Charisma, Violence and Weapons: The Broken Swords of the Vikings
The blades were beaten, bent or twisted, sometimes folded together in a way that needs preparation, expertise and equipment. The fact that these swords were subjected to special treatment, handled in a different manner than the rest of the grave goods, underscores the distinctive role of swords in Norse society
The Dead Man’s Prophecy and a Roundtrip to Hell: The Early Adventures of Hadingus
What can be more glorious, more tempting than the conquest of death?
How today’s wars are similar to the medieval wars in Scandinavia
There are many ways in which to understand present-day warfare. One way is to look at the wars that took place in Middle Ages.
How the borders of Scandinavia changed in the Middle Ages
Here are several videos that track the rise and fall of states in Scandinavia during the medieval period.
Viking Age garden plants from southern Scandinavia – diversity, taphonomy and cultural aspects
This article presents the diversity of evidence for garden plants from archaeological contexts in southern Scandinavia dated to the Viking Age (AD 775–1050).
Food of Medieval and Renaissance Scandinavia
After the end of the Viking age, Scandinavian food culture changed due to contacts and cultural influences. The upper classes were inspired by dishes of continental Europe, and we start to get some literature that can give us more insights into the food culture.
Large-scale whaling in northern Scandinavia may date back to 6th century
The intensive whaling that has pushed many species to the brink of extinction today may be several centuries older than previously assumed. This view is held by archaeologists from Uppsala and York whose findings are presented in the European Journal of Archaeology.
Creating Holy People and Places on the Periphery
Holy people have been venerated in various forms by all religions and ideologies throughout history. Christianity is no exception with the development of the cults of saints beginning shortly after its formation.
The elusive Norse harbours of the North Atlantic: why they were abandoned, and why they are so hard to find
In the 8th century, Scandinavians began to press westwards across the North Atlantic; exploring, raiding, colonizing and trading.
A Falconer’s Ritual: A study of the cognitive and spiritual dimensions of pre-Christian Scandinavian falconry
Working from the premise that falconry was introduced in Scandinavia from an eastern origin sometime in the course of the 6th century AD, this paper suggests that the practice may have harboured cognitive and spirituals dimensions unshared by the rest of the feudal, Christian European kingdoms.
The Development of Merchant Identity in Viking-Age and Medieval Scandinavia
What, precisely, did a medieval or premedieval Scandinavian merchant do? What were the expectations placed upon them, and how did they figure into the broader society of the medieval Nordic world?
Across the North Sea and Back Again: A Comparative Study between the Cults of St. Olav and St. Edmund
This thesis serves to examine the transmission of royal missionary saints between Norway and England during the eleventh and twelfth centuries, focused on the cult of St. Olav and the cult of St. Edmund.
How and why did the Viking Age begin?
The question of how the Viking Age started has been much debated by historians. One of the leading scholars in the field, Neil Price, is looking to address this fundamental question with his latest project – The Viking Phenomenon.
Dialect in the Viking-Age Scandinavian diaspora: the evidence of medieval minor names.
This thesis aims to investigate the Scandinavian contribution to medieval microtoponymic vocabulary in two areas of northwest England, and it attempts to clarify what Scandinavian-derived place-name elements in minor names can tell us.
DNA samples reveal Viking Age fish trade
It has been assumed that the Vikings were trading in cod, but so far solid evidence has been lacking. With new methods, it is possible to extract ancient DNA from fishbone remnants and this can provide some exciting new information!
The Medieval Magazine (Volume 3, No. 13) : Vikings!
In this issue: Vikings, zombies, medieval music, stew, and celebrating 600 years of London’s history.
Norse North Atlantic Textiles and Textile Production: A Reflection of Adaptive Strategies in Unique Island Environments
Textile production was a key industry for the Norse colonies of the North Atlantic during the late Viking and Medieval period.
BOOK REVIEW: The Northern Queen by Kelly Evans
Kelly Evans’Anglo-Saxon novel centres around the story of Aelfgifu of Northampton (990-1040); from her rise in court and eventual marriage to one of England’s most famous early kings, Cnut the Great (995-1035), to her repudiation, and later life with her sons after Cnut’s passing.
A Journey to the Far North in the Ninth Century
The name Ohthere does not usually rank among the great explorers of the Middle Ages, such as Leif Eriksson, Marco Polo and Christopher Columbus. However, his exploits are very impressive, for he would sail into Arctic Circle over eleven hundred years ago.
Women’s Work and Family in the Viking Age
A look at women’s work and family life in the Viking Age.
The Vikings, their worms, and the diseases they got
The Vikings and people of the Norse world would have been predisposed to emphysema and other lung conditions, according to a paper published last week in Nature: Scientific Reports.
Concerning Mass Graves: The use, development and identities within mass graves during the Scandinavian Iron Age and Middle Ages
In this Master thesis, my aim is to investigate, compare and discuss the practice of dealing with the dead and their war gear during the aftermath of a battle or an armed engagement.
Unknown Europe: The Mapping of the Northern countries by Olaus Magnus in 1539
Olaus Magnus, a highly educated Swedish priest and scholar, published his geographically and ethnographically remarkable map of the Northern countries, the Carta marina, in Venice in 1539.
The Wolf-Warrior: Animal Symbolism on Weaponry of the 6th and 7th centuries
Decorative art in Scandinavia during the late Iron Age and Viking Period was largely dominated by animals in stylized forms.
