Exploring the Viking Age

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbm1DcWQxa2dsb0dBYldzOTNWR0dYdS1Teng0QXxBQ3Jtc0tuU1VKY3YzV3AyNGhTWF90ekk1OE5FWlZCblFrT0dCckxIemEtZS1MUG9iQ0xFblFlRUxfRkE3X1VBY2Y5NGM0N05UT1U4bHVIRVBGUWxpcGYtXzNfTDVtUmxIS0wtVEZkNEtFYzV3bVJaZGlNOGpVUQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Flinktr.ee%2Fgrimfrost&v=rFAcC06xslA]