Tag: Middle Ages

The Historical Truth Behind Aslaug

Aslaug is one of the main characters in the Irish-Canadian TV series ‘Vikings’ on History Channel. Her portrayal in the TV series is based on the ‘V쎶lsunga saga’, a legendary 13th Icelandic chronicle. Her name can also be found in different sagas under other variations such as슠Asl쎶g, Kr쎡ka, Kraba or Randalin. Aslaug is known for…


The Art Of The Vikings (BBC Secret Knowledge Documentary)

There is a considerable number of myths surrounding the Vikings and the Viking Age. Among the most well known ones are the claims according to which they there were ruthless barbarians who plundered Catholic abbeys during the Early Middle Ages (also known as the Dark Ages, although this is not a desired, preferred, or accepted…


A Brief History Of The Goths And Their Kingdoms

The Goths were an Eastern Germanic tribe which might have quite likely originated on the island of Gotland (from present-day G쎶taland, southern Sweden) in the Baltic Sea. They spoke the Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language that mostly faded away by the 9th century AD. They were referred to as ‘Gutar/Gotar’ in Old Norse…


British Sarcasm – Part Of The Norsemen’s Legacy In Viking Age Britain?

Mr Claus Grube, the Danish Ambassador to the United Kingdom, claims that the sarcastic, self-deprecating, and understatement types of humour that popular in Britain might trace their roots back to the Viking Age, highlighting thus a common cultural heritage between the British and the Scandinavians. According to him, it was ultimately슠the Norsemen슠that brought sarcastic humour…


The Mystery Behind The Lewis Chessmen: A Possible Icelandic Origin?

According to a recent research on some walrus bones found in Iceland, the precious and reputed Lewis Chessmen that are on display at the British Museum in London and at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh might actually be Icelandic in origin. The Lewis Chessmen represent one of the fewest best preserved chess sets…