Viking

Freydis Eiriksdottir in Vikings Valhalla

Was Freydís Eiríksdóttir a hero or a deranged murderess?

A page from The Encomium, a flattering account of the reign of Cnut written in the early 1040s and commissioned by his mother Emma of Normandy to show her powerful position

Emma of Normandy: not just a two-time queen consort of England

Sweyn Forkbeard, king of Denmark and the first Viking king of England

How Sweyn Forkbeard became the first Viking king of England

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Part one in our 20-part series looking at decisive moments of the last 1,000 years in British history explores 1000–1049

Turning points 1016: The Danish conquest of England . This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A Viking ship is burned in a reproduction of a funeral

What do we know about Viking funerals?

A 12th century tapestry showing, on the left, one eyed Odin carrying an axe, with a representation of the tree from which he hung; in the centre, Thor, carrying his symbolic hammer in his right hand; and on the right the fertility god Frey holding an ear of corn

10 incredible Viking stories from Norse mythology

A carving of the Viking gods Odin, Thor and Freyr with a sacrifice above them. It was found on the Swedish island of Gotland (Photo by: PHAS/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Gods, myths and rituals: what we know about Viking religious beliefs

The Great Army attacks the East Anglian town of Thetford in this illuminated manuscript from 'The Life of Edmund'. Viking pikemen scale the ramparts on ladders

The secrets of the Viking Great Army

A manuscript illumination dated c1100 depicting Viking warriors sailing towards Brittany

What if... The Vikings had never left their homelands?

A sword/hammer type coin from the Danelaw

The Danelaw: is the ‘realm’ of the Vikings in Anglo-Saxon-era England a place or an idea?

Viking sailors make the long voyage across the Atlantic between Europe and America, in order to bring back timber, circa 1350. The Vikings are thought to have discovered America in around 1000 AD, but never attempted full colonization of the new land, due to the hostile natives. Painting by NC Wyeth. (Image by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

“Vikings didn’t wear horned helmets,” plus 7 more Viking myths busted

Pod Rob Gallagher WL

The man who made King Alfred great

Depiction of the battle of Stamford Bridge. Harald Hardrada, king of Norway, seen here wielding a battleaxe, was slain at the battle

Harald Hardrada: why there’s more to the last great Viking than his death in 1066

Benjamin Savill discusses the St Brice’s Day Massacre of 1002, in which Danes living in England were killed, apparently on royal orders. (Image by Getty Images)

The St Brice’s Day Massacre of 1002

A depiction of King Æthelred II holding a sword

The St Brice’s Day Massacre: what really happened?