Vikings - many myths surround this era and the people of Scandinavia who lived during this time. Were they raiders, traders, or a bit in-between? Let's look into what a Viking was and what the word meant, and who could call themselves a Viking. As we will learn, it is less clear-cut than one might believe.

I will also talk about the Viking horned helmets. Are these accurate depictions? The answer might be surprising and have a strange connection to the Scandinavian Bronze Age.

Did the Vikings have tattoos, as in the famous TV show? What do we know about their body art? Is the Vegvisir a Viking symbol? And why should you make an appointment with your dentist instead of a tattoo artist to have the Viking look?

I'll also investigate why the sheep was one of the most important animals in Scandinavia and might have been the reason for the Viking raids and slavery. At last, we will learn that the Vikings might have based their society on their looks.

In Digging up Ancient Aliens, our host Fredrik uses his background in archaeology to discover what is genuine, fake, and somewhere in between in popular media, such as Ancient Aliens, Ancient Apocalypse, and many other places.

As usall you find sources and further reading suggestions on the episode's webpage: https://diggingupancientaliens.com/episode-42-vikings-myth-reality.html

In this episode:

When was the Viking age? 2:16

Who is a Viking? 10:48

Vikings and horned helmets 20:19

Tattoos 26:11

Wool and Steel 34:19

Classy Vikings 40:22

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Music

The intro music is Lily of the woods by Sandra Marteleur, and the outro is named “Folie hatt” by Trallskruv. Visit Trallskruvs website here

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