A podcast featuring scholarly discussions about Vikings, Norse myth, & the history of medieval Scandinavia. Hosted by Noah Tetzner.
Follow The History of Vikings on Twitter: @HistoryofViking
Email Noah with ideas for future episodes: noah@thehistoryofvikings.com
Forgotten Vikings: Rorik of Dorestad, the Baltic Sea, & Beyond the Monastery Raids
When one thinks of the Viking Age, the date range of c. 793–1066 comes to mind. Monastery raids across England, Ireland, and the Frankish kingdoms of Charlemagne and his descendants have been depicted in historical dramas and documentaries on major television networks. But what about the ‘’forgotten Vikings’’?
I’m talking about a broader, more nuanced perspective on the Viking Age? Pre-793 monastery raids, Viking activity in the Baltic, the Azores (a chain of islands off the coast of Portugal), and the role of non-combatants vs. the traditional view of Vikings solely as raiders.
With me to discuss this is Alex Harvey, an archaeologist, collections manager at Pocklington District Heritage Trust, and tutor for Medievalists.net (http://medievalists.net). He is also the author of a number of Early Medieval historical and archaeological books, including the topic of today’s chat: Forgotten Vikings: New Approaches to the Viking Age (https://www.amberley-books.com/forgotten-vikings-9781398133266.html).
Resources Mentioned:
Alex's book, Forgotten Vikings: New Approaches to the Viking Age: https://www.amberley-books.com/forgotten-vikings-9781398133266.html (https://www.amberley-books.com/forgotten-vikings-9781398133266.html)
Connect with The History of Vikings & Support the Show By:
Getting a copy of Noah's book, Viking Warrior vs Frankish Warrior: Francia 799–911 (Osprey Publishing): https://www.ospreypublishing.com/us/viking-warrior-vs-frankish-warrior-9781472848857 (https://www.ospreypublishing.com/us/viking-warrior-vs-frankish-warrior-9781472848857)
Share Noah's articles, written for History.com:
''Yule: How the Vikings Celebrated the Winter Holiday'': https://www.history.com/articles/viking-yule-holiday-winter (https://www.history.com/articles/viking-yule-holiday-winter)
''Valhalla: How Viking Belief in a Glorious Afterlife Empowered Warriors": https://www.history.com/articles/viking-valhalla-valkyrie-afterlife (https://www.history.com/articles/viking-valhalla-valkyrie-afterlife)
Follow The History of Vikings On:
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Email Noah with ideas for future episodes: noah@thehistoryofvikings.com
Tune in every week for a new episode of The History of Vikings. Subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform and never miss an episode!
30 Mar 2026TRANSCRIPT
From Greenland to Vinland: Leif Erikson & Viking Voyages to the New World
It’s been more than a thousand years since medieval Scandinavians left their homelands in search of plunder and glory, becoming the scourge of Christian monasteries and coastal cities—raiding and trading far and wide, from Anglo-Saxon England to modern-day Russia, Constantinople, and the Islamic Emirate of Cordoba in Spain.
The Vikings traversed so much of the world, exploring and settling Iceland, Greenland, and, for the topic of this episode, North America.
Medieval Icelandic sagas claim the Vikings reached North America around the year 1000.
But what is the story of the Norse in this ‘’new world’’? What are our sources? Were there interactions with indigenous peoples? Who were the key characters? And what could have led to the demise of the Vikings in North America?
Today's guest is British historian Martyn Whittock, a historical consultant to the BBC, whose books have sold over 1 million copies. Martyn is the author of American Vikings: How the Norse Sailed into the Lands and Imaginations of America.
Resources Mentioned:
Martyn's Books:
American Vikings: How the Norse Sailed into the Lands and Imaginations of America: http://pegasusbooks.com/books/american-vikings-9781639365357-hardcover (http://pegasusbooks.com/books/american-vikings-9781639365357-hardcover)
Vikings in the East. From Vladimir the Great to Vladimir Putin - The Origins of a Contested Legacy in Russia and Ukraine: https://www.bitebackpublishing.com/books/vikings-in-the-east (https://www.bitebackpublishing.com/books/vikings-in-the-east)
Tales of Valhalla: Norse Myths and Legends: http://pegasusbooks.com/books/tales-of-valhalla-9781681778464-hardcover (http://pegasusbooks.com/books/tales-of-valhalla-9781681778464-hardcover)
The Vikings. From Odin to Christ: https://spckpublishing.co.uk/the-vikings (https://spckpublishing.co.uk/the-vikings)
1016 and 1066: Why the Vikings Caused the Norman Conquest: https://www.crowood.com/book/1016-and-1066 (https://www.crowood.com/book/1016-and-1066/)
The Viking Blitzkrieg, AD 789–1098: https://thehistorypress.co.uk/publication/the-viking-blitzkrieg (https://thehistorypress.co.uk/publication/the-viking-blitzkrieg)
Connect with The History of Vikings & Support the Show By:
Getting a copy of Noah's book, Viking Warrior vs Frankish Warrior: Francia 799–911 (Osprey Publishing): https://www.ospreypublishing.com/us/viking-warrior-vs-frankish-warrior-9781472848857 (https://www.ospreypublishing.com/us/viking-warrior-vs-frankish-warrior-9781472848857)
Share Noah's articles, written for History.com:
''Yule: How the Vikings Celebrated the Winter Holiday'': https://www.history.com/articles/viking-yule-holiday-winter (https://www.history.com/articles/viking-yule-holiday-winter)
''Valhalla: How Viking Belief in a Glorious Afterlife Empowered Warriors": https://www.history.com/articles/viking-valhalla-valkyrie-afterlife (https://www.history.com/articles/viking-valhalla-valkyrie-afterlife)
Follow The History of Vikings On:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/historyofviking
X: https://x.com/HistoryofViking
Email Noah with ideas for future episodes: noah@thehistoryofvikings.com
Tune in every week for a new episode of The History of Vikings. Subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform and never miss an episode!
29 Mar 2026TRANSCRIPT
''History's Greatest Warriors'' on The History Channel: My Experience Filming for the Show
Join host Noah Tetzner for a special announcement about his appearance on The History Channel's new TV series "History's Greatest Warriors." In this brief episode, Noah shares details about his featured role in the Vikings episode and gives an exclusive sneak peek at the show's trailer, including fascinating insights about berserkers and Viking warfare tactics.
WATCH ''History's Greatest Warriors'' on The History Channel: https://www.history.com/shows/historys-greatest-warriors (https://www.history.com/shows/historys-greatest-warriors)
Connect with The History of Vikings & Support the Show By:
Getting a copy of Noah's book, Viking Warrior vs Frankish Warrior: Francia 799–911 (Osprey Publishing): https://www.ospreypublishing.com/us/viking-warrior-vs-frankish-warrior-9781472848857 (https://www.ospreypublishing.com/us/viking-warrior-vs-frankish-warrior-9781472848857)
Share Noah's articles, written for History.com:
''Yule: How the Vikings Celebrated the Winter Holiday'': https://www.history.com/articles/viking-yule-holiday-winter (https://www.history.com/articles/viking-yule-holiday-winter)
''Valhalla: How Viking Belief in a Glorious Afterlife Empowered Warriors": https://www.history.com/articles/viking-valhalla-valkyrie-afterlife (https://www.history.com/articles/viking-valhalla-valkyrie-afterlife)
Follow The History of Vikings On:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/historyofviking
X: https://x.com/HistoryofViking
Email Noah with ideas for future episodes: noah@thehistoryofvikings.com
Tune in every week for a new episode of The History of Vikings. Subscribe on your favorite podcasting platform and never miss an episode!
Inside a recent episode
Forgotten Vikings: Rorik of Dorestad, the Baltic Sea, & Beyond the Monastery Raids
Published 7 Apr 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] And I suspect there's a certain way in which that binary has made its way through the popular consciousness. So when you look at a map of the Baltic Sea, from the perspective of England, not only is there already a language barrier, so you're thinking in terms of research papers, maybe there's less that are translated into English. And then if you're familiar, even a bit with the Viking Age, you may have heard that in the East, it's just trading. And while I don't agree, I suspect quite a lot of people would prefer raiding over trading. It's more, you know, there's more going on, I suppose. So it's not just trading, that's the thing. […]
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