The Well | The Viking Blog

It's easy to imagine the Viking Age as a time without writing. But that's not quite true. The Vikings could both read and write – but not in the same...

How did the Vikings measure time?

When we think of time today, we often think of hours and minutes.

But for the Vikings, it was more important...

The Viking Age actually began with a fairly simple thought: why does our Nordic heritage feel so distant in everyday life?

We live in a time where...

In Viking and Nordic folklore , dwarves were masters of blacksmithing and craftsmanship . They often lived in mountains,...

For the Vikings, death was not an end, but the beginning of a new journey. The soul continued on to Valhalla, Fólkvangr, or Hel, depending on a person's...

When we created Vikingatid, we didn't begin with a sketch.

We began with a question.

What would a modern watch look like if it drew its...

Today, we are used to always knowing the time. A quick glance at a phone or wristwatch tells us exactly where we are in the day.

For the Vikings,...

Viking weddings were more than social contracts – they were sacred ceremonies where vows were made before the gods...

Every watch tells the time.

But not every watch tells a story.

When we created Vikingatid, we asked ourselves a simple question: 

What...

Heimdall was the god who guarded Bifrost, the rainbow bridge between Midgard and Asgard, and his job was to protect...

For people during the Viking Age and long after, the world was not empty between the trees, underground, or by the water.

It was populated. Not...

When the sun was at its highest and the night barely existed, the Vikings celebrated the summer solstice – one of...

In the Viking Age Nordic region, the Thing was more than a place for law and decision-making – it was also a time...

Freyja was the goddess of love and fertility, but also the master of seige , the art of magic. She had power over relationships,...

How do you keep track of a year without a modern calendar? It's a question that leads to something quite fascinating – the golden numbers.

In Viking folklore , water was not only life-giving – it could also be dangerous . Lakes, rivers and streams were...

The runes have stood for a thousand years, but their voices can still be heard – if you know how to listen. To read...

Sejd and galdr were magical rites and songs that the Vikings used to influence fate, protect the family, or call upon...

As April draws to a close and flames begin to dance across Scandinavian hills, it’s easy to think of Walpurgisday as a student festival of choir singing...

In Nordic folklore, they dance in the dawn mist. Light, almost transparent, floating over meadows...

Loki was the god of cunning, chaos, and change, and despite his often negative role, he was central to Viking mythology....

The runes were the Vikings' own writing system – their alphabet. The Younger Futhark, used during the Viking Age,...

Týr was a god of war and a symbol of justice, courage, and loyalty. He is best known for sacrificing his hand to bind...

Among all the Viking Age blots, the Disablot was one of the most enigmatic and revered. It was held to be the dísir...

Njord was the god of the sea, wind, fishing and wealth, and his blessing was crucial to the Vikings' travels, trade...

In the folklore of the Vikings and the Nordic peoples, the tomte (or nisse in Danish/Norwegian) played an important...

In the cold, dark Northern Europe, midwinter was the most charged time of the year during pre-Christian times, including...

Hel, daughter of Loki and Angerboda, ruled over Helheim, the Viking realm of the dead located in Nifelheim for those who did not fall in battle . She...

Balder was the god of light and goodness, beloved by both gods and humans for his beauty, gentleness, and justice. He...

The Valkyries were goddesses who served Odin and had the important task of selecting the dead warriors who would be...

If the Disablot was the festival of women, then the Alvablotet was the festival of silence. It was a secret blot,...

Ragnarök was the Viking prophecy of the world's final battle and new beginning. According to the myths, gods, giants...

For the Vikings, runes were more than just letters. They were living symbols – charged with power, sacredness and...

Thor, the god of thunder and lightning, was one of the Vikings' most beloved and respected gods. He was the protector...

In Viking mythology, there were two major groups of gods: the Asa gods and the Vana gods. The Asa gods lived in Asgard...

Yggdrasil was the mighty world tree in the Viking cosmos and was believed to bind together the nine worlds. These included:

When the year's harvest was harvested and the cold of winter began to set in, the Vikings held the autumn sacrifice...

In the folklore of the Vikings and the Nordic peoples , the forest played a central role . It was both life-giving and...

When the Viking Age ended, it was long believed that the runes died out with it . 0But the truth is that the runes continued...

Today they stand there, in the middle of the landscape – silent witnesses to the Viking Age. Runestones, erected over...

Runes are one of the clearest connections we have to the Viking Age. We see them carved in stone, carved in wood and engraved on objects. Simple, straightforward...

Freyr was the god of earth, harvests, fertility and prosperity, and his gifts were crucial to the survival of the Vikings....

The Vikings had many sacred places in nature, where they performed rituals, sacrifices and festivals. These could be...

In the folklore of the Vikings and the Nordic peoples , alves played an important role in everyday life. Alves were...

When the Viking Age began, not only did society change – language and writing also developed. The Elder Futhark with...

When the Nordic winter finally began to give way, and the snow slowly retreated from the fields, the Vikings held their...

Runes are more than just ancient symbols carved in stone. For the Vikings, they were a living language , a way to remember,...