The historical series "Vikings", based on the Scandinavian sagas about the lives of fearless warriors of the Middle Ages, attracted the attention of viewers from all over the world. Excellent actors, magnificent landscapes, high-quality photography - all this made the project very successful. And even after the death of the main character of the TV show, Ragnar Lothbrok, played by Travis Fimmel, interest in the series did not fade away. We bring to your attention 10 interesting facts about the actors of “Vikings”.
A lucky coincidence
Alexander Ludwig, who plays Ragnar's son Bjorn in Vikings, was the main candidate for the role of Peeta Mellark in the acclaimed film The Hunger Games. However, the filmmakers preferred Jash Hutcherson. Nevertheless, the director of the film, Gary Ross, invited Alexander to play the villain Cato. According to the actor, thanks to this, he realized that everything was not accidental and that he needed to pay more attention to his studies and development of his talent, which helped him get and perfectly perform one of the leading roles in Vikings.
What does the nickname Lodbrok mean?
Ragnar reportedly received his famous nickname Lodbrok either as a child or from his first wife. The fact is that lederen broek translates as leather pants. According to the first version, in his youth he accidentally fell into a deep hole full of snakes and only leather pants saved him from death, according to another, his wife sewed leather pants for him as an amulet, which he never parted with.
It is noted in history that both pants had fur inside, thanks to which, in the first case, the snakes could not reach Ragnar’s legs with their teeth, in the second it saved him from injury in battles by softening the blows.
Experts in the field of linguistics put forward several versions of the origin of the legendary surname.
Some argue that Ragnar’s name was given by the English river Lodbrik (“stream of hatred”), others are of the opinion that the inhabitants of Iceland named the king that way and it means “frightening people.”
As an option, scientists are also considering the theory that Lodbrok is a derivative of two words - fate and banner and is literally translated as Fate.
According to contemporaries, the Viking fought under a flag with the image of Odin the raven.
Katheryn Winnick is actually capable of fighting
The role of the great warrior Lagertha suits this actress perfectly. After all, Katherine has a background in not only acting, but also martial arts. Vinnik started practicing taekwondo at the age of 7. After 6 years, she became the owner of her first black belt.
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Heroes of the first seasons of the series "Vikings"
Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel)
The Danish king (supreme ruler) is one of the most prominent heroes of the Scandinavian sagas, but whether he actually lived is unknown for certain. His last name, or nickname as it was then considered, means “leather pants.” According to one legend, this piece of clothing, made for him by his first wife Lagertha, was his kind of amulet. He was married three times and had many children, including illegitimate ones. Ragnar “went” to Eastern Europe, Britain, and France, even capturing Paris in 845. After a clash with the Anglo-Saxon king Ella II, Lothbrok lost most of his army and died, being thrown into a pit with poisonous snakes. Despite the liberties with which the creators of the Vikings series presented his story, the death of Ragnar in the series is shown in accordance with his life story.
Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick)
The first wife of Ragnar Lothbrok, the northern warrior Lagertha, despite her external fragility, could compete with men in martial arts. According to the ninth book of the “Acts of the Danes” by the chronicler Saxo Grammar, during one of the battles Ragnar noticed Lagertha in the front ranks of his warriors and was conquered by her courage and bravery. Eventually the Viking won her favor and married her, and then they had three children. This marriage lasted exactly until Lodbrok met Tora from Gotland.
Lagertha, meanwhile, also married again, but subsequently killed her husband in order to rule her lands independently. In the series, her fate developed in a similar way, but throughout all seasons it is demonstrated that she has great affection for her ex-husband, who remained her first and only true love.
Rollo (Clive Standen)
In the series, Rollo is the older brother of Ragnar Lothbrok, who lives in the shadow of his outstanding relative and is trying with all his might to make his way to glory, not shying away from betrayal. The real Rollo was the first Duke of Normandy (Normans = Scandinavian robbers) and had nothing to do with Lodbrok, but he also raided the outskirts of Paris. In 911, he entered into an agreement with the king of the West Frankish kingdom, Charles III the Simple, married his daughter and converted to Christianity. These events were also reflected in Vikings. The ruler Rollo (or Rollo) was wise. He introduced strict laws and created a Norman identity that distinguished his people from the Scandinavians and the French.
Aslaug (Alyssa Sutherland)
Ragnar Lothbrok meets Princess Aslaug in Götaland, where he goes on a diplomatic mission on behalf of the Danish king Horik. Having entered into a love affair with a Viking, the heroine quickly realizes that she has become pregnant and goes to his native Kattegat. In the series, she becomes Ragnar's second wife, while in Scandinavian sources the girl was his third wife after Thora from Gotland.
It is known about the life of her prototype, the daughter of the warrior Siegfried and the Icelandic queen Brunhild (the heroes of the “Song of the Nibelungs”) that after the death of her parents she was raised in a peasant family and was forced to hide her origins. Lodbrok was captivated not only by her beauty, but also by her lively mind. It is believed that Aslaug was a seer and often warned her husband against rash actions - the Vikings series also emphasizes that she has a magical gift. She gave birth to Ragnar 4 sons: Ivar the Boneless, Bjorn Ironside, Hvitserk and Sigurd Snake-Eyes.
Floki (Gustaf Skarsgard)
A talented shipbuilder and friend of Ragnar Lothbrok in the series, he is an eccentric guy whose actions can sometimes seem unpredictable. The basis for his image was the Norwegian navigator and explorer Floki Vilgerdarson. He has little in common with his movie brother, but they are both considered important figures in Icelandic history. Floki from Vikings discovered this volcanic island, brought people there and made it a Scandinavian colony. Whereas Vilgerdarson became the first Norwegian to visit Iceland, and it was he who nicknamed this land Iceland - “Ice Country”.
The hero of the series considers the god of cunning Loki to be his patron, and one day for a serious offense he is punished like his patron: he is tied in a cave so that water drips on his forehead (in myths, a snake hung over Loki, from whose mouth poison was dripping).
Helga (Maude Hirst)
Floki's beloved Helga, although not a warrior, nevertheless often accompanies her husband on campaigns. And, despite his oddities and extravagant antics, she is very devoted to him and dreams of a happy family life - even after he kills Ragnar Lothbrok’s advisor and friend, the former monk Aethelstan. Her gentle character and religiosity help her endure all hardships, but the death of her only daughter breaks her, and she becomes obsessed with the idea of motherhood. One day, while sailing to the Mediterranean Sea, Helga meets a Moorish girl, Tanarus, and wants to adopt her. The child does not accept his new family, and Helga's blind love and attempts to establish contact with her ultimately lead to tragedy.
King Egbert (Linus Roache)
A gifted and far-sighted politician, Egbert was able to legally annex neighboring Mercia to his possessions and create the most powerful state in England. In the series, the king uses his diplomatic skills to establish connections with both the monk Athelstan and the rebel Viking Ragnar Lothbrok. But behind his image of an enlightened and reliable monarch, he hides selfishness, hypocrisy and lust: it is not for nothing that Egbert slept for many years with his daughter-in-law, Princess Judith, and betrayed his old friend Lodbrok. The real Egbert, whom historians consider the first king of England, did not live to see Ragnar die. They may have never even met. But during his lifetime, he established relations with the church, made decisions only together with the Council of the Wise (nobility and clergy) and secured the transfer of royal lands to only male family members.
Halfdan Black (Jasper Pääkkönen)
The younger brother and comrade-in-arms of Harald Fairhair was his father in real life and, of course, did not die by his hand. In the Vikings series, Halfdan the Black appears as a very cruel man who takes pleasure in killing his enemies and other violence. He takes part in Ragnar Lothbrok's campaign against Frankia, where he brutally kills local residents and rapes women. However, many years later, being an ally of Ragnar's son Bjorn Ironside, Halfdan noticeably softens and does not share his brother's desire to capture Kattegat. Having twice sided with Bjorn and Lagertha, Black fell into disgrace with Harald and was subsequently stabbed to death by him. The real-life Halfdan the Black was the king of Agdir (a region of Norway) and was even married to a woman from the family of Ragnar Lothbrok. In this marriage, by the way, Harald was born. He died at the age of 40, drowning in an icy lake.
From Calvin Klein model to Vikings actor
Travis Fimmel, who brilliantly played the role of Ragnar Lothbrok, was spotted by an employee of a modeling agency in one of the gyms in Melbourne in 2002. He became the first man to sign a six-figure contract with Calvin Klein. As you can see, Travis was able not only to become a very successful model, but also to prove himself in the acting field.
The plot of the series "Vikings"
The History Project spans nearly 30 years, and the second half of the final season may take the action even further. The year 793 begins. The Norwegian bond (a free man who owns his own farm - KR) Ragnar Lothbrok invites Jarl Haraldson, the leader of the Kattegat settlement, to go west to explore new lands. The ruler did not appreciate the initiative and refused to provide Ragnar with boats for his raids. Then Lodbrok resorts to the help of his friend, shipwright Floki, who builds him a faster ship. Then he secretly assembles a team, which included Floki himself and Rangar’s brother Rollo, and sails to the shores of Northumbria (northern Britain), leaving his wife Lagertha at home to look after the children. Haraldson, of course, does not intend to put up with this state of affairs, so he plans punishment for those who dare to disobey him. Then, over the course of six seasons, we talk about the life and numerous adventures of Ragnar Lothbrok, his wives, children and opponents against the backdrop of historical cataclysms at the turn of the 8th and 9th centuries.
Dream character
Clive Standen, who played the role of Rollo in Vikings, admitted that he would most like to play Errol Flynn in a biopic dedicated to the famous Hollywood actor.
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Katheryn Winnick (Lagertha)
TV series “Vikings”: actress Katheryn Winnick as Lagertha |
mota.ru Lagertha is Ragnar's first wife, mother of Bjorn Ironside. In the second season, she leaves Ragnar, offended by his betrayal, and becomes the ruler of the city of Hedeby. In the fourth season, he returns to the city of Kattegat at a time when Ragnar's sons from Aslaug and the king himself are not in the city, captures Kattegat and kills his old rival.
Katheryn Winnick is a Canadian actress. In 2022, two films were released where viewers can see Katherine. In the first, Geostorm, the actress played the ex-wife of the main character, the inventor of a global climate control system that gets out of control. In the second film - "The Dark Tower" based on the novels of Stephen King - Katherine appeared as the mother of the main character, a boy whose story begins with strange dreams.
Gustaf Skarsgard (Floki)
TV series “Vikings”: actor Gustaf Skarsgård as Floki |
theladies.ru Floki is a shipbuilder and a character with strong trickster traits. An ardent supporter of the pagan gods, he kills Æthelstan in the fourth season. There are a lot of associative connections between Floki and the Scandinavian trickster god Loki, starting from the consonant name and ending with the punishment to which the character is subjected for the murder of Æthelstan. Floki is hung in a cave in chains and tortured with dripping water while his wife Helga holds a cup over him.
Gustaf Skarsgård is a Swedish theater and film actor. In 2003, he starred in the Swedish drama Evil, which was nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. In 2012, he played one of the participants in Thor Heyerdahl's expedition in the Norwegian historical film Kon-Tiki.
George Blagden (Athelstan)
TV series "Vikings": actor George Blagden as Athelstan |
bget.ru Æthelstan is a former monk and Christian captured by Vikings during a raid on a monastery. Over time, from a stranger and captive he turns into a comrade of the Vikings and a devoted friend of Ragnar Lothbrok. Constantly experiences torment and torment over his commitment to Christianity and paganism. We openly dislike Floki, who perceives Athelstan as a priest of an alien religion and a corrupting element in the Viking camp.
George Blagden is an English actor who played the role of King Louis XIV in the French-Canadian historical series Versailles. In 2012, he starred in the dramatic musical Les Misérables based on the novel by Victor Hugo.
