The War between Danes and Saxons
In ca. AD 950, the Saxon king Otto I subdued King Gorm’s Danes. This post takes a closer look at their ongoing struggle.
Who were the Wagrians?
In this post, I wanted to focus on one of the more obscure West Slavic tribes – the Wagri or Wagrians – who lived in the far western region of Wendland (aka Vendland) in what is now Holstein.
Did Vikings Celebrate Halloween?
During previous Octobers, I have written about Viking creatures and things that go bump in the night. This October, I decided to investigate a simple question: did the early Scandinavians (who I will call Vikings for simplicity) celebrate Halloween? This blog post unveils what I found.
Vikings and Pandemics: An Historical Perspective
With COVID-19 spreading globally, it made me wonder about diseases during the Viking Age and whether early Scandinavians (who I will call the Vikings) ever dealt with a pandemic. As it turns out, they did.
Mollebakken and the Battle for Norway
In the year AD 933 or 934, a battle was fought in a place called Mollebakken, not far from modern-day Tønsberg. Though the poet and historian Snorri Sturlason describes the battle in a few short lines in Heimskringla, the battle proved to be one of the more consequential battles in Norway’s history.
Gunnhild, Mother of Kings
This post takes a deeper dive into the fascinating Norse character Gunnhild, Mother of Kings and wife to Erik Bloodaxe.
Vikings, Luna and the Case of Mistaken Identity
I’ve been traveling through Italy and there is one spot where myth and history combine to tell an interesting tale of the Vikings. The place is called Luni.
Climate Change and the Dawn of the Vikings
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…
The Kings of Vingulmark and the Future of Norway
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.
Harald Bluetooth – the Builder King?
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.