Dan Snow
speaker
15,236 appearances
105 recordings
11 series
first heard Dec 2024
last heard 4d ago
Dan Snow’s voice in public audio — every appearance, attributed to the second.
Trend
recordings per month · last 12 monthsRecordings per month over the last 12 months — 102 in all, peaking in Aug 2026 with 24.
Appearances
Hardrada called up an army.
And started gathering the ships necessary to transport them to Britain.
In August that fleet was assembled.
No mean feat in itself.
I mean, great warriors really have to be great logisticians, particularly in this period, and great sailors too.
Taking advantage of an easterly wind they sailed, perhaps three hundred ships or so from Sonyaford on the west coast.
Passing towering cliffs of rock, more like a river canyon, until the land fell away into a sprawl of rocky islands and the boat started to rise and fall on the ocean swell.
Until they left the land behind altogether, they pushed out into the North Atlantic.
They shook free their sails.
And off they went.
Those sails were festooned with symbols.
There were carved dragons or effigies on the wooden prow of the ships, brightly coloured shields lining up along the rails.
What a sight it must have been.
Hardrado, we're told, was a poet, alongside his many other accomplishments.
And perhaps he stood squarely on that deck, feeling the boat move beneath his feet.
Composing a verse, as the salt sea air swirled around him.
And he felt the clarity that comes with setting out to sea.
His ship was named Serpent.
Beside him is young son Olaf, heading out on his first major campaign.
An apprenticeship with his father.
Showing 981–1000 of 15,236 · page 50 of 762
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