Viking Ships Beyond Raiding: Cargo, Trade and the Knarr

The Rus Khaganate: Vikings on the Volga Before Rurik

Before Rurik, before Oleg, before the Kievan Rus we know from the sagas, there was a shadowy Viking polity on the upper Volga: the Rus Khaganate. This episode of The Viking Age digs into the archaeological and textual evidence for a Norse-led state that minted its own coins, traded with the Abbasid Caliphate, and called its ruler a khagan — a Turkic title borrowed from the Khazars. We examine the enigmatic coin hoards of the 9th century, the Persian and Arab geographers who recorded these northern warriors, and the debate over whether the Rus Khaganate was a real state or a loose confederation of fur traders. Along the way, we meet the "Risala" of Ibn Rustah, the Dirham boom, and the silver that flowed from Samarkand to Sweden. If you've ever wondered what the Vikings were doing in the East before they turned west, this is the episode for you. #RusKhaganate #VikingAge #VolgaTrade #IbnRustah #Dirham #AbbasidCaliphate #Khazars #Rurik #KievanRus #StarayaLadoga #Timerevo #Gnezdovo #Miklagard #Norse #History #NorthernEurope #FexingoHistory #SilverHoards Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Viking Ships Beyond Raiding: Cargo, Trade and the Knarr

When we picture Viking ships, the iconic longship with its dragon prow and shield-lined sides comes to mind. But the workhorses of the Viking Age were the knarr—sturdy, wide-hulled cargo vessels that carried wool, walrus ivory, and timber across the North Atlantic. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the archaeology and history of these unsung ships. They discuss the Skuldelev wrecks, the klinker-built tradition, the Haithabu harbor, and how ships like the knarr made Iceland and Greenland possible. They also look at the role of ships in everyday life, from the law-speaker's circuit to the transport of livestock and trade goods like the famous Långö stone. Join us for a deep dive into the vessels that truly built the Viking world. #VikingShips #Knarr #Longship #Skuldelev #Haithabu #KlinkerBuilt #CargoVessel #NorthAtlantic #Iceland #Greenland #WalrusIvory #TimberTrade #VikingAge #MaritimeHistory #Norse #Shipbuilding #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Viking Age Silver Hoards and the Silk Road Connection

The Vikings are famous for their raids and longships, but their economy was deeply connected to a global trade network stretching all the way to Central Asia and the Islamic Caliphates. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the astonishing silver hoards buried across Scandinavia, from Gotland's Spillings Hoard to the dirhams flowing into Birka and Hedeby. They discuss how Abbasid silver coins, known as dirhams, poured into the Viking world via the Volga and Dnieper trade routes, fueling the rise of chieftains and reshaping Scandinavian society. The conversation covers the role of the Rus' in connecting the Baltic to Baghdad, the evidence from grave goods and runestones, and the puzzling decline of silver imports in the late 10th century. Why did Vikings bury so much silver? What does the number of hoards tell us about times of crisis? And how did a silver coin minted in Samarkand end up in a farmer's field in Sweden? This episode pieces together the archaeology and history behind the silver that powered the Viking Age. #VikingAge #SilverHoards #Gotland #SpillingsHoard #Dirham #AbbasidCaliphate #Rus #Birka #Hedeby #TradeRoutes #VolgaTradeRoute #DnieperTradeRoute #Samarkand #Numismatics #Archaeology #SilkRoad #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Harald Hardrada's Downfall at Stamford Bridge

In September 1066, King Harald Hardrada of Norway, the last great Viking king, led an invasion of England with a fleet of 300 ships. He allied with Harold Godwinson's estranged brother Tostig and won an initial victory at Fulford Gate. But when King Harold II of England marched north at lightning speed, catching the Vikings off guard at Stamford Bridge, the battle became a decisive turning point. Lucas and Luna examine the strategic blunders, the legendary single Norse axeman who held the bridge, and how Harald's death marked the end of the Viking Age in England. Drawing on the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Snorri Sturluson's Heimskringla, and the recent discovery of Viking remains at a mass grave in Derbyshire, this episode explores why Stamford Bridge was not just a battle but a pivot point that reshaped England's monarchy and paved the way for the Norman Conquest just weeks later. #HaraldHardrada #StamfordBridge #BattleOfStamfordBridge #HaroldGodwinson #TostigGodwinson #VikingAge #Heimskringla #AngloSaxonChronicle #FulfordGate #NormanConquest #1066 #VikingInvasion #England #Norway #History #MedievalHistory #NorseHistory #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The Varangian Guard Emperors of Constantinople

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the remarkable story of Vikings who became emperors in the Byzantine Empire. Focusing on Harald Sigurdsson's time in the Varangian Guard, they discuss his rise from exile to commander, his relationship with Empress Zoe, and his eventual return to Norway as King Harald Hardrada. The conversation also covers earlier Rus' rulers like Oleg of Novgorod, who secured trade rights with Constantinople, and the mercenary culture of the Guard itself. Drawing on the sagas, the Alexiad, and archaeological evidence from the Piraeus Lion, they unpack the blurred lines between warrior and ruler, and how these Norse adventurers shaped both Byzantine and Scandinavian history. #VarangianGuard #HaraldHardrada #ByzantineEmpire #Miklagard #VikingHistory #NorwayHistory #EmpressZoe #Mercenaries #NorseWarriors #Rus #OlegofNovgorod #PiraeusLion #Heimskringla #Alexiad #NorthernEurope #FexingoHistory #VikingAge #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]