MODERN SAGA • ANCIENT FIRE
Two Warships, Two Worlds By D.W. Roach Traveling south from the port of Athens toward the island of Agistri, my eyes were met by a stunning sight. The Saronic Gulf was alive with ships. Small fishing boats worked the coastal waters. Pleasure yachts cut across the brilliant blue of the Aegean. Oil tankers lumbered in … Continue reading The Trireme and the Longship
By D.W. Roach When most people imagine a trip to Greece, they picture beaches, crystal-blue water, island hopping, and whitewashed buildings. I enjoyed some of that too. I visited a few islands and even jumped from a schooner into the Saronic Gulf for a swim. But the Greece that stayed with me most was on … Continue reading Vikings in Greece: A Primer
There is a certain image that comes to mind whenever someone mentions the Viking Age. A towering warrior stands upon the prow of a longship, axe in hand, shield slung over his shoulder, sailing toward an unsuspecting shore beneath a gray northern sky. Hollywood has convinced us that every Viking spent his life raiding monasteries … Continue reading The Most Dangerous Job in the Viking Age Wasn’t Being a Viking
The Viking Code That Built a Civilization By D.W. Roach | Marauder Books If I asked you to name the greatest weapon of the Viking Age, you might say the mighty Dane axe. Others would choose the longship with it's clinker built hull and ability to navigate both the open ocean and river systems. Some … Continue reading Honor Above All
Modern discussions about Western Civilization often become political battlefields. Some view the West as the greatest force for liberty, prosperity, and human progress the world has ever known. Others focus on its failures, injustices, and contradictions. Between these competing narratives, it can be easy to forget that civilizations are not built in a day. They … Continue reading Men of the West: How the Vikings Planted the Seeds of Freedom
Was Sigurd Ring the Final Hero of a Forgotten Age? By D.W. Roach | Marauder Books When most people think of the Viking Age, they think of names like Ragnar Lothbrok, Bjorn Ironside, or Harald Fairhair. Yet history—and legend—rarely begins where we think it does. Before the great raids. Before Lindisfarne. Before longships became the … Continue reading The Last Vendel King
Why the Vendel Era May Be More Fascinating Than the Vikings By D.W. Roach When most people think of the Viking Age, they picture longships slicing through gray seas, warriors carrying round shields, and raiders descending upon distant shores. It's an image that has become deeply embedded in popular culture. Films, television shows, novels, and … Continue reading The Lost Viking Age
By D.W. Roach When most people think about Scandinavian culture in America, their minds immediately drift toward Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the Great Plains. They picture family farms, Lutheran churches, and communities where Norwegian and Swedish surnames have remained for generations. But if you want to understand where Scandinavian culture truly feels at home in North … Continue reading The Vikings Never Really Left: Scandinavian Culture in the Pacific Northwest
Plunder, Trade, Ham, and Other Questionable Life Choices Recently I had the opportunity to travel to Barcelona for work, and after the business side wrapped up, I was fortunate enough to spend some personal time exploring one of the most fascinating cities I’ve ever visited. I wandered through the Gothic Quarter, walked streets older than … Continue reading Vikings in the Iberian Peninsula
How the Vendel Period Forged the Viking Age—and How the Viking Age Reshaped the Middle Ages By D.W. Roach When most people think of the Viking Age, they imagine a sudden storm: dragon-prowed longships, coastal raids, pagan warriors crashing into a Christian world. But history is rarely so abrupt. The Viking Age did not emerge … Continue reading Before the Longships and After the Sagas
