Exploring the Viking Age

Latest Episodes:

#20: Veronica Björkman Nov 01, 2025

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What does it take to preserve one of the most iconic Viking sites in the world — while also keeping it alive and relevant for new generations?

In this episode, we speak with Veronica Björkman, site manager at Birka Vikingastaden, about the balance between archaeology, tourism, and cultural storytelling. We talk about grave finds, the Christian cross at Birka, how modern reconstructions are handled, and how ended up leading one of Sweden’s most historically significant destinations.

We also dive into her role in co-founding the Birka Historical Tattoo Fest, the challenge of interpreting history without distorting it, and what it really means to “experience the Viking Age” today.

Subscribe to stay updated! Also available on all platforms where podcasts are found, such as Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and more. Find all the links in our linktree: https://linktr.ee/grimfrost

#19: Giles Kristian & Philip Stevens: Viking Books, Movies and Games Sep 30, 2025

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For our first ever double-guest episode, we’re joined by bestselling historical novelist Giles Kristian and award-winning director and actor Philip Stevens. Together they’ve rowed the world’s largest Viking longship, turned saga-poems into film, and are now collaborating on an upcoming Viking video game (Norse: Oath of Blood).We talk about unexpected journeys - from boy bands to battlefields and how Viking raids, longships, and brotherhood inspire their work. This episode is about storytelling, adventure, and what it really means to bring the Viking Age to life today.Subscribe to stay updated! Also available on all platforms where podcasts are found, such as Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and more. Find all the links in our linktree: https://linktr.ee/grimfrost

#18: Johan Runer – What Viking Graves Reveal About Power, Identity, and Control Aug 31, 2025

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Archaeologist Johan Runer joins us to explore how Viking society was held together without kings, police, or central power. From burial rituals to land rights and runestones, we look at how authority, ownership, and identity were built from the ground up.

We talk about decentralized power, grave goods as legal markers, and the invisible laws that shaped Viking life. This episode is about real people, not just warriors and sagas—and how archaeology brings their world back to life.

Available on Spotify, YouTube, and all major platforms.

#17: Jackson Crawford – What Old Norse Really Sounded Like Aug 01, 2025

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Jackson Crawford is a linguist, translator, and educator known for his clear and accessible approach to Old Norse. In this episode, we talk about what Old Norse actually sounded like — and how we even know that. We also explore how far we can trace our shared linguistic roots, and how Jackson left academia to bring Old Norse to a wider audience through YouTube.Jackson’s work has reached millions through his YouTube channel and new translations of the Poetic Edda and The Saga of the Volsungs.Subscribe to stay updated! Also available on all platforms where podcasts are found, such as Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and more. Find all the links in our linktree: https://linktr.ee/grimfrost

#16: Håkan Altrock: Viking Shipbuilding, Baltic Voyages, and Getting Shot At in Russia Jul 01, 2025

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Håkan Altrock has built Viking ships, sailed them along the ancient Viking routes to the Caspian Sea, pulled them across land by hand—and been threatened and shot at in Russia.

In this episode, he shares stories from decades of travel on open water in handcrafted ships: sailing the eastern river-routes, navigating storms, improvising repairs, and facing real-world threats far from home. This is a conversation about wood, wind, border crossings—and why the line between history and the present is sometimes thinner than we think.

#15: Jim Hansson – From Kalashnikovs to Ship Wrecks: A Marine Archaeologist’s Wild Finds Jun 01, 2025

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Today’s guest is Jim Hansson — marine archaeologist, diver, and co-author of The Ships of Birka. In this episode, we dive deep (literally) into the world beneath the waves: underwater Viking harbors, preserved tools and textiles, how he found a fragment of what is likely a piece of a sail, and the magic of uncovering everyday life from over a thousand years ago. Jim shares wild stories from decades of diving, from finding Kalashnikovs and Santa masks to recovering 16th-century warships in the Baltic Sea.

#14: Rowdy Geirsson – American humorist, author, history nerd and Viking enthusiast May 01, 2025

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Todays Guest is Rowdy Geirsson - American humorist, author, history nerd and Viking enthusiast currently living in Sweden. He’s the author of the Impudent Edda and Scandinavian Aggressors. We dive into why Norse myths still hit hard today, and what it means to bring ancient gods into modern-day Boston. From Thor losing his temper renewing his drivers license to poop feuds in Icelandic sagas.

#13: Daniel Serra - What Did Vikings Eat? The Viking diet. Apr 01, 2025

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Today's guest is Daniel Serra, an expert in historical food and experimental archaeology. He specializes in Viking Age cuisine, reconstructing meals based on archaeological evidence and ancient texts. In this episode, we dive into what Vikings really ate, how they cooked, and the surprising flavors of the past. From fermented fish porridge to ritual feasts.

#12: Martin Erikson: Viking Entrepreneur, Adventurer and Enthusiast Mar 01, 2025

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Today's guest is Martin Erikson - one of the biggest Viking enthusiasts around. He is a Viking themed restaurant owner, author, ship owner, musician and adventurer. For us Swedes, he's a national treasure bordering on a legend.

Subscribe to stay updated! Also available on all platforms where podcasts are found, such as YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and more. Find all the links in our linktree: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/grimfrost⁠

#11: Shipbuilding and cultural heritage with Peter Olausson Feb 01, 2025

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Today’s guest is Peter Olausson. Shipbuilder, historian and expert on cultural heritage.

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