Over twelve hundred years ago, four brothers died in battle on Estonia’s island of Saaremaa. They were buried with 38 comrades in a great ship near the shore, surrounded by weapons, treasured possessions, and sacrificed animals. Forgotten for over a millennium, the grave was uncovered by workmen digging a trench in 2008.

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Initially mistaken for a World War 2 mass grave, the site soon revealed unmistakable Viking hallmarks, yet the men had died decades before the Viking Age was believed to begin.

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In this film, historian Bettany Hughes follows the investigation from Estonia to Sweden, meeting experts who uncover the warriors’ origins and relationships, and asks: was one a legendary Viking king?