The Ancient Hunter - The Age of Man: Ep.3

From the thaw of the Ice Age to the rise of Viking empires, this episode explores how the Northern Pike endured as humanity’s world changed.

Once an apex predator of frozen lakes, the Pike became a creature of myth. The Water Wolf of Norse legend, the wish-granting fish of Slavic folklore, and a constant companion in the rivers and stories of Europe.

Join me as we trace the Pike’s legacy through the Holocene, from Mesolithic hunters at Star Carr to the harbours of Birka and Hedeby, where its bones lay among the remnants of trade and empire.
This is not just the story of a fish, but of survival, reverence, and the ancient bond between man and predator.

References & Archaeological Sources

Star Carr Archaeological Project, University of York (Mesolithic finds, flint blades, antler barbs)

Tybrind Vig underwater excavations, Denmark (hazel and willow fish traps, Mesolithic fishing technology)

Hedeby (Haithabu) and Birka Viking trading settlements – archaeological reports and museum archives

Kalevala (Finnish national epic), Rune 40 — Väinämöinen and the Pike-bone kantele

At the Pike’s Behest (Po shchuch’yemu veleniyu) — Slavic folk tale recorded by Alexander Afanasyev, 1855–1863

Medieval bestiaries referencing Lucius (pike) and early European fishing records

Image & Media Credits

Archaeology & Historical Sites

Star Carr spear tips — photo by Nicky Milner / Star Carr Archaeological Project, University of York (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons.

Archaeological site of Haithabu (Hedeby), Germany — photo by Matthias Böhm (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons.

Kantele photograph (1919) — Daniel Nyblin, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Monument to Väinämöinen, Vyborg — photo by Vitold Muratov (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons.

Illustration “At the Pike’s Behest” — Ivan Bilibin (1900), Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Pike fossil image — Fossil – Hecht (Esox), Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain.

Modern Pike skeleton photograph — H. Zell (CC BY-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons.

Finnish kantele performance reference — Daniel Nyblin, 1919 (Public Domain).

General Stock & Cinematic Visuals

Select stock footage licensed via Canva Pro / PowerDirector / Pexels / Pixabay (royalty-free commercial use).

About the Series

The Ancient Hunter is a four-part documentary series exploring the untold story of the Pike, from its Ice Age origins to the modern waters we fish today.
Each episode blends science, archaeology, and folklore to reveal how this apex predator became a living link between nature and history.

Watch the Series

Episode 1 – The First Esox:    • The Ancient Hunter - Before Pike: The Firs...  

Episode 2 – The Ice Age Hunter:    • The Ancient Hunter - The Ice Age Hunter: Ep.2  

Episode 3 – The Age of Man (You’re here)

Episode 4 – Guardians of the Hunter

#pikefishing #fishing #PredatorFishing #NatureDoc

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