Viking Age Podcast

In this episode we explore what our sources have to tell us about sacrifice and ritual in Pagan Iceland. Along the way we discuss the method and purpose of sacrifice and the how this may have impacted Icelandic society. 

Our recommended reading for this week is A Piece of Horse Liver by Jón Hnefill Aðalsteinsson. A collection of essays concerning Myth, Ritual and Folklore this book includes some excellent and very readable breakdowns of the most important information we have about Pagan practice in Iceland. Highly recommended. 

For more information and a full list of sources, check out our website: http://vikingagepodcast.com/ritual-and-sacrifice-pagan-iceland

In this episode we continue our exploration of Pagan Practice in Iceland by taking a look at religious roles and responsibilities held by some of the first Icelandic settlers and how these roles translated to their new home.

Our recommended reading for this episode is the excellent The Viking Diaspora by Judith Jesch. This has been one of my major sources for the entire Children of Ash series and now seems like a good time to introduce it. An essential resource for information about the Icelandic Free State and the ongoing connections between the Norse colonies throughout the North Atlantic.

For more information and a full list of sources check out our website: http://vikingagepodcast.com/bringing-thor-to-iceland

In this episode we begin to explore Pagan practice in Iceland, focusing on the religious roles of the goðar. In this first episode we will be discussing:

- The role played by the goðar in the conversion of Iceland. - A rune stone attesting to an early Danish goðar. - A remarkable cult building at Uppkåra in South Western Sweden. - The close ties between political and religious power in Viking Age Scandinavia.

Recommended reading for this episode is Pre-Christian cult at aristocratic residences and settlement complexes in Southern Scandinavia in the 3rd – 10th centuries AD by Lars Jørgensen. It provides an excellent overview of major Scandinavian Central Places and possible cult activities which took place at them. There are also some fantastic illustrations. 

For more information and a full accounting of sources check out the website: http://vikingagepodcast.com/chieftains-and-temples

In this episode we continue to explore the dynamics of power, violence and law in Viking Age Iceland. We will do so by discussing many of the conflicts found in Saga of the People of Eyri. Along the way we will cover:

• A curious young farmer who is mauled by a mysterious spirit.
• Some legally questionable handshake deals.
• The legal and social relationships which tied together goðar and free farmers.
• The limits of a goði's power and the consequences of exceeding them.
• A murder on a hay-stack.

For more information, resources and a map please visit: http://vikingagepodcast.com/the-people-of-eyri

I hope you enjoy.

In this episode we dive into the gritty details of Icelandic law, culture and politics by looking at the tale of Mord the Fiddle from Njal's Saga.

Along the way we talk about marriage in the Viking Age, the definition of a hundred and the importance of moderation and compromise in Icelandic Politics.

The "Recommended Reading" for this week is actually Recommended Listening. I cannot recommend enough the Epic 12-part breakdown of Njal's Saga done by the excellent Saga Thing Podcast. Check out their website or search for Saga Thing Podcast on your podcast player of choice.

For more information and Works Cited for this episode check out our website: http://vikingagepodcast.com/mord-the-fiddle

In this Halloween special we tell one of the spookiest ghost stories we find in the Icelandic Sagas - the story of Thorolf Twist-Foot as told in the Saga of the People of Eyri. 

The Saga of the People of Eyri is fantastic. My favorite English translation can be found here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002RI9XZQ/ref=oh_aui_d_detailpage_o03_?ie=UTF8&psc=1

In this episode we explore the offices and institutions which made up the Icelandic Free State. Through comprehensive legal codes, accepted traditions and customs and regular, predictable assembly the Icelanders were able to govern themselves for over three centuries without a king, head chieftain or any other executive authority to speak of.

How did they do it? Well, that’s what we are going to talk about today.

This week’s recommended reading is near and dear to my heart. Viking Age Iceland by Jesse Byock is the definitive single volume history of the Icelandic Free State in English. Moving topically, Professor Byock explores all aspects of life in Iceland during the Viking Age. For anyone interested in learning more about Iceland during this period this book is a must read. Plus, you can see first hand just how often I have turned to Viking Age Iceland while researching these episodes.

For more information and to see the works cited for this episode please visit: http://vikingagepodcast.com/icelandic-free-state

In this week's episode we explore the growing number of challenges faced by the Icelanders as the landnám period drew to a close in the 930s. We will then take a long look at the key components of the institution the Icelanders turned to in order to solve that problem - the thing.

Along the way we will talk about beheadings over fish, witness a chieftain get given a bloody nose by a silver-wielding farmer and we will even examine the ever dodgy - if very helpful - writings of Cornelius Tacitus.

This week's recommended reading is Debating the Thing in the North - a collection of papers edited by Alexandra Sanmark, Frode Iversen, Natascha Mehler and Sarah Semple. Covering a wide range of topics, including the origins of the thing, its religious and cultural significance and even its spacial organization, this is a must read for those interested in the legal and political history of Scandinavia. And even better - it’s available for free online.

For all of your Viking Drinking Horn Needs - please consider checking out https://www.thefroggyviking.com/. And you can use the promocode vikingage for 10% off! 

Finally, for works cited and more information checkout our website: http://vikingagepodcast.com/conflict-and-things-in-early-iceland

In this week’s episode we explore the initial settlement of Iceland. We’ll talk about who settled the island, when they settled down and begin our discussion of the society they created.

To kick us off we are going to explore this topic by example by exploring the settlement led by Unn the Deepminded - one of the most remarkable figures from the Viking Age.

More details, works cited and recommended reading can be found on our website: http://vikingagepodcast.com/taking-land-in-iceland/

In this episode we conclude the story of Harald Finehair and we take a look at what life looked in Harald's Norway was like. 

Along the way we encounter more berserkar, polygamy and lots and lots of chieftain's fleeing Norway for the greener pastures of Iceland. 

In this episode we trace King Harald Finehair's rise to power as he conquers his way up the Eastern Edge of Norway and then back down the West Coast. Along that way the young, shaggy king will kill, negotiate and bully his way into the history books. Plus - this being the Viking Age Podcast - we also discuss some myths around the berserkir and Harald's administrative innovations! 

For those who want to learn more about the Berserkar - check out this excellent MA Thesis by Roderick Dale: http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/28819/

Welcome to the first episode of our Viking Stories series. Today we will be explore the early life of Harald Finehair the first King of Norway. 

You can download a free PDF with additional information about the events discussed in this episodes here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bz9Rd-bR8nwOSkZxeUpycG9fMlU

For more information about this episode and others, visit us at: http://vikingagepodcast.com

It has been far too long since our last episode! In this short update we'll talk about why it has been so long and what is planned for the future. 

In this episode we begin to explore the gritty details of Norse society in the Viking Age by reading the Eddic Poem Rigsthula. 

Along the way we will talk about cross-dressing, lumpy bread and generally introduce our discussion about Viking Age Society and how factors like gender, class and status could impact one's place within it. 

In this episode we answer listener questions to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the podcast! 

Curious why Lee cares about the Viking Age? Want to know about Viking Age Textiles? Is there any truth to those damned horned helmets? All this and more will be revealed. 

For links to a bunch of useful stuff checkout the show notes here: 

In this episode we get deep into the weeds and examine some intriguing clues as to what Pagan Scandinavians may have though about the soul. 

We talk about decorated helmets, battles with bears and women who are taller than the mountains. Along the way we will hopefully get a little closer to understanding the nature of the Viking worldview.

This episode is a little different, but I hope you enjoy! 

In this episode we talk about the role of fate in the minds of Viking Age Scandinavians. 

We will talk about Ragnarok, Individual Destiny and the dictators of fate themselves, the Norns. Then we'll conclude the episode by talking about the relationship between Fate, honor and reputation. 

In this episode we take a birds-eye view of the natural and human landscape of Denmark at the Dawn of the Viking Age. 

We'll talk about geography, settlement and set the stage for our future discussions about all the gritty details of life in the Viking Age. 

In this episode we explore the importance of Myth within Viking Age Scandinavia. Specifically we talk about Pagan world views and how the stories we classify as Norse Mythology give us an insight into those views. We'll discuss our sources for these myths and then dive headfirst into the Norse creation myth. 

In this episode we conclude our discussion about the reign of Charlemagne and his 30 year-long war against the Saxons. 

This time, we dive into the meat of the Saxon wars, talking about the various campaigns, rebellions and mass executions which marked this brutal conflict. 

Then, we turn our attention to how Charlemagne and the Franks ruled Saxony once it was conquered, with particular attention paid to how central religion was to the Carolingian ideology of rule. In many ways the Kingdom of the Franks resembled a theocracy, and we explore this in depth in this episode. 

In this episode we talk about the reign of Charlemagne and his three decade long war against the Saxons. 

We'll talk about the early years of Charlemagne's rule - and explore just why he decided to go to war against the Saxons. Along the way we talk about the pre-Christian life in Saxony and why conversion was such an important goal for the King of the Franks. 

In this episode we will witness a Carolingian ruler, Pippin the Short, finally take his seat on the throne of the Frankish Kingdom. 

Before we get there, first we will take a look at the early career of Pippin and his brother Carloman, as they secure their grip on the Kingdom their father had left them. We'll see how, thanks perhaps to guilt and piety, Pippin was catapulted onto the top of the political ladder and why he decided to take the crown. 

Then we'll talk about the problems of being a usurper - coups are never easy and we'll see how Pippin was able to use the endorsement of the Pope to secure his position and leave the Kingdom of the Franks to his sons. 

There is a lot to cover, and with it, we move ever closer to returning to the stories the Northern Neighbors of the Franks. 

In this episode we will explore the decline of Merovingian power and the rise of the Carolingian dynasty. 

Specifically, we will see how a lack of strong Merovingian rulers in the 600s led to the unchecked rise of Aristocratic wealth and power - much of which was concentrated in the hands of the Mayor of the Palace. 

We will then see happened when the Carolingian dynasty got their hands on this high office - and specifically the remarkable career of the first Carolingian ruler - Charles Martel. 

For more, you can always see us online at: vikingagepodcast.com.

In this episode we introduce the Carolingian Viking Age and then plot the rise of the Frankish Kingdoms to set the stage for rise of the Carolingian Empire.

Along the way we will witness the Rise of Clovis, discuss the process of Ethnogenesis and take a look at the career of the infamous Merovingian Queen, Brunhild of Austrasia. 

For more information on the Fall of the Western Roman Empire: https://www.amazon.com/Inheritance-Rome-Illuminating-400-1000-Penguin/dp/0143117424/ref=sr_1_1

In this episode we explore the construction, function and purpose of the Viking Longphorts which were established in Eastern Ireland in 841 CE. 

These sites, Linn Duachaill in County Louth and Duhblinn, give us a fascinating view into the lives of early Vikingar in Ireland and allow us to see how their role changed after the establishment of permanent bases. 

Along the way we will see Irish Kings go to war with swords and bishops staffs and witness the importance of Horses to Viking warfare. 

In this episode we talk about the Life and Legend of the infamous Viking Chieftain - Turgeis.

From 838 to 845 CE we are told that Turgeis, a Chieftain from Norway ruled the Vikingar in Ireland. He led a royal fleet to ravage the North of Ireland. He and his forces usurped the Abbacy of Armagh and his Wife Ota is said to have performed Pagan rituals on the altar of Clonmacnoise. Turgeis has been the boogie-man of the Irish Viking Age ever since. 

But how much of this tale is actually the stuff of legend? Well, you'll just have to listen to the episode to find out. 

In this episode we are going to explore the years following the great raid on Armagh in 832. Along the way we will talk about Irish kings burning monasteries, St. Brigid and her Abbey at Kildare and of course the great fleet of 120 ships which arrived in Eastern Ireland in 837 CE. 

In this week’s episode we explore the circumstances around the plundering of the great monastery of Armagh by Vikingar in 832 CE. In that year the monastery, which lies 30 miles from the coast, subjected to Viking raids three times in a single month. Things are clearly getting crazy in Ireland.

Along the way we will explore the history of Armagh, we will bring ourselves up to speed on the native Irish political situation, and cover some of the more minor Viking raids and battles which took place in Ireland between 826 and 832. I hope you enjoy.

In this episode we are once again going to return to Western Norway, and explore what may have motivated young Norwegians to go a Viking.

In the past we have established the material motivations behind going a Viking. Acquiring Gold and Silver allowed the leaders of expeditions to attract followers and cement political power. For the followers, such easily portable, durable wealth was extremely useful when conducting marriage negotiations. 

Today, we look at the less tangible impacts of going a Viking. Namely - the fame, prestige and increased status which came from returning home from a successful journey abroad. 

Along the way we will learn about Odin and Mead of Poetry, Explore poems from the Icelandic Sagas and even dip our toes into the depths of the Archeological Record. I hope you enjoy. 

In this episode we are going to return to the roots of Vikingar activity by following a series of Viking raids on Irish monasteries which were conducted in the early 820s. This will lead us nicely to the main focus of today’s episode - the Martyrdom of the Irish Aristocrat turned Monk Blathmac.  

Along the way we will encounter saintly bones gilded in gold, possible monkish hunger strikes and the several trickily pronounced words. I hope you enjoy.

If this episode we are going to look at captive taking and slavery in the Viking Age. Buckle your seat belts, this is going to be a dark one. Along the way we’ll mourn the death of King Aed of Tara, introduce the Abbasid Caliphate and tell the story of a monk named Findan.

First though we’ll need to return to Ireland, and catch up on events there during the 8 years between 813 and 821 CE which saw a lull in Vikingar activity. Then we’ll then move forward and look at what happened when Vikingar finally returned, focusing on a new tactic which may only have been possible thanks to the fledgling Norse bases in Scotland. Namely: The taking of captives for ransom or slavery.

In today’s episode we try to answer a simple question: While some groups of Vikingar were busy raiding monasteries and fighting pitched battles in Ireland throughout the first half of the ninth century, what was going on to the North in Scotland? In other words, what did the early Viking Age look like in Scotland?

The answer to this question is much more complex than it first seems, as we confront a lack of evidence and conflicting information. Along the way to answering this question we’ll meet the Picts, the Gaels of Dal Riata and explore what happened as Western Norwegians began to settle the North of Scotland.

This episode is packed full of Irish Viking Age goodness as we track the escalation of Viking activity in Ireland from 807 - 813.

Along the way we explore what the Irish were up to while the Vikingar were busy raiding in the Scottish Hebrides, the first raids on the West Coast and a series of bloody skirmishes between Vikingar crews and Irish warbands.

In this episode we seeking an answer to a simple question: Why on Earth would a Norwegian Farmer join his local lord on a Viking Raid?

In our explorations we will discuss Gold and Silver, Marriage Negotiations and old Icelandic Law Codes. We'll talk about Marriage today and Marriage in the Viking Age. Hopefully, by the end of this episode, we will come away with a better understanding of what motivated young Scandinavians in the Viking Age to drop everything and go Viking.

In this episode we see the Vikings shift their focus north, from Ireland to to the Inner Hebrides and a target which, from the perspective of the Vikings, must have been almost too good to be true. We are speaking of course about the great monastery of Iona.

We'll explore the raids in 795 CE and 802 CE - and then the details and psychological and material impact of the brutal Viking Raid of 806 CE. Along the way we will also meet St. Columba and his journey from bad-boy churchman to missionary saint. It should be fun, why don't you give it a listen?

As promised in the episode, here is a helpful map to help you keep things straight!

In this episode we are going to explore what happens when our favorite scruffy farmers-turned-part-time-sea-raiders collide headlong with Irish Society.

Along the way we tke a look at the nature of our sources, a funny story about St. Patrick and the intricacies of a Cattle Raid. By the end of the episode you will also know the proper plural form of Vikingr.

In this episode we get the lay of the political, religious and social landscape of Viking Age Ireland. 

Now, while it might seem excessive to spend an entire episode on Ireland in a Podcast about Vikings, it is essential to understand the nature of Irish politics and culture prior to the arrival of Scandinavians. Spending time on this now will help us put Norse-Irish interaction into perspective, and help to explain the sometimes surprising role that Scandinavians were to play in Ireland over the coming centuries.

Plus, this stuff is just plain interesting! So I hope you enjoy.

In this episode we explore the politics of Western Norway at the Dawn of The Viking Age.

Our aim is to discover the nature conflict, cooperation and competition between the chiefdoms and petty kingdoms of the area which would later become Norway. To do this we look at the nature of power as expressed by Western Norwegians themselves, in the form of Skaldic poetry.

Along the way we look at battles, ravens and lavish gifts. We will explore a Viking Age battle field as well as a chieftain's longhouse.

By the end of it, we will have a good idea why aristocratic Norwegians decided to go a Viking around 800 CE.

In this episode we explore the history of landscape and peoples of Western Norway at the Dawn of the Viking Age. We will follow the coast of Norway on a  journey with a Norwegian Chieftain, and discuss slaves, tenant farmers and petty Kings.

Along the way we will determine whether or not overpopulation and lack of arable land were the determining factors behind the initial Viking Raids in the early 800s CE.

That’s right! We have made it to the Dawn of the Viking Age! In this episode we will explore the first Viking Raids on Western Europe - the killing of the King’s Reeve in Portland in Dorset, and the Notorious Sacking of the Monastery of Lindisfarne.

We will talk about the bloody events themselves, the reactions of Western Europeans to the attacks, and set the stage for a discussion of the causes of these Viking Raids. I hope you are as excited as I am. Let’s do it!

New timeline, new release schedules and new logos - Oh My! Three short minutes - then back to the Viking Age!

In this episode we are going to do a lightning-tour through the Scandinavian Iron Age - beginning around 500 BCE and ending around 800 CE with the first Viking Raids. This period, spanning over 1000 years, is chocked full of political, technological, economic and cultural change in the North.

The goal of this episode is to provide a baseline understanding of the period which directly preceded the Viking Age, not for the test, but rather to give you a framework to work from when I start blabbering on about the Iron Age in later episodes.

In this episode we are going to explore the Game of Chiefdoms in the Nordic Bronze Age. Specifically look at the growing social and economic stratification which is defining of this age. We will look at how such inequality in wealth and power can develop, how such power can be maintained once achieved and the consequences of this growing inequality on society at large. 

In this episode we will becovering the period from about 3500 - 2800 BCE, when Agriculturereally took hold in Scandinavia. We will explore what settlementpatterns emerged, how agriculture was practiced and how thenewly-minted Scandinavian farmers formed a relationship with theland they cultivated.

In the process we will learn about the impact of Polished FlintAxes and the Ard, take a tour of a Stone Age Farmhouse and becomeacquainted with the construction of Megalithic tombs which arestill visible today, almost 6000 years later.

The farming life was hard duringthis period, and the goal of this episode is to both bring thatstark reality to life. While doing so we will also explore some ofthe ways in which early Farmers adapted to this life, and the waysin which created relationships with their own past as well as theland they worked.

In this episode we explore the transition from Hunting and Gathering to Agriculture in Scandinavia. Along the way we encounter conflicting hypotheses, meager evidence and a story about Status and Reputation.

The Agricultural revolution has been called the most important invention in Human history, so it feels only fair that we spend an episode exploring the potential causes in Scandinavia.

Thrilled to announce the first episode of the Viking Age Podcast! In this episode we do an extremely high-level survey of the themes of the Viking Age, including Raids, Settlement, Trading and Life in Scandinavia. We then trace where the podcast is going, and what the aim is. I hope you enjoy.