Category Archives: Uncategorized

Viking Age Iceland: The Nature of the Goðorð

This is 83 of our ongoing series about Viking Age Iceland. For centuries, this island country, unique in Medieval Europe, operated with no king, no great lords, no foreign policy, and no defense forces but which developed legal and judicial systems to limit the violence of bloodfeud and protect the rights of freemen. Far out in the North Atlantic, Iceland was where theContinue reading “Viking Age Iceland: The Nature of the Goðorð”

Bog Bodies Were Overwhelmingly Killed By Violence, Analysis Of 1,000 Bodies Finds

By JAMES FELTON Some of the bodies were likely placed in the bogs as a ritual. A team of researchers has analyzed over 1,000 bog bodies, finding that many of them met violent ends, and nearly all of them were placed in bogs intentionally. Peat is created through the decomposition of organic matter, largely fromContinue reading “Bog Bodies Were Overwhelmingly Killed By Violence, Analysis Of 1,000 Bodies Finds”

Viking Age Iceland: Icelandic Law

This 73 of our ongoing series about Viking Age Iceland. For centuries, this island country, unique in Medieval Europe, operated with no king, no great lords, no foreign policy, and no defense forces but which developed legal and judicial systems to limit the violence of bloodfeud and protect the rights of freemen. Far out in the North Atlantic, Iceland was where the famousContinue reading “Viking Age Iceland: Icelandic Law”

Gold Viking ring unexpectedly found in stash of ‘cheap jewelry’ from online auction

To see more Viking articles, click here. By Tom Metcalfe  The ring likely belonged to a powerful Viking chief. A large, gold Viking ring crafted from twisted metal strands turned up in a very unexpected place: a heap of cheap jewelry a woman in Norway purchased at an online auction. Archaeologists think the ring may beContinue reading “Gold Viking ring unexpectedly found in stash of ‘cheap jewelry’ from online auction”