Tag: viking
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Kickstarting the Viking Age
Many people considered the coming of the #Vikings as divine punishment, but what really caused them to take the rest of #medieval Europe by storm? Find out in this #HistoryRaid:
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The Norse Homeland
What was the ‘Viking’ homeland like? What kind of environment was it? What hardships did they face? How did the land shape their society? Who lived in there? And what kind of kingdoms were there? — Join me on this Raid to explore the history of the Vikings!
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The Vikings and Their Era
Who were the Vikings? What were they really like? Were they really all violent berserks? What was their reputation? Is it true? And what was their world like? — Join me on this Raid to explore the history of the Vikings!
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How Old is Written Language in Scandinavia?
Anonymous asked: how old is written language in scandinavia? a stuck up English teacher was acting like beowulf was the absolute first written literature from that entire region and that sounds super wrong to me I was hoping you’d know First of all, the date for the origin of Beowulf (as an Old English poem) is a hot…
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A Brief Introduction to Runes
This part of the Hall contains basic information regarding five runic alphabets, which are named based on their time, place, and first six runes (futhark, futhorc, futhork, etc.). It is important to keep in mind that runes were generally meant to be written based on their sound, not just their letter equivalent. If you encounter…
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Drinking in the Medieval North
Please gather around, friends, for another anonymous wanderer has sent a request to this hall! I hate to admit that it was long ago now, but a raven once came to me bearing this message: “i’d be curious to hear from a possibly more academic side how you see drinking/alcohol playing into heathenism? i’ve heard…
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King Hakon the Good Complicates Yule
As many are of you are already aware, this time of year is popularly regarded as a Revived Yuletide with the Winter Solstice typically being the beginning of this ‘New’ Old Yule. Yet, although I too regard this day as a New Yule, I must also admit that this is not historically true. Long ago,…
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Hord and the Mound of Soti the Viking
Today is Old Yule Eve, and I have quite the story to share with you all tonight! A wanderer by the name of paganoldsoul requested that I tell stories about Odin and Yule, and so I have found one worthy of a retelling. While it may not be exactly what they had in mind, it is…
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Gift-Giving in the Medieval North
Gather around, friends; the fire is still warm and lively! One night, a fair bit ago now, a raven flew into my hall bearing an interesting question from an anonymous wanderer. It has particular relevance to this gift-giving season (Jól (Yule/Christmas) for some), which is quickly approaching us. Allow me to share the question with…
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Old Norse 1.1
Please gather around and join me by the hearth if you wish to learn more about the Old Tongue! The theme of our current festivities shall be “Njáll hét maðr…”, which will be concerned with how great heroes are introduced in the sagas! During our next few gatherings, we will learn more about this theme,…
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Old Norse Preface
Preface Introducing the Language “The term ‘Old Norse’ has been used in various ways. For some it is a broad concept covering the language of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, as well as Iceland and the other Scandinavian colonies, throughout the Viking Age (c. 750–1050) and the early and high Middle Ages (c. 1050–1350). At the…
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Vikings in the East: Rús and Slavs
THE TALE OF VIKINGS IN THE EAST is dominated by the Swedes, who took to their sails with a slightly difference tune than their brethren in the West. Before we saw plunder, settlement, and breaths of conquest in the West with the Danes and the Norwegians, but here we shall see ‘Vikings’ primarily trading and providing…
