It is a question I am often asked when someone finds out I am passionate about and make my living writing about the Vikings: is the movie The 13th Warrior historically accurate? In social circles that know anything about the Viking Age and have seen the movie, the answer is a resounding no, and the…
The Danevirke Receives World Heritage Site Status
One of the most important sites for the study of the Viking Age has received recognition this month from the Unesco World Heritage committee. The Danevirke, designated a world heritage site in July of 2018, was discovered in 1897 and has contributed tremendously to our understanding of the Vikings. A world heritage site designation will…
American Vikings: Did the Greenland Norse take Native American Wives?
It’s a well-known fact of history that the Vikings got around, both figuratively and literally. They reached distant lands, as far as Bagdad in the Middle East and Newfoundland in North America, and they tended to leave behind far more than their trade goods. Vikings, as we best understand them, were prolific progenitors all across…
How Tall Were the Vikings?
There exists a peculiar perception among the general public that the Vikings stood taller than other Europeans of the Viking Age. Books, shows, and even some notable museum displays paint a portrait of tall and powerful men with keen skill at killing others. Luckily, the Vikings buried many of their dead in a way that…
Drinking Horns: Were They Really Used by the Vikings?
Modern portrayals of the Vikings seem to be obsessed with horns, particularly in regards to those worn on the head (as part of the helmet) and those used for drinking alcohol. While the former has been proven false time and again – THE VIKINGS DID NOT WEAR HORNS – the second use, drinking from a…
