9th century Viking raider Bjorn Ironside. One of the many…
We often imagine the Vikings as having a work hard, play hard culture. They gave their all on the battlefield, and afterwards celebrated with nights of heavy drinking of mead and beer, out of large drinking horns ideal for drinking games! That is actually not too far from the truth. The Vikings did mark their…