To bake a Viking raid, one needs a few more ingredients than a Norseman with an axe. Naturally, you’ll have to listen to this episode to get the recipe. I will say this, though: we cover the developments in Scandinavia that provided the foundation for the first Viking raids, the main factors used to differentiate ‘Viking’ raids from ‘normal’ raids, and how those raids evolved over time.

Reminder: this raid is originally a YouTube video! If you want visual aids, wander here: youtube.com/@fjorntheskald

Looking for more to plunder? Try Fjorn’s website: fjorntheskald.com

♫ = “Firesong” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

What was the First ‘Viking’ Raid? To be honest, the ‘first’ raid of the Viking Age (c. 750-1050 or, more conventionally, 793-1066) isn’t as straightforward as you might think. You might have heard about Lindisfarne before, if you’ve been into Vikings and Norse things for a while—but, spoiler alert, that’s not really the first raid. It’s impactful, but not the ‘original.’ This raid will explain how and why.

Reminder: this raid is originally a YouTube video! If you want visual aids, wander here: youtube.com/@fjorntheskald

Looking for more to plunder? Try Fjorn’s website: fjorntheskald.com

♫ = “Firesong” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

How did the Norse ‘become’ Vikings? Okay, so “becoming Vikings” is hardly historically appropriate…but let me explain. In this raid, we ‘conclude’ the prequel to the Viking Age by covering the Vendel Period. Dates vary, as always, but we’ll be using 550 to 750 CE. During this discussion, we’ll learn how the North quite literally rose from the ashes of the Migration Period (c. 400-550 CE). In doing so, they begin to develop the hall-based society that would, in turn, set the stage for the Viking Age.

Reminder: this raid is originally a YouTube video! If you want visual aids, wander here: youtube.com/@fjorntheskald

Looking for more to plunder? Try Fjorn’s website: fjorntheskald.com

♫ = “Firesong” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Let’s raid the Migration Period (dates vary, but 400-550 CE is what we’re using) to show how it set the stage for the Viking Age. It’s just a brief overview, but we talk about how the ‘fall’ of the Roman Empire was a bit more complicated than most assume, how catastrophic eruptions a world away triggered a “real” Ragnarok, and how that mess enabled the North to reshape itself into what would, eventually, give way to the Vikings.

Reminder: this raid is originally a YouTube video! If you want visual aids, wander here: youtube.com/@fjorntheskald

Looking for more to plunder? Try Fjorn’s website: fjorntheskald.com

♫ = “Firesong” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

We’re wrapping up our coverage of the people inhabiting the Viking Age North! This time we focus on the ‘side’ characters: Wends, Balts, and Sámi/Finns. As you’ll learn in the raid, these groups frequently mingled with the Norse, creating complex settlements and cultural expressions. We’ll also emphasize just how much environment affects cultural development, including seafaring.

And, of course, you can explore the digital map used in the video version of this raid for yourself at fjorntheskald.com/digital-maps

Reminder: this raid is originally a YouTube video! If you want visual aids, wander here: youtube.com/@fjorntheskald

Looking for more to plunder? Try Fjorn’s website: fjorntheskald.com

♫ = “Firesong” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

The ‘Viking’ homeland was more diverse than you’d think—but of course we’re going to start with the classics: Northmen (aka Norwegians), Danes, and Swedes. We’ll cover their Old Norse names, the regions where each group primarily lived, and even talk about their natural resources and how they survived/shaped their cultural identities in their respective environments (from farming to animal husbandry).

For most of the raid, we’ll break away from the traditional lecture-style approach to go through a digital map together, which you can explore for yourself here: fjorntheskald.com/digital-maps

Reminder: this raid is originally a YouTube video! If you want visual aids, wander here: youtube.com/@fjorntheskald

Looking for more to plunder? Try Fjorn’s website: fjorntheskald.com

♫ = “Firesong” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Vikings. What do you think when you hear that word? Whatever comes to mind, this raid will help separate popular fantasy from historical reality. Presented by a medievalist with a master’s degree in history, Fjorn offers another way to access the academic side of the complex and often misunderstood medieval world.

Reminder: this raid is originally a YouTube video! If you want visual aids, wander here: youtube.com/@fjorntheskald

Looking for more to plunder? Try Fjorn’s website: fjorntheskald.com

♫ = “Firesong” by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)