The mighty god Tyr is among the most important of the Viking deities ( see our full post), listed among the 12 Aesir that were the most powerful and important. But we actually know very little about the god, and what we do know is pieced together from fragmentary sources. It seems that Tyr was…
According to the Poetic Edda, Vanaheim is one of the nine realms within the Norse cosmos tucked into the branches of Yggdrasil and is the world of the Vanir gods. The Vanir are a second tribe of gods within Norse mythology that exist alongside the Aesir of Asgard. But how exactly do these “other” deities…
Looking for the perfect new Viking tattoo for you? The Vikings relied heavily on symbols to communicate their faith and beliefs. They wore them as amulets, carved them into buildings and on stones as marks of protection, and added them to images to create additional layers of meaning. They even believed some of their symbols…
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 in 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 historical facts 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…
