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The Viking Chronicles, The Viking Games, Hereford (2026)

21/09/2026

Few Viking symbols are more mysterious than the Raven Banner.

Mentioned in several medieval sources, raven banners were associated with powerful Viking leaders and warriors. The raven itself carried strong associations with Odin, battle, death and victory.

One of the earliest references comes from 878, when an Anglo Saxon army captured a Viking war banner called the Raven. Centuries later, sagas tell of famous banners carried by Sigurd the Stout and Harald Hardrada.

But what did these banners actually look like? We simply do not know. No Viking Age raven banner has survived, leaving us with tantalising descriptions, later traditions and images of ravens on objects such as Viking coins.

Perhaps the most intriguing question is whether the raven on those coins gives us a glimpse of the symbol once flying above Viking armies.

17/09/2026

More than 1,200 years ago, two women were laid to rest inside one of the most extraordinary Viking burials ever discovered.

The Oseberg ship was buried in Vestfold, Norway, in AD 834. Inside were two women, 15 horses, four dogs, an ox, textiles, sledges, furniture, a magnificent carved wagon and hundreds of other objects.

The older woman was around 80 years old. She had survived serious injury and illness and lived to an exceptional age for the Viking Age.

When the burial mound was excavated in 1904, archaeologists expected something extraordinary. What they discovered was even more fascinating. Not a Viking king, but two women.

The older woman became known as the Oseberg Queen.

But there is a problem.

We don’t actually know who she was.

She may have been a queen, an aristocrat or perhaps a religious figure. The popular theory that she was Queen Åsa remains unproven.

What we can study is the extraordinary archaeological evidence she left behind. Her skeleton, the ship, the textiles, the animals, the wagon and the objects buried alongside her allow us to glimpse a world that disappeared more than a thousand years ago.

Over the next eight posts, we’ll follow the story of the woman behind one of the most famous Viking burials in history.

Who was she?

And why was she given such an extraordinary funeral?

17/09/2026

⚔️ 12 places every Viking obsessed person should visit in England

England is packed with places connected to the Viking Age, from great cities and battlefields to ancient monuments, museums and places where you can actually try your hand at Viking inspired activities.

From Jórvík and the Yorkshire Museum in York, where some of the most remarkable Viking archaeology in England has been discovered, to Lindisfarne Priory and Holy Island, forever associated with the famous raid of AD 793.

Explore the Anglo Saxon world of Sutton Hoo, the Great Heathen Army at Repton, and the royal stronghold of Bamburgh Castle. See the extraordinary Norse mythology carved into the Gosforth Cross, then discover some of Britain’s finest Viking and Anglo Saxon treasures at the British Museum and Ashmolean Museum.

Visit Wi******er Cathedral, at the heart of the old kingdom of Wessex and closely connected with the struggle between the English and Scandinavian kingdoms, and Norwich Castle to explore the Viking influence across East Anglia.

Stand where Harald Hardrada’s invasion came to an end at Stamford Bridge, before finishing with something a little different at The Viking Games in Herefordshire, where you can try axe throwing, archery and Nordic games for yourself.

I should probably admit that I might be slightly biased about that last one... The Viking Games is mine! 😂⚔️ But I genuinely think it belongs on the list if you want to experience a little bit of Viking inspired fun for yourself.

Some are famous attractions. Others are quiet archaeological sites where there is little to see beyond the landscape itself. But each one offers a different glimpse into the fascinating world of Viking Age England.

⚔️ How many have you visited? And which should I have included?

09/09/2026

THE BAYEUX TAPESTRY IS COMING HOME 🇬🇧

Tomorrow, 10 September 2026, the Bayeux Tapestry will finally go on public display at the British Museum in London.

Nearly 1,000 years after it was created, this extraordinary 70-metre-long embroidered story is returning to England for the first time since it was made. It tells the story of 1066, from Harold Godwinson’s journey to Normandy through to the Norman invasion and the Battle of Hastings.

But for us, there is another reason to look closely.

The world of 1066 was still deeply shaped by the Viking Age. William the Conqueror was descended from the Scandinavian settlers of Normandy, while England itself had only recently emerged from centuries of Scandinavian influence and conquest.

And there is an even more fascinating possibility: despite being known as the Bayeux Tapestry, it was probably made in England, possibly by English embroiderers.

Tomorrow, one of the most famous surviving pieces of medieval history will finally be where so much of its story took place.

London. England. 1066.

And nearly a thousand years later, we can finally stand in front of it.

#1066

09/09/2026

VIKING NEWS | JULY & AUGUST 2026

The Viking world has been making headlines again this summer.

Across Scandinavia, Britain and the wider Baltic, archaeologists have been uncovering new evidence of how people lived, travelled, traded, worshipped and died during the Viking Age. New excavations have revealed more about Viking settlements and production, while fresh scientific research is allowing archaeologists to investigate ancient objects, bones and burials in ways that would have been impossible only a few decades ago.

From Norway and Denmark to Scotland and the Baltic, the picture of the Viking world continues to become more complicated. It was a world of warriors and kings, but also of farmers, craftspeople, traders, travellers, families and communities connected across enormous distances.

July and August have once again reminded us that the Viking Age is far from a closed chapter. Every excavation, scientific analysis and newly interpreted artefact adds another small piece to a story that we are still learning how to understand.

And with some extraordinary discoveries already emerging as September begins, it looks like the Viking news isn’t slowing down anytime soon.

The Viking Age still has plenty of stories left to tell.

07/09/2026

🪓 THE ART OF OUTDOOR AXE THROWING

There’s far more to throwing an axe than picking one up and letting it fly.

The axe itself. The timber. The distance. The rotation. Your stance. Your grip. Your release. Even the weather can make a difference.

Outdoor axe throwing is about control, consistency and understanding. Learning how your axe behaves, reading the timber, adapting to the conditions and refining your technique with every throw.

It takes practice to make a good throw look effortless.

Over the coming posts, we’ll explore the different aspects of outdoor axe throwing, from the axes and timber to throwing styles, distance, technique, accuracy, maintenance, safety and the things that can turn a good throw into a great one.

Because anyone can throw an axe.

Learning to throw one well is an art. 🪓

06/09/2026

The Children of Harald Hardrada

Harald Hardrada was father to four known children: Magnus, Olaf, Maria and Ingegerd. His sons Magnus and Olaf were born to Þóra Torbergsdóttir, while his daughters Maria and Ingegerd were born to Elisiv of Kyiv. Following Harald’s death at Stamford Bridge in 1066, Magnus and Olaf succeeded him as kings of Norway. Maria died in Orkney later that same year, according to the Heimskringla, while Ingegerd went on to marry into the royal families of Denmark and Sweden. Although little is recorded about their individual lives, all four were part of the final generation of Harald’s family and lived during the closing years of the Viking Age.

20/08/2026

🌿 10 meaningful ways to live closer to nature

In a world that moves faster every year, there is something powerful about slowing down and reconnecting with the natural world.

You don’t need to live in the wilderness or follow an ancient religion. Living a more Pagan inspired life can simply mean paying closer attention to the seasons, the land beneath your feet, the moon above you and the world around you.

From celebrating the Wheel of the Year and learning the land around you, to growing your own food, crafting with natural materials and creating a small altar to nature, these are simple ways to bring a little more meaning and mindfulness into everyday life.

🌙 Follow the lunar cycles.
🌱 Grow something.
🔥 Create your own rituals.
🌿 Learn the stories and traditions of those who came before us.
🤲 And above all, practise reciprocity: take from nature thoughtfully, give back where you can, and remember that we are part of nature, not separate from it.

Which one would you like to bring into your own life?

18/08/2026

KNATTLEIKR — THE VIKING BALL GAME ⚔️

What if we could bring one of the Viking Age’s forgotten games back to life?

Knattleikr, pronounced roughly KNOT-lay-kur, was a competitive ball game played in Iceland, described in several of the Icelandic sagas. Players used wooden clubs to strike a ball, competing in what appears to have been a tough and physical team sport.

The problem? The Vikings didn’t leave us a rulebook.

So I’ve created my own interpretation of how Knattleikr could have been played.

Two teams. Eight players a side. Wooden clubs. A leather ball. A defined playing field. Scoring zones. Controlled physical contact. And a Dómsmaðr, the Judge, to keep order.

I’ve taken the clues left behind in the sagas and turned them into a complete game that could actually be played today.

Would you step onto the Knattleikr field?

Who would you want on your team?

12/08/2026

Ohthere of Hålogaland was a Viking Age traveller, chieftain and trader who sailed farther north than almost anyone in his world.

Around the late 9th century, Ohthere travelled from his home in Hålogaland, in northern Norway, into the far north, describing lands where the days grew strangely long and the nights could almost disappear.

But what makes Ohthere truly remarkable is that his story was preserved in writing.

When he travelled to the court of King Alfred the Great in England, Ohthere gave an account of his homeland, his wealth, his voyages and the peoples he encountered. His testimony was later included in an Old English translation of a work by the Roman writer Orosius.

Ohthere described himself as a wealthy man, owning hundreds of reindeer, as well as sheep, cattle and other livestock. He also spoke of his voyages around the northern coast of Scandinavia, including a journey eastwards towards the White Sea.

His account gives us an extraordinary glimpse into the Viking Age from the perspective of someone who actually lived it.

No saga hero.

No legendary king.

Just a wealthy northern chieftain who sailed into the unknown and then sat down in the court of Alfred the Great to tell the story.

And because someone wrote it down, we can still hear his voice more than 1,100 years later.

The Viking Chronicles

21/09/2026

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