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Viking Lives

by Viking Lives
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Latest episodes

  • The Draugur

    October 12, 2026 · 1 hr 1 min

    For this final episode of series 3, Richard & Kári have a collection of Viking Ghost stories, recorded at a special event at the Byron Writers’ Festival with a live audience. These are tales taken from the sagas, from Icelandic folklore…

  • Gudrid the Far Traveller: Part 2

    October 5, 2026 · 40 min

    In this episode, Gudrid sets out with her husband Karlsefni on an expedition to make a new Viking settlement in North America, the land they know as Vinland. Three ships, with 65 people, livestock and provisions, cross the North Atlantic…

  • Gudrid the Far Traveller: Part 1

    September 29, 2026 · 32 min

    Gudrid Thorbjarnardottir was the daughter of an Icelandic chieftain, who was very likely the most well-travelled human being of her time. In this first episode, Gudrid’s family settles in the new Viking colony on Greenland. The settlement…

  • Leif the Lucky

    September 21, 2026 · 32 min

    Richard has the story of the epic voyage of Leif Erickson, son of Erik the Red, who sailed west out of Greenland and travelled across the North Atlantic all the way to North America. Known as Leif the Lucky, he became the first European to…

  • Erik the Red

    September 15, 2026 · 42 min

    This is the first in a series of episodes following the Viking explorers and settlers who sailed west into the unknown and formed settlements in the New World. We begin with Erik the Red, who was sent into exile from Iceland for his…

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  • Thorgeir the Lawspeaker

    September 8, 2026 · 44 min

    At the turn of the first millennium, the Viking kingdoms of Scandinavia were abandoning the old Norse religion and officially adopting Christianity. Norway sent missionaries into Iceland and in the year 1000 AD, a meeting was held at…

  • Hallgerd Longlegs: Part 2

    September 1, 2026 · 42 min

    This is the second part of the story of Hallgerd Hoskuldsdottir, known as Hallgerd Longlegs. Hallgerd, already widowed twice, went to the annual assembly at Thingvellir, where she met the handsome and charismatic Gunnar of Hlidarendi, who…

  • Hallgerd Longlegs: Part 1

    August 25, 2026 · 35 min

    This is the first of two episodes on the life of Hallgerd Hoskuldsdottir: the most dangerous woman in tenth century Iceland. Hallgerd was a striking figure; she was tall, with hair so long it could cloak her whole body. She was married…

  • Hrafnkel the Priest of Frey

    August 18, 2026 · 44 min

    This episode tells the story of a Viking named Hrafnkel, a powerful chieftan who lived in an isolated part of Iceland. Hrafnkel was rich and arrogant. One day he killed a shepherd for mishandling his most prized horse, which he associated…

  • The Lost Brother

    August 11, 2026 · 29 min

    The first episode of series three of Viking Lives comes to you from Oxford in the UK. Our Viking is an unknown man, killed in the St. Brice’s Day massacre that took place there in the year 1002 AD. This was a murderous attack on a…

  • Snorri the Priest

    July 14, 2026 · 37 min

    For the final episode of series 2, Kári has the story of an Icelandic chieftain who came to be known as Snorri Goði - Snorri the Priest of Thor: a manipulative and shrewd leader who devised a cunning plan to lure two extremely violent…

  • Thordis the Wronged

    July 7, 2026 · 48 min

    This episode features the life of Thordis Sursdottir, a Viking woman from the tenth century. Thordis’s family was forced to escape Norway after her brother Gisli killed two men who wanted to marry her. The family set up a farm in the…

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About the show

The great arc of Viking history told through a chain of life stories, presented by broadcaster Richard Fidler and author Kári Gíslason. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.