Cod , the mighty fish of the sea, held the Vikings in its firm grasp. These fierce seafarers depended on cod for survival and adventure. With its abundance, the Atlantic cod became their culinary...
The Vikings have always been known for their bold and adventurous spirit, but for a long time historians didn’t realize that the Vikings actually beat Columbus to the Americas by over 400 years. So...
Investigations into the semi-mythical and legendary medieval Viking stronghold of ‘Jomsborg’ have acquired new steam, and in an entirely unexpected way. With the local government making the decision...
The word " Viking " evokes vivid images of mighty, fair-haired seafarers pillaging coastal settlements. Yet is this portrayal an accurate reflection of their genetic makeup? Groundbreaking...
Throughout human history, the call of the unknown has driven explorers to embark on daring voyages into uncharted waters. These intrepid explorers have braved treacherous seas, and unknown dangers,...
Talk about beginner’s luck! An amateur detectorist has found a highly valuable Viking treasure hoard in a cornfield in north-west Denmark. It includes silver jewelry and nearly 300 incredibly rare...
The Haida people of Canada have a rich history that dates back over 10,000 years. They were known for their naval power and their strategic use of the ocean, which sustained them through trade and...
What comes to mind when you think of Vikings ? Pillaging and plundering? Battle cries and warrior spirit ? What about partying? That's right, Vikings knew how to have a good time, too. Mead halls ,...
A new study challenges previous ideas as to why Vikings abandoned their Greenland settlements. It found this northern exodus wasn’t sparked by political wrangling or social unrest, but by the Little...
When Norse colonists arrived on Greenland in the 10th century, they needed a lot of wood to build houses, storage buildings and ships. While most households relied on wood from trees that grew...
Ultima Thule meaning "farthest Thule", was the most northerly location mentioned in ancient Greek and Roman cartographic literature, while modern interpretations of this place include the islands of...
The Viking Age , spanning from the late 8th to the mid-11th century, was a time of conquest, exploration, and mythic heroism. At the heart of this age of adventure was the warrior culture of the...
Ragnar's Death Song, also known as the Song of the Crow or the Krakumal, is a poem that tells the story of Ragnar's death. According to Norse sagas, Ragnar Lothbrok was a legendary Viking warrior and...
A reexamination of 1,100-year-old wooden Viking shields excavated in Norway in 1880 have been used to assert that these round protective devices could very well have been used in hand-to-hand combat...
Having ruled England for less than a year, King Edmund is primarily remembered for his unusual death. In one of the most uncomfortable murders in history, legend has it the Anglo-Saxon king was...
Many cultures throughout history have had their own unspoken societal rules, and the Vikings are no exception. The Drengr Code was a code of ethics and principles that was believed to have been...
Was Ivar the Boneless, son of Ragnar Lothbrock, buried at Repton in Derbyshire county, England? At first glance the small village of Repton, with its gentle village green does not seem at all...
Archaeologists from the University of Nottingham are currently studying what locals believe to be a Viking-era boat that was discovered buried beneath a pub car park in Wirral, England. The boat was...
Situated near Sarpsborg, Norway, the enigmatic Bjørnstad ship is a fantastic glimpse into the prehistoric, pre-Viking age of Scandinavia. Such ancient carvings are few, and often hard to discover -...
Medieval English monasteries didn’t just passively cave in to the long-running Viking attacks on English shores that culminated in the victory of the Anglo-Saxon king Alfred the Great . Lyminge, a...
The Danish island of Zealand is home to the city of Roskilde, the capital of Denmark from the 11th century until 1443. Roskilde was at the heart of numerous Viking land and trading routes, exerting...
A team of genetic scientists from Sweden turned their scanners on Viking DNA samples. They have now charted the “genetic flow” of ancient Scandinavia showing that incomers genetics didn’t fare so...
If you’ve ever heard the saying “cut off your nose to spite your face,” have you ever wondered where it came from? Legend has it that Saint Aebbe, also known as Saint Ebba or Æbbe the Younger, was a...
The first Viking raids recorded in Ireland date to 795 AD, and then they rapidly appear in the historic record. Traditionally the early Viking activity in Ireland falls into three phases, the first...