1 - Welcome To The Viking Age

This is the first episode in a series about the history of Scandinavia before the Viking Age. We are starting today with the arrival of the first Reindeer Hunters in Southern Scandinavia around 13,000 BCE and culminating in a few weeks with the Germanic Iron Age ending around 700 ...  Show more

In this episode we explore the transition from Hunting and Gathering to Agriculture in Scandinavia. Along the way we encounter conflicting hypotheses, meager evidence and a story about Status and Reputation. The Agricultural revolution has been called the most important invention ...  Show more

We know the Vikings best as brutal, seafaring, pagan raiders – and that’s an important part of their lives and histories. But it’s only one aspect: what about their love lives, experiences of travels, and attitudes to religion? Speaking with James Osborne, Eleanor Barraclough unp ...  Show more

Last episode I gave you a forest view of where we are going and, roughly, who these Viking raiders were as well as the scale of the impact that they will have upon Europe. And it really is something to behold. The Viking Age isn’t very long, but Europe hadn’t seen this level of r ...  Show more

How did the Vikings and the Inuit interact in Greenland? When was the last record of Norse settlers in the region? How did climate change affect the decline of Viking settlers in Greenland, and why is their disappearance shrouded in mystery? William and Anita are joined once agai ...  Show more

Ruthless warriors. Ancient sagas. This season, we’re exploring the lives of the Vikings — starting with the legend of a leader named Ragnar and his equally famous sons. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices