History Channel | Vikings

I am very late to this party but better late than never. Now I don't watch much TV but I will spend time to watch a show that is worth watching and Vikings is one of those shows, right up there with Game of Thrones and the Walking Dead. If you're bored and don't have a show to watch while, like me, you wait for the Walking Dead to start back up then I highly recommend you watch Vikings. For a History Channel show it's very graphic, which I did not expect.

Have you seen it? What do you think?

a reply to: Swills

I love it! It adheres to a lot of historical/folklore events, as well as some really nifty names. I'm looking forward to season 4! Hope you and whomever else watches it continue to enjoy it. Kinda makes me wish I had some Viking blood running rampant in my veins!!

a reply to: Rubicon3

When does the new season air? I'm half way thru season 2 now.

You may have a little Viking in you, they were, after all, sailors :winkyface:

Yep big fan. I am way behind however. I think I watched thru season 2. Are they on season 4 now? Watching The 100 right now and so far I like it. Have yet to watch any Game of Thrones but I've heard nothing but great things.

a reply to: Swills

Loved GoT, loved Vikings. Would recommend checking out The Last Kingdom. Should be available on Netflix. Based on the (trilogy?) book series by Bernard Cornwell. SO glad it got picked up for season 2. From Wikipedia "The protagonist Uhtred, the orphaned son of a Saxon nobleman, is captured by viking Danes and reared as one of them. Forced to choose between a kingdom that shares his ancestry and the people of his upbringing, his loyalties are constantly tested."

I was just talking to the guys at my work about it today. Can't wait to watch it.. Great reviews. Also check out "Outlander." Good show too.

The show is good but if you're looking for historical accuracy you won't see much of it here. Ragnars sons are named after many historical Viking chieftains though like Ivar the boneless. Historians don't know why he was called the boneless and think it might be a sexual reference.

I just finished reading two books from the library about the ancient Norse and they were actually a very sophisticated people that is just not reflected in the show. The combat scenes are pretty laughable too I think but hey, its TV after all.

Being of viking origins I tend to wonder how much ass I could pirate in one raid.

originally posted by: Cancerwarrior
The show is good but if you're looking for historical accuracy you won't see much of it here. Ragnars sons are named after many historical Viking chieftains though like Ivar the boneless. Historians don't know why he was called the boneless and think it might be a sexual reference.

I just finished reading two books from the library about the ancient Norse and they were actually a very sophisticated people that is just not reflected in the show. The combat scenes are pretty laughable too I think but hey, its TV after all.

Well to be honest even that’s up in there air. In some of the few writings Ivar, Ubba,Halfdan + Bjorn, Sigurd and a few others all all referred to Ragernson or the sons of Lothbrok. In other writings they are separate.
That period actually quite good to write a drama on as one does have a lot of leeway to use fiction as there just wasn’t really much to go on and the stuff that was written down a lot was written down a hundred years or more after the fact.
Most modern historical Writers do change there views or hold varying different opinions and to be honest none are right or wrong.

So not saying the books you have read are wrong, they could very well be 100% right or half right or 0% right.

By the way you should you know that its wrong to call them Vikings. The correct term is Norse, Dane or Svear as Viking refers to the action

originally posted by: HawkeyeNation
Yep big fan. I am way behind however. I think I watched thru season 2. Are they on season 4 now? Watching The 100 right now and so far I like it. Have yet to watch any Game of Thrones but I've heard nothing but great things.

Go watch GoT now. Then watch Vikings.

a reply to: Cancerwarrior

I don't think anyone watching this show is watching for the historical value but I'm sure they did their best to stay true, somewhat. Hell, it's hard watching any show on the History channel for its history value these days

Aye, ti does amuse me that it's on the 'History' channel, and they've not... exactly packed it with much authentic history. But hey. It's a terrific show.

a reply to: HawkeyeNation

Do yourself a favor and watch it!


Ive gotten a little annoyed with Ragnar's acting, but I love the show anyway!

I do wish they had Athelstan a little more knowledgeable about Christianity when asked about it!

The comparative dialogues are interesting to me, so when asked by Floki, he didnt have much to say, but when it was their time to share, it got specific.

a reply to: crazyewok

You are correct, not much can be said for certainty about a people who had mainly oral historical traditions. However many things can be inferred based off the references. For instance, Viking women were pretty sexual and it was nothing for even married women and men to have sex with multiple partners. Sometimes at the same time. So when Logatha gets all butthurt at Ragnar for impregnating the princess I kind of have to roll my eyes at the shows writers. Same thing for the battle scenes but almost no movies or TV are anywhere accurate with those.

I understand its better modern TV drama but still.....

By the way you should you know that its wrong to call them Vikings.

Pretty sure I actually called them Norse in my post above. But thank you for the correction.

originally posted by: Cancerwarrior

You are correct, not much can be said for certainty about a people who had mainly oral historical traditions. However many things can be inferred based off the references. For instance, Viking women were pretty sexual and it was nothing for even married women and men to have sex with multiple partners. Sometimes at the same time. So when Logatha gets all butthurt at Ragnar for impregnating the princess I kind of have to roll my eyes at the shows writers. Same thing for the battle scenes but almost no movies or TV are anywhere accurate with those.

I understand its better modern TV drama but still.....

Well the TV show has lots of inaccuracies. And as you said Norse and Danes were pretty polygamous.

The other one Rollo being a brother of Ragnar. Even if Ragnar had existed Rollo came latter and settled Normandy later.



By the way you should you know that its wrong to call them Vikings.

originally posted by: Cancerwarrior

Pretty sure I actually called them Norse in my post above. But thank you for the correction.

Na wasnt really dircetd at you but more in general as its a common misconception.

It is more about life style of the era than following historical events as they were. First Bjorn´s mother in TV serie is Lagertha when actually he was son of Aslaug "Aslög" Kraka Sigurdsdatter.
Ragnar "Lodbrok" Sigurdsson ( King of Danmark and Norge ) was a son of King of Sweden Sigurd "Ring" Randversson, position as a King were actually inherited not achieved like in TV serie was. Ragnar in TV serie has a bits and pieces from many other Viking charachters to render him more interesting. Actual Ragnar married 3 times, Aslaugh, Thora "borgarhjörtr" Herraudsdatter and Lagertha.
Its a good serie regardless. I am looking forward how things turn out.

a reply to: Swills

All I have to say for graphic/gore the Cutting the Blood Eagle scene tops it for me so far! GREAT show! I love how they anthropomorphize the Viking mythos into physical manifestations Ragnar sees on a regular basis. Floki is the pivot point if you ask me for the ebb and flow of the plot. Once again GREAT show love it!

a reply to: Swills

I freaking love it. Its like an imagination tool to fill in the blanks where history leaves us to wonder. The rest is pretty accurate supposedly .Its cool. The actors are insanely good. All of them. The way the show plays with spirituality is unique and adds depth.

A big fan of this show. is it aired in UAE.

thanks to the history app, I'm all caught up and ready for season 4.

Cant wait to see what he does with Floki, I imagine he will forgive him... again.

Rollo, buddy, always had a soft spot for the underdog, but hes got a bright future with Gisli. Shes so hot for him she doesn't even realize it yet.

Freyean (Sp?) is a little too butthurt about a scarred face. Shes still hot... possibly hotter IMO.

Wheres the historicity in the baby Alfred? One of my favorite kings, very devout. I guess this is supposed to explain why, his dad being an unsainted Martyr, etc. What ever happened to Athelstan's book he had at the beginning? I figured it would turn out to be the Lindisfarne Gospels?