Our Story
Valhalla Media Company is a dynamic new venture specializing in Viking and Saga history. Our team has a proven track record in creating immersive projects, from cutting-edge VR experiences and international expeditions to lavish, large-scale book productions and smaller, intimate publishing runs. Each project reflects our deep commitment to making history accessible while honoring its rich legacy. The company is based in Chicago, IL, but traces its roots to a historic place in the country of Norway.
Baard Titlestad (Left) (CEO, Chair, VMC) and his father, Professor Torgrim Titlestad with Iceland’s president Gudni Th. Johannesson.
The scenic Hafrsfjord, where Harald Fairhair unified Norway in a legendary battle in the year 872.
[Photo: Toren Reksnis]
It began in 1995 by a small fjord in the South-Western part of Norway. The name of the Fjord is Hafrsfjord, and it was there, in ca. 872, that the Viking King Harald Fairhair unified Norway into one Kingdom in a battle that must have been a dramatic and cataclysmic event, as it is mentioned by nearly all surviving saga accounts.
It was here in this historic location that historian Torgrim Titlestad and his business partner and playwright Randi Wedvich started a small publishing company to publish books that were not picked up by the mainstream publishers, but books nonetheless, which told an important story about one of the most iconic eras of human history: The Viking Age.
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Political Structure: Norway is a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system, governed by the Storting, its national legislature. It is a member of the European Economic Area but not of the European Union, balancing strong ties with Europe and maintaining its sovereignty.
Demographics: With a population of around 5.5 million, Norway is relatively small, but highly urbanized. Oslo, the capital, is the largest city, and there is a growing immigrant population, contributing to increased cultural diversity.
Topography: Norway’s landscape is famously rugged, dominated by fjords, mountains, and a vast coastline. The country’s northern areas lie within the Arctic Circle, offering extreme seasonal variations in daylight.
Economy: Norway has a mixed economy, bolstered by its substantial oil and gas reserves in the North Sea. It also has strong industries in renewable energy, fisheries, and maritime trade, ranking high in GDP per capita globally.
Social Structure: Known for its welfare state, Norway provides universal healthcare, free higher education, and robust social security. It consistently ranks among the top nations in quality of life, equality, and happiness indices.
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Norwegian history is deeply rooted in the Viking Age, a period from the late 8th to mid-11th centuries that shaped both Scandinavia and the broader European world. The seafaring Norsemen, known for their explorations, trade, and raids, expanded Norway's influence across the North Atlantic, from the British Isles to Greenland. Yet beyond their legendary conquests, the Vikings established vital trade routes and cultural exchanges, laying the groundwork for the kingdom's unification under Harald Fairhair. The sagas and skaldic poetry from this era, richly preserved in Icelandic and Norwegian manuscripts, continue to inform our understanding of medieval Scandinavian society and identity.
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The first king's saga is "Ágrip af Nóregskonungasögum", also known simply as Ágrip, meaning "A Summary of the Sagas of the Kings of Norway." It was written around the late 12th century in medieval Norway, though the exact author is unknown. Ágrip provides a concise account of the Norwegian kings from the legendary times of Harald Fairhair (the first king to unify Norway) through to the early 12th century. While it was likely composed in Norway, it survives only in a manuscript found in Iceland, highlighting the close literary connections between the two regions during this period.
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Item descrSaga Bok, founded in 1995 by Randi Wedvich and Torgrim Titlestad, is a Norwegian publishing house specializing in sagas and Viking history. Known for its dedication to preserving and disseminating the rich cultural heritage of the Norse sagas, Saga Bok has published notable works like Flateyjarbok, a monumental saga collection from medieval Iceland. Over 30,000 copies of Flateyjarbok have been sold, and the company continues to promote Norse literature globally. Their works, including Viking Legacy, emphasize the historical and cultural significance of the Viking Age and its impact on modern civilizationiption
Professor Torgrim Titlestad and Baard Titlestad with the (former) President of Iceland,
Gudni Th. Johannesson, Reykjavik, Iceland.
“I think there’s a need for a company that is part production house, part boutique, small scale publisher and that can involve itself in larger projects which combines commercial enterprise and the idea that the roots of our current human story should be preserved for posterity.”
After spending several years living in the United States, Valhalla Media Company founder Baard Titlestad had grown a deep fondness of America as a place to combine and amplify the unique cultural nuances of its people originating from all over the world, and felt especially close to the Nordic-American communities. Having worked for decades in his family company, Saga House in Norway, he decided to start a US based company serving a similar purpose with co-founders John Bednarski and Michael Schneider, of Swedish-Polish and German descent respectively.
Norway and the United States share deep historical and cultural ties, rooted in significant waves of Norwegian immigration to the U.S. during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Norwegian immigrants played a key role in settling the American Midwest, establishing strong communities that maintained their cultural heritage while contributing to U.S. society. These ties have persisted through shared democratic values, strong diplomatic relations, and military cooperation, including in NATO. Cultural exchanges, such as the celebration of Norwegian holidays and festivals in U.S. states like Minnesota and North Dakota, further reinforce these bonds, highlighting the enduring connections between the two nations.
Many prominent Americans of Norwegian descent have served in high public offices, reflecting these enduring ties. Walter Mondale, a U.S. Vice President under Jimmy Carter, was one of the most prominent figures of Norwegian heritage in American politics. Deb Haaland, the first Native American to serve as Secretary of the Interior, is also of partial Norwegian descent.