Scandinavian History

Scandinavia

  • Scandinavian bog bodies

    Imagine that, for whatever reason, you are out walking on a bog, and suddenly you see what appears to be human remains. A hand sticks up, or maybe even a face looks back at you from between the tufts. It… Continue reading

  • Viking Dynasties – The Royal Families of Lejre and Uppsala Between Archaeology and Text

    Red. Tom Christensen, John Ljungkvist & Neil PriceAarhus University Press, 2024623 pages Ancient Scandinavia attracts many with its mythical kings and wars, tales of heroic deeds and grand central places with royal hall buildings, not infrequently adorned with details in… Continue reading

  • Lejre, a seat of power

    Lejre, located a few miles southwest of Roskilde in Zealand, was known as a village as early as the 6th century. According to mythology, this was the place of Denmark’s first royal dynasty, i.e. the Sköldungarna (Scyldings), and several archaeological… Continue reading

  • Magnus Eriksson, the forgotten king

    On December 1, 1374, a ship sank in the Bömmelfjord outside Bergen. One of those who died that day was a deposed Swedish king, stripped of his throne and more or less exiled to Norway, where his son ruled. Magnus… Continue reading

  • Runestones of Scandinavia

    Runestones rightfully fascinate many. They are a voice from a bygone era that often tells of a loss in the sense that they have mostly been raised by a parent or other relative of someone who no longer exists. There… Continue reading