Life during the Viking Age in the Norse realms wasn’t as dull as some people assume. On the contrary, the Norsemen had been practicing a series of games and sports that nowadays we collectively can call entertainment. According to medieval Icelandic literature and archaeological discoveries, it is known that they played both indoor and outdoor…
The Hnefatafl (alternatively known as King’s board or tablut) was a strategy board game similar to contemporary Chess that was invented and played by the Norsemen in the time of the Viking Age. From native Scandinavia, the Norsemen brought the hnefatafl to their overseas colonies, most notably in the North Atlantic ones (i.e. the Faroe…
Usage of the legendary sunstones is attested in several old Icelandic written tales to have helped슠the Norsemen during their lengthy maritime voyages from native Scandinavia abroad during the tumultuous Viking Age. According to several medieval allegorical stories such as, for instance, ‘Rau쎰쎺lfs 쎾쎡ttr‘ (meaning ‘The story of Rau쎰 and of his sons’) written sometime during…
A recent discovery of a Viking Age settlement at Point Rosee headland in southwestern Newfoundland, Canada may rewrite the history of the Vikings in North America, especially in the context of the pre-Columbus European exploration of the New World. The possible Viking Age settlement was spotted using satellite imagery on the area of Point Rosee….
The Berserkers (also known as ‘berserks’) were elite Norse warriors who fought during the Viking Age on the battlefield with intense rage and bravery. The very word ‘berserk’ (as well as ‘berserker’) entered the English language via Old Norse, its etymology attesting the ravaging physical power of these Norse champion fighters. In the Old Norse…
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