The Vikings believed in the possibility of revenants, that is the dead returning to wreak havoc on the living. Among the Vikings, the undead of nightmares were often called draugr or aptrganga, which means “after walkers.” They are usually described as having blue skin, which was a common indicator of death. The giantess Hel is…
History often focuses on the activities of the Vikings in England as they moved from raiding for riches at the end of the 8th century, to the campaign of the Great Heathen Army in the 9th century, to settlement activities in the 10th century, and were eventually largely expelled in the 11th century by the…
According to accepted history, the Danes were the main raiding Vikings, who devastated communities in the British Isles and France. The Norwegian Vikings were the explorers, colonizing Iceland and Greenland, and sailing as far as North America. However, despite this, new evidence suggests that the Norwegians had a more violent society than their Danish cousins.…
The Viking homelands are in the northern climes of Europe where ice and snow, not to mention freezing temperatures and food scarcity, are a fact of life for several months of the year. Is it any wonder then that the innovative Vikings mastered the art of skiing ? The Mythology of Ice According to the…
We often think of sports as a modern concept, used to blow off physical steam now that we no longer work physically demanding jobs or get the thrill of battle. But we know that sports are in fact an ancient concept. The modern Olympics are based on the Greek tradition that included sports such as…
We know that besides farming, the people of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden raided neighboring people as a legitimate economic prospect. It was this raiding that earned these people the name “Vikings”. But could the Vikings really get their hands on enough trinkets of gold and silver to make it worthwhile to put together a group…
The Vikings have a reputation for being violent and brutal due to their raids on their neighbors, and especially their raids of churches and monasteries, an act considered sacrilegious by their Christian neighbors. But, as we have previously pointed out, this was only one aspect of life among the Norsemen. They were also traders, builders,…
When reading Norse myths and sagas, we are often told about enchanted weapons, mystical jewelry, and other magical objects, which are characteristic of the gods or important for resolving the drama and carrying forward the action. Below is a list of some of the magical objects that appear in Norse mythology and a brief introduction…
While many Europeans called the Vikings the Northmen, the Vikings had their own northern neighbors. While the Vikings, or Norse men of Germanic descent and culture, occupied the southern regions of Norway and Sweden, plus Denmark, the north was occupied by the Sami. Who Are the Sami? The Sámi are indigenous people who have traditionally…
We talk a lot about the most well-known Norse gods. Odin, the All-Father and god of war and wisdom, Thor, the god of thunder and protector, Freyja, the goddess of love and fertility, and many more. We enjoy reading the stories preserved about them and unpicking what they can reveal about these fascinating deities. But…