COA14b - Creating the Icelanders

In this episode, we explore poets and poetry in the Norse world, focusing particularly on the role they played in preserving history, myth and legend.  Along the way we see what happens when you eat a fish's head, unlock the meaning of confounding Skaldic verses and hear what Sno ...  Show more

In this episode we conclude our series on Iceland by discussing the rapid changes which shook the Icelandic political system in the 1200s.  We discuss the likely causes of these changes, explore the life and times of our good friend Snorri Sturluson and examine the impact that th ...  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

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

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

Who were the Vikings' ancient ancestors? In this episode Tristan Hughes explores the fascinating maritime culture, sophisticated trade networks and social hierarchies of the Nordic Bronze Age c. 1800–700 BC. Joined by Professor Johan Ling, they shed light on how proto-Viking soci ...  Show more