What were the Vikings like?
Summary
Pat Kenny interviews archaeologist Neil Price to challenge the stereotypical image of Vikings as mere raiders. Price, author of *The Sea King and the Sorceress*, describes Norse society as a complex, globalized culture involving extensive trade, settlement, and slavery across Europe and Asia. The discussion covers the historical development of Dublin, the significant role of women in Norse religion, and the genetic diversity of the era, countering modern myths of racial purity.
Topics discussed
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Introduction of guest Neil Price and his new book
Defining Vikings vs. Norsemen and the farming majority
The lethal trinity: raiding, trading, and human trafficking
Viking seafaring range: from North America to Asia
Archaeological evidence of Norse trade routes
Scandinavian settlements in England, Iceland, and Normandy
Viking arrival and settlement in Dublin and Ireland
Defining Dublin as a Viking city and cultural blending
The 'Viking gene' and Dupuytren's contraction in Scandinavia
Religious tensions and conversion to Christianity
Interpreting complex Viking burial rituals and grave goods
The role of women and sorceresses in Norse mythology
Countering far-right appropriation of Viking imagery
Viking Age globalization and Eurasian connectivity
Genetic diversity in Scandinavia and the myth of purity
Closing remarks and book recommendation
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