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Ragnar Lothbrok
Ragnar Lothbrok (Old Norse Ragnarr Loðbrók, also anglicised as Ragnar Lodbrok), whose epithet means 'Hairy-breeches' or 'Shaggy-breeches', was a legendary Viking king, with Old Norse sagas, poetry, and medieval Latin sources telling of his...

Video
How They Did It - Growing Up Viking
A history documentary on what it was like to grow up Viking. In this history documentary we explore the world of the ancient Viking Age from the perspective of a child. This is a topic that all too often gets overlooked when talking about...

Definition
Aethelred the Unready
Aethelred II, also known as Aethelred the Unready, was king of the English from 978-1013 and 1014-1016. His long reign was initially stable, but Viking attacks on England escalated from the 990s onward. Viking incursions eventually grew so...

Video
Viking Expert Breaks Down Famous Viking Movies & TV Shows
Archaeologist and leading Viking specialist, Neil Price, looks at how Vikings are portrayed in popular films and TV shows.

Article
Vikings in Wales
The Norse may have ruled parts of northern Wales in the early 11th century, specifically in Anglesey and Gwynedd, though the degree to which is unclear. Old Norse had relatively little impact on Welsh linguistics, and the Old Norse influenced...

Definition
Ivar the Boneless
Ivar the Boneless (Old Norse Ívarr hinn Beinlausi) is known from Old Norse and medieval Latin sources as the son of the legendary Viking king Ragnar Lothbrok, in these stories raiding alongside his father and brothers and becoming the ruler...

Article
Viking Prophecy: The Poem Völuspá of the Poetic Edda
The Völuspá (Old Norse: Vǫluspá) is a medieval poem of the Poetic Edda that describes how the world might have come into shape and would end according to Norse mythology. The story of about 60 stanzas is told by a seeress or völva (Old Norse...

Definition
Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians
Aethelflaed (r. 911-918 CE) was the daughter of King Alfred the Great of Wessex (r. 871-899 CE) and became queen of Mercia following the death of her husband Aethelred, Lord of the Mercians (r. 883-911 CE). She is best known as the “Lady...

Collection
Norse-Viking Culture
Norse-Viking culture is frequently misrepresented in popular media which emphasizes the rugged, militaristic aspect of the people. In reality, Norse culture placed a high value on appearance, personal hygiene, and religious devotion, creating...

Image
Map of Viking Exploration, 8th-11th Century
This map illustrates the sweep of Viking exploration between the late 8th and early 11th centuries, charting longship routes from Scandinavia to the British Isles, Normandy, Iberia, Russia, the Mediterranean, and across the North Atlantic...