History Profiles

Explore the legendary tales of Ragnar Lothbrok's five famous sons. Delve into riveting stories of Ivar the Boneless, Halfdan Ragnarsson, Ubba Ragnarsson, Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye, and Björn Ironside.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction - Ragnar Lothbrok
02:26 Ivar the Boneless - The Cursed Heathen
19:12 Halfdan Ragnarsson - The First Viking King of Northumbria
33:58 Ubba Ragnarsson - Legendary Viking War Lord
42:56 Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye - The Mythical Ancestor of Kings
52:58 Björn Ironside - The Warrior Champion
Music by Alexander Nakarada - CreatorChordsTrack: Celtic Music → "Grundar" by Alexander Nakarada (Royalty Free)Listen here
Sources:

The Gesta Danorum

The Saga of Ragnar Lodrok and his Sons

Annals of Ireland

Annals of Ulster

Vulsunga saga

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle

00:00:00: Introduction - Ragnar Lothbrok00:02:26: Ivar the Boneless - The Cursed Heathen00:19:12: Halfdan Ragnarsson - The First Viking King of Northumbria00:33:58: Ubba Ragnarsson - Legendary Viking War Lord00:42:56: Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye - The Mythical Ancestor of Kings00:52:58: Björn Ironside - The Warrior Champion
#RagnarLothbrok #IvartheBoneless #HalfdanRagnarsson #UbbaRagnarsson #SigurdSnake-in-the-Eye #BjörnIronside #Viking #Vikinghistory #Norsemythology #Vikinglegends
See show notes: https://inlet.fm/history-profiles/episodes/697d707ca0b588c7d4f588d2
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Across the cold lands of the Viking Age, funerals were more than farewells; they were rituals of power and transformation. These traditions are revealed through Old Norse poetry, Icelandic sagas, and astonished travelers from the Muslim world, who watched these events in disbelief.
A warrior's resting place was dictated by their status. Farmers returned to the soil, while chieftains and heroes required grander send-offs. Status influenced death as it did life, yet beneath the Norsemen's iron pride lay a deeper dread of what awaited beyond.
Funerals intertwined theater and terror. Sacrifices were staged, woven into narratives where the dead played their final roles. These rites extended for days, characterized by feasting, drinking, and rituals that blurred the line between worlds; drums, chants, and songs echoed beneath the sky.
Central to these rites were fire and ships—cremation liberated the spirit, while ship burials carried the dead to eternity. Each rite declared death not as an end, but a passage into legend. Burial mounds became lasting testaments to a chieftain's life, enshrining their deeds and memory.
Join us as we delve into Norse funeral practices, exploring their rituals, beliefs, and fears, and discover why, to the Vikings, death and burial held as much significance as life.

00:00: Introduction02:34: Burial Mounds or Barrows05:33: Ship Burials09:19: Ibn Fadlan's account of A Varangian Funeral20:24: Legacy
#Vikingfunerals #Norserituals #OldNorsepoetry #Icelandicsagas #VikingAge #shipburials #cremation #burialmounds
See show notes: https://inlet.fm/history-profiles/episodes/6978fd4f7e9685ce71cd9f28
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Before Christianity's arrival, England thrived with gods, spirits, and ancient rituals. The Anglo-Saxons, who settled between the 5th and 8th centuries AD, practiced a rich tapestry of beliefs now known as Anglo-Saxon paganism—a Germanic faith shared across northwestern Europe.
This religion originated from northern Europe's Iron Age traditions and reached Britain with the Anglo-Saxon migrations in the mid-5th century. For centuries, it influenced daily life, from seasonal cycles to kingly authority. As Christianity spread in the 7th and 8th centuries, remnants of the old faith lingered, merging into folklore and memory.
We learn about these ancient practices mainly from Christian chroniclers like Bede and Aldhelm, who documented a world their faith aimed to replace. Temples and altars were destroyed, sacred groves vanished, and rituals stopped. Yet, the old beliefs left enduring marks: in the days of the week, named after gods like Woden and Thunor; in royal genealogies linking kings to divine ancestors; and in archaeological treasures like Sutton Hoo, where a helmet with dancing warriors reflects the spiritual imagination of a people who revered both natural and supernatural realms.
Join us on a journey to uncover what remains of this once-dominant religion in England: its gods, sacred traditions, and magical rituals that guided life, death, and the invisible forces surrounding them.
00:00 Introduction02:11 Woden (God of Wisdom)04:31 Týr (God of War, Law & the Sky)06:38 Thunor (God of Thunder)08:31 Frīg (Goddess of Marriage, Childbirth & prophecy)10:30 Ing (God of Fertility)12:52 Ēostre (Goddess of Spring & Renewal)14:40 Siġel and Mōna (The Solar and Lunar Deities)16:34 Seaxnēat (The Warrior God of the Saxons)17:53 Shamanism, magic, and witchcraft21:07 Legacy
Music by Alexander Nakarada: Grundar (Royalty Free)

00:00: Introduction02:11: Woden (God of Wisdom)04:31: Týr (God of War, Law & the Sky)06:38: Thunor (God of Thunder)08:31: Frīg (Goddess of Marriage, Childbirth & prophecy)10:30: Ing (God of Fertility)12:52: Ēostre (Goddess of Spring & Renewal)14:40: Siġel and Mōna (The Solar and Lunar Deities)16:34: Seaxnēat (The Warrior God of the Saxons)17:53: Shamanism, magic, and witchcraft21:07: Legacy
#anglo-saxon #paganism #gods #woden #thunor #frīg #ing #Ēostre #Seaxnēat #shamanism #magic #witchcraft #archaeology #folklore #Christianity
See show notes: https://inlet.fm/history-profiles/episodes/697192d86f54d6b81f81bf87
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The Winged Hussars were an elite heavy cavalry unit serving Poland and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1503 to 1702. Their name derives from the impressive feathered wings on their backs, designed to instill fear and confusion in enemies during charges. Renowned for their effectiveness, they often defeated forces much larger than their own.
For generations, these elite warriors marked their prominence in Polish cavalry, earning the nickname “angels of death” on the battlefield. They played pivotal roles in many of Europe’s iconic battles. After their military service ended, the hussars transitioned to ceremonial duties, concluding a remarkable military era.
Music: "VOICE OF PRAYER" by Noel Malekar
Watch the video here.

00:00:00: Introduction00:01:20: Origins00:03:12: Armour & Weapons00:05:52: Battle of Kircholm (1605)00:09:32: Battle of Klushino (1610)00:13:39: Battle of Khotyn (1673)00:15:41: Battle of Vienna (1683)00:18:24: Battle of Kliszów (1702)00:21:00: End of an Era & Legacy
#WingedHussars #Polishhistory #elitecavalry #angelsofdeath #cavalrycharge #BattleofKircholm #BattleofKlushino #BattleofKhotyn #BattleofVienna #BattleofKliszów #militaryhistory
See show notes: https://inlet.fm/history-profiles/episodes/69692b498f887fa6fca82f98
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Niklot, the steadfast prince of the Obotrites, stood firm as Europe's pagan era faded. As the mid-12th century ushered in forced baptisms and surrender, Niklot chose defiance. Leading the Wendish lands along the Baltic frontier, he faced relentless forces: Saxon lords, Danish kings, and the Wendish Crusade's holy banners cloaking conquest in salvation's guise. Niklot, unyielding and independent, defended sacred groves and ancient customs, fighting for memory, identity, and belief.
While others converted for power, Niklot waged war not for glory, but for his people's right to exist on their terms. He was ultimately ambushed, his lance failing against knights, leading to his demise.
Centuries later, Niklot is remembered as the last great pagan defender of the western Slavs, a symbol of resistance against overwhelming odds. Though his enemies claimed the land, his legacy endures, a testament to those who stood against Europe's tumultuous conversion.
00:00 Introduction
01:48 Background & Rise to Power
04:17 The Wendish Crusade (1147)
09:07 Death In Battle
12:19 Legacy
Music by Alexander Nakarada - CreatorChords
Track: Celtic Music → "Grundar" by Alexander Nakarada (Royalty Free)
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZjpLQYAnr8
Music: "VOICE OF PRAYER" by "Noel Malekar"
Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSpEjSoiZ6c

00:00: Introduction01:48: Background & Rise to Power04:17: The Wendish Crusade (1147)09:07: Death In Battle12:19: Legacy
#Niklot #Obotrites #pagan #WendishCrusade #Europeanhistory #Slavs #medievalhistory #resistance #Balticfrontier
See show notes: https://inlet.fm/history-profiles/episodes/696188771e976ebf9099a685
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