Bozeman Magazine

The Vikings Begin includes magnificent weapons, both for attack and defense, but also smaller treasures such as jewelry and objects of magical importance. To understand the story of how the Vikings began, the exhibition looks at their relationship with the outside world, their spiritual and magical beliefs, the role of warfare, the importance of water and waterways, and how trade routes influenced their world.

Based on cutting-edge research by Neil Price, Charlotte Hedenstierna-Jonson, and John Ljungkvist, the exhibition is the premiere of a collection that has only been outside of Scandinavia once, with many finds that are around 1,400 years old. With Viking helmets, swords, and weapons for attack and defense, as well as jewelry, glass vessels, bowls, and other objects with magical importance, the artifacts tell stories both about the society and the people buried with them.

The exhibition is divided into thematic sections on Viking warfare, maritime trade, a ship burial, Norse gods, the Baltic Sea, and geopolitical relationships to other cultures, shedding new light on how early Viking society was organized, the role of women, and the development of maritime innovation that enabled the Vikings to reach faraway lands in the East and the West.

The exhibition is curated for a general audience, suitable for children age 8 years old and up.