Exploring the Viking Age

GRIMFROST®
  • 5.0 (37)
  • HISTORY
  • UPDATED MONTHLY

World leading experts, artists, actors and enthusiasts - all having a foot in the world of the Vikings - come together in Grimfrost's podcast hosted by Johan Hegg. Grimfrost is the world's largest community and webshop for people interested in the Vikings. The podcast is launched to commemorate Grimfrost's 10th anniversary in 2024 as part of our quest to build a bridge between the past and the present.

  1. FEB 1

    #23: Cecilia Ljung - How Scandinavia Became Christian

    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 platforms where podcasts are found, such as Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and more. Find all the links in our linktree: https://linktr.ee/grimfrost

    1h 20m

  2. 12/31/2025

    #22: Tonicha Upham - The Story behind the 13th Warrior

    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 was told, and where later interpretations may have gone too far. We examine the infamous ship cremation funeral, the role of the so-called “Angel of Death,” the question of human sacrifice, and how much of this account reflects Viking-Age Scandinavia versus the culture shaped by trade, migration, and local traditions among the Rus and other Scandinavians encountered in the east.We also discuss how Arabic and Persian sources differ from European ones, why these texts have been underused in Viking studies, and what they reveal about violence, belief, and identity in the Viking world, without romanticizing or sanitizing the past.Subscribe to stay updated! Also available on all platforms where podcasts are found, such as Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and more. Find all the links in our linktree: https://linktr.ee/grimfrost

    1h 30m

  3. 12/01/2025

    #21: Anders Kaliff – Heathen Yule

    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 of Odin’s Hunt, the symbolism of Yule fires, and why midwinter was such a powerful and spiritual time for people in the Viking Age — and long before that.This episode also dives into Kaliff’s latest book Odens jakt, and the deeper Indo-European roots behind ritual landscapes, ancestor traditions, and the seasonal rhythms that still echo through Christmas today.Subscribe to stay updated! Also available on all platforms where podcasts are found, such as Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and more. Find all the links in our linktree: https://linktr.ee/grimfrost

    1h 59m

  4. 11/01/2025

    #20: Veronica Björkman

    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, and how ended up leading one of Sweden’s most historically significant destinations. We also dive into her role in co-founding the Birka Historical Tattoo Fest, the challenge of interpreting history without distorting it, and what it really means to “experience the Viking Age” today. Subscribe to stay updated! Also available on all platforms where podcasts are found, such as Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and more. Find all the links in our linktree: https://linktr.ee/grimfrost

    1h 30m

  5. 09/30/2025

    #19: Giles Kristian & Philip Stevens: Viking Books, Movies and Games

    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 how Viking raids, longships, and brotherhood inspire their work. This episode is about storytelling, adventure, and what it really means to bring the Viking Age to life today.Subscribe to stay updated! Also available on all platforms where podcasts are found, such as Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and more. Find all the links in our linktree: https://linktr.ee/grimfrost

    1h 55m

  6. 08/31/2025

    #18: Johan Runer – What Viking Graves Reveal About Power, Identity, and Control

    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 people, not just warriors and sagas—and how archaeology brings their world back to life. Available on Spotify, YouTube, and all major platforms.

    1h 23m
  7. #17: Jackson Crawford – What Old Norse Really Sounded Like

    08/01/2025

    #17: Jackson Crawford – What Old Norse Really Sounded Like

    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 through his YouTube channel and new translations of the Poetic Edda and The Saga of the Volsungs.Subscribe to stay updated! Also available on all platforms where podcasts are found, such as Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and more. Find all the links in our linktree: https://linktr.ee/grimfrost

    2h 3m
  8. #16: Håkan Altrock: Viking Shipbuilding, Baltic Voyages, and Getting Shot At in Russia

    07/01/2025

    #16: Håkan Altrock: Viking Shipbuilding, Baltic Voyages, and Getting Shot At in Russia

    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 conversation about wood, wind, border crossings—and why the line between history and the present is sometimes thinner than we think.

    1h 26m
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5
out of 5
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About

World leading experts, artists, actors and enthusiasts - all having a foot in the world of the Vikings - come together in Grimfrost's podcast hosted by Johan Hegg. Grimfrost is the world's largest community and webshop for people interested in the Vikings. The podcast is launched to commemorate Grimfrost's 10th anniversary in 2024 as part of our quest to build a bridge between the past and the present.

Information

  • Creator
    GRIMFROST®
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    23
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © GRIMFROST®
  • Show Website
    Exploring the Viking Age

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