The Viking age lasted roughly 300 years. From the first recorded raid on an English monastery on Lindisfarne in 793 A.D. to 1066, when Norway's greatest King Harald III (aged 50!) died fighting bare-chested without armor and shield with an axe in each hand from an arrow to his skull in an attempt to conquer England.

A few months later another Viking, today known as William the Conquerer (actually related to Harald III) succeeded in taking England.

The Vikings raided and fought all over Europe. Often in the service of Norwegian Kings or as mercenaries for other European rulers. The Roman Emperor had his own Viking army known as the Varangian guard in Constantinople.

It was whilst being the leader of the Varangian guard that Harald Hardråde (later called Harald III of Norway and founder of Oslo) eventually amassed such wealth that he was able to successfully court the 2nd oldest daughter of one of contemporary Europe's most powerful rulers: Yaroslav The Wise. They married and returned to Norway where they founded what is today the capital of Norway, Oslo.

So who was this last Viking Queen of Norway? That's the story I investigate whilst exploring Kiev, the city she grew up in, before ascending to the Norwegian throne.