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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? On a small boat all the way from Jotland? With no army to protect her? 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. It's easy to give yourself a creative license when writing about the early Vikings, there is a lot of confusion on who is who and who is who's son. Even Ari Frodi and Snorri Sturluson did so even with best intention of writing correct chronicles. What we know is that many of their writings correlate with written stories from Ireland and islands around it.
Addendum.
It is starting to be clear to me why Aslaug was thrown in the mix in this story. Although it unclear if she ever lived as her alleged parents were mythical, she might be a part of an awe stories that circulated around Ragnar Lodbrok in the next centuries after his death. What is important and in accordance with behavior at the time is that Lagartha and Bjorn ( which literarily means a bear ) come to his aid to reclaim his town and territory. Again, son's loyalty to his father and mother's loyalty to son. For both of them to ignore that call, asked for or not, would have been unthinkable. What baffles me however is, why Lagartha doesn't let Bjorn kill that brute of a husband she has, since he is in a situation to do so and claim his wealth and power.
My Viking roots tell me that now that, that brute (I never caught his name, I think it was mispronounced) will go against Ragnar Lodbrok and whoever is affiliated with him. Oh she killed the brute herself ;) that's right. I have upped my stars to 5 because the story is making very good sense.
Episode 7, season 2. Uh, no way. The scene of Ragnar Lodbrok, flaying Jarl Borg eagle style to die (BTW you forgot to put the salt on the wounds), really bothers me. Ragnar has ceased to be an ambitious Viking and has become a sociopath. Even though Jarl Borg has invaded his little town Kattegat ( meaning cat's ass, which is actually a strait between Jotland and Sweden known for its strong winds and therefore likely named Kattegat) his wife and children are alive and he got his town back. Also he flays him in front of King Herek, who needs Jarl Borg's men and ships and stands by in passified scilence. Nope not happening. HE'S A KING! Jarl Borg would have met the same fate as Erick The Red, but not before noblemen coming together in the form of Logretta and deciding his fate. And he sure had enough ships to get away. Not to mention that committing such an atrocity makes no one trust Ragnar again. He is in a bad need of allies, and this makes him look stupid. Ragnar Lodbtok's power is not without limits. It's bound by honor, codes and rules by the Gods and society.
It is highly disputable if this practice was ever used, if it was they might have used it on the Christians they were invading, because to kill a man from the behind, meant that you were a coward. Not to give your enemy a chance to enter Valholl, (Valhalla) would be unthinkable and make you a coward and risk your own fate to enter that place. Mr. Hirst, if you are trying to out score Game of Thrones in cruelty, you have susseded, because this scene shocked me by far more than the red wedding. Please just write a good story, we know the cruel fate Ragnar Lodbrok has coming to him, that should be enough.
Lodbrok is a personal nickname for Ragnar and does not apply to his brother Rollo. It is likely that Ragnar suffered from intestinal parasites, defecated on himself and tried to hide it by wearing furry pants. Lodbrok means furry pants.
What I am pleased with is, that Floki is finally shown in a realistic manner. Namely a shipbuilder and a fisherman. I like it that he says he does not need Ragnar's blessing for his marriage, which I like and Ragnar can't do anything about that, because he needs Floki's ships ;) please don't make Ragnar even more stupid than he has become and have him kill Floki.
I have to down my rating back to 4 stars, until the story makes better sense again.