The Viking Age and Hidden Histories

Published December 23, 2025 at 10:01 AM MST

Object from the exhibit: "We Call Them Vikings"

If the word “Viking” conjures for you a braided warrior raiding a village in the north of Europe, you’re not exactly wrong. But there’s a lot more to the story.

In her latest book, the historian and broadcaster Eleanor Barraclough blows back to life the embers of the Viking Age, illuminating the extraordinary lives of ordinary people. Artifacts of the era play an important role in the story, like an antler-made comb and a gaming piece. Bits of graffiti speak of ancient loves, curses and drunk spouses. The Viking world, it turns out, wasn’t simply one of warriors astride longboats, but a society full of people whose concerns we can recognize today.

GUEST –

Eleanor Barraclough | Historian and Senior Lecturer in the School of Writing, Publishing and the Humanities at Bath Spa University. She’s also a broadcaster for the BBC. Her book is called “Embers of the Hands: Hidden Histories of the Viking Age” [Amazon|Bookshop].

Airdate: Wed. Feb. 26, 2025 at 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. Rebroadcast: Thurs. July 10, 2025 at 9 a.m. and Sat., July 12, 2025 at 11 a.m. Rebroadcast: Wed. Dec. 24, 2025 at 9 a.m. and 7 p.m.