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    Culture&religion
    Norse literature is dotted with references to Fólkvangr.

    What is Fólkvangr in Norse mythology?
    History
    The Viking graffiti on marble inside the Hagia Sophia.

    The mystery of the Viking graffiti in the Hagia Sophia
    Culture&religion
    For people in Viking societies, a toast was more than just a drunken ritual.

    What you need to know about Viking cheers and toasts
    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

    Popular Stories

    Culture&religion
    Norse literature is dotted with references to Fólkvangr.

    What is Fólkvangr in Norse mythology?
    History
    The Viking graffiti on marble inside the Hagia Sophia.

    The mystery of the Viking graffiti in the Hagia Sophia
    Culture&religion
    For people in Viking societies, a toast was more than just a drunken ritual.

    What you need to know about Viking cheers and toasts
    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

    News
    Moorforge 2024 is scheduled to take place over the weekend of July 12-14.

    Viking festival spotlight: West meets east at the Moorforge Althing Festival

    Polish Viking reenactor Rafał Wszebor Wawrzynek hopes for different groups to come together and learn from each other in a picturesque setting close to England’s Lake District.
    Moorforge 2024 is scheduled to take place over the weekend of July 12-14.

    Viking festival spotlight: West meets east at the Moorforge Althing Festival

    Polish Viking reenactor Rafał Wszebor Wawrzynek hopes for different groups to come together and lear...
    The reconstruction of the Viking ship Skuldelev 5 has just restarted for the year.
    Follow the reconstruction of the Viking ship Skuldelev 5
    The discovery of a large, fully preserved vessel measuring around 18 meters in length provides captivating evidence of Viking social interaction from approximately 1,200 years ago.
    What next for Gjellestad, one of the most significant recent archaeological digs in Scandinavia?
    The original Bamburgh Castle was built as a Celtic Brittonic fort in the fifth century.
    Discover the real-life Bebbanburg of The Last Kingdom fame

    News

     Moorforge 2024 is scheduled to take place over the weekend of July 12-14.

    Viking festival spotlight: West meets east at the Moorforge Althing Festival

    Polish Viking reenactor Rafał Wszebor Wawrzynek hopes for different groups to come together and learn from each other in a picturesque setting close to England’s Lake District.
    SEE ALL STORIES

    Featured Stories

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    The British authorities have recovered and handed over to the British Museum a significant collection of 44 coins that date back to the late 800s.

    Recovered Viking coins may help rewrite English history

    Read Story
    In her latest book, Nancy Brown weaves together the latest archeological findings and research and shatters centuries-old stereotypes and biases.

    Book review: The Real Valkyrie - The Hidden History of Viking Women

    Read Story
    Given their important symbolism, it is no surprise that the draugar feature in many Old Norse sagas.

    Who are the draugar in Norse mythology?

    Read Story
    The original Bamburgh Castle was built as a Celtic Brittonic fort in the fifth century.

    Discover the real-life Bebbanburg of The Last Kingdom fame

    Read Story

    Featured Stories

    The British authorities have recovered and handed over to the British Museum a significant collection of 44 coins that date back to the late 800s.

    Recovered Viking coins may help rewrite English history

    Read Story
    In her latest book, Nancy Brown weaves together the latest archeological findings and research and shatters centuries-old stereotypes and biases.

    Book review: The Real Valkyrie - The Hidden History of Viking Women

    Read Story
    Given their important symbolism, it is no surprise that the draugar feature in many Old Norse sagas.

    Who are the draugar in Norse mythology?

    Read Story
    The original Bamburgh Castle was built as a Celtic Brittonic fort in the fifth century.

    Discover the real-life Bebbanburg of The Last Kingdom fame

    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;...
    Read Mika Laitinen’s "Viking Age Brew - The Craft of Brewing Sathi Farmhouse Ale," and you’ll have a better appreciation and knowledge of farmhouse ale than your average beer geek.
    Book review: Viking Age Brew - The Craft of Brewing Sathi Farmhouse Ale
    In her latest book, Nancy Brown weaves together the latest archeological findings and research and shatters centuries-old stereotypes and biases.
    Book review: The Real Valkyrie - The Hidden History of Viking Women
    The Viking Heart shows the ups and downs that societies, and the people, in Scandinavia have gone through since the early medieval period.
    Book review: The Viking Heart - How Scandinavians Conquered the World

    Reviews

     Read Mika Laitinen’s "Viking Age Brew - The Craft of Brewing Sathi Farmhouse Ale," and you’ll have a better appreciation and knowledge of farmhouse ale than your average beer geek.

    Book review: Viking Age Brew - The Craft of Brewing Sathi Farmhouse Ale

    The recent craft beer boom has seen every palate, flavor, and style of beer being reinvented and revigorated around the world.
    SEE ALL STORIES

    Trade
    Silver and other precious metals were used as means of trade, and in rarer cases, jewelry. 

    Viking money and economy: How did they work?

    In the beginning, Vikings were mostly farmers who lived off the crops and other fruits of their labor. 
    Silver and other precious metals were used as means of trade, and in rarer cases, jewelry. 

    Viking money and economy: How did they work?

    In the beginning, Vikings were mostly farmers who lived off the crops and other fruits of their labo...
    A depiction of a Viking longship.
    The Viking economy: Farming, raiding, and trading in Viking society
    Vikings bought a rich plethora of items and materials on their voyages, including wine, pottery, silk, silver, and spices.
    What did Vikings trade?
    The trading towns' population consisted mostly of merchants and craftsmen.
    The importance of Viking trading towns: What we know

    Trade

     Silver and other precious metals were used as means of trade, and in rarer cases, jewelry. 

    Viking money and economy: How did they work?

    In the beginning, Vikings were mostly farmers who lived off the crops and other fruits of their labor. 
    SEE ALL STORIES

    Warfare
    There is a scant archaeological record of Viking armor.

    What you need to know about Viking armor

    Whilst one of the most famous symbols of the Viking Age is the famous Gjermundbu helmet, surprisingly little is known more broadly about Viking-era armor.
    There is a scant archaeological record of Viking armor.

    What you need to know about Viking armor

    Whilst one of the most famous symbols of the Viking Age is the famous Gjermundbu helmet, surprisingl...
    Join us as we try to distinguish our seaxes from our swords and find out which type of sword had an export ban to Vikings placed on it.
    A complete guide to Viking weaponry
    Scandinavian Viking swords were the first medieval swords to have been used widely in Scotland.
    Early Medieval Scotsmen used Viking swords. Here’s why
    Shields were used by Vikings both in single combat and as part of a larger shield wall.
    Everything you need to know about Viking shields

    Warfare

     There is a scant archaeological record of Viking armor.

    What you need to know about Viking armor

    Whilst one of the most famous symbols of the Viking Age is the famous Gjermundbu helmet, surprisingly little is known more broadly about Viking-era armor.
    SEE ALL STORIES

    Culture&religion
    For people in Viking societies, a toast was more than just a drunken ritual.

    What you need to know about Viking cheers and toasts

    When they weren't raiding or trading, people from Viking societies liked nothing better than a good feast.
    For people in Viking societies, a toast was more than just a drunken ritual.

    What you need to know about Viking cheers and toasts

    When they weren't raiding or trading, people from Viking societies liked nothing better than a good...
    Nidhogg helps add color to the rich tapestry of Norse mythology, sagas, and legends.
    Norse mythology: What you need to know about the legendary dragon Nidhogg
    The image of a gruesome ship carrying the forces of chaos and death has inspired imaginations since the Viking era.
    What is the mythical Viking ship Naglfar, made out of the dead's fingernails and toenails?
    The two brothers are responsible for one of the most iconic symbols of Norse mythology – Thor's hammer, Mjöllnir, an inspiration for artisans down through the ages.
    Who were Brokkr and Eitri, the Norse dwarves who created magical artifacts for gods?

    Culture&religion

     For people in Viking societies, a toast was more than just a drunken ritual.

    What you need to know about Viking cheers and toasts

    When they weren't raiding or trading, people from Viking societies liked nothing better than a good feast.
    SEE ALL STORIES

    History
    The Bayeux Tapestry shows the transition of England from Anglo-Saxon rule to Norman conquest.

    What you need to know about the Bayeux Tapestry

    The Bayeux Tapestry – which is technically an embroidery – is surely one of the most beautifully elaborated pieces of propaganda ever produced.
    The Bayeux Tapestry shows the transition of England from Anglo-Saxon rule to Norman conquest.

    What you need to know about the Bayeux Tapestry

    The Bayeux Tapestry – which is technically an embroidery – is surely one of the most beautifully ela...
    Håkon, more than any other Viking-era king of Norway, deserves his moniker to be upgraded from "Good" to "Great."
    Who was Håkon the Good, Norway's Viking-era king?
    The Viking graffiti on marble inside the Hagia Sophia.
    The mystery of the Viking graffiti in the Hagia Sophia
    Whilst he was not the first, nor last, Viking king to attempt to thwart all vestiges of the Old Norse religion, Harald Greycloak was, perhaps, the most notorious.
    Who was Harald Greycloak, the destroyer of pagan temples in Norway?

    History

     The Bayeux Tapestry shows the transition of England from Anglo-Saxon rule to Norman conquest.

    What you need to know about the Bayeux Tapestry

    The Bayeux Tapestry – which is technically an embroidery – is surely one of the most beautifully elaborated pieces of propaganda ever produced.
    SEE ALL STORIES

    Legacy
    The appropriation of Viking mythology, symbols, and culture by extremists has done considerable damage by perpetuating harmful stereotypes about the Vikings.

    What does the Sonnenrad symbol have to do with Neo-Nazis, Vikings, and a celebrity chef?

    The Sonnenrad symbol has become a topic of controversy and gained significant attention in recent years.
    The appropriation of Viking mythology, symbols, and culture by extremists has done considerable damage by perpetuating harmful stereotypes about the Vikings.

    What does the Sonnenrad symbol have to do with Neo-Nazis, Vikings, and a celebrity chef?

    The Sonnenrad symbol has become a topic of controversy and gained significant attention in recent ye...
    What medieval people REALLY thought of the Vikings is far more complex and nuanced than the common popular stereotype of these supposed bloodthirsty warriors.
    What did medieval people really think of the Vikings?
    The Vikings' legacy is being tainted with the stench of 21st-century xenophobic myths, bloody acts of political violence, and the politics of intolerance.
    Opinion: How extremists and other thugs are soiling the Vikings' legacy
    Over the past two decades, there has been a resurgence in interest in Viking fire festivals.
    The Viking origins of the fire festivals in Scotland

    Legacy

     The appropriation of Viking mythology, symbols, and culture by extremists has done considerable damage by perpetuating harmful stereotypes about the Vikings.

    What does the Sonnenrad symbol have to do with Neo-Nazis, Vikings, and a celebrity chef?

    The Sonnenrad symbol has become a topic of controversy and gained significant attention in recent years.
    SEE ALL STORIES

    Scandinavia
    The Center's Viking Hall displays beautiful wood carvings typical of the area.

    The Midgard Viking Center showcases Viking culture on a site of historical importance

    As the Midgard Viking Center attracts more and more foreign visitors, its Viking Hall marks its tenth anniversary.
    The Center's Viking Hall displays beautiful wood carvings typical of the area.

    The Midgard Viking Center showcases Viking culture on a site of historical importance

    As the Midgard Viking Center attracts more and more foreign visitors, its Viking Hall marks its tent...
    The monastery of Clonmacnoise, in County Offaly, modern-day Ireland, was attacked by the Vikings numerous times.
    The 5 best Viking sites in Ireland
    Kalmar Castle in Sweden, where the Kalmar Union was formed in 1397 CE.
    What was the Kalmar Union, and how did it affect Scandinavia?
    The Gilling sword on display in 2010 at the Yorkshire Museum, York, UK.
    The 9 best Viking sites in Britain

    Scandinavia

     The Center's Viking Hall displays beautiful wood carvings typical of the area.

    The Midgard Viking Center showcases Viking culture on a site of historical importance

    As the Midgard Viking Center attracts more and more foreign visitors, its Viking Hall marks its tenth anniversary.
    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