Terri and C.J. are first and foremost educators passionate about the Viking Age and Viking history. Theirs was a meeting foretold in the myths of old. Both are historians of Viking history, both live in Oregon in the U.S., and both share the same birthday. It seemed only natural they team up for something epic. The Norns have woven this fate.
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It’s our 70th episode and we have a treat for you!
If you are or were a fan of the original History Channel series Vikings (now on various streaming services), you’ll likely remember the early protagonist of the show, Ragnar Lothbrok. If you hung on until the series ended 6 seasons later, you’ll also remember his sons. These men were all the stuff of viking legend. Except some of them were real.
This time we spoke with author Paul Harper about his research into these historical figures in his new book Sons of Ragnar: Viking Warriors who Terrorised Britain and Ireland (https://a.co/d/0ekK183A). Scholars have long suspected that Ragnar Lothbrok was a semi-legendary figure who may have been more of a composite character than a singular real person, but his sons are well-documented as having lived and, as Paul’s title says, instilled terror wherever they went.
Hear from Paul what it takes to investigate the sometimes dubious and enigmatic sources to try and tease fact from fiction. And learn why the Vikings show creator Michael Hirst got some of the history wrong BUT not totally off the mark — a fact that earned an impromptu apology from C.J. that you won’t want to miss!
Thanks Paul for helping us celebrate a milestone episode with such interesting stuff!
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8 Oct 2026
The Anatomy of a Raid
In the popular imagination vikings are usually portrayed as badass warriors whose primary occupation is to go out raiding and pillaging, but have you ever wondered exactly how a raid is put together? This time we chatted with Romney Smith, a medievalist historian at Australian National University about what goes into running a raiding business. It’s waaaay more interesting than just a few rando dudes jumping into a boat and setting out to see what they can get.
From selecting a target to recruitment, securing ships, attacking and defending themselves, to sorting the loot and deciding whether it was a success and worth doing again….all are important steps in the process. Vikings knew this and so did the multitude of other raiders and pirate-types running around in the northern European and Mediterranean worlds.
While Romney’s article (https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/08438714261447044) focuses on the raids of the Mediterranean Sea basin, the time period he looks at — c. AD 800-1100 — is smack in what historians call the “Viking Age”, so similarities abound.
Watch the episode and then read his article (https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/08438714261447044), or the other way around if you like. We’re sure you’ll find both as fascinating as we did.
Thanks Romney! Come back and chat about medieval stuff any time!
Skál!
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2 Oct 2026
Denmark’s Viking Age Ring Fortresses
We are thrilled to welcome Søren Sindbæk back to the show!
Last time we talked about the many things that make vikings human, and this time we sort of continued that thread with our discussion about the large and impressive ring fortresses that dot the Danish landscape. How could Viking Age Scandinavians have pulled off such monumental feats? Turns out their ability to muster human and natural resources and build such things was also a very human endeavor.
Søren is writing a pentalogy about the fortresses, one book for each of them that has been discovered so far. Two of the books are available now in English translation, four are in Danish, with a fifth to come; all of them will eventually be in both languages and hopefully in many more. They are compact books that are very accessible to the average person interested in the history and/or archaeology of the Viking Age. Each provides a unique glimpse into the characters who unearthed the fortresses, including Søren himself, as they try to unravel the mysteries of how they were built and for what purpose. They’re like mini crime mysteries, but we also think these stories seem primed for the big screen or streaming video!
We learned so much and look forward to the next book installments. Mange tak, Søren! Please come back again and fill us in as this story unfolds.
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Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
143,697
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.4 / 5
17 ratings
Spotify
4.8 / 5
11 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 54 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
40
Social presence
0
YouTube
86
Engagement
82
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