Forbidden History - Viking Queens of Oseberg

Episode Date: July 12, 2023

In this episode, we take a look one of the most influential finds in Viking archaeology; the 1904 discovery of the remnants of an incredible royal burial within the Oseberg Ship. We explore how the excavation rewrote understandings of Viking history and sparked many fascinating theories about who the entombed really were.   Cast List: ·     Tim Sutherland: Archaeologist – University of York, UK ·     Neil Price: Archaeologist specialising in the study of Viking Age-Scandinavia ·     Tor Øydvin: Historian at the Museum of Cultural History, Oslo, Norway ·     Ellen Marie Næss: Archaeologist and lecturer at the Museum of Cultural History, Oslo, Norway ·     Terje Gansum: Archaeologist – Vestfold Fylkeskommune, Norway ·     Hanne Lovise Aannestad: Archaeologist – Museum of Cultural History, Oslo, Norway ·     Einar Erlingsen: The New Oseberg Viking Ship Foundation, Tønsberg, Norway ·     Ole Harald Flaten: Skipper of the Saga Oseberg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This program is presented solely for educational and entertainment purposes. It contains mature adult themes. Listener discretion is advised. Fire. Smoke. Rocious laughter. Bodies flailing as they dance. The effects of copious amounts of alcohol. A celebration.

A wake. Maybe something in between. Or perhaps something in front. entirely different. As some participants dance, others are on their knees. Tears seep down their faces as they prey to the sky. Others lay splayed out on the grass, only semi-conscious, exhausted from their revelry. But the night is yet young.

In the center of the field, a cluster of carousers gather tightly in a circle. In the center is a great ox and a man with a large knife. The crowd chants, and the man stabs into the great beast. The air is filled with the sounds and smells of its death. A dozen people help haul its body towards the center of their celebration. Firelight cascades across the sight, looming out of the darkness, is the bow of a great ship anchored to the landscape. The crowd cheers as the group throw the ox's body into the ship's hull.

Abord the vessel, flickers of light catch upon precious metals. The animal is surrounded by great treasures and has joined them as another gift. At the helm of this great ship is a bed, two bodies, rest there peacefully. The revelers gather around the vessel. They sway together as they sing, mourning their Viking queens. In 1904, the most influential find in Viking archaeology was discovered,

the remnants of an incredible royal burial. The excavation rewrote understandings of Viking history and sparked various theories about who the Ineanian. entombed really were. The two women of Osabari are a mystery in every sense. Osabari is very hard to understand, and things that are hard to understand can easily be mythical. And of course, it's intriguing.

Osabari is the most spectacular Viking burial ever found. That's not just as an empty superlative, it's literally true. In this episode, we follow one archaeologist's journey to understand the life. legacy of this extraordinary find. In talking to on-the-ground experts, we'll uncover the excavation's history, its controversies, and its mysteries about the lives of these one-of-a-kind unlikely royals. You're listening to Forbidden History. The podcast series that explores the past's darkest corners sheds light on the lives of intriguing individuals and uncovers the truth buried deep in history's most controversial legacies.

This is the Viking queens of Osberg. In a remote field in Tunsburg, southern Norway, archaeologist Tim Sutherland is searching for answers about the greatest find in Viking archaeology. Tim is accompanied by historian Toroidvin from the Museum of Cultural History in Oslo. Now you see the valley, right? You have the church straight in front of you.

Yeah. And it slopes down on both sides. Yeah, there it is. And there it is. What a bizarre place to put a burial mound? Yes. The mound remained intact and half forgotten for centuries after the Vikings. Such places were suspected to contain ancient burials, but later generations were wary of

digging into them, lest dire consequences should befall them. Everybody thought that this was a burial site from the Black Plague. If you started to dig in it, you would dig up the pest, and of course all of Norway would die again. Fear of the medieval pestilence meant that the mound remained undisturbed until almost the end of the 19th century. Then in the late 1800s, there comes a farmer, Johannes Hansen. Little is known about Hansen.

He moved to Tonsburg to farm the river. rich land here. Yet, like his forebears in the Viking age, he was, it seems, no stranger to the sea. He was not only a farmer, he was also a sailor, and he used for periods of time to travel to the United States to be a skipper on the barge on the river in New York City. Hansen was a pilot guiding the great sailing boats on the Hudson River. Like many sailors, of all eras, he was superstitious. Like many others, he was visiting a fortune teller there. The fortune teller asked Hansen why on earth he'd come to New York

when the fortune he sought was back home on his farm in Norway, in the mysterious mound, the supposed plague barrier. So he went back home and he started trying to dig a little bit and he used a long iron rod. and all that came out was some yellow stinking water, which of course made the local population say that, what have we told you? We told you so.

Stop doing it. This is the black plague. You stopped doing this. Whether or not it had to do with the foul effluent from the mound, Hanson soon after caught sick and died. The stage was then set for the next important character in the story. Around the year 1900, a man named Oscar Rom purchased the farm. It's not known if he did so because of the mound and its stories.

He buys the farm. He must have had a hunch because he started systematically to excavate the mound. And in the summer of 1903, on Friday, the 7th of August in 1903, he comes home to his family, drenched in the month. in clay and very dirty, but very happy because he has with him a piece of wood with intricate carvings on it. So far as anyone can be sure, this piece of wood was the first fragment recovered from the burial beneath the mound. It was only a sample of what was yet to come. He had to try and gain the interest of Norway's top archaeologist, and he didn't waste any time.

And the next day, which was a very extremely hot August day in 1903, he takes the steamboat into Christiania, as Oslo was called at that time. And he walks the short way from the quayside up to the relatively new-built cultural institute. And he walks in and there sits Professor Gabriel Gustafsson. Gustafsson was actually Swedish. He was already well respected in Oslo's Cultural Institute, but he could have no idea that what Oscar Rom brought to him that warm day would lead to him becoming one of the most celebrated archaeologists in the world.

This farmer, Oscar, comes in and says, I think I have sound something very interesting on my property. And then Oscar takes out the piece of wood and shows it to him. And then the professor came to life. What Gustafson was handed was a curved piece of oak, intricately carved with swirling patterns. It was clearly historic, and he was hooked. The very next day, he traveled to see the mound for himself,

and the process was set in motion. He could have had no idea the immense discovery he was about to on earth. Now visiting the Museum of Cultural History, Tim Sutherland lays eyes on the extraordinary find. It is a beautiful thing. What a stunning ship. What Gustafson unearthed in the middle of a field in southern Norway was a giant, fully intact Viking ship.

The boat is 70 feet long and nearly 17 feet wide and made almost entirely from oak. It is breathtaking. The size and the scale of it, it's immense. And in a building like this, it just suits its own. because it was made for this ship. The boat was raised from the ground in the summer of 1904, but it wasn't the only thing found within the mound.

The giant mound itself was made using turf, the weight of which pressed the ship down into the soft clay beneath. The ship and all its goods were therefore sealed, airtight, in perfect anaerobic conditions, meaning that everything, including even organic materials, were extraordinarily well-preserved. Although it's believed that the more expensive metal objects were sacked by grave robbers in antiquity,

there were still staggering finds of hundreds of objects. This included wood, bone, leather, and even textiles. The excavation was one of the first worldwide archaeological and this was almost two decades before Howard Carter opened Tutankhamun's tomb. One of the most famous excavations of the 20th century. Now we know it as a nationally important symbol of the whole of Norway. And internationally, it's like famous around the world. It is the iconic Viking ship.

Whenever we see Viking ships, we see some sort of representation of this ship. However, laying amongst the incredible artifacts was the most important was the most crucial find of them all. Right behind the ship's mast were the bones of two skeletons. Examinations from the time determined that astonishingly these were the bones of two women, and this ship was their Viking burial. When first discovered, the remains were proclaimed those of the 11th century Norwegian Queen Ossa, and her servant or slave. Norway, had its legendary Queen reborn in the new 20th century.

With little examination and only speculation that they were connected to Queen Asa, the bones were reburied, taking their mysteries with them. But in the early 21st century, moves were made to re-examine them. And in 2007, the skeletons were disinterred in the hope that modern science could reveal something more about the two individuals. The bones now lay next to their burial ship in the Osseburg Museum. Good morning, ladies. Ellen Marie Ness is the curator of the Osseberg exhibits in Oslo's Viking Ship Museum.

So here there are, the two ladies we were buried inside that ship. And I think it's so amazing that they're here, that we can see them, that we can study them, that we have them. The skeletons were forensically re-examined. re-examined to confirm their sex, and as far as possible, their age at the time of death. And this one is the older one, and she managed to be incredible old when she died, perhaps around 80. And the younger one, young lady, around 50 or 60. Good ages though for that period. Absolutely. But you know, it's better to be rich and healthy than poor and sick.

There are also so many things to learn from the bones. The two women had certainly lived long lives relative to the times. Dendrochronology of the ship's timbers suggested the burial had taken place around the autumn of 834 CE, meaning that neither of the women could be Queen Ossa, their deaths occurring too early. The two skeletons were incomplete, but from what remained, it was found that both had survived various injuries and ailments in their lives. It was found that the older woman had suffered for some time with an injured knee, two-fused neck vertebrae, and crippling arthritis. Although nothing has been found to confirm the death of either individual, the older woman suffered from advanced cancer. Through examination of the younger, however, it was determined that the status of these women was not as first thought.

The younger had a broken collarbone, which first led to the theory of her being a burial sacrifice for the older. However, later analysis found this bone had been healing for several weeks before her death. Not only that, examination of her teeth found them to have little wear, meaning she enjoyed a rich diet. The apparent care and attention these women received during their lifetimes could only lead to one conclusion. Both women were some form of Viking royalty. To expound is expert archaeologist Teria Gansom. If you really look into forensic and archaeology, there is nothing different between those other than age.

And of course, it could be mother and daughter. We can't tell because the DNA doesn't give us any real answers yet. So actually, I really don't know. how to decide which position in the society these two women had. Of course they are on the highest level of society, but what kind of role did they play? I'm not sure, but they might be connected to rituals and to religion. They might be connected to the aristocracy, but in what proportion these different roles are mixed? I'm not certain. Still a mystery.

Speaking now is Distinguished Professor of Archaeology at the University of Uppsala Sweden, Neil Price. The two women of Osama are a mystery in every sense. Personally, I think the most important thing is that the grave is that of women. This itself tells us something about who they were and how they were regarded in society. We know very little about women at the highest levels of Viking society. the word queen might not even be accurate. With fascinating insight is archaeologist Hannah Lovisa Anastad from Oslo's Museum of Cultural History.

We can't really say if the Osberg burial are about secular or religious power. There have been theories on both of them, both the queen theory and the more sorceress theories. But I think that one thing that we tend to do in modern society that we separate the secular and the religious, spheres of society, but I don't think that that necessarily was the case in the Wiking Age and that secular and religious power were really connected to separate them. I think it will probably be wrong.

Perhaps beyond royalty alone, as we would understand it now, there's something more religious, shamanic even, suggested by the imagery of the artifacts they were buried with. As well as the boat itself, the dead were provided also with other means of transport. There are several sleds, on the largest item, a large wooden cart. Everything is ornately carved, and on the cart, cat-like figures are depicted, which may be connected to the highly revered Norse goddess Freya, who it said had a chariot pulled by cats. Amongst their belongings is also a tapestry dedicated to the goddess,

suggesting to some that these women may have been members or leaders of a cult related to her. In addition to this, two wooden staffs were found, which are believed to be cultic instruments of magic. Freya is associated with the Norse Feminine witchcraft, Volva, meaning that, along with the wooden staffs, it could be interpreted that these women had a spiritual or shaman-like importance to their people. There's a lot of that equipment that is not easy to explain because it's a lot of things is not just functional. They're quite symbolic. And you have a lot of things preserved that we haven't seen before. And of course, it's intriguing when two women have all these equipment is placed in the landscape and it's hard to compare it with other finds because it's,

It's unique. What makes the Osseberg artifacts so special is that the vast majority of them are of organic material, mostly wood, bone, or textiles. It's very rare that these kinds of materials survive so long in the grave. Something we tend to forget when we think of the Viking concept of value is textiles.

Textiles are very, very time-consuming to make. Other kinds of materials, particularly silk, Very expensive. And we know from some of the burials of the Viking Age that really, really flashy clothing, covered in silk, lots of different colours and textures, things that would catch the light when you're in a firelit hall clothes that would shimmer and glow. That is another kind of wealth and a very important one. From the furnishings uncovered, it became apparent that the women were buried in a replicant bedchamber, constructed. out of wood. They were laid together on the same bed on large down quilts. They were buried with many personal items, including cones, shoes, and clothes. Amongst the textile grave goods was a Persian rug. Intriguingly, when the DNA of the younger woman was examined,

it was found she had direct maternal ancestry from the Middle East, the region we know today, as Iran. This gives a vastly different perspective on how interconnected the Vikings could have been with the rest of the world. All we can say for certain is that these two women must have been incredibly well-reveared to have been buried with so many artifacts. Not only that, but the way in which they were buried marked how cherished they were in their community. One of the greatest mysteries of the Osseberg burial is why the ship, was buried in the first place. At first, there was a theory that the ship might have only been built for the grave,

yet dendrocanology revealed it to be built many miles away on the other side of Norway, and that it had probably sailed for more than a decade. The place in Norway where it was eventually buried isn't remote or a wilderness. In the Viking Age, it was much the same as it is now, just farmland. you don't know why the mound is there?

No. That's all? No, it's no roads there. We can't connect it to any communication route. And that is the most obvious thing with other rich grey mounds. And it's not directly linked to a farm. It's like a black hole. We have tried a lot of different angles and methods.

But to be honest, I really don't know. how on earth they chose that place. You can say that the mound is a monument, but it's put in an anti-monumental place. Lowest part in the valley, not visible from very many places from that valley. Archaeology showed the boat had been dragged overland to this spot. The timber they had used to do so was still beneath the keel.

So it may be that something that is under, even the modern what's left of the mound and the foreman, former excavated trench that they put the ship in. There may be something under the whole thing that would tell us why they did it. Maybe and maybe not. Because it's an active choice putting it down in that valley. But we can't really know why. The final clues may be aboard the ship itself.

The actual ship cannot be accessed for obvious reasons, but Tim Sutherland has gone to Tonsburg Harbor. Harbor were an amazing vessel sails, a full-scale replica of the Osseberg. The boat was completed in 2012, using only instruments and techniques from the Viking era. The king and queen of Norway were present at the launch, and the replica now sails the Fjord and sea, just like its forebearer more than a thousand years ago. Olli-Earold Flatton is the Saga-Ossiburg skipper. machine, stepping 12 hundred years back in time.

That'll do me, that'll do me. It's very stable, isn't it? I mean, it's such a huge ship. And it's a lot broader than I thought. You can really get a sense of how wide it is. Ah, it's gorgeous. This, it's fantastic, absolutely fantastic. It's an exact replica of the original,

not only in its overall structure, every strake and plank was carefully copied right down to the smallest detail. including the ship's many intricate carvings. These two have been preserved, leaving some interesting clues about the women who were buried with it, but who also may have sailed aboard it.

Twelve hundred years ago, this was a burial ship, and aboard the ship was two women. One of them was around 80 years old, and she had a disease which made her quite male. She had very deep voice and a beard. Beard. The DNA analysis of the older woman revealed that she'd suffered from a hormonal condition, which we now know as Morganni syndrome.

This would have given her masculine traits in later life, such as a broadened jaw and shoulders, a deep voice and increased facial hair, including a beard. I think we're quite powerful. Possibly, yeah. Yeah. And we think that this woman is the owner of the ship. Some have theorized that this sudden change in appearance in the middle of her life was the reason the older woman became so revered.

Appearing to change gender so suddenly may have been interpreted as divine or magical decree by her community. What could be her image adorns the ship, a ship she would later be buried in, and one she may likely have helmed. You see, it's a woman? Ah, yes. And you see, she has a beard. Yeah. So maybe.

Maybe. That's her then. That's her. And in a prominent place as well, on the prow facing the crew. So definitely an important image. Absolutely. Some of the carvings are even more personal. Let's show you one more thing.

Yeah. Yeah. Better than that. Maybe, maybe. Maybe. On some excavated boats, carvings have been found, perhaps by the builders or members of the crew, of an outline of a hand or a foot, almost like a signature. I told you the owner of this ship was quite a small lady. And here...

Oh, look at that. Here we have a carving of a foot, and it's quite a small foot. The carving is comparable in size to leather shoes from the grove. grave, which show signs of having been used before the burial. There are some sites in, especially in Scotland, for example, they apply carvings of feet to quite significant places. That would be so nice to think that that was her for, wouldn't it? It would.

Leaders, spiritual figures, witches, perhaps all at once. The women of the Osseberg are a captivating mystery. But DNA and other analysis reveals some intriguing possibilities. For example, the condition the older of the two suffered may have attributed her masculine traits that were beyond visual. It's hard to ignore the unsaid possibility that the bed the two individuals shared may have been a matrimonial one. The skeletal remains can tell us that these were once biological form. females, but the features of their burial can help us interpret how their gender was perceived

by their contemporaries and how this could differ from what we assume now. With what little we know about the lives of the Osseberg's silent voyagers, and with many interpretations of gender within Viking society yet to be explored, were unlikely ever to know all the answers. I think that the key to this, is to unpack our assumptions, not to be so sure, so ready to come to conclusions about these graves, and instead to try and begin with what they are, the collections of objects, the particular combinations of people and things and actions, and then work from that. What can be known for certain, however, is that its discovery was the most monumental in all of Viking archaeology.

And fascinatingly, it still subverts all expectation. We've heard the captivating story of the Osseburg ship excavation. But what about the other famous female Viking discovery, the Birka warrior?

For a deep dive into the iconic 2017 DNA uncovering, listen to our extra episode Forbidden Fruit, available soon on all all your favorite podcast platforms.

This is an audio production by Like a Shot Entertainment, presented by Bridget Lapin. Executive producers, Danny O'Brien and Henry Scott. Story producer Maddie Bowers. Assistant producer, Alice Chudor. Thank you for listening.