The Internet episodes appear to be a week ahead of TV screenings. I don't have history or HBO nordic anyway so I don't care either way.
The Internet episodes appear to be a week ahead of TV screenings. I don't have history or HBO nordic anyway so I don't care either way.
Last edited by Påsan; March 18, 2013 at 08:04 AM.
I am really loving this show. Är du Norska eller Svenska?
I have to watch it online too... didnt even know it was aired over here.
This show will basically be following the same story in Bernard Cromwells books the Saxon Chronicals, which began with the Last Kingdom. But obviously, from the other sides perspective.
The Saxons are shown as so ****ing weak... which is partly right.
Last edited by MathiasOfAthens; March 18, 2013 at 09:05 AM.
Meh. The Saxon chronicles were good the first book, but after repeating the same damn plot line over and over each and every book (Yes we all know he is going to side with the saxons in the end, despite his upbringing and how much more he identifies with the Vikings) And with that damn "conflicted" main character who wins everything basically by himself making everyone else seem like bumbling buffoons in comparison. Same problems as with the "Arn" books really. I grew really tired by the fourth or so book.
That said, the Saxons became far more warrior-cultured as they became hardened by war with the Norse kingdoms. By the turn of the millennia there was not much difference in material ability between the Northmen and the Saxons really.The Saxons are shown as so ****ing weak... which is partly right.
Last edited by Påsan; March 18, 2013 at 09:21 AM.
Last edited by EireEmerald; March 18, 2013 at 03:31 PM.
Spoilers from episode 4 (Which was great)
Spoiler Alert, click show to read:
I also enjoyed the last epidsode, specially Rollo's battlecrys.
Proud to be a real Prussian.
Yeah the episode was pretty epic. I don't have as much knowledge as you fellows on Viking culture but it feels so much more believable than anything else I have seen on them.
now that we're in the New Testament it seems like the show is really starting to take off.
Spoiler for King of Persia:
I am not sure but i would have expected that the Saxons would use a Shieldwall too. Maybe they were no Huscarls or to optimistic by their superiority in numbers.
Proud to be a real Prussian.
Their shields were too small for a shieldwall. But in reality they did use a shieldwall, although I suppose the writers wanted to portray the difference between the Vikings and the Saxons.
My only real gripe with the "history" of the show is the overall chronology of events in which they are putting Ragnar about 60 years ahead of his real time, and apparently mixing up other characters too. The "real" Ragnar was completely separate from the earliest raids on Lindisfarne and I'm pretty sure no source ever even mentions Ragnar being involved in any of the later raids either. Furthermore, Aella was not king of Norhtumbria ca 800 at the times of the first raids and was probably not even born yet as he died in 867. Also, it seems as though they are trying to portray Rollo, Ragnar's brother, as the Rollo who would go on to found Normandy which is just wrong. In the show Ragnar's brother Rollo is portrayed as being very tall and muscular and resentful of Ragnar. Historically, Rollo was known for his impressive size and it seems like the show is obviously setting up some kind of split between Ragnar and Rollo which would easily allow the narrative of the show to have their Rollo go off to Normandy, which would just be ridiculous. I'm also not sure if they are somehow trying to shoehorn Canute the Great into the show as that random warrior named Canute but whatever.
Don't get me wrong though, I love 90% of this show and its characters, I think the inclusion of Lagertha and Bjorn Ironside are really nice touches and are awesome characters. I just wish they didn't fudge the timeline and characters involved so much to fit their story. I could be wrong about the whole Rollo thing but my prediction is that is what is going to happen when he and Ragnar finally split.
"Aut viam inveniam, aut faciam." -Hannibal Barca
http://[IMG]http://img52.imageshack.....png[/IMG]
How long would a voyage from Katakat to Northumbria have taken? How many days? Compared to a voyage to the Baltic.
The Huscarls only entered the Saxon warrior hierarchy after Canute the Great occupied England around 1016 with his danish army. They were originally the bodyguards of the danish kings and lords similar to the Norwegian hird. Like i said before the Saxons became very much like the Scandinavians after four centuries of fighting and cultural assimilation. At this point though there was no Huscarls armed with great horse-splitting axes as with the Saxon army in 1066.
As for the beach battle yeah the Saxon knew how to use the shield wall probably. But these were probably just some local guys from the local levy (Fyrd) which worst opponent up to this point had been the odd Gaelic raiding band. The Vikings in the show evidently is much more experienced due to their travels and battles to the east and their death defying religion, like the marshal said to the king afterwards.
Although R.I.P to the huge bearded metal viking guy that was killed at the end of the episode. I thing they did a mistake by killing him off, he looked so awesome in the battles walking about killing people :laugther:
Last edited by Påsan; March 18, 2013 at 07:14 PM.
He was Beowulf from "The 13th Warrior" and "The Swede" from Smokin' Aces and also IIRC one of tha Danes in the Middle Age slashfest Ironclad(which featured Marc "Jupiter's cock" Antony - James Purefoy)
But in a way it was the final insult - the weakish Earl and his fat toad of a right hand murdering the Tall Warrior they wouldn't face in battle. Basically it gives legal and spiritual permission to Ragnar and his Vikings to overthrow the Earl and his henchmen and start the Viking Age
Ragnar has to take the Earl down. It will destroy him if he doesn't.
Spoiler for King of Persia: