Browse Items (7 total)

The 1969 film Alfred the Great is based on the life of King Alfred, who was considered one of the great Anglo-Saxon kings of England because he fought off the Vikings. In the film, Alfred is a young man who plans to pursue his personal vow to become…

Hwaet! Great are the tales of the Spear-Danes How they broke and bloodied their Foes How they tamed the Northern seas Some takes sail, others sink Below the waves but no less true… Welcome aboard! Climb up and take your seat on this Danish warship as…

The 1958 film, The Vikings, is a “classic” cinematic representation of the Scandinavian settlers. The film takes place in the ninth century when Vikings sailed from Norway to Northumberland. They  pillage the land, and, as the raid continued, they…

Brendan, a young boy, lives an uneventful life in a remote monastery until one day a famous illuminator shows up. Together with the help of Aisling, a forest spirit, they complete the most celebrated national treasure of Ireland, The Book of Kells.

Pope Joan (2009) tells the story of Johanna, a woman whose extraordinary life in the ninth century led her to disguise herself as a man and become Pope. It was based on Donna Woolfolk Cross’ 1996 novel Pope Joan, which was a bestseller. Despite being…

Beowulf is such an old poem, and studied so extensively, that its importance as a work of art is often overshadowed by its historical facts. As a result, I imagine many people try to absorb Beowulf, believing it to be something it is not: for…

Hrothgar, We Have A Problem...What do you get when you combine the Abbasid caliphate, Vikings, and lazy film making? No, that wasn’t my lame attempt at humor, but that is the general plot behind The 13th Warrior, starring Antonio Banderas. The movie…