The History of Vikings

When one thinks of the Viking Age, the date range of c. 793–1066 comes to mind. Monastery raids across England, Ireland, and the Frankish kingdoms of Charlemagne and his descendants have been depicted in historical dramas and documentaries on major television networks. But what about the ‘’forgotten Vikings’’? 

I’m talking about a broader, more nuanced perspective on the Viking Age? Pre-793 monastery raids, Viking activity in the Baltic, the Azores (a chain of islands off the coast of Portugal), and the role of non-combatants vs. the traditional view of Vikings solely as raiders.

With me to discuss this is Alex Harvey, an archaeologist, collections manager at Pocklington District Heritage Trust, and tutor for Medievalists.net. He is also the author of a number of Early Medieval historical and archaeological books, including the topic of today’s chat: Forgotten Vikings: New Approaches to the Viking Age.

Resources Mentioned:

Alex's book, Forgotten Vikings: New Approaches to the Viking Age: https://www.amberley-books.com/forgotten-vikings-9781398133266.html

Connect with The History of Vikings & Support the Show By:

Getting a copy of Noah's book, Viking Warrior vs Frankish Warrior: Francia 799–911 (Osprey Publishing): https://www.ospreypublishing.com/us/viking-warrior-vs-frankish-warrior-9781472848857

Share Noah's articles, written for History.com:

''Yule: How the Vikings Celebrated the Winter Holiday'': https://www.history.com/articles/viking-yule-holiday-winter

''Valhalla: How Viking Belief in a Glorious Afterlife Empowered Warriors": https://www.history.com/articles/viking-valhalla-valkyrie-afterlife

Follow The History of Vikings On:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/historyofviking

X: https://x.com/HistoryofViking

Email Noah with ideas for future episodes: [email protected]

Tune in every week for a new episode of The History of Vikings. Subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform and never miss an episode!

It’s been more than a thousand years since medieval Scandinavians left their homelands in search of plunder and glory, becoming the scourge of Christian monasteries and coastal cities—raiding and trading far and wide, from Anglo-Saxon England to modern-day Russia, Constantinople, and the Islamic Emirate of Cordoba in Spain. 

The Vikings traversed so much of the world, exploring and settling Iceland, Greenland, and, for the topic of this episode, North America. 

Medieval Icelandic sagas claim the Vikings reached North America around the year 1000.  

But what is the story of the Norse in this ‘’new world’’? What are our sources? Were there interactions with indigenous peoples? Who were the key characters? And what could have led to the demise of the Vikings in North America?

Today's guest is British historian Martyn Whittock, a historical consultant to the BBC, whose books have sold over 1 million copies. Martyn is the author of American Vikings: How the Norse Sailed into the Lands and Imaginations of America. 

Resources Mentioned:

Martyn's Books:

American Vikings: How the Norse Sailed into the Lands and Imaginations of America: http://pegasusbooks.com/books/american-vikings-9781639365357-hardcover

Vikings in the East. From Vladimir the Great to Vladimir Putin - The Origins of a Contested Legacy in Russia and Ukraine: https://www.bitebackpublishing.com/books/vikings-in-the-east

Tales of Valhalla: Norse Myths and Legends: http://pegasusbooks.com/books/tales-of-valhalla-9781681778464-hardcover

The Vikings. From Odin to Christ: https://spckpublishing.co.uk/the-vikings

1016 and 1066: Why the Vikings Caused the Norman Conquest: https://www.crowood.com/book/1016-and-1066

The Viking Blitzkrieg, AD 789–1098: https://thehistorypress.co.uk/publication/the-viking-blitzkrieg

Connect with The History of Vikings & Support the Show By:

Getting a copy of Noah's book, Viking Warrior vs Frankish Warrior: Francia 799–911 (Osprey Publishing): https://www.ospreypublishing.com/us/viking-warrior-vs-frankish-warrior-9781472848857

Share Noah's articles, written for History.com:

''Yule: How the Vikings Celebrated the Winter Holiday'': https://www.history.com/articles/viking-yule-holiday-winter

''Valhalla: How Viking Belief in a Glorious Afterlife Empowered Warriors": https://www.history.com/articles/viking-valhalla-valkyrie-afterlife

Follow The History of Vikings On:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/historyofviking

X: https://x.com/HistoryofViking

Email Noah with ideas for future episodes: [email protected]

Tune in every week for a new episode of The History of Vikings. Subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform and never miss an episode!

Join host Noah Tetzner for a special announcement about his appearance on The History Channel's new TV series "History's Greatest Warriors." In this brief episode, Noah shares details about his featured role in the Vikings episode and gives an exclusive sneak peek at the show's trailer, including fascinating insights about berserkers and Viking warfare tactics.

WATCH ''History's Greatest Warriors'' on The History Channel: https://www.history.com/shows/historys-greatest-warriors

Connect with The History of Vikings & Support the Show By:

Getting a copy of Noah's book, Viking Warrior vs Frankish Warrior: Francia 799–911 (Osprey Publishing): https://www.ospreypublishing.com/us/viking-warrior-vs-frankish-warrior-9781472848857

Share Noah's articles, written for History.com:

''Yule: How the Vikings Celebrated the Winter Holiday'': https://www.history.com/articles/viking-yule-holiday-winter

''Valhalla: How Viking Belief in a Glorious Afterlife Empowered Warriors": https://www.history.com/articles/viking-valhalla-valkyrie-afterlife

Follow The History of Vikings On:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/historyofviking

X: https://x.com/HistoryofViking

Email Noah with ideas for future episodes: [email protected]

Tune in every week for a new episode of The History of Vikings. Subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform and never miss an episode!

The Icelandic sagas are among the most remarkable literary treasures of the medieval world. Written down in Iceland primarily in the 13th and 14th centuries, they preserve stories of the Viking Age and the generations that followed—stories of feud, honor, law, revenge, family loyalty, and fate.

What makes the sagas so powerful is that they do not read like myths in the usual sense. They feel human, grounded, and psychologically sharp.

Their heroes are rarely simple heroes, and their villains are rarely just villains. Instead, we meet complicated men and women navigating a hard world where reputation meant everything.

These sagas introduce us to unforgettable, major figures such as Egil Skallagrimsson and Aud the Deep-Minded. But what purpose did the minor characters, primarily nameless and unimportant figures, play within medieval Icelandic sagas?

In this episode of The History of Vikings, Noah is joined by Dr. Ármann Jakobsson, Professor of Old Icelandic Literature at the University of Iceland and the author of Minor Characters in Icelandic Sagas: A Narratological Study.

Resources Mentioned:

Connect with Dr. Ármann Jakobsson on Academia.edu: https://armannjakobsson.academia.edu

Ármann's book, Minor Characters in Icelandic Sagas: A Narratological Study: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-032-11187-6

Connect with The History of Vikings & Support the Show By:

Getting a copy of Noah's book, Viking Warrior vs Frankish Warrior: Francia 799–911 (Osprey Publishing): https://www.ospreypublishing.com/us/viking-warrior-vs-frankish-warrior-9781472848857

Share Noah's articles, written for History.com:

''Yule: How the Vikings Celebrated the Winter Holiday'': https://www.history.com/articles/viking-yule-holiday-winter

''Valhalla: How Viking Belief in a Glorious Afterlife Empowered Warriors": https://www.history.com/articles/viking-valhalla-valkyrie-afterlife

Follow The History of Vikings On:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/historyofviking

X: https://x.com/HistoryofViking

Email Noah with ideas for future episodes: [email protected]

Tune in every week for a new episode of The History of Vikings. Subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform and never miss an episode!

Support this podcast by visiting our sponsor Norse Tradesman

P.S. - You can get get 15% off their entire store  by visiting: https://norsetradesman.com/podcast

Feel free to contact me with any questions, comments, suggestions or inquiries [email protected]

Music: Danheim – Framganga & Folkvangr

Support this podcast by visiting our sponsor Norse Tradesman

P.S. - You can get get 15% off their entire store  by visiting: https://norsetradesman.com/podcast

Feel free to contact me with any questions, comments, suggestions or inquiries [email protected]

Music: Danheim – Framganga & Folkvangr

Support this podcast by visiting our sponsor Norse Tradesman

P.S. - You can get get 15% off their entire store  by visiting: https://norsetradesman.com/podcast

Feel free to contact me with any questions, comments, suggestions or inquiries [email protected]

Music: Danheim – Framganga & Folkvangr

Support this podcast by visiting our sponsor Norse Tradesman

P.S. - You can get get 15% off their entire store  by visiting: https://norsetradesman.com/podcast

Feel free to contact me with any questions, comments, suggestions or inquiries [email protected]

Music: Danheim – Framganga & Folkvangr

Support this podcast by visiting our sponsor Norse Tradesman

P.S. - You can get get 15% off their entire store  by visiting: https://norsetradesman.com/podcast

Feel free to contact me with any questions, comments, suggestions or inquiries [email protected]

Music: Danheim – Framganga & Folkvangr

Support this podcast by visiting our sponsor Norse Tradesman

P.S. - You can get get 15% off their entire store  by visiting: https://norsetradesman.com/podcast

Feel free to contact me with any questions, comments, suggestions or inquiries [email protected]

Music: Danheim – Framganga & Folkvangr