Ragnar Lothbrok's Great Heathen Army: The Viking Winter at Repton 873-874

In this episode, Lucas and Luna dive into the winter of 873-874, when the Great Heathen Army, led by Ivar the Boneless and Halfdan Ragnarsson, made camp at the monastic site of Repton in Derbyshire. They explore the archaeological evidence uncovered by Martin Biddle and Birthe Kjølbye-Biddle — the D-shaped ditch, the mass grave of over 250 bodies, and the mysterious 'Repton Warrior' burial with a boar's tusk and Thor's hammer. Lucas explains how the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and the Norse sagas offer conflicting accounts, and what the bones tell us about Viking battle tactics and ritual. The conversation also touches on the desecration of Saint Wigstan's shrine and the strategic significance of Repton as a winter base for the conquest of Mercia. This episode offers a vivid, grounded look at one of the most important Viking camps in England.

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