World Serpents: Powerful Snakes from Mythology
In the captivating realm of Norse mythology, one creature reigns supreme: the serpent. Therefore, these creatures are often portrayed as both fearsome and awe-inspiring. They weave their way through the ancient sagas, leaving an indelible mark on the rich tapestry of Norse folklore. Furthermore, two important serpents are Jormungandr, and Nidhogg. The serpent Jormungandr encircles…
Viking Games: From Hnefatafl to Assassins Creed
The Vikings have remained at the forefront of entertainment. Not only were the Vikings known as big gamers, but a millennia later, they are still inspiring some of the hottest video games on the market. Sure, the sporting ground might have changed from the longhouse to the sofa in the basement of your mom’s…
Did the Vikings Have Tattoos: Iconography and Permanency
This is a pretty common question. We get so much of our knowledge from media sources, and sometimes those sources are misleading. Loads of ancient tribes (do we even refer to the Norsemen as Ancient?) had tattoos. Therefore, it isn’t unreasonable to believe Vikings may have had tattoos. The only problem is, of course, that…
Were Shieldmaidens Real: The Role of Women in the Viking Age
The Vikings have remained a popular topic of interest for the past millennia. Although we have learned far more about their culture in the past century, there still persists an imagine of savagery. To anyone who has learned of Viking culture via television and film, this imagery of fierce warriors who spend most of their…
Viking Farming: What Life Was Like In-Between the Pillage
Like many medieval folks, the Viking population typically lived on farms. Some were small, and others large enough to supply food for a family unit, and staff. The Viking world stretched over vast areas of land from Denmark to parts of the Anglo-Saxon world, northern Scotland for a while, Norway, Iceland, Greenland, and then into…
Vikings on Oak Island: A Heathen Hoard in the Money Pit?
I’ve grown up in Nova Scotia, so the lore of Oak Island was familiar to me long before they turned it into a series. There are plenty of theories of what might be buried on the small island off the coast of Nova Scotia, but honestly, no one knows, and no one has presented any…
Viking Oath Rings: Arm Bracelets and Oath Taking in Viking Culture
If you have leafed through the pages of the Poetic Edda, or the Prose Edda, then you are familiar with the Viking period concept of binding. Binding was an important theme during the Viking Age, and an important part of Viking culture. We see this theme represented in images and written form. Viking mythology has…
Viking Age Medicine: Staying Healthy in the Sagas
When I was in my fourth year of my undergraduate degree I took a class simply calling “Viking History”. At the end of the year we had to write a research paper and I chose “Viking Age Medicine: Staying Healthy in the Sagas” as my topic. I remember being surprised by how much knowledge they…
hey friends,
I’m Jenn. I am a lifelong learner, with a passion for history. I spent about 15 years studying medieval history and the viking period, before I became a therapist.
I lived in Iceland for a few years when I began my PhD. It is still a work in progress, but I am endlessly inspired by the mythology of the vikings.
I hope you find something here that interests you.
