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    Popular Stories

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    Culture&religion
    "Balder's Funeral Pyre."

    Long after your last raid: Aging in the era of Vikings
    News
    Grønhaug burial mound. Source: Norwegian National Agency for Cultural Heritage

    Archeologists investigate Grønhaug burial mound for first time in 124 years
    News
    Ingólfsskáli Viking Restaurant, Iceland. Source: Ingólfsskáli Viking Restaurant

    Ten Viking-themed destinations for the 2026 summer holidays
    Culture&religion
    Conversion of Vikings to Christianity by a priest / Wikimedia / Author: Pouazity3

    A Christian Viking: Why conversion did not necessarily end raiding

    Popular Stories

    Culture&religion
    "Balder's Funeral Pyre."

    Long after your last raid: Aging in the era of Vikings
    News
    Grønhaug burial mound. Source: Norwegian National Agency for Cultural Heritage

    Archeologists investigate Grønhaug burial mound for first time in 124 years
    News
    Ingólfsskáli Viking Restaurant, Iceland. Source: Ingólfsskáli Viking Restaurant

    Ten Viking-themed destinations for the 2026 summer holidays
    Culture&religion
    Conversion of Vikings to Christianity by a priest / Wikimedia / Author: Pouazity3

    A Christian Viking: Why conversion did not necessarily end raiding

    News
    Grønhaug burial mound. Source: Norwegian National Agency for Cultural Heritage

    Archeologists investigate Grønhaug burial mound for first time in 124 years

    The site on the island of Karmøy could have links to King Harald Fairhair’s manor at Avaldsnes.
    Grønhaug burial mound. Source: Norwegian National Agency for Cultural Heritage

    Archeologists investigate Grønhaug burial mound for first time in 124 years

    The site on the island of Karmøy could have links to King Harald Fairhair’s manor at Avaldsnes.
    The Gaia with the wind at its sail. Source: Roger Pande Løvall / Oseberg Viking Heritage Foundation
    “An enjoyable trip”: Gokstad shipbuilders sail Viking ship to retrieve giant oak trees
    Viking village
    The Viking Herald is now a 100%-reader supported publication
    Ingólfsskáli Viking Restaurant, Iceland. Source: Ingólfsskáli Viking Restaurant
    Ten Viking-themed destinations for the 2026 summer holidays

    News

     Grønhaug burial mound. Source: Norwegian National Agency for Cultural Heritage

    Archeologists investigate Grønhaug burial mound for first time in 124 years

    The site on the island of Karmøy could have links to King Harald Fairhair’s manor at Avaldsnes.
    SEE ALL STORIES

    Featured Stories

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    The Viking Holiday by Hugh Madden, Dublin Street Art. Source: William Murphy, Flickr, https://www.flickr.com/photos/infomatique/23474684794/

    The Viking Herald is going on vacation + 2026 half-term report

    Read Story

    Featured Stories

    The Viking Holiday by Hugh Madden, Dublin Street Art. Source: William Murphy, Flickr, https://www.flickr.com/photos/infomatique/23474684794/

    The Viking Herald is going on vacation + 2026 half-term report

    Read Story

    Reviews
    We have put together a collection of well-written non-fiction books about Vikings that are essential reads.

    The Viking Herald's ultimate list of non-fiction Viking books you need to read

    Do you love reading about the Vikings but haven't quite mastered the Old Norse language? Never fear; we have compiled a list of some of the most masterly written, must-read non-fiction books on Vikings.
    We have put together a collection of well-written non-fiction books about Vikings that are essential reads.

    The Viking Herald's ultimate list of non-fiction Viking books you need to read

    Do you love reading about the Vikings but haven't quite mastered the Old Norse language? Never fear;...
    Martyn Whittock's new book dives into the Viking adventures in Eastern Europe and how their stories echo in modern Russian and Ukrainian history.
    Book review: Vikings in the East – From Vladimir the Great to Vladimir Putin by Martyn Whittock
    Viking Dynasties brings together archeology, history, and literature to tell the story of two legendary royal centers at Lejre and Gamla Uppsala.
    Book review: Viking Dynasties – The Royal Families of Lejre and Uppsala Between Archaeology and Text by Tom Christensen, John Ljungkvist & Neil Price
    Jón Karl Helgason's Echoes of Valhalla explores how the Norse eddas and sagas have shaped global culture, from medieval Iceland to modern Hollywood.
    Book review: Echoes of Valhalla – The Afterlife of the Eddas and Sagas by Jón Karl Helgason

    Reviews

     Martyn Whittock's new book dives into the Viking adventures in Eastern Europe and how their stories echo in modern Russian and Ukrainian history.

    Book review: Vikings in the East – From Vladimir the Great to Vladimir Putin by Martyn Whittock

    In his new book, Whittock cleverly traces the roots of today's bloody war in Ukraine back to the early medieval Viking expansions in Eastern Europe.
    SEE ALL STORIES

    Culture&religion
    Conversion of Vikings to Christianity by a priest / Wikimedia / Author: Pouazity3

    A Christian Viking: Why conversion did not necessarily end raiding

    Changing hearts and souls is one thing, but changing societal behavior is quite another. We look at why the Christianization of Scandinavia did not see the cessation of Viking raids.
    Conversion of Vikings to Christianity by a priest / Wikimedia / Author: Pouazity3

    A Christian Viking: Why conversion did not necessarily end raiding

    Changing hearts and souls is one thing, but changing societal behavior is quite another. We look at...
    "Balder's Funeral Pyre."
    Long after your last raid: Aging in the era of Vikings
    A berserker and warder from the Lewis chessmen.
    What do the sources actually say about Viking berserkers?
    A reconstructed Viking Age domestic scene from Truso.
    Viking women in law: Property, marriage, divorce, and power

    Culture&religion

     Conversion of Vikings to Christianity by a priest / Wikimedia / Author: Pouazity3

    A Christian Viking: Why conversion did not necessarily end raiding

    Changing hearts and souls is one thing, but changing societal behavior is quite another. We look at why the Christianization of Scandinavia did not see the cessation of Viking raids.
    SEE ALL STORIES

    Trade
    Stone casting moulds from Viking Age Birka, including soapstone pieces, from the Swedish History Museum.

    Viking trade beyond treasure: Soapstone vessels, whetstones and the everyday economy

    Buried Viking treasure hordes may capture the imagination, but they did not fuel everyday life in Viking societies. We look beyond the spoils of pillage and plunder to the ordinary items that underpinned Viking life.
    Stone casting moulds from Viking Age Birka, including soapstone pieces, from the Swedish History Museum.

    Viking trade beyond treasure: Soapstone vessels, whetstones and the everyday economy

    Buried Viking treasure hordes may capture the imagination, but they did not fuel everyday life in Vi...
    Burials containing scales, weights, and imported textiles suggest that women not only contributed to Viking economic life but may also have taken part in long-distance trading expeditions.
    Were women part of Viking trading voyages?
    Wool straight from the sheep, shown here with traditional shears, was the base material for vaðmál.
    Woven into law: What a piece of cloth tells us about the economy, gender relations, and power of women in Viking Age Iceland
    Essential for early medieval commerce, Viking ships connected Scandinavia to trade networks spanning Europe, North Africa, and the Silk Roads of Asia.
    Navigating wealth: Viking ships as engines of trade

    Trade

     Stone casting moulds from Viking Age Birka, including soapstone pieces, from the Swedish History Museum.

    Viking trade beyond treasure: Soapstone vessels, whetstones and the everyday economy

    Buried Viking treasure hordes may capture the imagination, but they did not fuel everyday life in Viking societies. We look beyond the spoils of pillage and plunder to the ordinary items that underpinned Viking life.
    SEE ALL STORIES

    Warfare
    Viking battle reenactment. Source: Wikimedia / Helgi Halldórsson

    Military exploits and nation building: the long-reaching legacy of Viking mercenaries

    Whilst those Viking warriors employed in the elite Varangian Guard, who protected the Byzantine Emperor, may get all the historical attention, others plied their trade as far afield as Anglo-Saxon England, the Frankish realms, and even in the Islamic world.
    Viking battle reenactment. Source: Wikimedia / Helgi Halldórsson

    Military exploits and nation building: the long-reaching legacy of Viking mercenaries

    Whilst those Viking warriors employed in the elite Varangian Guard, who protected the Byzantine Empe...
    The famous duel between the sword master Miyamoto Musashi (left) and Sasaki Kojiro (Ganryu) at Ganryu-jima island.
    Berserker versus bushido: Could Viking warriors defeat Samurai?
    Painted in 1870, The Battle of Stamford Bridge presents the well-known clash between Viking and English forces in 1066.
    The Battle of Stamford Bridge: The last great Viking invasion of England
    Vikings didn't follow any singular "war ethic," they pillaged holy places, didn't have arranged times of battle, and similar.
    Viking warfare: What did Viking battle tactics look like?

    Warfare

     Viking battle reenactment. Source: Wikimedia / Helgi Halldórsson

    Military exploits and nation building: the long-reaching legacy of Viking mercenaries

    Whilst those Viking warriors employed in the elite Varangian Guard, who protected the Byzantine Emperor, may get all the historical attention, others plied their trade as far afield as Anglo-Saxon England, the Frankish realms, and even in the Islamic world.
    SEE ALL STORIES

    History
    The Silverdale Hoard, found in Lancashire, England, in September 2011. Source: Portable Antiquities Scheme

    Silver under the soil: What Viking hoards reveal about wealth, fear, and trade

    Some of the most valuable sources for understanding people in Norse societies are buried 6 feet under. We look at the practicalities and psychology of Viking hoards.
    The Silverdale Hoard, found in Lancashire, England, in September 2011. Source: Portable Antiquities Scheme

    Silver under the soil: What Viking hoards reveal about wealth, fear, and trade

    Some of the most valuable sources for understanding people in Norse societies are buried 6 feet unde...
    The Eskelhem horse trappings, a significant Bronze Age archaeological find discovered in the Eskelhem parish on the island of Gotland, Sweden.
    Before the Viking Age: the people, kingdoms and cultures of early Scandinavia
    First Rurikids (Granovitaya palata, 1881-2). Source: Icon painters from Palekh, public domain
    What happened to the Rurik dynasty?
    A 1969 Finnish stamp depicts five medieval ships as symbols of Nordic cooperation, after a Viking Age coin from Birka, Sweden.
    Finland and the long legacy of Viking history

    History

     The Silverdale Hoard, found in Lancashire, England, in September 2011. Source: Portable Antiquities Scheme

    Silver under the soil: What Viking hoards reveal about wealth, fear, and trade

    Some of the most valuable sources for understanding people in Norse societies are buried 6 feet under. We look at the practicalities and psychology of Viking hoards.
    SEE ALL STORIES

    Legacy
    Vikings TV series. Source: MGM Television

    Vikings TV series: Top ten episodes

    SPOILER ALERT! We take a look at the contenders for the best episode ever of the Vikings TV series.
    Vikings TV series. Source: MGM Television

    Vikings TV series: Top ten episodes

    SPOILER ALERT! We take a look at the contenders for the best episode ever of the Vikings TV series.
    Military illustrator Seth Eastman at Dighton Rock in 1853.
    Dighton Rock: The rise and fall of Carl Rafn's Norse theory
    Danish actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as William, Duke of Normandy, later known as William the Conqueror.
    Blood and battle: How historically accurate is King & Conqueror? (part 2)
    James Norton in the role of Harold Godwinson, the last crowned Anglo-Saxon king of England.
    Setting the scene: How historically accurate is the new series, King & Conqueror? (part 1)

    Legacy

     Vikings TV series. Source: MGM Television

    Vikings TV series: Top ten episodes

    SPOILER ALERT! We take a look at the contenders for the best episode ever of the Vikings TV series.
    SEE ALL STORIES

    Scandinavia
    Aerial view of Jakobshavn Glacier at Disko Bay, Greenland.

    Scandinavians and Inuit in Greenland: 1,000 years of shared history

    The Thule, Dorset, and Nordic cultures have all held sway over various parts of the the world's largest island.
    Aerial view of Jakobshavn Glacier at Disko Bay, Greenland.

    Scandinavians and Inuit in Greenland: 1,000 years of shared history

    The Thule, Dorset, and Nordic cultures have all held sway over various parts of the the world's larg...
    Sweden's flag traces a long path from early state use and royal decrees to standardized colors and rules that govern how it is flown today.
    War, union, and a blue field: The making of Sweden's flag
    The Icelandic flag was adopted in 1944 and reflects both the country’s Nordic ties and its dramatic natural environment.
    Colors of fire and ice: The story of Iceland's flag
    As the headquarters of the Hanseatic League, Lübeck, Germany, thrived on the salt trade, with its salt storehouses standing as enduring symbols of Hanseatic influence and architectural style.
    The history and impact of the Hanseatic League on Scandinavia

    Scandinavia

     Aerial view of Jakobshavn Glacier at Disko Bay, Greenland.

    Scandinavians and Inuit in Greenland: 1,000 years of shared history

    The Thule, Dorset, and Nordic cultures have all held sway over various parts of the the world's largest island.
    SEE ALL STORIES

    Partner content
    Named "the circle of the world" by 17th-century historians, the Heimskringla is a 13th-century Icelandic collection of sagas detailing the history and rulers of Norway and Sweden.

    From myth to monarchy: Heimskringla and the legacy of Viking rulers

    Shedding light on medieval history, the Heimskringla is a collection of sagas that combine historical facts, fantasy, and tall tales in an entertaining manner.
    Named "the circle of the world" by 17th-century historians, the Heimskringla is a 13th-century Icelandic collection of sagas detailing the history and rulers of Norway and Sweden.

    From myth to monarchy: Heimskringla and the legacy of Viking rulers

    Shedding light on medieval history, the Heimskringla is a collection of sagas that combine historica...
    Viking Age inheritance practices relied heavily on verbal agreements witnessed by community members, alongside legal documents like the Granby runestone, which detailed property distribution.
    Old Norse inheritance traditions: Insights from the Gränby runestone
    The Græsli hoard, discovered in Norway, in 1878, contained a significant amount of hacksilver, exemplifying how Vikings repurposed fragmented silver jewelry for use as currency.
    What was hacksilver? A look at its use as currency in medieval Scandinavia
    Stockholm and its surroundings reveal ancient sites like the Jarlabanke Bridge, Granby, and Sigtuna, showcasing the Vikings' engineering skills and influence on modern Scandinavian culture.
    Uncovering Viking heritage: A guide to Stockholm and its surroundings

    Partner content

     Named "the circle of the world" by 17th-century historians, the Heimskringla is a 13th-century Icelandic collection of sagas detailing the history and rulers of Norway and Sweden.

    From myth to monarchy: Heimskringla and the legacy of Viking rulers

    Shedding light on medieval history, the Heimskringla is a collection of sagas that combine historical facts, fantasy, and tall tales in an entertaining manner.
    SEE ALL STORIES

    PHOTO GALLERIES

    Oseberg ship burial mound
    Excavation of the Oseberg ship in 1904
    Gjellestad ship keel
    The excavation of the Gjellestad Viking ship
    Fjord in Norway 2
    Wow: 11 amazing photos of Norwegian fjords