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    Legacy

    Popular Stories

    Legacy
    The myth is based on a 17th-century mistranslation of a passage of the skaldic poem Krákumál.

    Did Vikings really drink from skulls?
    Legacy
    Viking reenactment includes a broad range of activities.

    Modern Vikings: Reenacting Viking activities to engage with the past
    Legacy
    Historians don't believe that Vikings warriors wore horned helmets.

    The myth of horned Viking helmets
    Legacy
    The barbarity and ghastly hygiene attributed to Vikings were often misreported.

    Were Vikings really dirty and ultraviolent brutes?
    The myth is based on a 17th-century mistranslation of a passage of the skaldic poem Krákumál.

    Did Vikings really drink from skulls?

    While the myth makes for great fear-inducing movie scenes, there is no actual evidence that Vikings drank beverages out of the skulls of the enemies that they defeated and killed.
    Viking reenactment includes a broad range of activities.

    Modern Vikings: Reenacting Viking activities to engage with the past
    Historians don't believe that Vikings warriors wore horned helmets.

    The myth of horned Viking helmets
    The barbarity and ghastly hygiene attributed to Vikings were often misreported.

    Were Vikings really dirty and ultraviolent brutes?

    Common misconceptions
    Real Viking life was messier and more varied than the clichés of endless raiding and bloodshed.

    5 myths about Vikings everyone got wrong

    In an era where, sadly, truth has now turned subjective, the world is awash with disinformation and misinformation. This sad state of affairs has also impacted our modern depictions and conceptions of the Vikings.

    Common misconceptions
    Real Viking life was messier and more varied than the clichés of endless raiding and bloodshed.

    5 myths about Vikings everyone got wrong

    In an era where, sadly, truth has now turned subjective, the world is awash with disinformation and misinformation. This sad state of affairs has also impacted our modern depictions and conceptions of the Vikings.

    Common misconceptions

     We all know about the Vikings... But how much do we know about the name behind the people?

    What does the word 'Viking' really mean?

    This article was written by Judith Jesch, Professor of Viking Studies at the University of Nottingham.
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    Medieval perceptions
    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 traditional historical picture painted of the Vikings was one of ravenous and mindless berserkers, hellbent on quenching their lust for carnal pleasures and glittering treasures.

    Medieval perceptions
    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 traditional historical picture painted of the Vikings was one of ravenous and mindless berserkers, hellbent on quenching their lust for carnal pleasures and glittering treasures.

    Medieval perceptions

     Two major accounts, both from Christian monks, claim to show that the Vikings did indeed practice human sacrifice.

    Did the Vikings really sacrifice humans?

    Many pre-modern societies dotted throughout the world, from the Aztecs to the Celts, the Ancient Romans and Greeks, to the Dahomey Kingdom in West Africa and even the Indus Valley Civilization, all practiced the ritualized killing of humans.
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    Modern politics
    Scholars and historians are now taking a closer look at the Viking legacy, scrutinizing the complexities and contradictions that have been romanticized over the years.

    A critical look at the Viking legacy today

    For centuries, people have romanticized Viking societies as early medieval pioneers who explored new worlds, traded, and created majestic literature. However, a new generation of historians and academics is rethinking our understanding of the Vikings and their legacy.

    Modern politics
    Scholars and historians are now taking a closer look at the Viking legacy, scrutinizing the complexities and contradictions that have been romanticized over the years.

    A critical look at the Viking legacy today

    For centuries, people have romanticized Viking societies as early medieval pioneers who explored new worlds, traded, and created majestic literature. However, a new generation of historians and academics is rethinking our understanding of the Vikings and their legacy.

    Modern politics

     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.
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    Modern popular culture
    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.

    Modern popular culture
    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.

    Modern popular culture

     The myth is based on a 17th-century mistranslation of a passage of the skaldic poem Krákumál.

    Did Vikings really drink from skulls?

    While the myth makes for great fear-inducing movie scenes, there is no actual evidence that Vikings drank beverages out of the skulls of the enemies that they defeated and killed.
    SEE ALL STORIES

    Post-medieval perceptions
    Military illustrator Seth Eastman at Dighton Rock in 1853.

    Dighton Rock: The rise and fall of Carl Rafn's Norse theory

    A single rock in Massachusetts became the focus of a major 19th-century theory linking Viking explorers to North America.

    Post-medieval perceptions
    Military illustrator Seth Eastman at Dighton Rock in 1853.

    Dighton Rock: The rise and fall of Carl Rafn's Norse theory

    A single rock in Massachusetts became the focus of a major 19th-century theory linking Viking explorers to North America.

    Post-medieval perceptions

     What would the Vikings, travel masters themselves, think of modern-day airplanes? The image is used for illustration purposes.

    Start-up airline Norse Atlantic Airways reveals Viking-inspired branding

    Headquartered in Norway, start-up airline Norse Atlantic Airways plans to launch flights in 2022. This month, they've unveiled their first routes, a new website, and official branding – which was inspired by the Vikings.
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