The Norse World
Uppsala, Sweden
The Norse were the peoples of Scandinavia, including the seafarers we call Vikings. Their gods lived in Asgard and knew their own doom: Ragnarök, the foretold battle that would end the world. Their myths, preserved in Icelandic sagas, are full of frost giants, world-trees and clever, flawed gods.
The gods
Temples & monuments
Achievements
Mastered shipbuilding and navigated open oceans to North America
Created the runic alphabet and a vast oral saga tradition
Established trade routes reaching from Greenland to the Middle East
Natural wonders
The Northern Lights
Shimmering polar skies that inspired tales of a glowing bridge to the realm of the gods.
The Fjords
Deep sea-inlets carved by ice that sheltered Norse villages and ships.
Archaeological Library
Watch how we uncovered The Norse World — real discoveries that revealed this ancient world.
The Oseberg Ship
An astonishingly preserved Viking ship buried with two women and rich grave goods.
Watch on YouTube →The Lewis Chessmen
Walrus-ivory game pieces from the Norse world, found on a Scottish beach.
Watch on YouTube →The Viking Town of Birka
One of Scandinavia's earliest towns and a busy hub of Viking-age trade.
Watch on YouTube →