The History Channel 'Vikings' has plateaued the fame of the Norsemen, whom we call 'Viking Warriors.' As television has mirrored the lifestyle of the 'Vikings' people, the cultural and social aspects of them also have come to the acknowledgment.
Generally, the Vikings Warriors hails from the north countries like Norway, Sweden, Denmark, as well as Russia, who are mostly known for their raiding parties. Here, we talk about the history of Vikings and their facts and myths. See below!!
Who Are Vikings? Know Their History
The word 'Vikings' was derived from the Old Norse word "vik" meaning bay or creek, which is believed to have formed the root of the pirate in later years. Many people think that the Vikings is a race of people/groups; however, they are not.
Generally, Vikings are those people who follow Odin as their godfather and sea as their mother. This is reasonable because most of the Viking's history reflects the raiding parties led by the warriors in search of treasures and richness. And the things that made them different from other societies of the world are they did not follow Christianity and were not 'civilized.'
A Portrayal of Viking Warriors (©: ancient-origins.net)
Several Vikings tribes like Finnish, Estonian, and Saami Vikings came to existence back in a few decades. However, the nativity of those people falls under the north parts of the world like Norway, Russia, and Denmark.
Sources suggest that the reason behind their great raids across the sea was overpopulation in their homeland. And, they were in search of both land and treasures, which is also portrayed in the History Channel television series 'Vikings.'
One of the interesting things about Vikings is they are a strong 'fate believer' and leaves the circumstances of their life in the hands of gods, sources revealed.
Vikings, who were the top-notch raiders of the ninth century, leads the history of great successes and honorary battles in England, France, and many other countries.
Vikings In England; Invasion Flashback
The Norsemen hit their first invasion against England in 793 AD, whose leader was probably a fierce warrior, Ragnar Lodbrok. 793 AD is also regarded as the start of the Viking movement from Scandinavia.
The Vikings warriors attacked a monastery in Lindisfarne/Northumbria located on the North-east coast of England from where they captured the jewelry and also slaves.
Northumbria, where Vikings led their first invasion (©: dissolve.com)
Over the years of time, Vikings captured many villages, churches, and cities around Wales, Scotland, Ireland, the Isle of Man and England. Similarly, the Vikings Age (800-1150 AD) brought several historical achievements to the pagans, including the success of the Great Heathen Army upon Great England. This plots the history of King Aella's death to the conquest of Yorkshire in England in 866 AD.
During the Vikings Age, around 200,000 people raided to the countries like New Foundland (Canada), England, Wales, Denmark, and Iceland for settlement. They not only raided to the western worlds but also left their tagline as a 'warriors' in the Mediterranean region to Istanbul to Iraq.
Since 860 AD, Vikings settled and prospered in England, becoming the part of it. And many of the words like Tuesday from Tiw or Týr, Wednesday from Woden (Odin), Thursday from Thor has come into existence from the Vikings gods.
The last Vikings invasion in England was the battle of Hastings in 1066 AD, after which William the Conqueror became the King of all English Empire.
Who Was Ragnar Lodbrok?
When it comes to the talk of Vikings Age, Ragnar Lodbrok's legacy comes second to none. He was a fierce Viking Warrior and a leader, who led the army of Heathen during the first invasion in England back in 793 AD.
Ragnar was the son of King Sigurd Hring and a husband of the mythical queen Aslaug. He had three wives at the time Thora (Lagertha) Borgarhjort, Þóra Borgarhjǫrtr, and Aslaug. He won the heart of Thora after killing a giant snake that guarded her and also got named as Lodbrok for his protective clothing when he attacked the serpent. He had two sons, Erik and Agnar, with Thora.
He also married Þóra Borgarhjǫrtr, daughter, or Jarl Herruro from Gottaland. Aslaug, the daughter of Sigurd Fafnesbane, is Ragnar's third wife with whom he shared five children, namely, Bjorn, Ivar 'the Boneless,' Sigurd 'Snake In The Eye,' Ragnavald, and Hvitserk.
Ragnar's heroic tales have come to the acknowledgment during the early medieval England and France from the conquest of Northumbria to the Wessex, and also the Kingdom of West Frankia.
Ragnar, an ambitious man with many dreams of conquering the west worlds, was killed by King Aella of Northumbria by throwing him in a snake pit.
Ragnar Lodbrok in snake pit (©: ancient-origins.net)
The existence of Ragnar Lodbrok further comes with evidence with the tales of his sons Bjorn, Ubbe, Ivar, Sigurd, and Hvitserk, who led the Great Heathen Army to avenge his death against all England.
Is The History's 'Vikings' Based On Real Story?
To this question, the most simple answer is yes because most of the characters of History Channel's Vikings are the real ones of the Viking civilization. However, some of the roles are interchanged in the television series.
For example, Bjorn was actually the son of Aslaug, but the series portrays Bjorn as Lagertha's first kid. Similarly, Ragnar only has two wives in the series amid he had three spouses, as per history.
Similarly, the scene of Ragnar pretending dead while attacking Paris, Frankia, was actually done by Bjorn in history. However, Travis Fimmel, who led the role of Ragnar, performed the scene for the series.
Most of the storylines are based on the real-time story. The attack on Northumbria to the conquest of England, France, and Bjorn's raid to the Mediterranean comes with the historical evidence.
History Channel's Vikings Upcoming
The History channel has already aired six seasons of Vikings till the date. And fans are waiting for the second part of the sixth season, which is likely to get released at the fall of this year, probably November/December.
However, the release date for the end season is not fixed yet.
Get To Know: History: Vikings What Might Happen In Season 6 Part B? Will Bjorn Return? Major Cast And Crew Members
But, it comes with excitement as the first part of the sixth season has left the marks of baffles and confusion over the death of major characters like Bjorn, King Harald, and Floki as well. There are also talks about the return of Bjorn and Floki in the second part. Well, it would be a great story if those characters could return to the show. For that, you shall wait until the end of 2020. So, be prepared.