I have been traveling through Italy these past several weeks, looking for signs of my favorite topic: Vikings. Besides Sicily, remnants of the Viking Age in this country are sparse. There is one spot, however, where myth and history combine to tell an interesting story. The place is called Luni, and it’s been said that Bjorn Ironside and Hastein attacked it, thinking it was Rome. So, of course, I had to visit.

There has been plenty of research and writing about the Viking Age, when it began and why it began. In this post, I wanted to take a step farther back, to what may have led to the Viking Age, and just pose some questions to think about…

This week’s people of interest are Harald Fairhair’s son, Olav, and grandson, Trygvi, both kings of Vingulmark (and later, Vestfold), which is the area around present-day Oslo, and whose name means impenetrable forest.

This week, I am diving a bit deeper into Harald Gormsson (also known as Harald Bluetooth), one of the more industrious kings of the Viking Age.

This week’s people of interest are Harald Fairhair’s son, Björn, and grandson, Gudröd, both kings of Vestfold as their forebears Harald and Halvdan had been before them. Read on to find out more.

This week we look at another influential character in the life and times of Hakon the Good: Jarl Tore Ragnvaldsson or Jarl Tore "the Silent" of More.

One of my favorite characters in my novels about Hakon the Good is Sigurd Hakonsson, the jarl (or earl) of Lade. Read on to hear his story and how he factors into the life of Hakon the Good.

Today, I wanted to take a closer look at King Athelstan, king of the English, and more specifically, at his possible influence on his foster son, Hakon the Good.

Social class. It is one of those storytelling elements that can affect plot, character, and setting. But what happens when the social hierarchy is not so clear?