Making a Warrior

Ran into an unexpected runic inscription (of sorts) this week in the Society of Antiquaries of London. In the lobby hangs a portrait of Humfrey Wanley, librarian of the Harleian library, surrounded by various antiquities. The work was painted by Thomas Hill in c. 1711.

How did they know the title of our forthcoming paper?

How did they know the title of our forthcoming paper?

Today's vikingism: 'Viking Day', a 2020 Peppa Pig episode, featuring horned helmets, dragon heads, boat hijackings, viking shanties, and a raided food stall ⚔️🥪 Full(ish) episode here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dFF...

Some more candid thoughts from the Great Viking Survey:

Viking scholars attempting to counter misinformation about vikings:

Some more wisdom from the Great Viking Survey dataset:

Some more wisdom from the Great Viking Survey dataset:

In honour of today, I have written a little blogpost. norseandviking.blogspot.com/2026/07/the-...

When, during the World Cup, you feel the urge to contest a viking heritage by claiming other Scandinavian groups - hang on - 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠, it may be time to go outside for a bit.

Yet another brilliant case of vikingisms from the world of comic books.

New in Viking Europe | Viking Connections is the latest volume in the new series, a milestone publication from the most important and prestigious academic conference on the Viking Age. Find out more here ⬇️ www.liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk/doi/book/10....

Many congratulations to our friends at the Museum of Danish America for a successful first month of Vikingmania! We were very happy to contribute survey data and videos to the exhibition. In Elk Horn, IA until Apr 2027; on tour afterwards! www.danishmuseum.org/exhibition/v... 📸 Adam Bierstedt/MoDA

Paging @makingawarrior.bsky.social

Today's vikingism: this composite photograph of Norway's national football team dressed as pop-culture vikings ⚽ 📸 David Yarrow

I recently came across this IG video by Dan Snow, talking about the viking attack on Zutphen. While it's always good to see more attention drawn to this particular part of the viking world, this is an example of this history being unhelpfully sensationalised out of proportion. 🧵 1/7

Addendum: A few years ago, I wrote a small opinion piece about the casual sensationalism with which vikings are characterised in media and academia. The trend sadly continues unabated today: archive.is/uDR0j 🧵 end.

Today's vikingism: this 9m tall mural in Lindsborg, Kansas. Realised by Cal and Allena McNichols, it is one of several viking-themed murals in the town, whose nickname is 'Little Sweden' due to its Nordic heritage.

We appreciate the radical honesty in some of our Great Viking Survey answers: GVS: 'Can you explain what you thought about your museum visit?' Participants: 'To be honest, I have no idea if it was good information' 'it made me hate vikings more' 'I was there for the food which was great'

The new viking game about the 845 siege of Paris is looking great!

Today's vikingism: this image of a 'Norse Decoration' by William Gibb († 1929), listed as the prow ornament of a viking ship. Unclear which (mock-)historical figurehead, if any, this is based on. Any guesses? (National Galleries of Scotland, D 4068)

Thrilled to have made it out to sunny Cardiff for 'Viking and Wales: Past and Present' at the Norwegian Church Arts Centre. The exhibition, on until 17 May, incorporates some of the early UK results from our Great Viking Survey!

Lovely to see that my chapter in the upcoming Viking Congress volume is already available for download (OA), courtesy of @livunipress.bsky.social. It considers the role of viking camps as distinct social spaces, being both safe havens and homes. www.liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk/doi/book/10....

Today's vikingism: the replica of the 12th-century Gol Stave Church, built at the Norwegian pavilion of Epcot Center in Walt Disney World, Florida.

Today's vikingism: the Up Helly Aa galley sheds of Shetland. Found in communities across the islands, they act as centres of operations for 'squads' as they prepare for local celebrations of the fire festival, including the construction of a galley that is set aflame as part of the festivities.

Today's vikingism: the Up Helly Aa galley sheds of Shetland. Found in communities across the islands, they act as centres of operations for 'squads' as they prepare for local celebrations of the fire festival, including the construction of a galley that is set aflame as part of the festivities.

Today's vikingism: a pen drawing of a scene from Snorri's Saga of St. Olaf, depicting the titular figure's first voyage with his foster-father Hrani. Halfdan Egedius (1899). Oslo, Nasjonalmuseet, NG.K&H.B.06256.

Today's vikingism: a pen drawing of a scene from Snorri's Saga of St. Olaf, depicting the titular figure's first voyage with his foster-father Hrani. Halfdan Egedius (1899). Oslo, Nasjonalmuseet, NG.K&H.B.06256.

Looking forward to visiting @vikingvalley.bsky.social in a few weeks' time, and to talk about some of the many ways we (mis)remember the viking past in our everyday present.

Speaking of exhibitions, we're thrilled to also be contributing to the upcoming 'Vikingmania!', developed by our friends at the Museum of Danish America - more details soon!

"The exhibit is dedicated to explaining why the Vikings are still so cool." I feel a summer road trip to Elk Horn may be called for.

Speaking of exhibitions, we're thrilled to also be contributing to the upcoming 'Vikingmania!', developed by our friends at the Museum of Danish America - more details soon!

Petition to once again - properly and correctly - refer to late Scandinavian prehistory as 'the Fabulous Age'.

We're excited to go and see 'Vikings and Wales: Past & Present' at the Norwegian Church Arts Centre in Cardiff next month. Some of the findings from our Great Viking Survey have helped shape the exhibition and will also be on display!

#medievalism at its finest 👌

One of our survey respondents characterised present-day popular viking outfits as 'lawn chair armour', and there is frankly no better description out there.

Following the earlier Oseberg and Gokstad ship relocations, the Tune ship, snug in its steel rig, has started its journey into the new Museum of the Viking Age (@uio.no) today. Over the course of three days, it will travel a total of 130 metres at a top speed of c. 24 cm per minute.

Some Friday wisdom from our Great Viking Survey dataset:

Today's vikingism: the 2024 seinen manga 弱虫ロロ (Yowamushi Rollo aka 'Weakling Rollo'), reimaging the foundational Scandinavian ruler of the Duchy of Normandy as a soft-natured, cowardly figure.

Tomorrow - livestream of a #Viking evening at the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden in Leiden, with talks in Dutch but then at 20:00 UK time in English! rijksmuseum-van-oudheden.webinargeek.com/vikingverhal...

Today's vikingism: the various team badges for NASA's 1976 Viking Mars lander missions. 🚀🌕

Today's vikingism: the various team badges for NASA's 1976 Viking Mars lander missions. 🚀🌕

Today's vikingism: illustrations from Edmond Neukomm's 'Les dompteurs de la mer' (1897, published in English as 'Tamers of the Sea'), offering an archaic and heavily romanticised imagining of the viking presence in North America.

Today's vikingism: this colourful sculpture of an especially jolly cartoon viking, outside a bar in Santiago's Bellavista neighbourhood, Chile.

This afternoon! Come along, or tune in online, to hear about a deeply peculiar late medieval imagining of a local viking past!

This Thor's day, as we're working our way through the vast ocean of data produced by the Great Viking Survey, we can already share that the number of variant spellings so far encountered for the word 'Mjölnir' is 58.