#495 – Vikings, Ragnar, Berserkers, Valhalla & the Warriors of the Viking Age
Key Takeaways
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Lindisfarne raid launched the Viking Age
“The raid on Lindisfarne in 793 is what we call the official start of the Viking Age.”
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Ragnar Lodbrok is a mythical composite figure
“It's likely that Ragnar is a collection of the deeds of several different Viking leaders.”
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Longships allowed for deep inland surprise attacks
“The longship could sail across oceans but also navigate tiny rivers deep into Europe.”
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Berserkers used trances to ignore battlefield pain
“The berserkers worked themselves into a frenzy where they were seemingly impervious to pain.”
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Reputation was more valuable than life itself
“For the Norse, your physical body dies, but your reputation lives on forever.”
Episode Description
Lars Brownworth is a historian, teacher, podcaster, and author specializing in Viking history, medieval Europe, and the Byzantine Empire. https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep495-sc Transcript: https://lexfridman.com/lars-brownworth-transcript CONTACT LEX: Feedback – give feedback to Lex: https://lexfridman.com/survey AMA – submit questions, videos or call-in: https://lexfridman.com/ama Hiring – join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring Other – other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact EPISODE LINKS: https://larsbrownworth.com/ https://www.amazon.com/Sea-Wolves-History-Vikings/dp/1909979120 https://amzn.to/4sHY0xw https://12byzantinerulers.com/ https://apple.co/4sgSxNi SPONSORS: Larridin: Measure AI adoption in your business. https://larridin.com BetterHelp: Online therapy and counseling. https://betterhelp.com/lex LMNT: Zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix. https://drinkLMNT.com/lex Fin: AI agent for customer service. https://fin.ai/lex Shopify: Sell stuff online. https://shopify.com/lex Perplexity: AI-powered answer engine. https://perplexity.ai/ OUTLINE: PODCAST LINKS: https://lexfridman.com/podcast https://apple.co/2lwqZIr https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8 https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/ https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOdP_8GztsuKi9nrraNbKKp4 https://www.youtube.com/lexclips