This week we welcome back Prof. Alex Woolf (University of St. Andrews) to the podcast to question whether ‘the Vikings’ is a useful concept that helps us understand history. We explore why certain people left Scandinavia in the late 8th century and what they were called in the various places they raided and eventually settled. Alex warns us against the telescoping of medieval history and argues for more nuance and specificity when dealing with the Scandinavian diaspora in so-called 'Viking Age Ireland'. He explains that the variety of activities by people we refer to as 'vikings' across the centuries in places like Ireland, England, Scotland and Francia cannot be reduced to one simple narrative.
Suggested reading:
Alex Woolf, 'The Viking Paradigm in Early Medieval History' Early Medieval England and its Neighbours. 2025;51:e2. doi:10.1017/ean.2024.3
Colmán Etchingham, Vikings in Early Medieval Ireland: Church-Raiding, Politics and Kingship (Boydell Press, 2025)
Regular episodes every two weeks (on a Friday)
Email: medievalirishhistory@gmail.com
Producer: Tiago Veloso Silva
Supported by the Dept of Early Irish, Maynooth University & Taighde Éireann/Research Ireland.
Views expressed are the speakers' own.
Logo design: Matheus de Paula Costa
Music: Lexin_Music