The world of Viking death rituals and their beliefs surrounding the afterlife is truly fascinating... What happened when a Viking died? What ceremonies and practices did they partake in? And what awaited the spirits of the dead when they departed the world of the living?  Today we welcome our returning guest and go-to expert on all things Viking Eleanor Baraclough! Eleanor is a historian and author of books including Embers of the Hands: Hidden Histories of the Viking Age. This episode was edited by Hannah Feodorov. The producers were Tomos Delargy and McKenna Fernandez. Senior Producer is Freddy Chick. 0:00 Introduction 0:55 Eleanor Baraclough! 3:24 The history and meaning of the word Viking 5:09 Early Viking raids and Lindisfarne in 793 9:03 Historical sources for Viking burial practices 10:48 Ahmad ibn Fadlan and the Rus funeral account 15:16 Human sacrifice and rituals on the Volga 24:12 How common were burning ship burials? 27:04 The mystery of the Oseberg ship burial 31:55 Viking beliefs about the afterlife 38:45 Valhalla, Folkvangr, and the end of times 44:38 How manner of death shaped burial rights 49:41 Draugr and the undead in Norse mythology 53:32 Final thoughts and episode wrap up After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal is a History Hit podcast. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. All music from Epidemic Sounds. #HistoryHitPodcast #AfterDark #Vikings