Vikings (Season 5 Trailer)

[AqD]

Did anyone else find the weirdness with Jarl Borg's wife's skull a tad arbitrary and out of place?

Also, I like what they are doing with King Egbert's character, but it's obviously a tad ahistorical.

King Egbert seems like a total idiot raised in French court without basic military and political knowledge, very unlikely for vikings.

[empr guy]

Well he apparently rules with an iron fist and was able to beat back the vikings (for the time being at least, although the northumbrians ended up paying them off after being defeated in several battles), I'm not sure what would give the impression of idiot.


It seems like he is greatly exaggerating his own exploits like going to Charlemagne's court, but everyone else is so uneducated they can't know if he's lying.

[AqD]

um, I confused him with King Horik....

[DarthShizNit]

Yeah I was about to say lol. Also, Egbert did go to Charlemagne's court or a long time, at least according to history. Horik does seem rather lackluster however.

[Knight of Heaven]

I find it annoying, and I sure hope he's not going to "find god" and become a born again Christian, it's an inferiour dull religion that has been causing too much suffering throughout history, I'd prefer he remains pagan and the show shows the superiority of Norse pantheon to our eastern slave god who should have remained in the east.

I despise the monotheist religions and anyone who takes them serious despite being a baptised Catholic with a baptised child (which I only did so she doesn't have to miss out on the expensive gifts for her 2 communions)

Thats not why i find it interesting, i have no ill or bias thoughts on either religions or practises that is basic sentimentality given its a Fictional piece of work too, i dont think there are better or moraly superior religions either, specialy in this time... To be honest Norse gods dont apear dull to you, maybe because they arent as mainstream as christianity, anyway that is a diferent debate, and as i said this is a basic issue.

i find it interesting, because it adds to the character, it shows he is conflicted, and its obviously a great deal for him, its called character development, a thing that this show had a lack of it in the begining at times, and had it on and off on some characters, but has become better as it progressed, i also like the way they are chosing to portray his feelings and emotions, with hard touchable scenes, that arent there, but they are happening in his mind. This shows a measure of creativity. And i apreaciate that being a folower of cinematography.

[RubiconDecision]

You may think that about Dark Age Christianity, but manuscripts when found were copied...or else we would not have them today. It wasn't always at the direction of the leadership, but a routine practice by many monks in many places over time. This especially happened during the crusades since monks traveled there as well as knights. Then despite some view that these "pagan" philosophies or science would be heretical, instead they were incorporated into theology. What happens in history is an embrace of historical sources, not a burning of the manuscripts and a loss of knowledge.

Christianity is a whipping boy in Hollywood, when Judaism is far older. Islam is almost as old. Among all three were scholars as well as preachers since monastic orders have been around in turn, each with their own impetus, creating religious communities like the Essenes who preserved manuscripts. It's almost genetically coded to save old knowledge, to interpret it, to apply it to the present community, and thus we have an idea about that community as well as the first libraries of diverse sizes.

Asceticism naturally leads to a contemplative life, and as such journaling as well as copying existing manuscripts as a focused form of meditation. That also feeds into protoscholarship.
...
Since I'm interesting in wild edibles, trapping, ethnic cultures, and prepping, I did a little research on the Vikings. At least some of the tribal people collected acorns. It's an intensive process that requires lots of water to remove tannins. However it stores well, and even when an acorn contains a larva, then all of that is edible. Diverse people throughout history have relied upon the acorn like the Native Americans or the Koreans, and thus that provided protein, fat, and carbs to sustain them through Winter and into the first Spring harvests of wild edibles before grown crops. Fat is the most important thing for survival due to a double helping of calories per size.

One might think that you could hunt in the Spring, but small mammals have an equally tough time living off of any stored food caches like squirrels. Many are sickened with liver ailments and not good to eat. Much of the deer population will not survive by nibbling on tree branches. Hunting is energy intensive versus trapping. Most tribal people used trapping far more.

For these vikings, fish basket traps and nets might create the most food in the shortest time, but all variable based upon water depth, migrations, dangers from fishing in Winter, etc.
http://www.newser.com/story/147542/w...ar-sweden.html

Vines that are appropriate for making baskets can be woven into fishing traps. They are then baited with chum, and then checked on a schedule to gather fish and other marine life, then redeposited. It's not energy intensive, and could provide Ragnar's hapless hungry community with food since he burnt the grain stores.`Alder thickets are common in America in cold weather zones. Perhaps Scandanavian countries are like this too? The brush is flexible enough for things like waddle and daub construction or towards this purpose.

[Påsan]

Ecbert and Athelstan fanboying over Rome made me think back to a few earlier comments in this thread:

Ah, that bath house comment. Ya my mind was blown when he mentioned giants with regards to the statues and bath house. Seriously, we're talking about a christian kingdom, who would at least KNOW about Rome seeing as their religion would be centered there. All of the major cities of the time would have been of Roman origin and we are only talking 350 years or so since the Romans "officially" left the province. Many would have been left behind with families and land settled and fought against the Saxon invasions. I would have at least preferred they say something like "some old and forgotten empire" or "a great nation of the distance past."

Yeah the Giants comment was absurd, especially if we're considering the fact that the King has mentioned he spent time with Charlemagne, aka, that dude actively emulating the Western Empire, and if he was chilling with Charlemagne, chances are that ya know, the actual Roman Empire in Constantinople would have come up various times.

But whatever, I don't watch this show for a history lesson.

The Saxons acknowledging that they have lost a lot since Roman Britain was some excellent historical TV.

[DarthShizNit]

Yeah, them fanboying over Rome made me happy. "We have lost more knowledge than we will ever know."

[TheDarkKnight]

Minor gripe...Have they reached 800 CE yet? Cause they keep referring to Charlemagne as emperor but he wasn't crowned until 800 CE...

Anyway, I thought it was a good episode. Like others here, the bit with Aethelstan and Ecbert was awesome.

[Stavroforos]

Minor gripe...Have they reached 800 CE yet? Cause they keep referring to Charlemagne as emperor but he wasn't crowned until 800 CE...

Anyway, I thought it was a good episode. Like others here, the bit with Aethelstan and Ecbert was awesome.

The same thought was on my mind when they first brought him up, but I think we're beyond 800. I think the first episode of season 1 opened at 795 AD.

[Sar1n]

Minor gripe...Have they reached 800 CE yet? Cause they keep referring to Charlemagne as emperor but he wasn't crowned until 800 CE...

Anyway, I thought it was a good episode. Like others here, the bit with Aethelstan and Ecbert was awesome.

If I recall correctly...both raids on England were in one year, 793 CE. Then there was one winter in season 1 (during which was Ragnar healing before his duel) IIRC before the four year skip in S2E2. Then there was one winter between E5 and E6....so it should be 799 CE.

[Hounf of Culan]

I don't know about the exact dates right now in the show. But if we go back to season 1 there is a text overlay that says 793 AD. Couple that with I think twice since beginning of season 1 and now where "4 years later" has come on screen and we should be past 800 AD. Apart from that I don't recall them saying Charelmagne is the emperor just that Ecbert spent time at his court, he certainly had a court as king of the Franks before being emperor. Maybe they are anachronistic in calling him emperor, which I don't remember them doing, but he is certainly contemporary to the setting.

On a different note, I loved the part where Aslaug was telling the story of Logi vs Loki in the eating contest. Its a famous passage from the sagas, I've only read it in the Gylfaginning but it might be in others. I just wished they finished the story with the punch line because its quite humorous actually.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

From the Gylfaginning:
"Then spoke the one who came last, 'Who was called Loki: 'I know such a trick, which I am ready to try:
that there is no one within here who shall eat his food more quickly than I.' Then Útgarda-Loki answered: 'That is a
feat, if thou accomplish it; and this feat shall accordingly be put to the proof.' He called to the farther end of the
bench, that he who was called Logi should come forth on the floor and try his prowess against Loki. Then a
trough was taken and borne in upon the hall-floor and filled with flesh; Loki sat down at the one end and Logi at
the other, and each ate as fast as he could, and they met in the middle of the trough. By that time Loki had eaten
all the meat from the bones, but Logi likewise had eaten all the meat, and the bones with it, and the trough too;
and now it seemed to all as if Loki had lost the game.

...So it was also with the games, in which ye did contend against my
henchmen: that was the first, which Loki did; he was very hungry and ate zealously, but he who was called Logi
was "wild-fire," and he burned the trough no less swiftly than the meat."

The punch line is that the competitors name "Logi" means wildfire, so Loki was in an eating contest against fire itself, hence Logi eating the trough and bones too.

[Stavroforos]

On a probably entirely insignificant note, when Aethelstan was getting his stigmata visions, the same chant was playing as the one Aethelstan and the monks were chanting when the Vikings first landed.

[RubiconDecision]

I don't know about the exact dates right now in the show. But if we go back to season 1 there is a text overlay that says 793 AD. Couple that with I think twice since beginning of season 1 and now where "4 years later" has come on screen and we should be past 800 AD. Apart from that I don't recall them saying Charelmagne is the emperor just that Ecbert spent time at his court, he certainly had a court as king of the Franks before being emperor. Maybe they are anachronistic in calling him emperor, which I don't remember them doing, but he is certainly contemporary to the setting.

On a different note, I loved the part where Aslaug was telling the story of Logi vs Loki in the eating contest. Its a famous passage from the sagas, I've only read it in the Gylfaginning but it might be in others. I just wished they finished the story with the punch line because its quite humorous actually.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The punch line is that the competitors name "Logi" means wildfire, so Loki was in an eating contest against fire itself, hence Logi eating the trough and bones too.

Yep, I read that story at around age nine or so from D'Aulaires' Book of Norse Myths. A great book to read to your children. They also wrote one for Greek myths too.
http://www.amazon.com/DAulaires-Nors.../dp/159017125X

It has very beautiful illustrations.


Thor


Baldur

[EireEmerald]

Why was Lagaertha not killed for what she did?
I have a feeling the person to die next episode is either her, Siggy( I hope ) or Floki.

Ragnar died in England historically so I expect he is with us for a while longer.

[Påsan]

I don't know about the exact dates right now in the show. But if we go back to season 1 there is a text overlay that says 793 AD. Couple that with I think twice since beginning of season 1 and now where "4 years later" has come on screen and we should be past 800 AD. Apart from that I don't recall them saying Charelmagne is the emperor just that Ecbert spent time at his court, he certainly had a court as king of the Franks before being emperor. Maybe they are anachronistic in calling him emperor, which I don't remember them doing, but he is certainly contemporary to the setting.

On a different note, I loved the part where Aslaug was telling the story of Logi vs Loki in the eating contest. Its a famous passage from the sagas, I've only read it in the Gylfaginning but it might be in others. I just wished they finished the story with the punch line because its quite humorous actually.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The punch line is that the competitors name "Logi" means wildfire, so Loki was in an eating contest against fire itself, hence Logi eating the trough and bones too.

Actually that whole story is pretty cool. Loki and Thor competing against the cheating Utgard-Loki and his minions. There was a movie about it when I grew up.

.
.
.

And here it is lol

[Halie Satanus]

Why was Lagaertha not killed for what she did?
I have a feeling the person to die next episode is either her, Siggy( I hope ) or Floki.

Ragnar died in England historically so I expect he is with us for a while longer.

I had the feeling it was because the Jarl (husband) was a weak bore of a man and his own people were waiting for someone to stand up to him, which I think stabbing him in the eye counts. In the main there is a level of equality between men and women. Largetha being a shield maiden would be highly thought of. The husband having a bunch of lackey's beat her up, not even having the balls to do it himself, was probably seen as cowardly act.

[DarthShizNit]

That and a large amount of the warriors in the village had just gone off to fight with Lagaertha and hence probably thought highly of her.

[Stavroforos]

I had the feeling it was because the Jarl (husband) was a weak bore of a man and his own people were waiting for someone to stand up to him, which I think stabbing him in the eye counts. In the main there is a level of equality between men and women. Largetha being a shield maiden would be highly thought of. The husband having a bunch of lackey's beat her up, not even having the balls to do it himself, was probably seen as cowardly act.

Indeed, we're talking about a society which places it's leadership in the most able as opposed to those who just inherit their father's position. Everything indicated that Lagertha's husband was an incapable and cowardly Earl, and so his subjects would not object to his being removed, especially by a revered shield maiden whose honor he had defiled.

[Knight of Heaven]

More importantly, was the eagle symboligy, aluded to the infamous viking torture practise, "bloody eagle" ? where they pull the victims lungs trough their ribs? if so its the punishment expecting Brog?