MetaFilter posts tagged with vikings

What caused the Viking Age?

stbalbach — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 20:36:24 -0800

What caused the Viking Age? It has long been a source of, er, conflict among Nordic scholars. A new study ($ub-only) suggests the Viking Age was triggered by a shortage of women (lack of).

Viking invasion ends

homunculus — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 22:25:37 -0800

Viking invasion ends as longship sails home. The Sea Stallion From Glendalough, a replica Viking longboat (previously), is returning to Denmark.

Think SCA, only more specific

owhydididoit — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 20:22:43 -0800

Hurstwic is a loosely affiliated group based in New England with an interest in the societies and peoples who lived in Northern Europe during the Viking age. While no longer formally organized, they still have events, frequently at the Higgins Armory Museum in Worcester MA. Photos from past events.

People with a History

Kattullus — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 12:20:31 -0800

People with a History is "an online guide to lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans history." Ranging from the first stirrings of civilization to the modern day, People with a History gathers together original sources and academic articles dealing with queerness throughout history. To give you a feel for the wealth of material on the site, here are a few pages that caught my interest: The Vikings and Homosexuality, Coptic Spell: Spell for a Man to Obtain a Male Lover, an acount of a gay marriage ceremony described by Michel de Montaigne, But Among Our Own Selves (an 18th Century gay ballad), a chapter from The Life of St. Theodore of Sykeon, a 7th Century Byzantine monk and bishop, which mentions adelphopoiesis, or the rite of brothermaking, Wu Tsao, 19th Century Chinese lesbian poet, and finally Polari: The Lost Language of Gay Men.

The Viking horned helmet myth

goodnewsfortheinsane — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 13:05:46 -0800

Contrary to popular belief, Vikings did not wear horned helmets, if the Viking Answer Lady is to be believed. Apparently, the whole kerfuffle was instigated at least in part by these guys.

It's cold and wet and it isn't a dog's nose.

OmieWise — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 08:38:59 -0800

Vikings: The North Atlantic Saga is a Smithsonian webpage (with a pretty cool Flash intro) about the Norse in North America. Along with highlights of the exhibit, there's also an interactive map of the Viking voyages. (Although L'Anse aux Meadows, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the only confirmed Viking colony in N.A.). The Saga of Eric the Red contains the story of the voyages and discovery, but there are other primary sources as well. The Viking Ship Museum has information on the famous longboats that made the voyages, which were as much a matter of luck as navigation. To mark the millenium, some crazy Icelanders sailed a longboat back to Norway (NPR story).

Vikings Rrrrrr-ock!

maryh — Fri, 14 Oct 2005 10:28:32 -0800

War Photographer is an awesome, viking-filled flash animated music video directed by Joel Trussell for musician Jason Forrest. (quicktime) via

I see your schwartz is as big as mine!

Wulfgar! — Fri, 25 Feb 2005 17:09:25 -0800

Vikings with ... issues. And for complete amusement, check the google ads on the right. Big swords, baby, big, really big.

Whatever floats your boat...

sharksandwich — Sat, 06 Sep 2003 19:31:53 -0800

"Viking's is an all inclusive erotic adult fantasy resort located in the Caribbean with a full staff of the world's most beautiful and exotic escorts."

homunculus — Thu, 27 Dec 2001 11:04:24 -0800

Iceland moves to become the first country to replace fossil fuels with hydrogen for all its energy needs. I find it fitting that a society descended from Vikings will become the world's first hydrogen society.