This Viking Age battle axe was found by the use of metal detector by local historian Ørjan Kvalø in a field in the Leka island, Central Norway (Photo: Thor Lanesskog, ThorNews). Recently, the regional museum Museet Midt in Namdalen in… Read More ›
Vikings
The Viking Age Spears – “The Ones Who Stare from a Long Distance”
Replicas of Viking Age spears. (Photo: Darrell Markewitz, Wareham Forge) In Norse mythology, Gungnir (“swaying one”) is the spear of Odin, chief of the Aesir gods and Allfather. It hits everything he aims at, and always returns to his hand…. Read More ›
Njardarheimr Viking Village Has Become a Reality – See Photos
Chieftain Olafr has finally got his Viking village. (Photo: Tufte Photography / vikingvalley.no) The Viking Village “Njardarheimr” in Gudvangen at the end of the Nærøyfjord in Western Norway has become a reality. On 31 May, after more than twenty years… Read More ›
The Feared and Respected Old Norse Völva Sorceresses
Thorbjörg Lítilvölva from the Saga of Erik he Red displayed in the Saga Museum in Reykjavik. (Photo: Inreykjavik.com) In the Viking Age, the völvas were both feared and respected: they exercised seiðr and were in direct contact with Odin, the… Read More ›
Why Were Viking Children Buried With Big Razor Sharp Knives?
Blacksmith and knife maker Tor Aune in Central Norway makes traditional knives for hunting, fishing and work. (Photo: ThorNews) The Danish archaeologist Henriette Lyngstrøm has examined about forty knives found in Danish Viking child graves dated to the period from… Read More ›
DNA Analysis Prove That Vikings Brought Stockfish on Their Journeys
This cod jaw dating back to the Viking Age shows that this Stockfish (unsalted dried cod) most likely was transported from Northern Norway to Hedeby, today located in Northern Germany. (Photo: Bastiaan Star / University of Oslo) A cod jaw… Read More ›
The Myklebust Ship – Norway’s Largest Viking Ship Being Rebuilt
The Myklebust Viking Ship (Illustration: Sagastad / Arkikon.no) The about 100 foot long Myklebust ship is Norway’s largest Viking ship find. It was burned with king Audbjørn of the Fjords and his earthly goods around the year 870 AD. Now… Read More ›
Research: Vikings Did Not Hide Behind Shield Walls
Vikings form a shield wall in the “Vikings” TV show. (Illustrating photo: History Channel) According to Rolf Warming, an archaeologist and researcher at the University of Copenhagen, the Vikings did not use shield walls in combat. A typical Viking shield… Read More ›
Dozens of Viking Age Objects Stolen from the University Museum of Bergen
This key from the Viking Age is just one of about 300 stolen items. (Photo: University Museum of Bergen) On Monday morning when employees at the University Museum of Bergen returned to work, they got a shocking surprise: Around… Read More ›
The Urnes Stave Church Was Originally an Old Norse Heathen Hof
Historians have interpreted this wood carving found on the northern wall of Urnes Stave Church to be a scene from the Bible although the motif obviously shows a familiar scene from Old Norse mythology (Photo: The Directorate for Cultural Heritage,… Read More ›
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