Ragnar Lothbrok in Persian Sources: The Viking Who Sailed to the Caspian

In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore a little-known chapter of Viking history: the travels of Ragnar Lothbrok and his contemporaries to the Caspian Sea, as recorded in Persian and Arabic chronicles. Drawing on the works of Ibn Rusta, Al-Mas'udi, and Ibn Fadlan, they examine how Norse traders and raiders known as the Rus reached the Silk Road routes, interacted with the Khazars, and even launched attacks on the Islamic world. Lucas discusses the archeological evidence from sites like Birka and the Volga trade routes, the controversial identification of Ragnar with the Rus leader Hraerekr, and the blending of Norse and Oriental cultures. The episode also touches on the famous ship burial at Sutton Hoo and its connections to Swedish Vendel period artifacts found in Central Asia, revealing a global network of exchange long before the Viking Age was fully understood.

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