Invasion

CUSTOMER REVIEW



With much anticipation I watched the first episode of Vikings. I am a little baffled because it looks to me it's heading to more fictional and fantasy based story line. It is true that clans would fight each other on a regular basis, after all that is exactly how the Vikings became superior fighters. However, the concept of Rollo going against his brother because he feels he is in the shadow of his glory is a modern concept. In reality their alliance would have been much more equal, not to mention that it would have been at odd with the Gods for him to change his fate in such manner.



Also, it seems that Floki is the only ship builder in town and to put him in a bloody battle would have been out of the question. A ship builder would not have been considered a warrior.



It is unlikely that Rollo would have gotten so easily away with betraying his brother, he would have been deemed "utilegumadur" or vagrant and "rettdraepur" by anyone which means anyone could rightfully kill him. That is exactly what happened to Eric the Red, he was prone to unfair fights with his neighbors and kept killing them both in Norway and in Iceland and therefore was on constant escape and ended up establishing a colony in Greenland.



Aslaug shows up on the scene, she is the daughter of Sigurdur Dragonslayer and the shield maiden Brunhildur, which are both fictional characters in Norse Mythology. I am also baffled by the fact that if she is high born, what on earth is she doing traveling to some minor Nobleman in a remote fjord? Even though she is pregnant by Ragnar Lodbrok, it doesn't make any sense. Unborn babies were simply "borin ut" or brought out to die in the cold, a practice that was abolished when ever they would convert to Christianity. Suggesting that polygamy was a common thing in this society is untrue. Of course Aslaug has never met her alleged father, because he has never existed. A highborn woman would never have accepted the status of basically a concubine.



What makes sense is Lagertha is not buying the story of the mythical parents neither is she willing to submit to polygamy and leaves. What is likelier to have happened, is she would have either revenged her husband herself or maybe gotten Rollo to do it because betrayal like that is just not betrayal to her but the whole family. Women had status in this society, they were just as fierce as the men, and would use all the cunning power they could conjure to keep their men in place. Also, when you lived in a tribal society, Loyalty to anyone close to you, was extremely important, because your survival depended on it. It is a reoccurring theme throughout the Sagas. It's is also stressed as an importance in Edda. The Gods did not approve of betrayal to your kin. If you broke your loyalty in those time, you were sure to create a lot of enemies in a society based on a revenge after revenge, because your friends enemies would become your enemies. It would have been your duty to kill your friend's enemies. Sometimes when you read about this it becomes flat out ridiculous in the modern mind, the revenge never ends... But that was their way. Loyalty and Honor was highly important.



It will be interesting to see how the story developers, I truly enjoy the show, but for my taste, it's getting a little bit Hollywood sugary syrupy. I'll write more later.