Exploring the Viking Age

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 • P...

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 fe...

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*...

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 tra...

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 pl...

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 wa...

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 o...

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...

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 h...

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 peop...

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...

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...

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 deca...

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 linkt...

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!