All Segments
Vikings, Ragnar, Berserkers, Valhalla & the Warriors of the Viking Age | Lex Fridman Podcast #495
13 segments available
Lars Brownworth is a historian, teacher, podcaster, and author specializing in Viking history, medieval Europe, and the Byzantine Empire. Thank you for listening ❤ Check out our sponsors: https://lexfridman.com/sponsors/ep495-sb See below for timestamps, transcript, and to give feedback, submit questions, contact Lex, etc. *Transcript:* https://lexfridman.com/lars-brownworth-transcript *CONTACT LEX:* *Feedback* - give feedback to Lex: https://lexfridman.com/survey *AMA* - submit questions, videos or call-in: https://lexfridman.com/ama *Hiring* - join our team: https://lexfridman.com/hiring *Other* - other ways to get in touch: https://lexfridman.com/contact *EPISODE LINKS:* Lars's Website: https://larsbrownworth.com/ The Sea Wolves (book): https://www.amazon.com/Sea-Wolves-History-Vikings/dp/1909979120 Lars's Books: https://amzn.to/4sHY0xw 12 Byzantine Rulers Podcast : https://12byzantinerulers.com/ Norman Centuries Podcast: https://apple.co/4sgSxNi *SPONSORS:* To support this podcast, check out our sponsors & get discounts: *Larridin:* Measure AI adoption in your business. Go to https://lexfridman.com/s/larridin-ep495-sb *BetterHelp:* Online therapy and counseling. Go to https://lexfridman.com/s/betterhelp-ep495-sb *LMNT:* Zero-sugar electrolyte drink mix. Go to https://lexfridman.com/s/lmnt-ep495-sb *Fin:* AI agent for customer service. Go to https://lexfridman.com/s/fin-ep495-sb *Shopify:* Sell stuff online. Go to https://lexfridman.com/s/shopify-ep495-sb *Perplexity:* AI-powered answer engine. Go to https://lexfridman.com/s/perplexity-ep495-sb *OUTLINE:* 0:00 - Episode highlight 1:17 - Introduction 2:37 - The start of the Viking Age 12:30 - Viking military strategy, tactics & technology 26:13 - Ragnar Lothbrok 35:40 - The Great Heathen Army 40:23 - Rollo and Normandy 50:34 - Viking religion and Valhalla 1:01:06 - Viking explorers 1:06:13 - Vikings in North America 1:19:35 - Vikings in the East 1:39:14 - Byzantine Empire 1:47:57 - History and human nature *PODCAST LINKS:* - Podcast Website: https://lexfridman.com/podcast - Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lwqZIr - Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8 - RSS: https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/ - Podcast Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOdP_8GztsuKi9nrraNbKKp4 - Clips Channel: https://www.youtube.com/lexclips *SOCIAL LINKS:* - X: https://x.com/lexfridman - Instagram: https://instagram.com/lexfridman - TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@lexfridman - LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/lexfridman - Facebook: https://facebook.com/lexfridman - Patreon: https://patreon.com/lexfridman - Telegram: https://t.me/lexfridman - Reddit: https://reddit.com/r/lexfridman
Segments Timeline
Episode highlight
"- The Viking longships could average 70 to 120 miles a day. They could hit a place, raid it, drag off whoever they wanted, and get away before you could get your army there. That's just absolutely ter..."
Introduction
"- The following is a conversation with Lars Brownworth, a historian and author of many excellent history books, including The Sea Wolves: A History of the Vikings and The Normans: From Raiders to King..."
The start of the Viking Age
"Your writing and podcasts take us from the Vikings to the Normans to Crusades, to the collapse of the East Roman Empire, also known as the Byzantine Empire. There's a thread, I think, that connects th..."
Viking military strategy, tactics & technology
"religion, but since you mentioned the boats, what- what do we understand about the technology that they were using? Can you just speak a little bit more to this one inch of oak idea? So, these were th..."
Ragnar Lothbrok
"- Uh, you mentioned Ragnar Lothbrok. Who was Ragnar Lothbrok? Did he actually exist? Some people believe he's a composite from several real ninth century Viking leaders, versus an actual singular huma..."
The Great Heathen Army
"that invaded England in 865? What can we say about that? - Well, there's this famous scene in the Viking siege of Paris in 845, which is really the Europeans' introduction, or Europe as a whole, to a ..."
Rollo and Normandy
"So you have a book. You have a podcast series on, The Normans, so let's talk about Rollo. Who was Rollo? The famous Viking war leader who became the first ruler of Normandy, Northern France. - Well, f..."
Viking religion and Valhalla
"- Yeah. So rewinding back, what was the religion, the religious beliefs, the gods that the Vikings believed that we've mentioned a little bit of? Thor and Odin, how did they see this, this world and t..."
Viking explorers
"- I have to ask about Vikings as explorers. They were...... truly one of the greatest explorers in history. What can you say to, what is it in their spirit that motivated them? I mean, they sailed, th..."
Vikings in North America
"All right, we're back. Let's talk about this incredible fact of the Vikings, that Leif Ericson, who was a Viking explorer, was the first European to reach North America around the year 1000, five cent..."
Vikings in the East
"So like we mentioned, the Vikings really went all over. And one of the directions they went that ended up touching the Byzantine Empire in Constantinople, is they went East. What can you say about the..."
Byzantine Empire
"- And the Byzantine Empire's an interesting one. I don't understand maybe... And, and you articulated this well, but it doesn't get like the love that it maybe deserves in history. I think the, the fr..."
History and human nature
"so where do you land on this great debate? How important are individual humans versus systems? So what do you think turns the tides of history? Can individual rulers or individual warriors or individu..."