9 podcasts about the Vikings to listen to right now

Read Levi Roach's article on how the impact of Viking raiders and traders went far beyond Britain here

Vikings Season 6 arrives on Amazon Prime on 30 December: catch up on what’s happened so far

What was everyday life like for women in Norse society? Here, Jóhanna Katrín Friðriksdóttir, author of Valkyrie: The Women of the Viking World, explores their daily life and explains the opportunities available to Norse women and the challenges they faced.

You can read more about Viking women here and find out about the various roles they played – as homemakers, adventurers and witnesses to war – here

In March 2018 we spoke to the acclaimed screenwriter and producer Michael Hirst about his work on the smash hit series Vikings and the secrets of creating a blockbuster history drama. He discusses Viking women, resurrecting dead languages, and why the show – which wasn’t expected to be a hit – has been so successful.

We also interviewed Bernard Cornwell about his books that inspired The Last Kingdom – and about his writing career more broadly.

To read more about the real medieval history behind Vikings, click here. Discover more about The Last Kingdom here

We spoke to Thomas Williams of the British Museum about his book Viking Britain: An Exploration, which offers a fresh take on several centuries of Viking invasions and rule in Britain, in this podcast from 2017.

• How England rode the Viking storm
• The lost battles of Viking Britain

How did the Vikings change the culture of the British Isles? Oxford historian Janina Ramirez explains in this podcast from 2013. She reveals how the Vikings profoundly affected the social, cultural, political and genetic make-up of the British Isles, and explains that relations between the Vikings and Anglo-Saxons weren’t only defined by violence. Also this episode, Yehuda Koren and Eilat Negev relate the sad story of a group of dwarves during the Holocaust.

What drove the Vikings to launch their seaborne attacks? Why did the Viking age begin when it did? Robert Ferguson investigates, in this podcast from 2009. Also in this episode, Peter Martin reviews the life and personality of Dr Johnson.

Click here to listen

Read Ferguson’s article about why the Vikings’ violent raids began

Archaeologist David Petts and Lisa Wilkins of DigVentures discuss an extraordinary Viking-era discovery on the monastic site of Lindisfarne in Northumbria, in this podcast from February 2020. The conversation also covers the latest trends in archaeological excavations and the broader history of the island.

• Your guide to the Viking raid of Lindisfarne in AD 793
• From the raid on Lindisfarne to Harald Hardrada's defeat: 8 Viking dates you need to know

Historical novelist Giles Kristian recalls his adventures on the largest replica Viking longship built in modern times, in this podcast from 2013. Kristian, who has written a series of Viking novels, shares how it felt to row the longship and tells us how the experience shaped and influenced his research for his next historical novel.

Also in the episode, Rhodri Jeffreys-Jones tells the story of an unlikely German spy.

• How the Vikings ruled the waves
• Vikings didn't wear horned helmets, plus 7 more Viking myths busted

Emily Lethbridge explores the Icelandic Viking sagas – and examines whether we can consider them to be ‘real’ history – in this podcast from 2012. Also this episode, Robert Blyth reviews royal pageants of the past.

Read more about the Vikings here