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Transcript

Entering the Vikingverse

Getting immersed in the history of paths not taken

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

Robert Frost


For an exciting change of pace we sat down with Ian Stuart Sharpe, the creative mind behind the multifaceted Vikingverse, an alternate world where Viking history plays out, shall we say, a bit differently than in your uni textbook.

From comics and novels to tutorials for learning “modern” Old Norse and RPGs, Ian’s Nordic story world brings the Viking Age to life in ways even the Norns could never have fated.

The entire enterprise is based on the “what if?” proposition, or what we historians call Counterfactual History. At any given moment each of us is faced with decisions in life and multiple paths we can take. How do we choose which one? What if we can go back in time and take an alternate path? Can we rewrite history and learn from it? These are the questions that Ian applies to the Vikings.

The Viking Age was a time of big change, including leaving behind the Old Ways in favor of becoming Christian. But what if that had never happened? What if Odin and Thor still ruled the day, and the world was still populated with spirits like the alfar and dvergar? This is the world Ian invites us to explore. And if you venture in, you just might find it’s a path worth taking.

Click here to buy any of Ian’s products or access his free content.

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Discussion about this podcast

Vikingology Podcast
Vikingology Podcast
Terri and C.J. are first and foremost educators passionate about the Viking Age and Viking history. Theirs was a meeting foretold in the myths of old. Both are historians of Viking history, both live in Oregon in the U.S., and both share the same birthday. It seemed only natural they team up for something epic. The Norns have woven this fate.