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Viking

Representative image of Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians

Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians, Struck Fear in Viking Hearts

Aethelflaed, also known as the Lady of the Mercians, was an Anglo-Saxon ruler of Mercia who lived between the 9th and 10th centuries AD. When Aethelflaed was still a child, the Vikings controlled a...
King Orry’s Grave                             Source: Stringer, J / CC BY NC 2.0

The Anomaly of King Orry’s 5000-Year-Old Grave

The Isle of Man is a small, beautiful island in the Irish Sea and is a self-governing British Crown dependency. This island has a rich history as it is associated with the Vikings and has many...
Some of the hundreds of sword parts found in Estonia.          Source: Estonia Dept for the Protection of Antiquities / ERR

Huge Hoard of Viking Sword Parts Found in Estonia

Archaeologists have uncovered the fragments of about a hundred swords that once belonged to Viking warriors . They were unearthed in the Baltic country of Estonia. The experts believe that the...
How the Viking mausoleum would have looked according to archaeologists. Source: Raymond Sauvage, NTNU Vitenskapsmuseet

An Abnormal Viking Mausoleum Shows Ship Burials Weren’t for Everyone!

Archaeologists have found a Viking burial house in central Norway. It was located in an area which is revealing many archaeological treasures, including a Roman-era bronze cauldron. The mausoleum is...
Experts have studied the skeletal remains of five bodies excavated in Ireland and tested the remains for strains of leprosy. Source: Suthiporn / Adobe Stock.

Did Scandinavian Vikings Carry Leprosy To Ireland?

The skeletal remains of five bodies excavated in Ireland suggest Vikings brought leprosy to the Emerald Isle. Leprosy , also known as Hansen's disease , is a chronic infectious disease that is caused...
Viking House in Iceland        Source: @elvisliivamagi / Adobe Stock

With Portals to the Dead, Viking Homes Were Stranger Than Fiction

The Vikings are more popular than ever. TV shows such as Last Kingdom and Vikings have added dramatic license to particular historical accounts , while new archaeological finds are guaranteed to make...
The city of Aarhus has installed Viking crossing signals. Source: Rapeepat / Adobe Stock.

Viking Crossings in Denmark: Stop, Look, Listen and HIDE

An ancient Danish city has adopted a novel way to highlight its seafaring and plundering heritage by installing axe-wielding Viking road crossing signals. The coastal Danish city of Aarhus is located...
Red runes carved from wood on the ground. There are 24 runes in the Elder Futhark.

Futhark: Mysterious Ancient Runic Alphabet of Northern Europe

Runes are the characters of the earliest written alphabet used by the Germanic peoples of Europe called Futhark. The runic alphabet was used within Germanic languages but primarily in Nordic...

Viking Invasion Resurrected Ireland's Failing Population

By Rowan McLaughlin / Emma Hannah / The Conversation The early medieval period in Ireland (400-1200 AD) was a time of key importance. It was a turning point in European history and the origin of much...
Viking Drinking Hall Unearthed On Orkney Provides ‘Unparalleled’ Insights Into Chieftain’s Life

Viking Drinking Hall Unearthed On Orkney Provides ‘Unparalleled’ Insights Into Chieftain’s Life

Archaeologists excavating on a tiny island off the north coast of Scotland have discovered an 800-year-old Viking ‘Bu’, or drinking hall , once serviced by a high-ranking Orcadian Norse chieftain...
Modern representation of a Viking with a tattoo.

Were Norsemen Tattooed? Evidence of Ink on the Rugged Rusiyyah

Did the Norsemen of Scandinavia have tattoos? Did runic script adorn their arms as they sailed their longships down fjords? While material remains offer few clues, one piece of historical evidence...
Medieval knight. Credit: rudall30 / Adobe Stock

The Reign of Aethelwulf, King of Wessex: Between Realm and Religion

The early history of England includes all kinds of different cultures and remarkable figures. And one of the crucial parts of the history of this country belongs to the Anglo-Saxon era. Filled with...
Grave of Slavic woman warrior buried with axe discovered in Denmark. Source: Danrentea / Adobe Stock.

Ancient Slavic Woman Warrior Buried In Viking Graveyard With Her Brutal Weapon Of Warcraft

Archaeologists excavating a Viking graveyard in Denmark have discovered the remains of a female buried with a large axe - but she was Slavic - which leads to the question; why on earth was she buried...
Viking explorers Source: diter /  Adobe Stock

Vikings Didn’t Just Pop into Canada for a Visit, They Stayed for Centuries

Do you remember that 1992 electro-techno tune by KLF America What Time is Love , which at the beginning declares this music is a 1000 year celebration of the Vikings of modern day Norway reaching...
Vikings arriving in North America at the Newfoundland site. Source: Nejron Photo / Adobe Stock.

Dispute Over Evidence Of Cannabis Use By Vikings In North America

Cannabis pollen discovered near an ancient Viking settlement in Newfoundland is generating differences in opinion as to whether or not the Vikings were smoking and eating the weed while they explored...
Medieval knight riding into battle. Credit: rudall30 / Adobe Stock

The Dramatic History of the Normans: A Tale of Medieval Conquest

History is full of stories that will grip you like a modern page-turner novel, but only a few can do it as easily as the tale of the Normans. Proud and fearsome, these Viking descendants were key...
Two Viking ship burials including their ’inhabitants’ uncovered in Sweden along with grave goods. Source: Arkeologerna

Two Viking Ship Burials Revealed by Archaeologists in Sweden

Archaeologists in Sweden have announced the discovery of two ship-burials that may add invaluable data to the country’s Viking past . There have been no Viking ship burials found in the country in...
Viking gender roles are hotly debated due to a recent thesis. Source: Mike Orlov / Adobe Stock.

Grave Goods Demand Gender Roles In Viking History To Be Rewritten. Or Do They?

A Norwegian archaeologist, Marianne Moen, is making the big claim 'the past’ is incorrectly interpreted and that Viking Norway men’s and women’s cultural roles were similar. But not everyone agrees...
The newly discovered medieval chess piece, one of the Lewis Chessmen, had been missing for almost 200 years. Source: Courtesy of Sotheby's.

Rediscovered Viking-era Lewis Chessman Is Predicted To Make A Family Millionaires

An old heirloom looks likely to make a lucky family a fortune when it goes to auction . They found one of the Lewis Chess pieces that belongs to one of the most famous chess sets in all of history...
Viking berserker

Viking Berserkers – Fierce Warriors or Drug-Fuelled Madmen?

Today, the word ‘berserk’ is used to describe anyone in an irrational, agitated state of mind who cannot or does not control his or her actions. The meaning of the word originates with the Viking...
Runes close-up. The Swedish government is considering a ban on the runes and some ancient Norse symbols. Source: Pshenichka /Adobe

Claims Viking Symbols and Runes May Be Banned – The Fuller Picture

This week reports emerged claiming that depictions of the runes and Norse symbols such as Thor’s hammer may soon be banned in Sweden. Hate groups have been using many of these symbols for years and...
The ancient Norse symbol of Thor's Hammer.

Decoding Viking Signs: Nine Norse Symbols Explained

The Vikings used many symbols in accordance to Norse mythology. Such symbols were widely used in Viking society and they represented elements of their beliefs and myths. There are even some Viking...
Many famous Vikings were known throughout the era

8 Notorious Vikings Who Left Their Bloody Marks on History

Although an excellent series in many ways, Vikings brought with it a pretty romanticized portrait of some of the key names found in the Norse Sagas and the lives they might have lived. Although these...
Viking Bjorn Ironside

Bjorn Ironside: Son of Famed Viking Ragnar Lodbrok Became Legendary King of Sweden

Bjorn Ironside was a famous Viking leader who legends say ruled Sweden as the first king from the House of Munsö. He lived during the 9th century AD and his father was the legendary Ragnar Lodbrok...

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