Real Vikings
By NOISER
The Vikings terrified the medieval world. Yet they beguile us today. Who were they really?
Welcome to Real Vikings - the new show from the award-winning Noiser Podcast Network, hosted by Iain Glen (Game of Thrones, Resident Evil, Downton Abbey).
Each week we’ll take a deep dive into the Viking age… boarding longboats bound for new lands, from Greenland to North Africa, Constantinople to Canada… following mighty warlords like Eric Bloodaxe and Olga of Kyiv… meeting master navigators like Leif Erikson… and uncovering the real figures behind the legends of the sagas.
With contributions from leading historians, original music and immersive sound design.
Real Vikings is available for free wherever you get your podcasts or at noiser.com
Noiser+ subscribers get early access to new episodes and ad-free listening. Click the Noiser+ banner at the top of the feed or head to noiser.com/subscriptions to get started.
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Latest episode
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10. 1066 and the Last Vikings
A Varangian warrior, Harald Hardrada, lays claim to the throne of England. In Normandy, Duke William sets out his case for seizing the disputed crown. It will spell disaster for Harold Godwinson, the sitting ruler of the Anglo-Saxon realm. The yea… -
9. King Canute’s North Sea Empire
A boy king, Ethelred the Unready, comes to the English throne. In bloody scenes, he will seek to purge his realm of Norsemen. In 1997, a Silicon Valley CEO takes inspiration from the Vikings for a revolutionary digital technology. Back in England,… -
8. Promised Lands: Greenland and Vinland
Banished from Iceland, a criminal named Erik the Red puts to sea. He will discover new land and found a spin-off colony: Greenland. But it’s his son, Leif, who will push Viking exploration to the limit… arriving on the shores of North America…… -
7. Rise of the Sea King
Lured by its treasures, a fearsome chieftain named Thorgest arrives in Ireland. Meanwhile, in northern Francia, a warrior known as Rollo the Walker assumes control of Normandy. Back in Ireland, the city of Dublin is born. Celtic slaves are shipped… -
6. Greek Fire: Across the Mediterranean
After sailing into the Mediterranean, a Viking leader plays dead - lulling the enemy into a false sense of security. Mounting ships on wheels, eastern Vikings launch an audacious land-borne attack on Constantinople. The Byzantine Emperor establish… -
5. Land of Fire and Ice
Facing turmoil in Scandinavia, a pioneering Norseman strikes out for pastures new, with a hardy band of followers and three black ravens in tow. Shetland, Orkney and the Faroe Isles present fresh opportunities for settlement. But the true dissente… -
4. The Wild East: Rise of the Rus
Swedish Vikings turn east. Navigating their way past fearsome local tribes and roaring rapids, they discover new lands and new rivers - ones that can carry longships right to the steppes of Eurasia. A Viking state is established, the Rus. And it c… -
3. Blood Eagles: The Great Heathen Army
Emboldened by their forays, the Vikings escalate their raiding. Using shield walls, berserker shock troops and opportunistic tactics, the Norsemen’s military capacity grows. We experience life inside a Viking winter camp, as pirates become occupie… -
2. Ragnar Lothbrok and the Siege of Paris
Emperor Charlemagne launches a Christian crusade against the heathens on his northern border. Stories of Norse gods like Odin and Thor inspire Scandinavians across the fjords and fields. A Danish chieftain makes a community of merchants an offer t… -
1. Murder on Chesil Beach
The Vikings are here. A cold-blooded murder in seaside Dorset marks the beginning of the Viking Age in the British Isles. Scandinavian warriors with no fear of death set sail across the North Sea, targeting riches a-plenty. A construction project …