Profs & Pints Denver: Meet the Vikings

Profs and Pints Denver presents: “Meet the Vikings,” a scholarly encounter with a legendary seafaring people, with Daniel F. Melleno, associate professor of medieval history at the University of Denver and author of Franks and Northmen: From Strangers to Neighbors.

[Doors open at 5 pm and the talk begins at 6:30.]

Most of us have a mental image of Vikings derived from their depiction in hit movies, their use as mascots by sports teams, or references to them in political extremists’ symbols and manifestos. But who were the Vikings really?

Become deeply familiar with Vikings without traveling through time or risking seasickness with the help of Dr. Daniel Melleno, a historian of pre-modern Europe. He’ll unpack the realities of the Vikings and their exploits in a talk rich with references to Old Norse sagas, Latin laments, and unburied grave goods. 

We’ll look at what the Vikings’ world was like and explore why they sailed so far from home to raid, invade, and settle in places as far flung as Canada and Türkiye. You’ll get taken on a tour of the expansive Norse diaspora and learn how the Norse people we commonly call Vikings were more than just vicious raiders and marauders.

Dr. Melleno will discuss the complex and multi-faceted relationships between the Northmen (and women) and the wider world, unpacking the reasons why there was a “Viking Age.” He’ll examine both the realities of Viking activity and the fantasies that these activities generated, tackling questions such as: Did the Vikings actually wear horned helmets? Why do we still know the names of their gods?

You’ll come to understand why the Vikings, above almost any other medieval people, continue to hold such a dominant place in the modern imagination. (Advance tickets $13.50 plus processing fees. Doors: $17, or $15 with student ID.)

Image: A Viking helmet (Museum of Cultural History of the University of Oslo / Wikimedia Commons). 

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