Vikings, Norsemen and Scandinavians. Are these terms interchangeable? Not in most situations, no. There's a lot of discourse in the Norse...

Although modern myth mostly presents Vikings as raiders and pillagers, they were traders too. Traders with an axe in hand to help in negotiations. Each summer, hundreds and perhaps thousands of sailors set off from Scandinavian shores to sail westwards and southwards. During their time, Norsemen sailed Europe thin; along the coasts, up and down rivers, even carrying their ships around mountain-tops. So it is no surprise that special trades and objects specifically targeted at the summerly...

Here’s one of my favourite facts about Vikings. It starts with a lion. Not quite that kind though. In current day Arsenale de Venezia,...