The Varyags are first mentioned by the Primary Chronicle as having exacted tribute from the Slavic and...
Viking Age
Explore Viking Age history and culture, including Scandinavian society, seafaring, trade, warfare, settlement, religion, and encounters across Europe and beyond.
The development of extensive trade routes allowed Russia to grow in size and power. The Viking Influence...
Viking warfare connected with the expansion of Scandinavian influence along the North Atlantic and into the Mediterranean....
The symbols used in Norse mythology had to do not only with supernatural entities but also with...
Early Vikings wouldn’t understand nationalism – the secret to their success was to embrace other cultures. The...
Many white supremacists who have turned to an ancient heathen religion known most commonly as Odinism. By...
Even in a male-dominated society, Viking women were far from powerless. By Emma GroeneveldHistorian Introduction Although women in the Viking Age...
Viking Age Scandinavians almost exclusively made applied art – aesthetically appealing and useful. By Emma GroeneveldHistorian Introduction...
A mass grave found in Dorset could belong to a crew of Viking mercenaries who terrorised Europe...
Although the Vikings’ time in East Anglia was relatively brief, they made many contributions to the area’s...
Viking swords / Wikimedia Commons Historians have used written accounts and archaeological records to determine that Vikings...
Medieval Novgorod, by Apollinary Vasnetsov / Wikimedia Commons The Vikings raided, traded and settled as far afield...
Chieftains house replica / Photo by Juanjo Marin, Wikimedia Commons Archaeological artefacts found in places such as...
Screenshot from a video game called War of the Vikings showing fighting Vikings, with some of their ships visible, too. /...
Viking Longship Replica / Wikimedia Commons The Vikings used a variety of vessels for different purposes, from...
The stuff of legend. Shutterstock Norse mythology is having a moment as a leading author re-tells the tales for a new generation. By Dr. Carolyne Larrington /...
What does a 21st century Viking look like? Anthony Devlin/PA The Vikings have an enduring appeal in the...
© MGM With Vikings on trend, it’s high time for a masterclass on the bizarre world of their names. By Keith Ruiter / 02.18.2016...
Too late lads, the Scots are already there. Oscar Wergeland Iceland was one of the last island groups...
Mikladalur, Faroe Islands / Photo by Davide Gorla, Wikimedia Commons The Faroe Islands could have been inhabited 500 years earlier...
The Last Kingdom. BBC/Carnival/Des Wille New research suggests his military achievements might have been exaggerated. By Dr. Stuart Brookes...
Torhalle Lorsch / Photo by Immanuel Giel, Wikimedia Commons Edited by Matthew A. McIntosh / 04.29.2018HistorianBrewminate Editor-in-Chief 1...
Viking funerals remain shrouded in mystery. StockCube Why an intrepid trio went to the Isle of Eigg armed with Viking shields and poetry torecreate a funeral ceremony from 1000...
There’s something in the water. Shutterstock The reach of the Vikings in England went further than we thought. By Dr. Derek Gore / 04.18.2016...
Image via Shutterstock Much of what the English know about the Vikings comes from the court of King Alfred – who didn’t like them much. By Dr. Clare Downham / 04.26.2017...
Late Viking Age Swedish rune-stone commemorating a man called VÃkingr. Swedish National Heritage Board, Photo Bengt A. Lundberg, CC...
Mum’s gone to Iceland. Creatista/Shutterstock The traditional picture of Vikings is one of boatloads of hairy men pillaging...