Exploring the Viking Age

Exploring the Viking Age by Grimfrost is taking a short break while Johan is on tour with Amon Amarth during October and November. The podcast returns on December 1 with a brand-new episode. Until then, take care—and perhaps catch Johan on the road!

What motivated people to leave their homes and risk their lives on Viking raids?In this episode of Exploring the Viking Age, we welcome historian and Viking Age specialist Terri Barnes to discuss the people, motivations and social structures behind the Viking expansion. Using Walter White from Breaking Bad as an unexpected comparison, Terri explores what happens when people discover that they are good at something—and that it pays.We talk about:• What Breaking Bad can teach us about the Vikings• Wealth, reputation and status as motivations for raiding• Viking groups as criminal networks, cartels and businesses• Slavery and its role in the Viking economy• How Viking raids were organized and supported• Adaptability as a defining feature of Scandinavian society• Common misconceptions and the romanticization of the Vikings• Terri’s research, teaching and Vikingology podcastWhether you’re interested in Viking history, archaeology, Norse culture or the psychology behind the Viking expansion, this episode offers a…

We are taking a short break for the summer. We're releasing a special summer edition episode on August 1, and we'll be back in full force with our regular episodes on September 1. Have a great summer!

What is it like to finally visit the land of the Vikings after years of historical reenactment? In this episode of Exploring the Viking Age, we welcome two Viking reenactors from Canada who share their first impressions of Sweden after visiting places like Birka, Old Uppsala and the Historical Museum archives. We talk about: • Historical accuracy in Viking reenactment• Building authentic Viking clothing and equipment• Blacksmithing and experimental archaeology• The Viking reenactment community in Canada• Visiting Sweden's most iconic Viking sites• Why Viking reenactment is about much more than combat• Living history, craftsmanship and preserving the past Whether you're interested in Viking history, archaeology, reenactment or Norse culture, this episode offers a fascinating perspective from enthusiasts who have dedicated years to recreating the Viking Age as accurately as possible.

Did Beowulf really live on Gotland? In this episode of Exploring the Viking Age, we sit down with Hans Wanneby and Rikard Evertsson to explore one of the most fascinating theories surrounding the Beowulf poem. Together, we dive into: • The theory that Beowulf originated on Gotland • Ancient place names connected to the saga • Archaeological finds and reconstructed migration period environments • Picture stones, dragons, and celestial events • The catastrophe of 536 and its possible connection to the poem • Tolkien’s fascination with Beowulf • The search for what may be Beowulf’s final resting place We also explore how myth, oral tradition, archaeology, and landscape may preserve fragments of a story that has survived for over 1500 years. Subscribe to stay updated! Also available on all major podcast platforms including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and more. Find all links here: https://linktr.ee/grimfrost

In this episode, we sit down with the powerful voice behind the heavy metal band Grand Magus to talk about heavy metal, mythology, and what actually makes music powerful. We dive into vocal techniques and how to maintain your voice over decades of touring, why Norse mythology continues to inspire metal bands around the world, and the creative process behind writing riffs, lyrics, and songs that feel real. We also get into what many modern bands misunderstand about “heaviness”, why authenticity matters more than trends, and how metal at its core is about emotion, imagination, and even joy.From Odin and ancient sagas to live shows and songwriting, this is a conversation about why these stories still resonate today. Subscribe to stay updated! Also available on all platforms where podcasts are found, such as Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and more. Find all the links in our linktree: https://linktr.ee/grimfrost

In this episode, Einar Selvik (Wardruna) breaks down the ideas behind their latest album “Birna” — and why modern life is fundamentally out of sync with the natural world.We talk about:* Why humans have lost their connection to nature* The deeper meaning behind the bear in mythology and music* How emotion, not logic, shapes our experience of life* Touring, creativity, and the need for stillness* The balance between artistic expression and personal lifeEinar also shares insights into his creative process, performing in places like Pompeii, and how music can reconnect us to something deeper.This is a conversation about nature, creativity, and what it means to be human today.🎧 Listen to Wardruna📺 Watch the documentary “Tracking Birna” on YouTube📸 Follow for more conversations like this

What does it actually take to sail and maintain a Viking longship?In this episode of Exploring the Viking Age with Grimfrost, we sit down in the longhouse with our own shipwright and captain, Erik “Tullock.” A trained traditional boat builder who grew up in the harbor, he shares how he went from medieval markets to commanding 17-meter Viking ships.We dive into:• How Scandinavian boatbuilding traditions still mirror Viking Age methods• Why flexibility matters more than brute strength in a wooden hull• Oak vs pine, copper rivets, and selecting timber straight from the forest• The reality of sailing a square sail versus modern rigs• Minimum crew requirements for rowing and sailing• Captain responsibilities, crew coordination, and real risks at sea• Winter maintenance, tar, linseed oil, and preparing ships for launchSubscribe to stay updated! Also available on all platforms where podcasts are found, such as Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and more. Find all the links in our linktree:…

In this episode, we sit down with archaeologist Cecilia Ljung from Uppsala University to explore one of the biggest transformations of the Viking Age: the shift from Norse pagan traditions to Christianity. Through graves, runestones, and early towns, we follow the physical evidence of how belief, ritual, and daily life changed across Scandinavia. Subscribe to stay updated! Also available on all platforms where podcasts are found, such as Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and more. Find all the links in our linktree: https://linktr.ee/grimfrost

In this episode, we explore one of the most extraordinary eyewitness accounts of the Viking Age, written by the 10th-century Arab traveler Ibn Fadlan. Best known today through the movie "The 13th Warrior", Ibn Fadlan was a real historical figure who encountered Viking merchants along the Volga River in 922 AD.Together with our guest, we break down what Ibn Fadlan actually saw, what he was told, and where later interpretations may have gone too far. We examine the infamous ship cremation funeral, the role of the so-called “Angel of Death,” the question of human sacrifice, and how much of this account reflects Viking-Age Scandinavia versus the culture shaped by trade, migration, and local traditions among the Rus and other Scandinavians encountered in the east.We also discuss how Arabic and Persian sources differ from European ones, why these texts have been underused in Viking studies, and what they reveal about violence, belief, and identity in the Viking world, without romanticizing or sanitizing the…

What do fire rituals, the dead returning home, and Odin riding through the night sky have to do with heathen Yule? Do the old ways find their way into our modern day celebrations?In this special midwinter episode, archaeologist and professor Anders Kaliff returns to explore the ancient beliefs that shaped the holiday season long before Christianity arrived in Scandinavia. We talk about the myth of Odin’s Hunt, the symbolism of Yule fires, and why midwinter was such a powerful and spiritual time for people in the Viking Age — and long before that.This episode also dives into Kaliff’s latest book Odens jakt, and the deeper Indo-European roots behind ritual landscapes, ancestor traditions, and the seasonal rhythms that still echo through Christmas today.Subscribe to stay updated! Also available on all platforms where podcasts are found, such as Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and more. Find all the links in our linktree: https://linktr.ee/grimfrost

What does it take to preserve one of the most iconic Viking sites in the world — while also keeping it alive and relevant for new generations? In this episode, we speak with Veronica Björkman, site manager at Birka Vikingastaden, about the balance between archaeology, tourism, and cultural storytelling. We talk about grave finds, the Christian cross at Birka, how modern reconstructions are handled, and how ended up leading one of Sweden’s most historically significant destinations. We also dive into her role in co-founding the Birka Historical Tattoo Fest, the challenge of interpreting history without distorting it, and what it really means to “experience the Viking Age” today. Subscribe to stay updated! Also available on all platforms where podcasts are found, such as Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and more. Find all the links in our linktree: https://linktr.ee/grimfrost

For our first ever double-guest episode, we’re joined by bestselling historical novelist Giles Kristian and award-winning director and actor Philip Stevens. Together they’ve rowed the world’s largest Viking longship, turned saga-poems into film, and are now collaborating on an upcoming Viking video game (Norse: Oath of Blood).We talk about unexpected journeys - from boy bands to battlefields and how Viking raids, longships, and brotherhood inspire their work. This episode is about storytelling, adventure, and what it really means to bring the Viking Age to life today.Subscribe to stay updated! Also available on all platforms where podcasts are found, such as Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and more. Find all the links in our linktree: https://linktr.ee/grimfrost

Archaeologist Johan Runer joins us to explore how Viking society was held together without kings, police, or central power. From burial rituals to land rights and runestones, we look at how authority, ownership, and identity were built from the ground up. We talk about decentralized power, grave goods as legal markers, and the invisible laws that shaped Viking life. This episode is about real people, not just warriors and sagas—and how archaeology brings their world back to life. Available on Spotify, YouTube, and all major platforms.

Jackson Crawford is a linguist, translator, and educator known for his clear and accessible approach to Old Norse. In this episode, we talk about what Old Norse actually sounded like — and how we even know that. We also explore how far we can trace our shared linguistic roots, and how Jackson left academia to bring Old Norse to a wider audience through YouTube.Jackson’s work has reached millions through his YouTube channel and new translations of the Poetic Edda and The Saga of the Volsungs.Subscribe to stay updated! Also available on all platforms where podcasts are found, such as Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and more. Find all the links in our linktree: https://linktr.ee/grimfrost

Håkan Altrock has built Viking ships, sailed them along the ancient Viking routes to the Caspian Sea, pulled them across land by hand—and been threatened and shot at in Russia. In this episode, he shares stories from decades of travel on open water in handcrafted ships: sailing the eastern river-routes, navigating storms, improvising repairs, and facing real-world threats far from home. This is a conversation about wood, wind, border crossings—and why the line between history and the present is sometimes thinner than we think.

Today’s guest is Jim Hansson — marine archaeologist, diver, and co-author of The Ships of Birka. In this episode, we dive deep (literally) into the world beneath the waves: underwater Viking harbors, preserved tools and textiles, how he found a fragment of what is likely a piece of a sail, and the magic of uncovering everyday life from over a thousand years ago. Jim shares wild stories from decades of diving, from finding Kalashnikovs and Santa masks to recovering 16th-century warships in the Baltic Sea.

Todays Guest is Rowdy Geirsson - American humorist, author, history nerd and Viking enthusiast currently living in Sweden. He’s the author of the Impudent Edda and Scandinavian Aggressors. We dive into why Norse myths still hit hard today, and what it means to bring ancient gods into modern-day Boston. From Thor losing his temper renewing his drivers license to poop feuds in Icelandic sagas.

Today's guest is Daniel Serra, an expert in historical food and experimental archaeology. He specializes in Viking Age cuisine, reconstructing meals based on archaeological evidence and ancient texts. In this episode, we dive into what Vikings really ate, how they cooked, and the surprising flavors of the past. From fermented fish porridge to ritual feasts.

Today's guest is Martin Erikson - one of the biggest Viking enthusiasts around. He is a Viking themed restaurant owner, author, ship owner, musician and adventurer. For us Swedes, he's a national treasure bordering on a legend. Subscribe to stay updated! Also available on all platforms where podcasts are found, such as YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and more. Find all the links in our linktree: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/grimfrost⁠

Today’s guest is Peter Olausson. Shipbuilder, historian and expert on cultural heritage. Subscribe to stay updated! Also available on all platforms where podcasts are found, such as YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and more. Find all the links in our linktree: ⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/grimfrost⁠

Today’s guest is Anders Kaliff. Author and professor of archaeology at Uppsala university in Sweden. Subscribe to stay updated! Also available on all platforms where podcasts are found, such as YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and more. Find all the links in our linktree: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/grimfrost⁠

Today's guest is Neil Price, acclaimed author and distinguished professor of archaeology at Uppsala University in Sweden. Subscribe to stay updated! Also available on all platforms where podcasts are found, such as YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and more. Find all the links in our linktree: ⁠https://linktr.ee/grimfrost⁠

This time our guest is Nils Edström, musician, songwriter and the man behind the band Hindarfjäll. Subscribe to stay updated! Also available on all platforms where podcasts are found, such as YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and more. Find all the links in our linktree: https://linktr.ee/grimfrost

This time our guest is Ben Raffield– archaeologist, associate professor at Uppsala University and expert on Viking Age warfare and warriors. Hear the guys discuss warriorhood, conflicts, slavery and more.

Explore the Viking Age with the Grimfrost Podcast’s sixth episode! This time our guest is Matthias Toplak – archaeologist, reenactor and head of the Viking Museum Haithabu, one of the most important archaeological museums in Germany. Check it out!

Explore the Viking Age with the Grimfrost Podcast’s fifth episode! This time our guest is Clive Standen – actor, shepherd of the sea and Rollo in the tv-series Vikings.

Explore the Viking Age with the Grimfrost Podcast’s fourth episode! This time our guest is Charlotte Hedenstierna-Jonson, an acknowledged archaeologist who has examined some of the most famous Viking Age sites and graves. She is an expert in the Viking Age martial culture, economy and much more. Check it out!

Explore the Viking Age with the Grimfrost Podcast’s third episode! This time our guest is Faravid af Ugglas who lives and breaths Vikings. He is a screenwriter, movie producer, Viking reenactor, artist, craftsman and the World Heritage site manager for Birka and Hovgården (two Viking Age power sites in Sweden). Check it out!

Grimfrost Podcast, Episode 2, features Henrik Williams. Professor of Runology, world leading expert on runes and runic inscriptions and the man who deciphered the Rök runestone.

Grimfrost Podcast, Episode 1, features Einar Selvik. Musician, composer and the man behind the global phenomenon Wardruna.