My Favorite Web series : Vikings
Vikings (2013-present) is a historical fiction TV series created and written by
English screenwriter Michael Hirst for the History Channel. Filmed in Ireland, the
show draws on Scandinavian and European history and lore as it follows the life of
legendary Viking chief Ragnar Lothbrok, his descendants, and the kings and cultures
the Vikings influenced in the 8th and 9th centuries CE.
Vikings is a historical drama television series created and written by Michael Hirst
for the History channel, a Canadian network. Filmed in Ireland, it premiered on
March 3, 2013, in Canada. The series concluded on December 30, 2020, when the
second half of the sixth season was released in its entirety on Amazon Prime Video
in Ireland, ahead of its broadcast on History in Canada from January 1 to March 3,
2021. A sequel series, titled Vikings: Valhalla, premiered on Netflix on February 25,
2022.
Since its premiere, questions have consistently been posed by viewers as to the
historical accuracy of the show and, while there are many, some of the major
differences between history and the series will be addressed below.
Although many of the characters in Vikings are based on historical figures, and a
number of events actually happened, there are significant departures throughout. In
order to create a seamless narrative and engaging story arc, historical events are often
telescoped, combined, compressed, or otherwise altered.
A notable example of this is how, in Season 1:2, Ragnar attacks the Lindisfarne
Abbey in Northumbria (carrying off the fictional Athelstan character) and in Season
3:10 Rollo is offered land and the princess Gisla in marriage to defend West Francia
from any future Viking raids. The historical attack on Lindisfarne (for which no
Viking leader is named) came in 793 CE while the deal brokered between Charles
the Simple of West Francia (r. 893-923 CE) and Rollo the Viking chief (r. 911-927
CE) was in 911 CE; Ragnar and Rollo would then be over 100 years old at the time
of Rollo's treaty with Charles.
The role historical regions such as Wessex or West Francia played during the Viking
Age (c. 790-c.1100 CE) are accurately portrayed in the series but not always the
events which took place in those areas.
In most cases, the characters who appear in the show (and the places they live or
travel to) did exist but not in every case. The village of Kattegat, for example, which
features so prominently, never existed. The real Kattegat is actually a sea between
Denmark and Sweden and there is no record of a Scandinavian village by that name
anywhere.
The character of Lagertha, although she is mentioned in the Saga of Ragnar
Lothbrok, is a minor character, not the mother of Bjorn Ironside, and never was an
earl; she is, however, described as an Amazon warrior very much in line with how
she is portrayed in the series. The character of Floki is almost wholly fictionalized
but is based on the historical figure Floki Vilgerson (9th century CE) who founded
Iceland.
CAST Of the Series:
Ragnar Lothbrok, a fierce Viking warrior from Kattegat. Ragnar would journey
throughout England, becoming Earl, and later King (seasons 1–4)
Katheryn Winnick as Lagertha, Ragnar's first wife and a shieldmaiden turned Queen
(seasons 1–6)
Clive Standen as Rollo (seasons 1–4; special appearance season 5)
Jessalyn Gilsig as Siggy (seasons 1–3)
Travis Fimmel
Gustaf Skarsgård as Floki
Gabriel Byrne as Earl Haraldson (season 1)
George Blagden as Athelstan (seasons 1–3; recurring season 4)
Donal Logue as Horik of Denmark (seasons 1–2)
Alyssa Sutherland as Aslaug (seasons 1–4)[a]
Linus Roache as Ecbert of Wessex (seasons 2–4)
Alexander Ludwig as Bjorn Ironside (seasons 2–6)
Ben Robson as Kalf (seasons 3–4)
Kevin Durand as Harbard (seasons 3–4)
Lothaire Bluteau as Charles of West Francia (seasons 3–4)
John Kavanagh as The Seer (seasons 4–6; recurring seasons 1–3)
Peter Franzén as Harald Finehair (seasons 4–6)
Jasper Pääkkönen as Halfdan the Black (seasons 4–6)
Alex Høgh Andersen as Ivar the Boneless (seasons 4–6)
Eric Johnson as Erik (season 6)
Georgia Hirst as Torvi (season 6; recurring seasons 2–6)
Ragga Ragnars as Gunnhild (season 6; recurring seasons 5–6)
Ray Stevenson as Othere (season 6)
Ragnar in History vs TV Show
Ragnar Lothbrok, the main focus in seasons 1-5, may never have existed or, if he
did, not as he is presented in the series. He is the hero of the Icelandic epic Saga of
Ragnar Lothbrok (13th century CE) who slays a dragon and engages with various
other mystical and fantastic elements and entities in the course of his adventures.
The present scholarly consensus is that the legendary Ragnar was probably based on
the Viking leader Reginherus (also given as Reginfred, 9th century CE) who is
known only for the 845 CE Siege of Paris. There are other possible inspirations for
Ragnar, however, including King Horik I of Denmark (r. 827-854 CE), who appears
as a character in the series.
Other Scandinavian poems, as well as European Latin writers, added to the basic
outline of Ragnar's legend which was no doubt transmitted orally until appearing in
written form in the 13th century CE. The character in the series shares a number of
characteristics with the legendary hero but significant changes are made including:
Marriages – He was first married to Thora (who dies), according to the Saga, or to
Lagertha, according to Saxo Grammaticus (13th century CE). After his first marriage
ends, he is married to Aslaug, the mother of his famous sons, who he first knew by
the name Kraka and who was disguised as a peasant maid. A number of elements
from the Saga concerning Kraka/Aslaug appear in the show, especially her gift of
second-sight.
Raids on Britain – In the saga, he invades Britain once, (against the advice of Aslaug
who predicts his failure) and is killed by King Aella of Northumbria by being thrown
into a snake pit (as is seen in the show). He never founds a settlement or has any
interaction with a king of Wessex. In Season 3 of the show, Ragnar and his men are
hired as mercenaries to fight the uncle and brother of Queen Kwenthryth of Mercia
to restore her to power. The sequence in which the Mercian army is lined up on either
side of the river, and Ragnar attacks and defeats the smaller force, is taken from
accounts of the historical 845 CE raid on Paris in the Annals of St. Bertin (c. 840880 CE). Reginherus, faced with the same situation, made the same choice;
afterwards he hanged 111 Frankish survivors of the battle to instill fear in those on
the far side of the river.
Raids on Paris – The series combines historical events from 845 CE and 885-886
CE (the two famous raids/sieges of Paris) but with major departures from fact. In the
845 CE raid, Reginherus and his men found the city almost deserted, were stricken
with dysentery, and would have probably left with little if the king, Charles the Bald
(r. 843-877 CE), had not offered to pay them off. More of Reginherus' men died of
dysentery in the 845 CE siege than in combat.
In 885-886 CE, the Vikings could not breach the walls and the city was defended (as
it is in the series) by Count Odo. The character of Gisla, daughter of King Charles
in the show, was a young girl at the time of the siege of 885-886 CE (possibly
between 5-15 years old), and did not rally the troops or do any of the other things
she does in the show.
Rollo of Norway (r.911-927 CE) was no relation to Ragnar Lothbrok and was not
present at Reginherus' 845 CE siege but did participate in the 885-886 CE siege, did
forge a contract with the king Charles the Simple, married his daughter, and founded
Normandy in 911 CE. In Season 4:8-9, the Vikings are seen raising their ships from
the Seine and hauling them overland to come at Paris from another direction; this
never happened in either of the Paris sieges but Vikings did move their ships
overland in the manner depicted at other times and in other locations.
The dramatic scene in Season 3:10 when Ragnar feigns his death, is carried into the
cathedral, and then leaps out to kill the cleric and open the gates to his army is taken
from legends concerning the Viking chief Hastein (also known as Hasting, 9th
century CE) who raided with Bjorn Ironside. Hastein is said to have used this deceit
at least twice.
Relationship with Athelstan – There is no record of a Christian monk-turned-Vikingturned-cleric who was the best friend of Ragnar Lothbrok. The most famous
Athelstan of this period was the grandson of Alfred the Great (r. 871-899 CE) and
the first King of the English (r.927-939 CE).
Main Characters in History vs TV Show
Other returning characters who depart from the historical figures are Egbert of
Wessex, Aethelwulf of Wessex, Alfred the Great, Kwenthryth of Mercia, Burgred
of Mercia, Charles the Simple of West Francia, Odo of Paris, Aslaug, Rollo of
Normandy, King Horik of Denmark, Bjorn Ironside, Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye,
Halfdane and assorted others to greater or lesser degrees. Ivar the Boneless is
presented accurately although his engagements in Britain are a combination of
different campaigns or battles (as in the case of the Battle of York in the show).
There is no hard evidence that Egbert (r. 802-839 CE) was as cold-hearted and
manipulative as he is presented in the show and Aethelwulf (r. 839-858 CE) was not
as dull-witted or quick-tempered. Aethelwulf, in fact, was known for his patience
and consideration and was a positive role model and influence on his famous son
Alfred the Great.
Alfred, of course, was not the illegitimate son of a Northumbrian princess named
Judith and a cleric but the legitimate youngest child of Aethelwulf and his first wife
Osburh of Wessex. Judith was actually the daughter of Charles the Bald of West
Francia (r. 843-877 CE) and was a teenager when she was betrothed to the much
older Aethelwulf as his second wife after Osburh's death; he and Judith had no
children.
Alfred the Great (r. 871-899 CE) was raised by Osburh as a scholar and was possibly
heading toward a career in the church since he was the youngest of five sons. If it
had not been for the Viking raids on Wessex – which systematically eliminated his
brothers one-by-one – the chances of Alfred succeeding to the throne would have
been minimal. In the show he has only one brother, Athelred, who is unfortunately
depicted as weak and wistful in comparison. Although Alfred was sickly in his
youth, as a young man he was an efficient and decisive leader and able warrior. It
was Alfred, not Athelred, who won the Battle of Ashdown against the Vikings in
871 CE and defeated them again in 878 CE at the Battle of Eddington.
Kwenthryth of Mercia is almost wholly fictionalized but is based on three royal
women from Mercia, Princess Cwenthryth (9th century CE), Queen Cynethryth (d.
c. 800 CE), and her daughter Eadburh (d. c. 802 CE). The scheming and duplicitous
aspects of the character are drawn largely from legends surrounding all three women.
Horik was the king Reginherus owed allegiance to and to whom he presented the
spoils of the 845 CE raid on Paris. Whether Horik was engaged in the kinds of
intrigues seen in the show is unknown but most likely he was since it seems most
leaders then, as now, engaged in numerous underhanded deals. Sigurd and Bjorn
were legendary sons of Ragnar who avenged his death, along with Ivar, by killing
King Aelle of Northumbria. Ivar, however, never killed Sigurd as he does in the
show. Halfdane (also given as Halfdan Ragnarsson, d. 877 CE) was one of the
leaders of the Great Heathen Army of 865 CE, along with Ivar and others, which
invaded Britain.
Aslaug is far more textured in the Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok but aspects of her
character appear in the TV series. As in the show, Aslaug was the daughter of Sigurd,
the great Germanic hero, and Brynhild (also given as Brunhilde), the Valkyrie who
both died when she was three years old. The Saga relates how she was raised in
Norway by a peasant couple who call her Kraka (`crow') and conceal her noble
parentage. When Ragnar meets her, in fact, he is put off by her low birth, and her
true lineage is only revealed later. Aslaug's gift of second-sight enables her to
accurately predict the future, including the appearance of Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye
before his birth, Ivar's boneless condition, and Ragnar's failure in his raid on Britain.
Viking, also called Norseman or Northman, member of the Scandinavian seafaring
warriors who raided and colonized wide areas of Europe from the 9th to the 11th
century and whose disruptive influence profoundly affected European history. These
pagan Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish warriors were probably prompted to
undertake their raids by a combination of factors ranging from overpopulation at
home to the relative helplessness of victims abroad.
The Vikings were made up of landowning chieftains and clan heads, their retainers,
freemen, and any energetic young clan members who sought adventure and booty
overseas. At home these Scandinavians were independent farmers, but at sea they
were raiders and pillagers. During the Viking period the Scandinavian countries
seem to have possessed a practically inexhaustible surplus of manpower, and leaders
of ability, who could organize groups of warriors into conquering bands and armies,
were seldom lacking. These bands would negotiate the seas in their longships and
mount hit-and-run raids at cities and towns along the coasts of Europe. Their
burning, plundering, and killing earned them the name víkingr, meaning “pirate” in
the early Scandinavian languages.
Lars Walker, in the magazine The American Spectator, criticised its portrayal of
early Viking Age government (represented by Earl Haraldson) as autocratic rather
than essentially democratic. Joel Robert Thompson criticised depiction of the
Scandinavians' supposed ignorance of the existence of Britain and Ireland and of the
death penalty rather than outlawry (skoggangr) as their most serious punishment.
Monty Dobson, a historian at Central Michigan University, criticised the depiction
of Viking clothing but went on to say that fictional shows like Vikings could still be
a useful teaching tool. The Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten reported that the
series incorrectly depicted the temple at Uppsala as a stave church in the mountains,
whereas the historical temple was situated on flat land and stave churches were
characteristic of later Christian architecture. The temple in the series has similarities
with reconstructions of the Uppåkra hof.
Many characters are based on (or inspired by) real people from history or legend and
the events portrayed are broadly drawn from history. The history of more than a
century has been condensed; people who could never have met are shown as of
similar age, with the history amended for dramatic effect. Season one leads up to the
attack on Lindisfarne Abbey of 793 (before the real Rollo was born). In season three
the same characters at roughly the same ages participate in the Siege of Paris of 845.
By this time, Ecbert was dead and King Æthelwulf was already on the throne. Rollo
is shown having his followers killed and fighting his fellow Vikings, whereas in
history they were granted what became Normandy and continued to co-operate with
their Norse kinsmen.
Little is known about Viking religious practice and its depiction is largely fictitious.
When Katheryn Winnick was asked why she licked the seer's hand she answered:
"It wasn't originally in the script and we just wanted to come up with something
unique and different". The showrunner Michael Hirst said, "I especially had to take
liberties with Vikings because no one knows for sure what happened in the Dark
Ages ... we want people to watch it. A historical account of the Vikings would reach
hundreds, occasionally thousands, of people. Here we've got to reach millions".
The depiction of Christianity in the show is also somewhat controversial.In the
fourth episode of the second season, the bishop of Wessex is shown inflicting
crucifixion as punishment for apostasy, while it had been outlawed more than four
centuries earlier by Emperor Constantine the Great, and it would have been
blasphemous for the Christian population.