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National Geographic

THE COMPASS

This week, we explore the ancient world of Vikings. Discover how the real Vikings compared to the brutal warriors of lore, learn how a Viking "amulet factory" discovery is forcing a rethink of enigmatic artifacts, and see how an enormous Viking ship is holding surprising clues on burial rituals. Plus, top stories you may have missed.

Reenactors dress up for the Festival of Slavs and Vikings in Wolin, Poland.

PHOTOGRAPH BY DAVID GUTTENFELDER, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

Facts vs. fiction: How the real Vikings compared to the brutal warriors of lore

DNA testing and archeological finds are offering new insights into the real lives of the Vikings.

MYTHS AND MISCONCEPTIONS

Figurine motifs from Ribe, Denmark reveal a variety of designs were manufactured at the site.

MUSEUM OF SOUTHWEST JUTLAND, CC-BY-SA

Viking ‘amulet factory’ discovery forces rethink of enigmatic artifacts

Archaeologists long assumed Valkyrie figurines represented Norse mythical beings. A new study of how and where they were made challenges that.

VIKING "ASSEMBLY LINE"

DID YOU MISS THESE TOP STORIES?

1.

Fireflies are vanishing—but you can help protect them

2.

What life in medieval Europe was really like

3.

Does eating close to bedtime make you gain weight? It depends.

4.

Potting soil has a dirty secret

An image of a ship in stained glass.

STAINED GLASS BY EDWARD COLEY BURNE-JONES VIA DELAWARE ART MUSEUM / BRIDGEMAN IMAGES

Ancient solar storm pinpoints Viking settlement in Americas exactly 1,000 years ago

An analysis of wood from L’Anse aux Meadows zeroes in on a cosmic event to reveal that the European seafarers were felling trees in Newfoundland in A.D. 1021.

A CRITICAL TOOL

WHEN BRITAIN’S KING CHARLES III WAS CROWNED, HE SAT ON AN ANCIENT CHAIR HOUSING A BOULDER NAMED THE STONE OF SCONE. HOW MUCH DOES IT WEIGH?

A. 335 POUNDS
B. 483 POUNDS
C. 547 POUNDS

CLICK TO SEE IF YOU'RE RIGHT!

The ghostly outline of the 1,200-year-old Viking ship burial was revealed by ground-penetrating radar in 2018.

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY NIKU

'100-year find’: Enormous Viking ship holds surprising clues on burial rituals

The 1,200-year-old vessel, discovered in a Norwegian potato field, is revealing an extraordinary picture of how ancient Scandinavian warlords were sent into the afterlife.

ONE OF THE LARGEST YET

Painting - ’Thor Chasing the Dwarfs’, 1878. Depictions of the Scandinavian god have varied over the centuries – but certain themes have remained consistent.

PAINTING BY RICHARD DOYLE

Who worshipped Thor? It's complicated.

This heathen god of the elements has a now-iconic identity. But how much of it is modern invention – and how much goes way back?

COMPLEX, MYSTERIOUS, AND CONTROVERSIAL

WHAT WILL WE EXPLORE NEXT?

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