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…
The Valkyries are some of the most well-known and ferocious women from our Viking past. Sometimes called Walachuria, they were servants of Odin whose principal role was to select brave fallen warriors and take them to dwell in Valhalla. But what do we really know about the Valkyries as a group of divine shield maidens,…
We are all familiar with the stories of Thor, and have heard rumors of human sacrifices, but what was the Viking religion really like? The pagan beliefs of the Old Norse religion are difficult to decipher, as they are not recorded anywhere. Old Nordic religion was a folk religion that was passed down via word…
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…
Some of us have been a fan of Viking style for many years. But knowing how to incorporate Viking style into our modern look has always been a bit of a challenge. We can be grateful to the makers of This History Channel’s Vikings for showing us how to adapt traditional Nordic warrior style for…
According to Norse mythology, the cosmos is comprised of nine distinct worlds, each of which sits among the branches of the Tree of Life, Yggdrasil. Each world is home to a different species of beings, for example, Midgard is the world of men and Asgard is the world of the Aesir gods. One of the…
The cosmos as described in Norse mythology is very different from the universe as we understand it today. According to the Norse tales, the universe is composed of nine realms, one for each of the races of beings: gods, giants, men, and more. One of the most intriguing of these realms is Alfheim, the homeland…
According to Norse mythology, the cosmos is composed of nine discreet worlds, all of which are held together and connected by Yggdrasil, the Tree of Life. Chief among these worlds, and situated high above the others in the heavens, is Asgard. This is the realm of the Aesir gods, the principal gods in Norse mythology.…
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…
Vikings (History Channel) Season Four: Storyline Summarized & Explained
Vikings (History Channel) Season Three : Storyline Summarized & Explained
Vikings (History Channel) Season Two: Storyline Summarized & Explained
Vikings (History Channel) Season One : Storyline Summarized & Explained