During their brief, but world-changing, dominance in Northern Europe during the two and a half centuries known as the Viking Age, the warrior Norsemen from Scandinavia wreaked havoc and instilled...

In Norse mythology, gods like Thor may steal all the thunder (no pun intended) but not to be outdone, the Asynjur (as the goddesses in the Norse pantheon of deities are collectively known) count...

Norse mythology is a colorful tapestry weaving together larger-than-life figures, rousing tales, and transcendent themes that attempt to explain the cosmos and the human condition through the Viking...

Of all the cultures and people that make up the rich tapestry that is human history, the Vikings are in a class all by themselves in terms of recognition, popularity, and perhaps even infamy. ...

From the 8th through the 11th centuries, the Vikings terrorized towns and nations throughout Europe. These Norse warriors overwhelmed opposing forces with their fighting skills. Even the...

There are different races of beings in Norse mythology: gods, humans, dwarves, elves, trolls, and giants.  Of these, the gods and the giants figure most prominently in Viking myths and legends....

No figure is more significant in Norse mythology than the mighty "all-father" Odin. From creating the earthly realm in which the Vikings lived to hand-selecting fallen warriors to join him in...

During the height of the Viking Era, seafaring warriors from what is now Scandinavia terrorized Northern Europe as they raided and plundered towns and villages that could not defend against them. It...

Scandinavian women of the Viking era are among the most fascinating people in European history. The depiction of Viking women in 21st-century popular culture has led to a lot of questions about them....

When most people think of Norse mythology, their minds conjure Chris Hemsworth's Thor, Tom Hiddleston's Loki, and maybe Anthony Hopkins' Odin. However, there is so much more to Norse mythology than...

Svartalfheim, sometimes spelled Svartalvheim, is an exciting part of Norse mythology. However, in popular culture, it doesn't get as much attention as Asgard or Midgard.  Svartalfheim, also known...

Thanks to Marvel, most people are familiar with Asgard, home of Odin, Thor, and the rest of the Aesir. However, not as many people know about Vanaheim.  Vanaheim, or Vanheimr, is one of the...

The Vikings used all sorts of weapons, from swords to spears to axes to bows. One of the lesser-known Viking weapons is the seax, a kind of knife or shortsword. Knives like the seax would have been...

The word "Viking" probably evokes images of a warrior with a battle-axe or a sword and shield. But the Vikings used long-range weapons as well as melee weapons. In addition to axes, swords, and...

When people picture a Viking, they probably imagine a heavily armored fierce warrior wielding an axe. The Vikings used several kinds of axes as tools and weapons, and the most common was the Dane axe...