logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2024
56m 24s

Were Viking Berserkers Real?

iHeartPodcasts
About this episode

Have you ever heard someone described as going "beserk"? Turns out there's a ton of strange history behind this phrase. In tonight's episode, Ben, Matt and Noel explore the bizarre phenomenon of berserkers, the elite Viking fighting force that remains shrouded in myth and controversy in the modern day.

They don't want you to read our book.: https://static.macmillan.com/static/fib/stuff-you-should-read/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Up next
Nov 21
3I/Atlas: We are Obsessed with the Newest (or Oldest?) Instellar Object
<p>While humanity's local solar system appears huge from Earth, it's actually a pretty tiny piece of real estate in the grand scheme of things. And, in recent years, technological breakthroughs have allowed astronomers and physicists to learn more about the things traveling to us ... Show More
1h 2m
Nov 20
Listener Mail: Mysterious Booms, Near-death Experiences, the First Amendment versus the Internet, the Enchiladasagna and More
<p>Saturn asks about the Longfellow Boom. Good Ol' Russ inspires Ben and Matt to do a Yule Cat prank. Beuford prompts a deep conversation about the First Amendment versus technology. Chef Ben revolutionizes the world with the Enchiladasagna - THE FUTURE IS NOW. All this and more ... Show More
53m 18s
Nov 19
Interview: The Devil You Know, with Sarah Marshall
<p>We've all heard the phrase: "Satanic Panic." Not too long ago, the United States -- and, later, the world -- was gripped with fear. According to the story, powerful devil worshippers conspired to kidnap, abuse, torture and even murder innocent children all in the service of Sa ... Show More
1h 6m
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2024
Ordinary Vikings: hidden histories of the Nordic world
We know the Vikings best as brutal, seafaring, pagan raiders – and that’s an important part of their lives and histories. But it’s only one aspect: what about their love lives, experiences of travels, and attitudes to religion? Speaking with James Osborne, Eleanor Barraclough unp ... Show More
37m 40s
Sep 2024
Viking Travels
<p>Vikings have long been depicted as that stereotype of the hairy, nameless warrior, leaping ashore from his longboat, ready to terrorise a hapless local population in a northern European country. But there were also seers, artisans, travellers, and writers, too whose stories ca ... Show More
47m 12s
Aug 14
Hoax! With Dana Schwartz and Lizzie Logan
Did you know England's first newspaper was fake? Or that King Arthur is more or less completely made up? The deeper we look into human history, the more we see that civilization is utterly riddled with bizarre hoaxes -- some of which are laughable, and some of which are downright ... Show More
47 m
Jun 2015
3A-Vikings: The Norse and the Furious, Bredi’s Drift
Swords, dragons, werewolves, Vikings, betrayal, and revenge are all hallmarks of the thrilling, yet little known, Saga of the Volsungs, the story of an ill-fated medieval Nordic family. One of J.R.R. Tolkien's first Nordic reads, it's a tale of honor, love, loss, and vengeance, a ... Show More
29m 59s
Mar 2013
The Vikings Arrive
<p>This shows looks at the arrival of one of the most fearsome and notorious warriors in Irish history – the Vikings. These Scandinavians have been caricatured throughout the centuries as marauding maniacs a somewhat undeserved reputation. However in this episode they don’t exact ... Show More
18m 50s
Sep 2020
Inghen Ruaidh, the Birka Grave and Viking Warrior Women
We touch on the mythology behind Viking shield-maidens, what we do know about Viking warrior women and how we need to address bias in archaeology.Dr Fern Riddell discusses the legend of Inghen Ruaidh with Professor Judith Jesch and the Birka female Viking warrior grave with Profe ... Show More
46m 13s
Sep 2024
Warrior Viking Women
<p>One of the enduring mysteries of the Viking Age is the identity of two people buried in a spectacular blood drenched ship in southern Norway in the autumn of 834. Why the mystery? Because these remains were of women accorded the most lavish Viking burial ever discovered.</p><b ... Show More
40m 39s
Oct 16
CLASSIC: When Vikings Loot The Wrong Town
Ben here: we're out on the high seas this week -- true story! While we're away, we're sharing some of our favorite Classic episode. Here's one we absolutely loved, and travel-related: "Like many Viking leaders, Halfdan and Bjorn wanted to be known for their fearlessness in battle ... Show More
39m 1s