The Scandinavian History Podcast

Feb 27 2025 105 ep. 32 mins 250
The Scandinavian History Podcast artwork

A chronological journey through the history of Scandinavia from the last ice age to the dawn of the space age. Geographically, we cover the five modern Nordic countries of Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Sweden and Finland—as well as a few other bits and pieces here and there where it‘s relevant. Visit the SHP shop: bit.ly/podshpshop Make a donation: patreon.com/scandinavianhistory

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001 In the Beginning there Was Ice

Jan 10 2020 20 mins  
Welcome to the first episode of the Scandinavian History Podcast. This first episode is dedicated to Scandinavia from the time the ice started to recede after the last Ice Age until the beginning of the Viking Age. Music: The Vikings by Alexander Nakarada serpentsoundstudios.com promoted by free-stock-music.com Attribution 4.0 Int creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

002 Here Come the Vikings

Jan 17 2020 26 mins  
Who were the Vikings, and why did they decide to start plundering and killing? Was it really because of something some random West-Saxon bailiff said? Or because the Northumbrians cut their hair in a way that upset God? Find out in this episode, when we kick off the Viking Age with the infamous attack on the monastery at Lindisfarne.

003 Go West

Jan 24 2020 28 mins  
After the initial attack on Lindisfarne, the Vikings shifted their focus away from England--settling the islands off the coast of Scotland and raiding in Ireland. The Shetland and Orkney Islands, as well as the Hebrides and the Isle of Man, were soon dominated by Scandinavian settlers. In Ireland, they established colonies that remain important urban centers to this day.

004 Kings of Dublin

Feb 14 2020 33 mins  
The Scandinavians who settled in Ireland became an integral part of the social and economic fabric of the island. For a few generations, the Viking Kings of Dublin were a major power not only in Irish politics, but also across the Irish Sea. Even though they eventually lost their political and military power, the influence of the Scandinavians linger on the Emerald Isle. It can sti

005 Fuzzy Pants and Sons

Feb 28 2020 37 mins  
If you know the name of only one Viking, chances are that name is Ragnar Lodbrok. In this episode, we take a closer look at the legend of Ragnar and his sons. For hundreds of years, this legend shaped the way Scandinavians understood their own past. It was a source of both fascination and pride, and kings—as well as regular Scandinavians with an inflated ego—claimed to be desce

006 The Great Heathen Army

Apr 03 2020 33 mins  
Despite the corona quarantine, I’ve managed to record a new episode! In the year 865, a large force of Vikings invaded the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. Everyone was robbed, and those who didn’t submit to Scandinavian rule were also killed. King Edmund of East Anglia was turned into a pincushion by Ivar the Boneless. Only Wessex continued to defy the onslaught. Its teenage king Alfred

007 The Danelaw

May 14 2020 30 mins  
Eventually, the Viking leader Guthrum signed a deal with King Alfred of Wessex, establishing the Danelaw. It wasn’t really a state, but it was still annoying enough to the West-Saxons that they would devote a century to eradicating it, establishing England in the process. Even though they succeeded in the end, the Scandinavians have left a mark in the English language, archaeolog

008 Jorvik

Jul 24 2020 28 mins  
Under Scandinavian control, the city the Vikings called Jorvik flourished and grew into a center of commerce and trade in the late 9th century. The Scandinavians connected Jorvik to the world far beyond the borders of England, turning it into one of the most important cities in the British Isles. Despite the financial success, though, the political situation was a mess.

009 Fatso in France

Aug 14 2020 33 mins  
In 911, after decades of Viking attacks, the Frankish King Charles the Simple made a deal with the Scandinavian warlord Rollo: in exchange for land and a noble title the Viking promised to defend the Channel coast from further invasions. Rollo accepted, and established a dynasty that would change French—as well as English—history forever.

010 A Land of Ice

Sep 04 2020 33 mins  
In the late 9th century, Scandinavians more or less stumbled upon a new piece of real estate in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. They eventually decided to call it Iceland, and started to populate it. The early settlers assumed that its lush forests and promise of political independence would last forever. They would soon be proven wrong.