Vikingology Podcast

For centuries explorers have been searching for El Dorado, the famed ‘city of gold’. Ditto the lost city of Atlantis. Many long believed the historical city of Troy was not real until archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann proved them wrong. And now we have Hans Wanneby and Rikard Evertsson who also hope to prove the unbelievers wrong by finding the home of Beowulf, the famed warrior protagonist of the medieval poem by the same name. They believe not only was Beowulf real, but his home was on the island of Gotland just off the east coast of Sweden, and they’ve written a book about it: Home of Beowulf, just published in late 2025.We sat down with Hans and Rikard to find out about their research and decided to invite friend of the show Rowdy Geirsson along for the ride, since he too is interested in this quest and has written about the Beowulf mystery more than once, including on his own website and recently on Medievalists.net.Whether you believe the poem is a fictional account or true history, you’ll be intrigued by Hans and Rikard’s findings and dedication to finding more. We learned some interesting things about Gotland and its important role during the Migration Period and Viking Age. And a special shout out to our friend Octavia — the unofficial ambassador of Gotland — for putting us in touch! After you watch this episode, revisit our chat with her. If by the end you’re not (a) a Beowulf believer and (b) booking a flight and ferry to Gotland, then we fear you are beyond help!Skál!Vikingology Podcast is reader-supported. To support us and keep the good stuff coming, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. Get full access to Vikingology Podcast at vikingology.substack.com/subscribe

It’s our 60th episode! And what better way to spend our Diamond Jubilee than a long-awaited chat with Old Norse scholar Dr. Jackson Crawford?Many of you will be familiar with him through his immensely popular YouTube channel, where you can experience the intersection of cowboy cool and the vikings. He has produced hundreds of videos about Old Norse, history, and the literature of the Viking Age, much of it set in a wild west backdrop. He has also done saga and poem translations, including The Poetic Edda, The Saga of the Volsungs, and Hávamál, and is currently working on a translation of The Prose Edda.We chatted with him about a lot of things, as we tend to do, but we started with the word ‘viking’ and its linguistic origins in the Old Norse words viking and víkingr. Did actual vikings use that word to describe themselves? Did it mean the same to them as it does to us? Was it seen as a good thing to be a viking? Was it a full-time profession, or were they just seasonal violence workers?Watch or listen for the answers to all of that and more!Takk fyrir Jackson for spending some time with us. It was well worth the wait!Vikingology is reader-supported. To support what we do, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. Get full access to Vikingology Podcast at vikingology.substack.com/subscribe

We were honored to finally chat with Carolyne Larrington, Professor and Emeritus Research Fellow of Old English and Old Norse literature at St. John’s College, Oxford. She is one of the world’s foremost experts on mythology with many many books and publications, including her most recent books The Little Book of Trolls and The Little Book of Dragons. She has also done a translation of The Poetic Edda.Since we are both historians, and C.J. is an historical fiction author to boot, we are hardwired for creating narratives about the past and storytelling in general, so we were delighted to get a chance to talk with Prof. Larrington about what stories and myths mean to us humans as a species. This took us not only to the Viking Age and Norse myths, but much farther afield into the realms of religion, modern medievalism, and the human condition in general.This was a fun and enlightening chat. We could have talked for hours! Thank you Carolyne. We hope you will visit us again in the future!Skál!Thank you to all who watch or listen to us! To further support our work, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. Get full access to Vikingology Podcast at vikingology.substack.com/subscribe

This time we are excited to welcome back to the show experimental archaeologists and living history experts Kevin Alexandrowicz and Devon Rawlings of Regia Anglorum and Jarnborg Vikings. They have collaborated on a new book project that brings Viking Age death to life in a stunningly visual and visceral way. Painstakingly staged and photographed, and based on the archaeology of actual burial sites, the graves Kevin, Devon, and their team created give us a glimpse into how the Norse prepared the dead for the next life. You’ll definitely want to watch instead of listen to see some of their amazing photographs as they explain the history and interpretation behind them. Published by Hyldyr in Washington State, which has also brought to life other Norse themes such as the poems Völuspá and Hávamál, the Fuþark runic alphabets, and the Galdrabók, this new book promises to change the way we visualize death and burial in the Viking Age. It even includes introductions by friends of the show archaeologists Leszek Gardeła and Giorgia Sottotetti! If you want to see an intriguing new way to engage with the Viking Age past, please buy the book! You’ll be supporting history, archaeology, artists, and publishers all at the same time.Thanks so much Kevin and Devon for sharing your knowledge and artistry. Can’t wait to see what you do next!Skál!Thanks for reading! This post is public so feel free to share it. And it you like what we do, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. Get full access to Vikingology Podcast at vikingology.substack.com/subscribe

The Norse during the Viking Age inhabited a world that was both utterly foreign to us and yet humanly familiar. Like us, they believed in ghosts. But maybe unlike us they believed in revenants and other supernatural creatures of all kinds. It seems their world was pretty porous when it came to the line between the living and the dead.In this episode we chatted with Irina Manea, a scholar of Norse myth and the saga literature, to get a sense of the viking mind regarding death and the afterlife. How did they deal with dead bodies? Where did they believe people went after death? Were ghosts and revenants welcomed or shunned? Were the dead scary or benevolent? Did they take steps to protect against them? And how much did the Christianization of Viking Age Scandinavia change those beliefs?It’s a fascinating topic that we hadn’t delved into much on the show. We learned a lot, including the fact that maybe an important way to keep bad spirits away is to cover your anus. To be safe, you’d better watch or listen and find out why :)Thanks Irina! We must do it again soon.You can find Irina on her Shield of Skuld newsletter right here on Substack. Do check it out. Lots of great viking content there.Skál Get full access to Vikingology Podcast at vikingology.substack.com/subscribe

Historians and archaeologists who study the vikings are constantly grappling with the question of the amount and level of influence they had on the various parts of the world they ventured into. In this episode we add legal customs to the mix with Dr. Jake Stattel, a legal historian and postdoc research fellow at Cambridge University's Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse & Celtic, who is looking into this very thing — pun intended :)We talked about how legal institutions in England were changing dramatically from AD 900 to 1200 due in part to internal political developments but also to the incursion of the vikings who not only raided and traded but eventually settled there, creating a new hybrid culture based on traditional Scandinavian legal systems, in an area that came to be known as the Danelaw.Want to know the difference between customary and common law, how a person would know which laws they needed to obey when living in a hybrid world, and what happened to 13-year old thieves? Jake’s got you covered.His article Legal culture in the Danelaw: a study of III Æthelred has won several awards for its novel approach to this subject, so if you’re interested in a deeper dive, do check it out.Thanks Jake for a really interesting chat that got our wheels turning!Vikingology is reader-supported. Thanks for watching and listening! To support our work, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. Get full access to Vikingology Podcast at vikingology.substack.com/subscribe

Four podcast hosts geeking out on the Viking Age. What could be better, right?We finally got our chance to sit down with John Sexton and Andy Pfrenger, Medieval Studies scholars who found they shared a love of the Icelandic sagas and started a podcast about it. They’ve been at it for over a decade now, bringing in-depth readings and discussion of the sagas — those tales about people living on a harsh little island in the North Atlantic during the Viking Age — which are chock full of utterly human situations and emotions that are still relatable all these centuries later. And sometimes they even put them on trial.But oddly enough, we started the conversation by talking about Beowulf and what it means to be killed in the Vikingverse. Go figure. John and Andy are leading a saga tour of Iceland in April 2026. If you are interested in tagging along, check out their website Saga Thing Tours. Space is limited so sign up early!And don’t forget to listen to their podcast. You’ll get a deep dive into the saga literature and occasionally hear an interview with top scholars and general viking enthusiasts as well. All great stuff.Thanks John and Andy! We hope we get to do it again. Skál!Vikingology is reader-supported. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber so we can continue bringing you great guests like John and Andy. Get full access to Vikingology Podcast at vikingology.substack.com/subscribe

This time we welcome friend of the show Professor Clare Downham of the University of Liverpool back to the show for an unprecedented THIRD time. We always have so much fun chatting with her that we can’t seem to stop! Clare is one of the world’s foremost scholars on vikings, particularly vikings in Ireland and England, and this time she talked to us about the new compilation of primary sources she’s just completed that will be published by Penguin Classics next year. But that wasn’t all.As we historians tend to do, we wandered into philosophical questions about the human condition which transcends time. It seems vikings were so very different from us and not so very different at the same time.We hope you enjoy it as much as we did. It’s your opportunity to eavesdrop on what historians talk about when they talk like no one is listening.Skál!Vikingology is reader-supported. To make sure the fun doesn’t end, please consider becoming paid subscriber. Get full access to Vikingology Podcast at vikingology.substack.com/subscribe

Imagine a past much like our own, only the myths and sagas of Norse legend are all true. Vikings roam the northern seas in search of plunder while skalds compose poetry about great adventures. Sorcerers manipulate unseen spirits and runes to cast powerful spells. Dragons and undead draugar hoard gold and other great treasures. Dwarves forge magic swords, change shape, and brew incredible mead and ale.And Odin is a massive a*****e.If any of that seems intriguing to you, well, it did to us too! So we decided to talk with author Gregory Amato who wrote that bit describing his books of fantasy fiction set in the Viking Age, most recently through his series Spear of the Gods. We talked about what drew him to this genre and how his two lives as a former FBI intelligence analyst and now author collide in his work.In addition to telling good stories and immersing his readers in another world, Gregory also hopes his work can help people to better understand Norse magic, myth, and people on their own terms, rather than through those more nefarious uses which abound in various corners of our world. This was an interesting and, at times, deep conversation about not only writing but engaging with the past responsibly in general. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did.Thanks Gregory! C.J. is looking forward to reading your signed copies ;)For more information, head to Gregory’s website where a free surprise awaits you! You can also find his other musings on his Substack.And you can buy his books here.Vikingology is reader-supported. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber so we can keep on truckin’. Get full access to Vikingology Podcast at vikingology.substack.com/subscribe

This time on the podcast the authors outnumbered the historians. We got a fun glimpse into the world of historical fiction writing set in the Viking Age from authors Johanna Wittenberg and K.S. Barton. Johanna writes the Norse Women series. K.S. is author of the Norse Family Saga trilogy. And that’s not all! They also co-host the podcast Shieldmaidens: Women of the Norse World where they discuss what it meant to be a woman in the Viking Age. With a mix of history, writing, and podcasting, they are our kind of people!We talked to them about why they chose the Viking Age as the backdrop for their stories, the art of writing and what it takes to appeal to readers of historical fiction, and what role AI may play in changing the writing game. And we also waded into the murky waters of women warriors. Did shieldmaidens exist? Watch or listen and find out!Thank you Johanna and K.S.! We had a great time.You can learn more about their work on their websites:johannawittenberg.com and ksbarton.com. Vikingology is reader-supported. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber to keep the content coming. Get full access to Vikingology Podcast at vikingology.substack.com/subscribe

It’s our 50th episode! A giant thanks to all of you who have listened, watched, and supported us in our little viking endeavor. We have a real treat that we’ve saved up special for the occasion — our long-awaited chat with Erik Knudsen, captain of the replica viking ship “Valkyrie”.In our three years of doing Vikingology Podcast, we have talked surprisingly little about viking ships, which seems kinda weird since they are one of the most iconic images of the Viking Age. But thanks to Erik, his dad David, and their shipwright Jay Smith of Aspøya Boats in Washington State who have recreated a 56-foot long replica inspired by a Skuldelev ship from the Viking Age in Denmark, we finally get to dive into some of the nitty gritty details of how those magnificent works of art and craft were created. We learned about building techniques and materials, what it feels like to sail a viking ship, why they were different than other boats of the time, and what it means to have a special, perhaps emotional, connection to such a vessel. If you’re used to listening to us, you’ll definitely want to watch our interview this time to see the cool images that we discuss.If you want to check out “Valkyrie” in person, you are in luck! Erik and his crew have been approved by the U.S. Coast Guard to take people out in her, so you can experience what it meant to be a viking for yourself (minus the raiding and pillaging, of course). Head to their website, Northwest Viking Ship, for more information and to book a tour. They are also hiring, so if you want a job as a viking, now is your opportunity!Tusend tak Erik! It was a real pleasure. Fair winds and following seas!Vikingology is reader-supported. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber to keep the magic coming. Get full access to Vikingology Podcast at vikingology.substack.com/subscribe

Terri and C.J. are finally back together again!After a summer hiatus so that C.J. could move to France, we reunite for a very special chat with medievalist historian and fellow American Pacific Northwesterner Eleanor Janega. Some of you might recognize her from her incredibly popular History Hit TV series that she’s done on everything from the history of body modification to the plague, King Arthur, the medieval afterlife, and more.But we wanted to talk to her about her latest series about vikings named Norman.Well, actually the ones named “Rollo the Walker” and “William the B*****d” whose viking opportunism and medieval badassery gave us the area in France that we still call Normandy to this day because of them. We find out how and why a viking chieftain could create a dynasty that would change the history of a French region and the entirety of England forever. And why those Normans are the tech bros of the Viking Age.Thanks so much Eleanor! You are great fun and we look forward to chatting again soon.You can find out more about Eleanor’s work, including her books THE ONCE AND FUTURE SEX: Going Medieval on Women’s Roles in Society and The Middle Ages: A Graphic History on her website.You can also check out Eleanor on her two podcasts: Gone Medieval and We’re Not So Different.Vikingology is reader-supported. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber to keep the magic coming. Get full access to Vikingology Podcast at vikingology.substack.com/subscribe

Oh, the tropes and stereotypes we have to endure as historians and enthusiasts of the Viking Age. From horned helmets to shieldmaidens, there’s lots about the period that is either false or shrouded in mystery, yet it endures in our popular imagination.But hang on to your heads, kids! In a new article, archaeologist and associate professor Martin Rundkvist is shedding light on another trope you may have heard about — vikings doing strange things with skulls. Did vikings really drink from the skulls of their dead enemies? Probably not, but did they do other stuff with them? According to Martin’s research the answer is a definite yes. But why? And whose skulls were they?In this episode we talked with him about his study of 34 skulls in Sweden and Denmark. The conclusions may seem shocking, but the Norse were far from alone in human history in what they did with those skulls. Watch the episode and then check out the article yourself here. You can also find some of his other work on his academia page. It’s super interesting stuff.Tack Martin! What a fascinating chat! We look forward to it again so we can hear about your adventures in Gotland.Vikingology is reader-supported. If you like what we do, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. Get full access to Vikingology Podcast at vikingology.substack.com/subscribe

Here at Vikingology we spend what we often think is an outsized amount of time focusing on viking activity on the eastern shores of England. From the raid on Lindisfarne monastery in 793 — the so-called start of the Viking Age — and into the creation of the Danelaw, to the Battle of Stamford Bridge in 1066, it seems all the action in the British Isles was in the east.But in today’s episode, we had the pleasure of speaking with historian John Fletcher who told us about the importance of Cornwall in the viking story, in the southwest of England. He specializes in that part of Britain during the early medieval period and in 2023 published The Western Kingdom: The Birth of Cornwall. He is currently researching the impact of viking and Scandinavian activity there from the 9th to 11th centuries. It appears that while our eyes have been on the east, just like the vikings, Cornwall sort of snuck up on us.From being the “true” heirs of the Roman Empire in the North, to tin mining, King Arthur, lots of Catholic saints, and being a sandbox for vikings to hone their skills, suffice it to say there’s lots more to Cornwall than meets the eye. To check it all out, watch the podcast and then buy John’s book!You can also find John on Facebook and Instagram @authorjohnfletcherThanks so much John! We look forward to chatting again. 'Eghes da!This Substack is reader-supported. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber to help us keep the good stuff coming. Get full access to Vikingology Podcast at vikingology.substack.com/subscribe

This time on the podcast we laughed a lot with Rowdy Geirsson, the author of several books and articles based in the Viking Age, both its history and mythology. Like us, Rowdy is an American who has a passion for the Norse — he even spoke to us from Sweden where he is soaking up local viking history for the month.So, what do Boston, Snorri Sturluson, warriors, Leif Eriksson, Óðin’s bird poop of wisdom, and getting sucked into black holes in the Vikingverse have in common? Watch the interview and find out!You can follow Rowdy and his work on his website Scandinavian Aggression, and also on Instagram @rowdygeirsson. His writing on Norse culture and history has appeared in many places from Scandinavian Review to McSweeney’s. You’ll basically find him wherever vikings and humor collide. And for Óðin’s sake, buy his books!Thanks Rowdy! We hope we can do it again.Skál!Thanks for reading! To support our work, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. Get full access to Vikingology Podcast at vikingology.substack.com/subscribe

Everyone knows that Viking Age Scandinavia was a barbaric and lawless place, right? With all that stealing, killing, property destruction, and selling of people into slavery, who else could get away with all that mayhem if not people with a complete disregard for law and order? Well, if that’s your view of the viking world, we’ve got news for you. In this episode we chat with Professor and Dr. Alexandra Sanmark of the University of the Highlands and Islands in Scotland, an expert in all things legal and judicial in Viking Age society. Turns out, those Scandinavians knew a thing or two about crime and punishment and took it very seriously. The result was an intricate set of laws, courts, and procedures that were part of Germanic custom going all the way back to the Roman era. We talked to her about various legal policies and procedures, what our sources are for them, and where those public assemblies took place. We also discussed the legal parity that the Viking Age is famous for in our modern imaginations. The reality may surprise you.Her book Viking Law and Order: Places and Rituals of Assembly in the Medieval North spells out the complex nature of Norse systems at a time when laws were not written down but performed and remembered visually and orally. It’s a fasinating look into a culture that counters our every impulse thought about what it meant to be a “viking.”Thanks Alex, it was a most interesting and thought-provoking pleasure!To comment on our posts and support our work, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. Get full access to Vikingology Podcast at vikingology.substack.com/subscribe

Góðan Daginn, Bonjour, and Hello!This post is a quick update for our subscribers. Learn about our new projects and podcast guest teases for May. There’s lots of good Viking stuff coming up.Thanks for reading, watching, and listening. We appreciate your support!You’ll find C.J.’s Substack here.You´ll find Terri´s Substack here.And lots of good stuff for Viking and medieval nerds on Medievalists.net, including information about Terri’s online Viking history courses.Skál! Get full access to Vikingology Podcast at vikingology.substack.com/subscribe