Norse

Weapons of War: the War Hammer

By William McPeak

Not to be confused with Mjollnir, the mythical Norse god Thor’s fabled hammer, the real-life war hammer was a brutal and effective weapon. Read more

Norse

Norse Viking Warriors vs. Anglo-Saxon Thegns

By Eric Niderost

It can indeed be rather difficult to understand the differences between Anglo-Saxon thegns and the Norse Viking warriors. Read more

Norse

King Harold and the Battle of Hastings

by Frederick Grant

On December 25, 1065, King Edward the Confessor presided over a spectacular Christmas banquet at his palace on Thorney Island in the Thames River, just two miles upstream from London. Read more

Norse

Viking Tide: Alfred the Great during the Danish Invasions

By Eric Niderost

It was the custom for King Alfred of Wessex to celebrate the Twelve Days of Christmas at his royal palace at Dorchester, in the county of Dorset. Read more

Norse

Rollo the Viking, First Ruler of Normandy

by Michael Haskew

Roving bands of Viking seafarers raided extensively in Western Europe from the Eighth to the 11th centuries, looting and sacking settlements and population centers including London, Paris, and Hamburg. Read more

Norse

Who Were the Vikings?

by Michael Haskew

The word “Viking” conjures up images of fierce, seafaring warriors, armed to the teeth and wearing horned helmets, descending upon defenseless villages in Western Europe and the British Isles to rape, murder, and pillage. Read more