People seem forever reimagining the seafaring Vikings from northern Europe, but 'the Viking Age' is one of the most confusing periods in European history. When did it really start and why? What does 'Viking' really mean? What kind of helmets did they actually wear?
One of the best ways to delve into these questions is to delve into the most common misconceptions, often conjured up from how Vikings are depicted in film and TV, and run through why these myths exist, and the historical reality. James Carson runs through 10 of the biggest myths he's encountered after a few months getting close to the Vikings.
Expert opinion expressed on History Hit podcasts Gone Medieval and Dan Snow's History Hit are used to help shape our understanding of the Viking Age. You can go deeper by listening to the following links:
Professor Caroline Larrington - Ragnar Lodbrok - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/ragnar-lothbrok-the-viking-legend/id1564113746?i=1000617851865
Dr Stephen Ashby - Rise of the Vikings https://shows.acast.com/gone-medieval/episodes/rise-vikings ALSO Viking Hair https://play.acast.com/s/gone-medieval/vikings-whatdoestheirhairtellus-
Dr Roderick Dale - The Beserkers https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-berserkers/id1564113746?i=1000526345533
Dr Tom Horne - Raiding and Trading in Viking Britain https://shows.acast.com/gone-medieval/episodes/viking-market-kingdoms-in-britain-ireland
Dr Jóhanna Katrín Friðriksdóttir - Valkyries - https://shows.acast.com/gone-medieval/episodes/the-valkyries-handmaids-of-the-gods
Professor Gordon Campbell - Vikings in America - https://play.acast.com/s/dansnowshistoryhit/vikingsinamerica
Also, check out Dr Cat Jarman's book River Kings https://www.amazon.co.uk/River-Kings-Catrine-Jarman/dp/0008353077
Up Next in More Interviews
-
Amara Thornton on the Lost Reels of N...
Dr Amara Thornton talks Helen Carr through a newly discovered film documenting archaeological excavations at the site of Nineveh.
-
The French Revolution with David Andress
The French Revolution was one of complete transformation, the first time in European history that the population of a country rose up with a political agenda. Professor of Modern History David Andress talks Dan through the French Revolution: the causes, the context, its significance and its wide-...
-
The Knights Templar: With Dan Jones
They might be more famous today for their cameos in The Da Vinci Code and Assassin’s Creed, but in real life they were an army of valiant, daring Crusaders famous for their self-discipline, who fought in the Middle Ages' most bloody battles. They were allowed no sex, no personal possessions, and ...
1 Comment