Andvari’s Ring
Andvari was a Svartálfr that lived in a cave behind a waterfall, and possessed not only gold and riches in abundance, but also had the power to transform himself into a mighty pike, which served him well —the pool in front of his cave being filled with fish. Another family of Svartálfr lived nearby: Hreiðmarr […]
Cardboard Box Archeology
With new technology the vast majority of archeological “excavations” and discoveries are now done in cardboard boxes found in museum storages. Dendrochronology, bio-archeology, CT scannings, AI and accurate 3D printing makes old finds interesting objects for further investigation. You are what you eat, and everything you eat and drink will be logged in your body. […]
Viking Open Air Theatre
400 volunteers bring the sagas to life every summer. Frederikssund Initiative Council was formed in 1951 to market Frederikssund (in Denmark). The people behind the Initiative Council planned a town party in 1952 and suggested that all men in the town grow their beards. No fewer than 669 followed the call, which resonated across the […]
The Midgard Expedition
In search for intelligent life Inspired by the courage and curiosity of the Viking explorers in the Iron Age Bjørn Heyerdahl, the grandson of Kon-Tiki famous Thor Heyerdahl, has taken initiative to a quite impressive project. Along with friends, he has built a Viking ship, and ventured out with scientists, explorers and sustainability specialists, studying […]
Guðríður Þorbjarnardóttir
Guðríður was born in Iceland around 980 and moved with her family to Brattalið in Greenland in 998. The journey was a disaster, and the ship they were sailing crashed into a reef, where they were stranded for days, until they were spotted and rescued by Leifur “Heppni” Eiríksson (Leif the Lucky). Leifur’s father, Eiríkur […]
Human Sacrifice
In the TV series Vikings (History Channel/Netflix) we see several human sacrifice.“Messengers to the Æsir”.And I totally get it! It ads flavour and spice to the experience.But did the late Iron Age/Early mediaeval Vikings really sacrifice humans?Obviously the absence of proof is not proof of absence, but when we take a long hard look af […]
Right on time
Many people have a distorted perception of the historical Viking Age (300-1350) where they split it into two distinct cultural periods, where the latter can hardly be known as “Viking Age”. It’s common to conclude that Norse Paganism and Fuþark (runes), runestones and Viking ships belong in one period, and the Christian era came with […]
The (not so) pale tribe
Vikings are often thought of as ‘pure-bred’, blonde-haired, and blue-eyed warriors who changed the course of European history. Now a team of international scientists has debunked this modern-day myth of the Vikings by examining their genetic ancestry. The largest-ever DNA sequencing of Viking remains reveals their surprising ethnic diversity. Hear Danish DNA specialist Eske Willerslev […]