We know the Vikings had an expansive outlook and looked beyond their territory for trading, raiding, and settlement opportunities. With this and the geographic proximity of Poland to the Viking world in mind, it is surprising that Poland rarely features in English-language scholarship about the Vikings and their activities. Most accounts jump over the large…
When we think of the Norse gods, we think of the mighty Aesir gods: Odin, the god of war and wisdom; Thor, the god of thunder; and Heimdall, the ever-vigilant guardian. These were the gods of the mighty stronghold of Asgard that the Vikings believed brought order and security to the cosmos. But they were…
Like most ancient cultures, the Vikings believed in the supernatural and magic. They had their pantheon of gods, led by Odin the All-Father and his son Thor. They believed in other supernatural entities such as elves and trolls, and that the spirits of the dead lived on in other worlds. They also believed that while…
If you are traveling in Scandinavia, and many other parts of Europe, you are spoiled for choice when it comes to discovering the Vikings through their ancient artifacts. But what if you are on the other side of the Atlantic? It can be hard to find genuine Viking artifacts in the United States, but there…
At the center of Norse mythology is Yggdrasil. This mighty ash tree is the backbone of the Norse cosmos, with the nine realms situated among its roots and branches. As such, it has become one of the most popular Norse symbols in the modern world. But what do we actually know about how the Vikings…
The Viking Age began in the 700s AD when Viking ship technology advanced to the point that the Norsemen could successfully raid their European neighbors in the Balkans, Western Europe, and the British Isles, and colonize new lands in the North Atlantic, including Iceland and Greenland. The Viking Age ended when the Pagan warrior clans,…
As an historian, one of the most common questions I get about warfare is what happened to the bodies of the dead after battle. In the case of the Vikings, this is a complicated question to answer, as it is not addressed by contemporary sources. We must infer what probably happened based on what we…
If you are a student of Viking history or Norse mythology then you have probably come across the name Snorri Sturluson. He is one of our main sources for both the legendary stories of the gods and the history of the Norwegian kings. But considering just how important Snorri Sturluson is as a source, it…
While the surviving Norse sources have a lot to say about the exploits of Odin, Thor, and Loki, relatively little information survives about most other Norse deities. Instead, we are left to piece together profiles of these gods from the etymology of their names, passing references in the surviving prose, and rare depictions. Sigyn is…
We are extremely excited to be attending the International Medieval Combat Federation (IMCF) World Championship as one of its sponsors! The Championship will be part of the Bispens Market, which sees the Middle Ages recreated at Spøttrup Borg Castle in Denmark from July 20-26 (2026). This is a whole week of living history with stalls…
