Jarlshof: Vikings in Shetland Before the Raiders

Rus Khaganate Trade Routes Ibn Fadlan Volga Vikings

Before Rurik and the Rus' principalities, there was the Rus Khaganate — a shadowy Viking-run state on the upper Volga. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the archaeological and textual evidence for this early polity: the dirham hoards at Timerevo and Gnezdovo, the account of Ibn Rustah describing a 'Rus Khagan' who settled disputes by the sword, and the possible location of the Khaganate's capital. They discuss how slave trading, fur trapping, and silver from Abbasid Baghdad fueled this network, and why a single Frankish sword found in a Volga grave rewrites our understanding of Rus' ties to Europe. The episode also tackles the controversy: was the Rus Khaganate a genuine state, or just a loose confederation of war bands? Drawing on the Risala of Ibn Fadlan and the Piraeus Lion inscriptions, they piece together a world where Viking chieftains styled themselves 'Khagan' and ruled multi-ethnic river forts. #RusKhaganate #IbnFadlan #VolgaTradeRoute #VikingAge #Timerevo #Gnezdovo #AbbasidCaliphate #DirhamHoards #KievanRus #StarayaLadoga #Khazars #Risala #SlaveTrade #PiraeusLion #History #FexingoHistory #NorthernEurope #EarlyMedieval Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The Great Heathen Army Winter Camp at Repton

In 873, the Great Heathen Army—led by Ivar the Boneless, Ubbe, and Halfdan Ragnarsson—made an unprecedented winter camp at Repton in the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia. This episode digs into the archaeological evidence from the Repton excavations of the 1970s and 80s: the mass grave of Viking warriors, the disarticulated remains, the D-shaped earthwork fortress, and the famous 'Repton stone.' We explore what the camp tells us about Viking logistics, burial practices, and their strategy for overwintering deep in enemy territory. Lucas and Luna also discuss the controversial identification of a skeleton in the grave as Ivar the Boneless himself, and how the camp set the stage for the partition of Mercia and the final push into Wessex. Plus, a behind-the-scenes moment about how listener support keeps this show ad-free. #Repton #GreatHeathenArmy #IvarTheBoneless #HalfdanRagnarsson #VikingWinterCamp #Mercia #AngloSaxonEngland #VikingArchaeology #MassGrave #ReptonExcavations #DShapedFortress #VikingBurial #VikingLogistics #AlfredTheGreat #Danelaw #VikingAge #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The Great Heathen Army: Viking Conquest of Anglo-Saxon England

In 865 AD, a massive coalition of Norse warriors landed in East Anglia, not to raid but to conquer. This episode tells the story of the Great Heathen Army — the combined forces of Ivar the Boneless, Ubbe, and Halfdan Ragnarsson — that overthrew three of four Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. We trace their campaign from the fall of York to the martyrdom of King Edmund, and examine the army's composition, leadership, and strategy. How did these pagans coordinate on such a scale? What drove them to settle rather than plunder? And why did Wessex alone survive? Lucas and Luna explore the military tactics, political context, and lasting legacy of the invasion that redrew the map of England. #GreatHeathenArmy #IvarTheBoneless #UbbeRagnarsson #HalfdanRagnarsson #VikingInvasion #AngloSaxonEngland #KingEdmund #EastAnglia #Northumbria #Mercia #Wessex #Danelaw #York #VikingAge #NorseHistory #MedievalHistory #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Jarlshof: Vikings in Shetland Before the Raiders

Lucas and Luna journey to the windswept shores of Shetland to explore Jarlshof, one of the most remarkable archaeological sites in northern Europe. Rather than just a raid target, Jarlshof reveals centuries of peaceful Viking settlement—longhouses, steatite bowls, and a thriving Norse community that blended with earlier Pictish and Iron Age layers. They discuss the site's discovery under a storm in 1897, the daily life of Norse farmers and fishermen, and the mysterious evidence of ritual sacrifices and metalworking. The episode also touches on the controversial name 'Jarlshof,' coined by Sir Walter Scott, and what Shetland's Viking heritage tells us about the broader Norse diaspora. For listeners who've followed the show through battles and sagas, this is a quieter but no less fascinating angle: the archaeology of everyday life in the Viking North Atlantic. #Jarlshof #Shetland #VikingSettlement #NorseArchaeology #VikingLonghouse #Steatite #Picts #VikingDailyLife #SirWalterScott #NorseDiaspora #NorthAtlantic #IronAge #VikingAge #Archaeology #History #FexingoHistory #VikingPodcast #NorseCulture Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

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]