Today is officially Leif Erikson Day. Commemorated as a national holiday by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964, the holiday is an observance of Leif Erikson and his companions as the first known Europeans to set foot in North America. The holiday gives the nation a chance to honor the… Read More »Today in Medieval History: Happy Leif Erikson Day!
I recently came across the Secrets of the Viking Sword documentary streaming on Netflix. The documentary is very interesting as it details how the famous Ulfberht sword was forged during that period. Unlike any sword of its day, the Ulfberht viking sword was far superior to its counterparts in how it was… Read More »Secrets of the Viking Sword
Was curious if anyone has been watching the Vikings series on the History Channel? I watched the first couple of episodes but it just didn’t hook me. The characters were not all that interesting to me. Maybe it gets better and I should go back and give it another chance, but… Read More »Vikings on the History Channel
Each year, the Battle of Stamford Bridge Society holds a big two day re-enactment event surrounding the battle that occurred on September 25th, 1066. This years event will be held on September 22nd/23rd. It attracts around 300-400 Saxon and Viking warriors. These folks set up living history tents and then re-enact various aspects… Read More »The Battle of Stamford Bridge Society
The sack of Lindisfarne Abbey is considered by many historians to begin the period of the Viking invasions of England. It is mentioned briefly in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle as such: This year came dreadful fore-warnings over the land of the Northumbrians, terrifying the people most woefully: these were immense sheets… Read More »The Viking Invasion of England: Lindisfarne Abbey
Harald Sigurdsson (1015 – September 25, 1066), later given the epithet Hardrada (Old Norse: roughly translated as “stern counsel” or “hard ruler”) was the king of Norway from 1047 until 1066. He also claimed to be the King of Denmark until 1064, often defeating King Sweyn’s army and forcing him… Read More »Harald Hardrada
The Burning Land is the fifth installment in Cornwell’s Saxon Stories. Set in late 9th century Britain, King Alfred the Great is close to death, and Uhtred breaks his oath to Alfred to ride north to Northumbria in order to reclaim his ancestral home of Bebbanburg from his uncle. To reclaim… Read More »Review of The Burning Land by Bernard Cornwell
A special thanks to William Short, author of Viking Weapons and Combat Techniques, for his time in graciously agreeing to answer a few questions: 1) How did you become interested in “Viking” history? I don’t know. My educational and professional background had a heavy emphasis on technical topics and was… Read More »Q&A with William Short, Author of Viking Weapons and Combat Techniques
My review of Viking Weapons and Combat Techniques has been published in the latest issue of The Heroic Age. The Heroic Age is a fully peer-reviewed academic journal, focusing on Northwestern Europe during the early medieval period (from the early 4th through 13th centuries). The journal’s mission is to foster… Read More »Review of Viking Weapons and Combat Techniques by William Short