I just graduated with a degree in Viking Studies, AMA (ask me anything)

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We went to York, Wearmouth and Jarrow, Lindisfarne, and Hadrian's Wall (no idea why we went there, I think just because the lecturer had a thing for Romans too)

There was the opportunity to go and study in Norway, but it wasn't covered by UK tuition fees so would've worked out at about 6k+ per semester when taking into account accommodation etc. I would have liked to go but my grip on languages is already shaky, learning middle english, old english and old norse already I don't think I could have fitted any modern norweigan into my brain! Some of my coursemates went though and they had a whale of a time - although one of them went out in the morning with wet hair from the shower, and it was frozen by the time she reached campus!

Which did you enjoy the most?
(also Lindisfarne :suith:

)

Reply 21

Messalina

Original post by OMGWTFBBQ

What do you think did my damage to your future career; Viking Studies or the University of Nottingham?

Probably wasting my time on tsr actually, we've conversed before although you probably don't remember. Neither my course nor my university appear to have damaged my career prospects at all :smile:

Reply 22

Alfissti

Why the interest in vikings?

Who is your favourite viking?

Which is your favourite saga?

What do you think were the vikings' greatest achievement?

Do you know much about Asatru?

Reply 23

Messalina

Original post by Aula

Which did you enjoy the most?
(also Lindisfarne :suith:

)

Am I allowed to say Hadrian's Wall? It was fun :P

But no you're right, probably Lindisfarne. It's something about imagining those monks sat in their little monastery, watching the ships getting closer and closer, not realising that their deaths were impending and their monastery would be the first place in the British Isles that the Vikings ransacked... pretty stomach churning really. Also they sell amazing mead there :biggrin:

Reply 24

Aula

Original post by Messalina

omg Lindisfarne mead is amazing. I haven't had any for ages though :sad:

Reply 25

WitnessMO

Was it postgraduate or undergraduate?
Couldn't you have just got a book about Vikings out of the library anyway?
What useful skills has your degree equipped you with?
What are your future plans?
Tell me one interesting fact about Vikings I wouldn't know?

Reply 26

Messalina

Original post by Alfissti

Why the interest in vikings?

Who is your favourite viking?

Which is your favourite saga?

What do you think were the vikings' greatest achievement?

Do you know much about Asatru?

I really enjoyed a book by Melvin Burgess called Bloodtide when I was a teenager, it's based on the Volsunga Saga but it's set in the future. It was so bloodthirsty and action-packed yet hopeless, it just captured my imagination and made me want to learn more. Since that I've been hooked.

Favourite Viking is a difficult one, off the top of my head I'd have to say Ragnar Lodbrok. He was hardcore to the death. I'd love to know more about the women of Viking times, because they were pretty cool too, but not much is written about them. In Norse mythology my favourite is Thor, because of the story where he gets dressed up as a bride :smile:

My favourite saga is Grettir's Saga, mostly because I like the story - also I studied it for 2 semesters in a row and I know it pretty well. The saga of the Vinlands is up there as a
favourite as well.

The Vikings greatest achievement, hmm. I'd have to say their trade network really, it was admirable the extent that they managed to trade things with other countries. In the Staffordshire hoard there are arabic dirhams and presumably they travelled even further. The great army (or heathen army) was also pretty impressive. I only wish they had been literate, it would be great to know what they had to say about themselves beyond the odd runic inscription.

Meh, I try not to pay much attention to the neo nazis. I have a Valknut tattoo, was pretty annoyed when I found out it had been adopted by people professing the aryan supremacy thing. Vikings weren't about racial purity, it wasn't of issue to them.

Reply 27

gr8wizard10

Could you tell us a little more about the specifics of your degree? Did you study different Vikings or was it viking literature?

Congratulations :-)

Original post by WitnessMO

Undergraduate, it's a 3 year degree but because of health reasons it took me 4 years.

I got many books out of the library, didn't quench my Viking thirst :wink:

As an interdisciplinary degree it made me good at multitasking and looking at things from different angles. Archaeology gave me knowledge of excavating and physical remains, history was good at analysing written sources and different points of view, and on the English side I know a hell of a lot about English place names, and am relatively good at understanding middle english, old english and old norse.

For the moment I'm working in a salaried charity job that I enjoy, I don't know what the future holds though. I'd love something that involves Vikings but I know how unlikely that is. I'll be happy with anything that pays a good salary really :smile:

The go-to Viking fact is that they didn't have horns on their helmets, it was all made up by the Victorians for opera. They had horns for drinking, but horned helmets were not practical in battle whatsoever :smile:

Reply 30

Eloades11

Congratulations on graduating :smile:

Reply 31

Three Mile Sprint

Do you practice any form of Norse Religious re-creationism such as Asatru?

Edit: It seemed from your earlier response you think Asatru=Neo Nazi's when it would be more precise to say "Odnist/Folkish"=Neo-Nazi.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 32

Messalina

Original post by Abdul-Karim

Could you tell us a little more about the specifics of your degree? Did you study different Vikings or was it viking literature?

It was a joint-honours degree in history, english and archaeology, English being the lead department. In history we studied different eras and areas, I did modules up to the time of the Crusaders and as early as 450. In archaeology we analysed artefacts, looked at the Christianisation of England and how that impacted on the archaeological remains. English was studying the language, looking at old and middle english, then old norse, then the sagas, then things like place names and how that can explain the changes in language post-invasion.

A better degree title would be "english, history and archaeology of England 450-1200" but we did have a focus on Vikings in that. :smile:

Reply 33

BWCW

What languages can you speak?

Reply 34

Messalina

Original post by Three Mile Sprint

I don't know the first thing about Asatru, all I know is that a lot of people who follow "norse" religion nowadays believe in some racial supremacy stuff. Not my cuppa tea. I have no problem with paganism per se, I just don't believe it, despite loving Norse mythology because its darn awesome.

Reply 35

Messalina

Original post by BWCW

What languages can you speak?

English.

I can read old English, middle English and old Norse though.

Reply 36

BWCW

Original post by Messalina

English.

I can read old English, middle English and old Norse though.

Awesome. Congrats on the graduation! :smile:

Reply 37

Neuth

Only four places on the course each year? :lolwut:

Reply 38

thunder_chunky

Original post by Clip

Congrats. Did you go out?

Are your Norsing a hangover?

Reply 39

Messalina

Original post by Neuth

Only four places on the course each year? :lolwut:

There used to be 7 but they didn't fill them all, it always used to be people who didn't meet the history grade requirements who would try and transfer upon arriving. More recently they lowered the amount of places and expected a personal statement which was clearly aimed towards viking studies rather than just history in general. There were only 3 people in my year, 3 in the year above, 4 in the year below.