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Danegeld: The Vikings' sword-powered tax system
Long before Don Corleone made people an offer they couldn't refuse, the Vikings were in the extortion racket. The Danegeld – a form of tax or protection money – was extracted, by the point of a sword – by Vikings from the Baltic to the Black Sea, from the British Isles to Baghdad.1 month ago — Trade -
From pages to reality: Octavia Randolph tours Gotland, the Viking island of her stories
How an author from Boston fell in love with Gotland and made it the focus of her stories and tours.1 month ago — News -
The backbone of Viking armies: Understanding the role of huscarls
Huscarls, elite warriors from Anglo-Saxon and Viking societies, showed steadfast loyalty and skill in protecting their nobles, often to the death. Their formidable reputation is thought to have inspired the formation of the Byzantine Empire's Varangian Guard.1 month ago — Warfare -
What you need to know about Viking King Guthred and his remarkable journey from slavery to kingship
In what is undoubtedly one of the medieval period’s most fantastical rags to riches stories, Guthred rose from being a slave to the second King of Northumbria during the late 9th century CE.1 month ago — History -
Brief encounter: King Alfred and Ohthere of Hålogaland, the Viking adventurer
Jonathan Bennett describes how a chance meeting between an Anglo-Saxon king and a Viking traveler helped make history.2 months ago — History -
The Battle of Cynwit: What you need to know about the famous clash between West Saxons and Vikings
The Viking juggernaut that had been decimating much of Anglo-Saxon England for more than a decade was finally put to a stop in the scenic environs of what is now the picturesque hamlet of Countisbury in 878 CE.9 months ago — History -
What was the Danelaw?
Aside from great football teams, even better beer, and horrible weather, what else do parts of the English Midlands, North, and North East have in common? They were part of the Danelaw.1 year ago — History -
Who was Alfred the Great, the Saxon king who defeated the Vikings?
The fourth son of a King, Alfred, had to wait his turn to rule his kingdom. However, when he finally ascended to the throne of the West Saxons, he certainly made up for the lost time.1 year ago — History
