Ryan, just finished this video, my first of yours. Incredible stuff. I had a miserable 16 years of schooling, where I was taught junk history or taught none at all. I'm going to dig my way through all of your collection! I'm 32 and I got some catchin' up to do!

All your videos are very good, thank you A gem for those of us that like to learn more about our history.

I really wish that you had made more videos concerning the Viking Age and the conversion of Scandinavia. It's my favourite historical era

Reminds me always on a dialogue from Hägar the Horrible: "What's this?" "The great european wall!" "Who'd build it?" "The people on the other side..."

The intro music always makes want a cup of gourmet coffee....

Just want to say I've been watching a bunch of your videos the past week and they are very well done. thank you.

I have very much enjoyed your series of lectures. I am taking them in order one by one. As a side note for other people: It is also important to know that all viking males, regardless of class were trained in the use of arms for personal combat. European peasants on the other hand were often banned from training in the use of arms so they could be more easily controlled by their lords. So when trained viking found untrained peasants it was all too easy to defeat them. Also worth noting that the Vikings primary business was the slave trade. They took the gold from the monasteries when they could get it, but they usually raided villages for slaves to sell to the Arabs. The viking motto was that if were were strong they traded with you. If you were weak they enslaved you.

Ah, the Mount and Blade: Warband picture at 3:00. Gotta love it.

Both runes and the roman alphabet was orginially used for divination. In practical language they represented sounds and got a form that could be carved into twigs without being lost in the grain. Twigs was the post-it note paper for the vikings, and the knife were their pen...

Wow, such a high-value, informative and well-presented overview of The Viking Worldview and its impact on our world. Loved this. Thank you so much.

Supreme presentation. Very well done, easy to understand and follow. Thank you!

After watching a few of your videos I knew I needed to subscribe to your channel. Great work!

sooooo glad i found your videos! they're great!

I've enjoyed your Lessons/Lectures very much.

There was norse tempels such as old Upsala and they had some sort of pristes that lived there, and the female Völve was also some sort of pristes.

IN the Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter mystery series (cozy reads - young adult to adult) , one of the mysteries uses the LIndesfarne Gospels as a starting point. My library has all of these fun books.

Love these videos. Taking me back to my undergraduate days studying ancient Celtic and Viking history, which is also the history of the Roman Empire, etc. Just a point, I'm sure it was just an oversight, but Wagner's Ring Cycle is actually a tetralogy: Das Rheingold, Die Walkure, Siegfried, and Gotterdammerung.

There were in fact Norse priests, and priestesses of the old ways, they were known as the Gothar and Volvar. There were also temples known as Hofs. However they did not force or impose their practices on the people, they simply followed the practices of their forefathers and ancestors.

Wonderful. Superbly insightful. Loved it. Great, great work!

Excellent lecture Dr. Reeves, I wish you would have thrown in the Naglfar (Old Norse "nail ship"). In Norse mythology it is said to be a boat made entirely from the fingernails and toenails of the dead. Naglfar is foretold to sail to Vígríðr, ferrying hordes that will do battle with the gods.

I like this even with the inaccuracies

Very accessibly presented and interesting lesson. Thank you!

Well done sir! Excellent presentation yet again

I love all this history. Thank you for all the time you have so generously donated and shared with us.

I understand that the Varangian Rus were directly related to the Vikings of Scandinavia. Please tell us of Princess Olga wife of Igor of Kiev and her grandson Prince Vladimir son of Sviatoslav of the Kievan Rus who were the founders of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Outstanding video! Thank-you very much!!!

Niflheim (the realm of the dead) sounds a lot like "Nephilim." I wonder if that is more than coincidental...

i watched Beowulf 07' movie again . so good.

I wouldn't put nearly so much emphasis on the Vikings as the force behind feudalism. First, they were only one of several people groups attacking the territories of the former Roman empire. We all know the names Vandal, Visigoth, Ostrogoth, Lombard and Hun. These too were attacking former Roman lands, not to mention the Arabs in Iberia and North Africa. Second, the Roman empire at its height was already hierarchical into local, regional and empire-wide authorities. One reason the Catholic church developed its parish-diocesan-archdiocesan structure was that it was imitating a hierarchical structure that the Roman population was already very familiar with. When the city of Rome fell, the empire-wide administration ceased, but the local and regional administrations were left to carry on as best they could. They were now free, of course, to hang onto the taxes they were collecting in order to do so. In Britain, the regional authorities even elected leaders like Arthur to raise armies and fight the enemies that were disturbing the peace. Naturally, this was much harder without a globally administered military, but it is this adaptation of an existing local and regional hierarchical authority structure to support an army that must be the basis for feudalism. The Vikings were just one of many reasons why such armies were necessary. Eventually, of course, most of these formerly Roman regions were in fact conquered by the barbarian tribes and these conquerors became the new kings and overlords of the local and regional administrations.

Boy! Was that interesting or what. Another fine presentation. Thank you for sharing.

A couple of sloppy graphics could be corrected. There is a map titled "Late Medieval - 500-1000", which is obviously early medieval. And there's another map showing the location of Sutton Hoo in London. It is in Suffolk.

And evidence is that they had been sailing through the "northern passage" through the Arctic Ocean, before the modern time of a near permanent ice pack, all of the way to eastern/Pacific Russia, China and even to Japan, where they gained a few pieces of technology and strategy to use in their northern European realm.

Norse mythology says: At first there was the great void. The void split in half and separated hot from cold. Ymir was created from the condensation between the hot and the cold.....right?

Your videos are pretty great Ryan and not to nitpick, but what about the Norse Temple at Uppsala? Norse religion also featured priests/shaman with both male and female represented.

good video. very interesting. keep it up.

Ragnarok is about the "balance of the force"... the battle between light and dark finishing a cycle....

Ragnarok litteraly means "unsettling (rok) of the rulers (ragnar)". Both component words are well know still as "rock" and "reign".

Really interesting Ryan. When I compare Greek mythology and Viking mythology I cant help but think the two are one and the same, when I look at them through the eyes of the Holy Bible of Christianity. In Genisis 'Fallen Angels' are described as leaving their first estate and choosing to manipulate our world, in doing so they become gods of our world and seek our prayers and attention which is exactly what our true creator forbids. With that said, its easy to put all ancient great figures... Zeus/Apollo/Thor/Oden/Isis/Ra and many others into the category "Demi gods". Now im not doubting they existed, Im sure they all did with great wisdom and strength, my question is where did they get that great wisdom and strength? And the only answer that fits is fallen angels

I wonder if the Verdict of Verdun brought about the viking onslaught? Has this been considered?

Interesting, do you also have anything on the Egyptians? Because I couldn't find anything.

Love the channel!

Also, I'm sure you might be a fan of Douglas Adams' Long Dark Tea Time of the Soul and possibly maybe Neil Gaiman's American Gods.

10 yrs before Lindensfarne was the massacre of Verden, The franks were constantly attacking the Saxons. Some scholars think it was a offensive move on the Vikings part, sending a message.

So I'm a 43 year old Psychologist. Why is this my 3rd video of yours tonight? Why am I watching this.

Enjoyed this video, thanks for posting. My only problem is after 21:20 it starts sounding like you had a bit too much mead. Not sure why the audio becomes distorted in such a way.

Pretty damn sure Vikings had churches tho, Skiringsal, Lejre and the most important one in Uppsala.

Buri is not Odin, Vili and Ve's father..thats Borr, but Bury is their Grand father.

So...what about the Hulk and Spiderman? Just Kidding :). I like these videos.

Wow, thank you!

Thank you for your great work. I believe I need to respectfully disagree with an issue you mention. You seem to imply that Norse, Celts, Angles, Saxons and Franks were all basically the same ethinic groups and all living around Central and Northern Europe. To my knowledge this is not correct. Before the Roman Empire, Celts were mainly Western European peoples, living from Gibraltar to the British Isles. Examples were the Gauls, the Britons, the Picts, the Lusitanians, the Gallaecian, the Celtiberian, etc.. Germanic peoples descended mainly from Norse peoples who migrated South from Scandinavia but, after some millennia they also became kind of ethnically distinct from the Norse, although clearly more related than the Celts. Germanic peoples lived in central Europe above the Rhone river and during Roman occupations were considered barbarians like all tribes not belonging to the empire. Examples were the Lombards, the Visigoths, Suevi, Saxons, Franks, Angles, etc.. The Norse peoples were the ones who remained in Scandinavia, later called Vikings during their raids time in the early middle ages. Then you also has Slavics, Dacian, Thracian and other ethnic groups in Eastern Europe and of course in the Mediterranean you have Romans (probably coming from the Etruscan), Greeks or Hellenes (probably of Mycenaean origin), etc... During the Roman Empire most Celtic tribes were mixed and integrated in Roman populations and culture. By the end of the empire litle Celtic culture could be found in the Iberian Peninsula or France, or even (although to less extent) in the British Isles. But then all these areas were occupied by Germanic tribes: Anglo-Saxons in Britain, Franks in France, Visigoths and Suevi in modern Portugal and Spain, etc... So then we had centuries of Germanic cultural and genetic influence. Later though, during the middle ages, the Norse occupied a great deal of Northern Europe while the Moors did the same in the South (specially Iberian Peninsula - modern Portugal and Spain). So in the overall historic context, saying that Celts were Goths for example I think it's incorrect. Goths were Germanics and came ultimately from the Norse. Celts were unrelated peoples, from western Europe, from Britain and France to Iberia.

Lovely lecture, Mr. Reeves. By the way, Wagner's Ring cycle is a tetralogy, not a trilogy.

The norce hade Tempels like the one in Old Uppsala

THANKS DOC I'M GOIN' FOR A ROW IF I DROP IN I'M SURE YOU'LL KNOW TAKE CARE GARE

Vikings did not just battle aimlessly, in an attempt to go to the great mead hall in the sky Valhalla...Vikings fought taxes from Kings and the church, who took their beliefs and corrupted them.

The computer game Banner Saga is so similar to Ragnarok. My Odin, thats good game

don't know if it's your doing, mister Reeves, but I find it quite telling how _the Vikings_ are portrayed as wild men, and as soon as _the christians_ are mentioned, we see, obviously _'enlightened, glowing figures in white robes_

I love Thomas cahills hinge of history series, the first book, How the Irish saved civilization,

The Norse where more Shamanistic rather than an organized theology. Umdala the primordial cow

Nice material.

Loki wasn't Odin's son, he was Odin's blood brother and of giant heritage

wait, people are ashamed that some of our founding fathers were not Christians? That seems silly

Interesting idea that you think that the Vikings caused the move into the feudal system, but a strange idea that the vikings started their expansion because of hard conditions at home. How come they could be so strong and well fed then? Stronger than any other peoples, right? Does not sound like hunger problems to me. There are other theories about the causes for the Viking attacks, primarily on christian targets in the beginning. Some theorize that forces in Europe tried to isolate the Vikings from their traditional trade routes, and that made the Vikings angry.....

The believers of Odin did not take lightly to the sacking and burning of the Holy groves in Germany. The Holy trees that Charlemagne's iron army destroyed was an attack on their way of life. They did have priests, the local big wig was a Hovgode as well as king, some claim the word king derives from Hebrew Cohen, konge in Scandinavian and that the kings name Hakon is from High-Cohen or High-priest. Charlemagne set of the viking raids in Europe, it started as retaliation against the Catholic attacks, kept up because it was possible.

I'VE WATCHED THIS THREE TIMES NOW. LOTS OF INFO. I LIKE YOUR PRESENTATION AND INTERPRETATIONS. YOU DON'T SEEM BIASED BUT AN ASTUTE OBSERVER. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR WORK. IT IS QUITE ENLIGHTENING. TAKE CARE GARE

beowulf starts out telling of a mountain in Denmark :P

Wasn't a serfdom created by emperor Constantine?

I look at these illuminations and wonder how far we have fallen from what could be. Then I immediately pause the video to write this comment and get back to a bit of work, to put it behind so I can get back to self-cultivation.

This guy is great. Apparently, the Northmen were not the first Westerners to make it over to North America. Recent finds in Canada have revealed that the Romans very well may have explored the West much early.

Hmmm. maybe they WERE there for business and seeking something from the Monastery. This rather was their main business for a number of years.

Sometimes I consider if the ragnarok has already happened and the gods have died for *us* to live.

ymir is kind of like Kronos from Greek mythology trapped in the deepest pit of frozen hell.

So where on the map is Freyja's hall Fólkvangr? Seems as if she and her hall should get at least equal billing with Odin and Valhalla since she's scooping up half the slain warriors.

Oh, how coincidental, I just got The Vikings by Ferguson as a Christmas gift.

Vikingtime was i the beginning, revenge!

lot of statements that are wrong, but Also a lot there is true. I like the perspective though, and the references.

Question for you, do you think that the Viking age and the attacks were caused by Charlemagne and the Franks due to their assault on the Saxons? The Danes let the chieftain Winukind (I think I spelt his name right) take refuge in now Denmark.

As much as I love history, I kept wondering where women fit into this picture. Women were warriors in the distant past, or so I gather from the Icini rebellion in England. Love your lectures -- very informative -- but I find myself wanting to hear SOMETHING about the place of women in that mighty heritage which evolved into all of Western Europe. Has NO ONE researched this very vital aspect of human life in the past??? Often times I think that men, throughout time, have really been afraid of women because of their attraction for men and their role as life-givers. The Spartans required male homosexuality, but to my knowledge that is the only culture that was so very male-centric in reality. Or maybe I'm wrong, and it is an unacknowledged "given" in the past. Hopefully, this has recently changed.

I am sorry, really enjoy watching your videos & as I remember he also received the understanding of the Runic secrets & magical power. I have somewhere read that the Runes has a numerical system very similar to the Aramaic or Biblical Hebrew language & secrets can be unveiled if you now the way to calculate, the secrets.

What has always bamboozled me is why, none of the Christian Kings of Europe ever put an army together and went to Norway/Denmark and hashed these Vikings on their home turf. A thorough thrashing on their home turf would probably have quieted them down for a generation. Instead, they had sanctuary status on their home turf. Giving them that enabled their depredations on the rest of civilization.

burl is not the father of odin ve and vill bor is the father of odin burl is the grandfather of odin and bestia is the mother of odin ve and vill

♫ We're vikings! What do you know, the terrors of the sea. ♫

I love these!! Even though I hear some slight anti-catholic leaning in some lectures I believe you do a terrific job. For a Protestant 😜

are you familiar wth the the rites of ragnaroth found in anton laveyian satanism? what do you think of the possible connection?

Ok how are you gonna explain that whole picture and not tell me who that squirrel is love your channel by the way

and Anaheim is where the Might Ducks live

A classic example of Norman design was advertised as being in my perfect condition with my blue blood & aristocracy. I was born in the March of Pannonia, to the north, FRANKISH MOUNTAIN is bordered by the Danube river, was a frontier march of the Carolingian Empire, named after the former Roman province of Pannonia. Sirmium was an important city in the Roman Empire. It was the ECONOMIC CAPITAL of Roman Pannonia and one of four capital cities of the Empire. Ten Roman Emperors were born in this city or in its surroundings: Herennius Etruscus (227-251), Hostilian (230?-251), Decius Traian (249-251), Claudius II (268-270), Quintillus (270), Aurelian (270-275), Probus (276-282), Maximianus Herculius (285-310), Constantius II (337-361) and Gratian (367-383). In any event, both Non-Frankish-Germanic & Slavic pagans ultimately became the LINGUA FRANCA in the Avar Khaganate. I am very proud of my ancestry of Norman Crusader, after the collapse of the Charlemagne (Carolingian) Empire caused by the Vikings romped to victory to be called the blend of Viking & Frank by the name of my surname SAVATE and then during the First Crusade.

I thought Ben Franklin was a Deist Christian? Like Jefferson...

The Norse do have priests, they're called Gothi.

What about Fenrir?

You make a lot of good videos, but many times I feel a little bit like you just don't get it right. Like in this video, you are talking about the "Scandinavian religion", while it is more like the Scandinavian version of Germanic religion. I know it's not easy to draw borders in these pagan religions. But you make it look like it's this unique stand alone religion, which it is definitly not. When they attacked some places, traded, immigrated, whatever. Many times there would be some people who recognize the gods and customs but also in many places would be able to communicate as their languages where pretty similar germanic languages. This is not criticizing your video, just the general believes about the vikings as they were this kind of aliens who came out of nowhere. They had a lot more in common with many "local people" than people think. I saw your video about the hundred years' war some times ago and you say something about flanders allying with England. You show a map of what is called Flanders today, which is pretty wrong. The county of Flanders at that time would be a little less than half of modern day Flanders and a part of modern day France (now called French Flanders). The other part of modern day Flanders was mainly the Duchy of Brabant, part of The Holy Roman Empire and ruled by the Burgundians at that time (who had a pretty dubious relationship with the king of France anyway). I know Feudal Europe is a very complicated matter and you try make a general explanation, but if you show a detail, even if it is just for a joke, at least try to get it right.

Danish is like Jewish but from Danite, There was a Danite Sampson sounds norse with the son.

That map is wrong, Vikings went even to baghdad

Hel is not a place to be for eternity. It is temporary, and gods and people can come back from there....

Interesting, but your pronunciation is so far off....

this is preferable to dan carlin

Can't believe I'm a descendant

ummm... a football team, I think. a buncha black guys with long blonde braids wearing purple jackets. am I right?

All those people you spoke of are from the seed of Japheth son of Noah, that's a fact.

Oden is a myth, but jesus is real.