Vikings

Vikings is a 2012 BBC television documentary series written and presented by Neil Oliver charting the rise of the Vikings from prehistoric times to the empire of Canute.

Storyline

Vikings is a 2012 BBC television documentary series written and presented by Neil Oliver charting the rise of the Vikings from prehistoric times to the empire of Canute.

First Aired

2012-09-11
Last Aired

2012-09-25
Creator

Neil Oliver
Genre

Documentary
Seasons

1
Episodes

3
Status

Ended
Language

English
Network

BBC Two

Keywords:

vikings (norsemen)

Stream and watch Vikings

Season 1

1. Who Were the Vikings

Neil Oliver heads for Scandinavia to reveal the truth behind the legend of the Vikings. In the first p...More

Neil Oliver heads for Scandinavia to reveal the truth behind the legend of the Vikings. In the first programme, Neil begins by discovering the mysterious world of the Vikings' prehistoric ancestors. The remains of weapon-filled war boats, long-haired Bronze Age farmers, and a Swedish site of a royal palace and gruesome pagan ritual conjure up an ancient past from which the Viking Age was to suddenly erupt.Less

60mins 2012-09-11

2. The Trading Empire

Neil Oliver heads out from the Scandinavian homelands to Russia, Turkey and Ireland to trace the begin...More

Neil Oliver heads out from the Scandinavian homelands to Russia, Turkey and Ireland to trace the beginnings of a vast trading empire that handled Chinese silks as adeptly as Pictish slaves. Neil discovers a world of 'starry-eyed maidens' and Buddhist statues that are a world away from our British experience of axe-wielding warriors, although it turns out that there were quite a few of those as well.Less

60mins 2012-09-18

3. End of the Viking Age

Neil Oliver explores how the Viking Age finally ended, tracing the Norse voyages of discovery, the fir...More

Neil Oliver explores how the Viking Age finally ended, tracing the Norse voyages of discovery, the first Danish kings, and the Christian conversions that opened the door to European high society. He also uncovers the truth about England's King Canute - he was not an arrogant leader who thought he could hold back the waves, but the Viking ruler of an entire empire of the north and an early adopter of European standardisation.Less