Vikings

I lately discovered a new series... and I got caught straight into it. Please let me introduce you.. Vikings.

This NETFLIX series was created by Michael Hirst and produced by Keith Thompson and Steve Wakefield and was first filmed in 2013. There are 6 seasons in total, and you can, or course, watch them on Netflix. Quickly, we are immersed in the viking era, full of fights, revenges and wills to discover the world. 

The story takes place

 in Scandinavia, at the end of the 8th century. Ragnar Lodbrok, a young Viking warrior, is eager for adventures and new conquests. Tired of looting in the lands of the East, he has a new objective: explore the West by sea. We follow the way of life, the culture, the rites of the Vikings through Ragnar Lothbrok and his family. Ragnar Lothbrok is one of Scandinavia's most legendary heroes. He, who was at first a simple farmer, will succeed in having an extraordinary life and his actions, just like his choices, will influence the whole Europe.

5 reasons to watch this series: 

-Their culture: 

Their culture is well explored: harvest rituals, festivals, sacrifices, religious ceremonies. Their believes and religion and very present through the series, it gives us an idea of the Vikings mindset...You will learn a lot of surprising things concerning Vikings at that time.

-Inspired by true facts : 

Vikings first appeared on screen on the History Canada so y ou will even learn things while watching the series. Th e Vikings series is inspired by real historical facts but also by Nordic myths. Ragnar Lothbrok, was a true viking who’s existence was within an undetermined period between 750 and 865. Ragnar Lothbrok was a semi-legendary king of Sweden and Denmark. Of course, the directors took some liberties concerning the story of the series, but many points are similar to the true story, for example his sons: Björn, Ivar, also called "The boneless", Sigurd, Ubbe, Hvitserk.

-Most of the actor’s costumes are handmade 

The costumes and armor that the Vikings actors sport are awe-inspiring, and a lot goes into the making of them. Many of the costume and armor pieces are handmade. Wet leather was molded right to the actors' bodies and then dried, to give them as much of an authentic look as possible.

-The cast had to drag a boat up a cliff

While plenty of special effects are used in the series to make scenes look as incredible as possible, some of the heavy lifting is truly done by the actors. In Season 4, Ragnar and his people drag a Viking boat up a cliff. All hard work, no special effects here.

-Role of Women

Within the Viking population, women had a different position and role as most women in the world at that time. Even if most of women stayed home while men fought, many of them were on the front line, fighting as well. One particular female character we follow is Lagertha, wife of Ragnar, called " Viking shield-maiden", is one of the best warriors of the series.

Charline MUGNIER