Viking Archives – Rob Shackleford

Viking Trade by Rob Shackleford

Oct 27, 2021

Viking Trade by Rob Shackleford Would you believe it if I suggested that Vikings were traders more than they were rape-and-pillagers? While the reputation of savage conquerors might be relevant for some peoples, such as the literate British and Irish who wrote many of the histories relating to their contacts with the Norse, but the peoples who were often referred to as Vikings (which means pirates) were also highly motivated explorers and traders. Not only had they developed cutting-edge technology in their raiding ships, but they also built highly efficient trading vessels that sailed most of the known world. Commerce…

Viking HistoryAnglo Saxon, author, Norse traders, Rob Shackleford, silver, trade, trade routes, Traveller Inceptio, Traveller Manifesto, Traveller Probo, Viking, viking traders

Writing and Research – Byzantines, Romans and Vikings Oh My! – by Rob Shackleford

Oct 27, 2021

Writing and Research - Byzantines, Vikings and Saxons Oh My! Originally submitted as a guest post to N.N. Light's Book Heaven in October 2021: https://www.nnlightsbookheaven.com/post/writing-and-research-guest-post When I wrote my first novel, Traveller Inceptio, I became engrossed in issues of which most writers would be sympathetic: Was my story original? Was my writing style readable? Did I really have a clue? After all, I wasn’t a Stephen King, Andy Weir, Michael Crichton or Bernard Cornwell. What the heck did I know about innovative stories, sci-fi or historical fiction? As my storyline looks at the survival potential for 21st century researchers sent…

Traveller Inceptio, Traveller ProboAnglo Saxon, author, axe, Byzantine, history, N.N. Light, research, Rob Shackleford, seax, shield, Traveller Inceptio, Traveller Manifesto, Traveller Probo, Viking

Viking Ships 2 – by Rob Shackleford

Sep 20, 2021

Viking Ships 2 Without the Viking ships, there would be no Viking Age. Norse sagas, skaldic poems and contemporary foreign sources describe the Viking ships as marvellous at sea, being compared to dragons, birds and sea serpents. Viking ships were a technology far ahead of other ships of the time. They were seaworthy and could sail vast distances, while their shallow draft allowed them to navigate shallow rivers or estuaries, while they were able to be dragged onto a beach. When Magnus the Good (1047) put his ships to sea, it was as if a swarm of angels from the…

Viking HistoryArnorr, leiðdang, long ship, longship, Norse, Norsemen, raiders, Rob Shackleford, ships, Traveller Inceptio, Traveller Probo, Viking, Vikings, war

Viking Ships 1 – by Rob Shackleford

Sep 20, 2021

Viking Ships 1 Think Vikings - think the dragon-headed Viking Long Ship The Viking ship are described by some scholars as perhaps the greatest technical and artistic achievement of the European dark ages. These fast ships had the strength to survive ocean crossings while having a draft of as little as 50cm (20 inches), allowing navigation in very shallow water. Their unique structure, used in Scandinavia from the Viking Age throughout the Middle Ages, were a vital part of Viking society, not only as a means of transportation, but also for the prestige that it conferred on her owner and…

Uncategorised, Viking Historyclinker, knarr, knorr, langskip, long ship, longship, oak, Rob Shackleford, rowers, sails, Traveller Inceptio, Traveller Probo, Viking, Vikings

Viking Foods 8 – Meals & Feasts by Rob Shackleford

Sep 19, 2021

Viking Foods 8 - Meals & Feasts by Rob Shackleford In discussing Viking foods, it’s important to consider when foods were eaten. Most Viking family meals were eaten in a common room of the longhouse. This meal was often either a stew served with bread or, in Iceland at least, skyr, a type of yoghurt, and cheese with bread. The Norse ate two meals a day: one, the dagveror (day meal) shortly after waking in the morning and the other, the nattveror (night meal), in the evening, roughly around 9:00 pm (21:00). The Vikings had bowls and plates very similar…

Uncategorisedcelebrations, dagveror, feasts, homes, meals, nattveror, Nordic, Rob Shackleford, Traveller Inceptio, Traveller Probo, Viking, Vikings

Viking Pets – Vikings Loved Dogs by Rob Shackleford

Jun 27, 2021

Viking Pets - Vikings Loved Dogs by Rob Shackleford Why Vikings? Who Were the Vikings? What did Vikings Look Like? Viking Ginger Connection Vikings Loved Bling Part 1 Viking Hygiene Viking Clothes - Looking Good! Viking Men's wear Viking Women's Wear Vikings Loved Bling Part 1 Viking Jewellery Part 2 Inked Up - Vikings and Tattoos Were Vikings Inked? Part 2 Viking Health Viking Teeth Viking Medicine Vikings at Home Viking Society Viking Thralls Viking Karls Viking Jarls Viking Women Part 1 Viking Women Part 2 Viking Women Part 3 Viking Villages and Towns Viking Fortresses Vikings and Cats Dogs…

UncategorisedElkhound, Freya, Frigg, Garm, Garmr, Norse, Rob Shackleford, Traveller Inceptio, Traveller Probo, Valhalla, Vallhund, Viking, Viking dogs, Viking hounds, Viking pets