Vikings

Neil Oliver heads for Scandinavia to reveal the truth behind the legend of the Vikings. The remains of weapon filled war-boats, long-haired Bronze Age farmers, and a site of a gruesome pagan ritual conjure up an ancient past from which the Viking Age suddenly erupted.

Neil Oliver explores how the Age of the Vikings finally ended, tracing the Norse voyages of discovery, the first Danish Kings, and the Christian conversions that opened the door to European high society. And he corrects our understanding of the legend of King Canute.

History sees the Vikings as a band of blood-thirsty pirates... and it's true. The Vikings took no prisoners, relished cruel retribution and were true warriors. The story of the Vikings reveals an extraordinary story of a people who, from the brink of destruction, built an empire across the globe.