Today I chat with Professor Gísli Sigurðsson of the University of Iceland about Laxdæla saga. We discuss the origin of this well-known Icelandic saga, the key characters it features, and whether it should be considered a historical source. Referenced in Today’s Episode: Libromania – A Podcast for Book Lovers Medieval Icelandic Saga and Oral Tradition:…

Today I had a chat with Dr. James Montgomery of Cambridge University about medieval Arabic traveler Ibn Fadlan. Ibn Fadlan’swriting is an interesting source for the Viking Age and provides a foreigner’s perspective on the people he called the Rus’. Referenced in Today’s Episode: JORVIK Viking Festival Follow The History of Vikings on YouTube, Twitter,…

Today I had a chat with Dr. Peter Addyman, British archaeologist and original director of York Archaeological Trust. We discussed the history of Viking Age York and the discoveries he made during the Coppergate Dig of the 1970-80s. Referenced in Today’s Episode: JORVIK Viking Festival  Follow The History of Vikings on YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram. Feel…

Today I chat with Sarah Maltby, Director of Attractions for York Archaeological Trust. We discuss the rich history of Viking Age York in the spirit of the upcoming JORVIK Viking Festival. Referenced in Today’s Episode: JORVIK Viking Festival Follow The History of Vikings on YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram. Feel free to contact me with any…

Listen for an excellent conversation with Dr. Jón Karl Helgason on this new book, Echoes of Valhalla: The Afterlife of the Eddas and Sagas. Dr. Helgason is a professor at the University of Iceland and describes the way in which the myths of Old Norse literature have lived on throughout history. From Tolkien’s Wizard Gandalf, Richard Wagner’s…