Scandinavians were not always tolerant, white and fluffy after barbershops. In the 8th-11th centuries, the ancestors of the Swedes, Norwegians and Danes made sea raids on the European coasts, traveling on longships to North America and Africa. The adventures of the bloodthirsty followers of Odin and Thor are a suitable choice for connoisseurs of brutal cinema. In addition to the best films and TV series about Vikings of recent years, the selection includes lesser-known films - for fans who do not want to miss anything in order to be sure to get to Valhalla.
Vikings: Valhalla (2021)
The spin-off of the cult series “Vikings” is presented by Netflix – the company made a record order for 24 episodes at once. The plot is based on the adventures of the top Normans of the Middle Ages, whose names will once again emerge from the fog of the past. Leif Erikson, Olaf Haraldson, Harald the Harsh will soon be surfing the screens of fans of the historical TV show, which is currently being filmed in picturesque Ireland.
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Original title : Vikings: Valhalla Genre : Action, drama, military, history Actors : Laura Berlin, Sam Corlett, Bradley Freegard... Country : USA Age restrictions : 16+
The Last Kingdom (TV series, 2015 – 2020)
The British desire to make a series like “Vikings”, where the main character would be a Briton, was realized in a television project based on the book series by Bernard Cornwell. The plot centers on Uhtred of Bebbanburg, who was taken away by the Danes as a child. The son of a Saxon, kept alive for his bravery, was raised as the adopted son of Earl Ragnar. After the death of the named father, fate brings Uhtred together with the King of Wessex, Alfred, and he asks to prepare the English army for the battle with the Vikings who raised the warrior.
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Original title : The Last Kingdom Genre : Action, drama Actors : Alexander Dreymon, Eliza Butterworth, Ian Hart... Country : UK Rating : Kinopoisk – 7.8, IMDb – 8.4 Age restrictions : 18+
Northerners (TV series, 2016 – 2020)
Who, if not the Scandinavians themselves, would know what the Vikings looked like in their home version, among their native fjords? The Norwegian comedy series takes place in the year 790 in the fictional village of Nurheim, where a squad of brutal northerners returns after a raid. At home, the Varangians face everyday puzzles, family and political turmoil, and, of course, wild parties.
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Original title : Norsemen Genre : Comedy Actors : Kare Conradi, Niels Jørgen Kaalstad, Jon Eygarden... Country : Norway Rating : Kinopoisk – 7.0, IMDb – 7.8 Age restrictions : 16+
Vikings (2013 – 2020)
The highest-rated foreign series among similar ones has been in the top films about Vikings since the first year of release. Thanks to the project, millions of people around the world began to understand the jarls and berserkers, and became imbued with the romance of a long row in the salty sea spray and battles for the glory of Odin. In the epic about Ragnar Lothbrok in the sixth and final season of the cult series, a friend of Ivar, the king’s son, appeared - Prophetic Oleg, a legend of Ancient Rus', performed by Danila Kozlovsky.
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Original title : Vikings Genre : Drama, action, melodrama, adventure, military Actors : Katheryn Winnick, Gustaf Skarsgård, Alexander Ludwig... Country : Ireland, Canada Rating : Kinopoisk – 8.2, IMDb – 8.5 Age restrictions : 18+
Ivar the Boneless was a legless invalid
Obviously, Ivar riding a chariot through the muddy fields of Britain would quickly become an excellent target or would not be able to escape from the enemy if the chariot suddenly got stuck or overturned. There is no point in doing this in battle! But in the chronicles he is a very real character, with high fighter skills! How did this happen? The nickname Boneless can have several translations, for example: flexibility of the body, dexterity and coordination, physical illness - lameness, disfigurement, or even impotence. The latter is supported by the fact that Ivar had no children or wives, died in old age and loneliness, and, judging by the sagas, had an extremely hot-tempered character. The creators of the series also hint at this when he refuses the sexual services of a slave.
“The Strand of the Sons of Ragnar” reports: “He had no children because he was so hot-tempered that he met neither passion nor love; but he had no want of wisdom or cruelty; and he died of old age in England, and was buried in a mound"
Viking Blood (2019)
Mid-10th century. A swordsman comes to a Danish village. A loner without principles understands that here you can make money from the conflict of two warring camps. The local jarl adheres to the old faith of his ancestors, and the warrior Gudrun picked up a new religious teaching during her predatory campaigns. What kind of trick will a stranger come up with to hit the jackpot? A Danish action movie that looks like a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s “Bodyguard” and the western “A Fistful of Dollars” in a Scandinavian setting.
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Original title : Viking Blood Genre : Action Actors : Robert Follin, Karen Margrethe Gotfredsen, Mia Leerdam... Country : Denmark Rating : IMDb – 3.3 Age restrictions : 16+
Valhalla: Ragnarok (2019)
The great Thor and Loki came to visit mortals on riding goats. As soon as Röskva’s brother makes a mistake, the boy is taken to Asgard, and his little sister escapes with him from the disgusted Midgard. But there’s nothing good at the top either: children are treated like servants, the gods themselves are being annoyed by giants, the wolf Fenrir is prowling around, and Ragnarok is brewing. Using Viking myths is nothing new for screenwriters, but this time the fantasy adventure movie is based on comic books with the addition of a new character - the Chosen One.
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Original title : Valhalla Genre : Fantasy, thriller, adventure Actors : Roland Muller, Dulfi Al-Jabouri, Cecilia Loffredo... Country : Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland Rating : Kinopoisk – 5.3, IMDb – 5.4 Age restrictions : 12+
The Saxons and Vikings did not understand each other.
This is not true. The Saxons come from the German province of Saxony, where their relatives lived for many centuries, after the Viking Age. Ragnar, historically, lived in Denmark, and not in Norway, spoke the language of the North Germanic group, which was also spoken by other Germans who settled England - the Angles and Jutes, with whom the Saxons had close contacts. Thus, the Saxons and Vikings, at a minimum, understood each other, much like modern Ukrainians and Russians, and most likely spoke a very close language and did not require a translator.
Radbod (2018)
When the authors of a Dutch film approached bearded men with long hair via social networks with an offer to appear as extras, 10,000 modern Vikings responded - twice as many as required. The love for the turbulent Middle Ages is ineradicable among Europeans, and cinema about the events of the 8th century offers a spectacular historical set. Bloody battles, Christian Franks carrying a new faith on the tips of their swords, ferocious pagan Frisians, rituals involving the sacrifice of virgins, and in the center of the plot is the wayward son of the leader.
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Original title : Redbad Genre : History, military Actors : Gijs Neubr, Lisa Smith, Hub Stapel... Country : Netherlands Rating : Kinopoisk – 6.0, IMDb – 6.5 Age restrictions : 16+
The Last Viking (2018)
In the 9th century, a group of armed men, members of a family clan, landed on the shores of Britain. The Normans were warming themselves by the fire when they were attacked in the dark and killed all but one young man. Vitarr managed to escape, but his pursuers are hot on his heels. Will the wounded animal be able to survive and find his only relative in a foreign country - his uncle? A British feature film about the Vikings with a simple plot about the coming of age of an orphan warrior who did not throw away his sword and did not surrender to the mercy of fate and his enemies.
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Original title : The Lost Viking Genre : Action, adventure, history Actors : Dean Ridge, Ross O'Hennessy, Kezia Burrows... Country : UK Rating : Kinopoisk – 4.6, IMDb – 3.9 Age restrictions : 16+
Vikings easily kill fellow tribesmen and strangers.
The murder of a Viking in peacetime, his fellow countryman, was a grave crime. If blood feud or a challenge to battle was forgiven and understood by society, then an unmotivated murder ended for the culprit in exile to the forests and mountains, where he lived out his life alone. As a rule, very short-lived in the harsh northern lands. In raids it’s a different matter. The Vikings were extremely cruel and had no fear of death at all. Therefore, the pictures of massacres and devastation during the raid are reliable facts. The series, although quite naturalistic, also chose not to include the bloodiest scenes in the plot, such as the Vikings’ fun of throwing babies and catching them with spears, which was recorded by eyewitnesses during raids in England and Portugal.
Vikings (2014)
A harsh action movie, conceived as a bloody quest for Vikings with a ship broken by a storm. The sailors who reached the Scottish coast alive will have to walk through hostile territory to the nearest Norman settlement. From the first hours, a group of warriors gets involved in a battle with soldiers, captures a captive for ransom, not knowing that she is the daughter of a local ruler. The king is not going to pay a penny for the heiress, but sets a pursuit of mercenaries on the trail.
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Original title : Northmen - A Viking Saga Genre : Action, drama, history Actors : Ed Skrein, Tom Hopper, James Norton... Country : Switzerland, UK, Germany, South Africa Rating : Kinopoisk - 5.6, IMDb - 5.4 Age restrictions : 16+
The Vikings skillfully used bows and cavalry.
Formed in the deep forests, fjords and mountains of Scandinavia, the Vikings knew practically no cavalry. They relied on the northern style of warfare - heavy infantry. Although the horse was revered by them as an important animal, this is a memory of the times of the Indo-European community, from where the Scandinavians came. Odin himself rode the eight-legged stallion. But since the terrain of Scandinavia was not conducive to horse breeding, much less cavalry attacks, the rare Viking knew how to ride well and fight on horseback. The Vikings knew the bow as a hunting weapon, but its use in battle was condemned and condemned. The bow was considered a weapon of cowards and weaklings who kill in ambush without having the strength to fight in a fair fight.
Hammer of the Gods (2013)
A tough British action movie where all the heroes are bathed in blood. The enemy is pushing back the Viking army, and during the battle the king receives a mortal wound. Anticipating the end, he asks the most fearless of the three sons to find the first-born, whom he kicked out many years ago. A young warrior and his retinue set off in search of his older brother on an extreme medieval journey.
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Original title : Hammer of the Gods Genre : Horror, action, history Actors : Charlie Bewley, Clive Standen, James Cosmo... Country : UK Rating : Kinopoisk – 5.1, IMDb – 4.5 Age restrictions : 18+
Viking Kingdom (2013)
God Thor descends to earth to punish humanity for betraying the pagan faith. Who can resist a deity with a hammer, abs and red hair? The mission is entrusted to Eric the Bloody, who would like to forget his past, but he is not allowed to - the hero must again take up the sword and assemble a fighting team. An action adventure about Vikings cannot be classified as a historical film; it is a low-budget fantasy with no pretensions from a Malaysian director.
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Original title : Vikingdom Genre : Adventure, fantasy, action Actors : Dominic Purcell, Natasha Malthe, Craig Fairbrass... Country : USA, Malaysia Rating : Kinopoisk – 4.0, IMDb – 3.3 Age restrictions : 16+
Captive: Escape (2012)
In films about the Vikings and the Middle Ages, women appear as brave warriors, not inferior to men in martial arts. 19-year-old Signe, the action-adventure heroine, also knows how to wield a spear and crossbow. After the death of her family at the hands of robbers, the girl is captured by them, but escapes with her daughter Dagmar, the leader of the gang. The mother and her accomplices rush after them. The film takes place in Norway after the bubonic plague epidemic in 1363.
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Original title : Flukt Genre : Thriller, drama Actors : Isabel Christine Andresen, Milla Olin, Ingrid Bolsø Berdahl... Country : Norway Rating : Kinopoisk – 6.2, IMDb – 6.0 Age restrictions : 12+
The Franks were poor warriors and only won with crossbows.
A serious mistake by the screenwriter. Shortly before the events, the Franks defeated the Avar Kaganate, the strongest state in Europe, along with Byzantium. Their swordsmen and knight-type heavy cavalry were unrivaled at that time. The Vikings had to deal with them, and most often without leading to major battles, limiting themselves to raids. Since the Vikings could do little to counter the attack of heavy cavalry. Arbalts generally appeared in Europe in 475, but became widespread in the army much later.
Vicky the little viking 2 (2011)
The main character of the German comedy film about Vikings could win any redhead competition. In addition, Vika has a golden head in every sense - a descendant of warlike sailors solves life's problems with the help of her mind, and not brute force. After the abduction of Halvar, the head of the clan, the tribesmen transfer power to the heir. A teenager in a helmet with horns and his team set out to find his missing father. At the same time, the leader's son undertakes to find Thor's hammer.
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Original title : Wickie auf großer Fahrt Genre : Action, comedy, adventure, family Actors : Jonas Hemmerle, Valeria Eisenbarth, Waldemar Kobus... Country : Germany Rating : Kinopoisk – 6.2, IMDb – 5.4 Age restrictions : 12+
The Vikings wore leather clothes and did without helmets.
Leather is an extremely uncomfortable, tight and stuffy garment. She looks beautiful, especially when combined with fantastic hairstyles, but is completely historically inaccurate. The Vikings wore simple linen shirts, which were both cheaper and more hygienic. In addition, English chronicles strongly emphasize the Vikings’ love of expensive fabrics and bright colors, which is unlike the brown and gray color scheme of their clothes in the series. As for armor, an army of Vikings with bare heads only causes laughter. Such an army would have lost half of its soldiers in the first battle! The Vikings did not skimp on armor and weapons. Helmets with half masks, conical shape, solid chain mail armor, protective gloves are a necessary set for survival in their environment. And of course, no horned helmets!
Valhalla: A Viking Saga (2009)
The list of the best films about Vikings continues with mystical brutal cinema in the original style, called hallucinogenic by the author himself. The one-eyed hero of the film, like the god Odin, escapes from captivity and joins the Vikings sailing to Jerusalem in the year 1000. Due to a storm, the ship changes course and ends up in North America. The plot was invented by a Danish director when he heard that scientists could not explain the discovery of ancient runes in the United States.
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Original title : Valhalla Rising Genre : Fantasy, action, drama, adventure Actors : Mads Mikkelsen, Maarten Steven, Gary Lewis... Country : Denmark, UK Rating : Kinopoisk – 6.7, IMDb – 6.1 Age restrictions : 16+
Drakkar measures
“Vikings” launched in March 2013, and a better time for the premiere could hardly have been found: TV viewers were then counting the days until the release of the fourth season of “Game of Thrones,” so another show with large-scale battles, conquests and sword fights (or axes) aroused the expected interest among many. Moreover, the series without dragons and annoying nudity in the frame in many moments even bypassed the fantasy saga. "The Vikings" begins in 793 AD, with the sack of St. Cuthbert's monastery on the English island of Lindisfarne by northern sailors. A successful raid is organized by Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel), driven not so much by a thirst for easy money, but by a desire to learn more about the lives of other peoples. Ragnar, who discovered new rich lands for his brothers, quickly gains popularity, becomes the jarl of the settlement of Kattegat, and then the king, simultaneously conducting ruinous raids and large-scale campaigns of conquest in the lands of Northern Europe.
Despite the fact that historically documented events in the first parts of the series are depicted very freely, there are enough nods to medievalists, interpretations of archaeological finds and various references to Scandinavian mythology. The main character himself is none other than the character of the sagas Ragnar Leather Pants, and his sons in Northern European legends appear to be no less legendary personalities. The decision to cast former model Travis Fimmel in this role turned out to be successful: his cunning and emotionally closed Ragnar made the Australian actor famous throughout the world, and the character seems to have become the dominant image of the Viking in popular culture - fortunately for series showrunner Michael Hirst , who wanted, in his own words, through Ragnar to destroy the stereotypical image of a Viking barbarian in a horned helmet.
Frame: TV series “Vikings”
When conceiving “Vikings”, I wanted to show through the image of Ragnar Lothbrok that the Vikings were driven by curiosity, and they had modern technologies for that era in the form of boats and a “sun stone” for navigation - that is, they had the opportunity to satisfy this curiosity by crossing the seas. A thirst for adventure and curiosity are not everything. The Vikings were more enlightened than their enemies from England, France, Spain, including in terms of the rights, status, and opportunities of women in a society that was completely democratic
Michael Hirst, showrunner of “Vikings” in an interview with Lenta.ru
Who is Ragnar Lothbrok?
In The Acts of the Danes, the Danish priest Saxo Grammaticus says that Ragnar (or Regner) Lothbrok became king very young, but even then he possessed great wisdom and tactical thinking. In a series of civil wars, Ragnar met the maiden Lagertha (Ladgerda) and fell in love with her. She did not reciprocate his feelings, and therefore, in order to get into the warrior’s chambers, Ragnar had to fight with a bear and a dog tied at the entrance. The vindictive Ragnar did not forget this “love” story, and after a short marriage he divorced Lagertha, taking Thora, the daughter of the king of one of the ancient Germanic tribes in the territory of modern Sweden, as his wife instead. She, unfortunately for Ragnar, turned out to be a lover of poisonous snakes. To win her heart, the young Viking had to fight against Tora’s pets, who were terrorizing the entire region (to do this, he put on pants made of thick fur, from which he received the nickname Lodbrok Leather Pants). Ragnar married three times during his life, gave birth to a whole detachment of descendants (only a small part of them is presented in Vikings - Bjorn Ironside, Ivar, Ubbo, Sigurd (Siward) and Hvitserk), suppressed a lot of rebellions and plundered almost all corners of the Old World . Ragnar met his end in England, captured by King Aelle (Hella) and thrown into a dungeon with poisonous snakes. Ella paid for this: the vengeful sons of Ragnar brought down their anger on him, who, after a short military campaign, captured the king and subjected him to a terrible execution: they carved an eagle on his back, pouring salt into the wounds.
The name Ragnar appears in other sources: a Viking with that name, in particular, led the barbarian fleet that sacked Paris in 845. There are also references to Viking leaders with the names of the sons of Ragnar Lothbrok, but their connection with the hero-king is questionable - Ragnar may have had a real prototype, but was still a semi-mythical character.
Ragnar's epic ends in the fourth season, then the main characters of "Vikings" become the hero's immediate relatives: ex-wife Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick) and the king's sons Bjorn Ironside (Alexander Ludwig), Ivar the Boneless (Alex Hegh), Ubba (Jordan Patrick Smith) and Hvitserk (Marco Ilse). Their deeds are not too different from the path of Ragnar: the same conquests, intrigues in the struggle for the throne, fraternization with enemies and betrayals, love feuds and the obligatory tactical tricks that allow them to win in unequal battles. “Vikings,” which covered a time period of 30 years over six seasons, almost completely changed its cast by the end, but no longer surprises with the variety of plot twists. It's funny that the surviving characters eventually realize this, directly stating that they simply have nothing left but endless battles.
Vikings vs. Aliens (2008)
The sci-fi action film tells about the revenge of a lonely alien beast for the extermination of his family. 709, a spaceship crashes onto Norwegian soil. The heavenly wanderer, dressed in iron clothes, is shackled by the Normans. The prisoner still manages to explain to the local guys that the danger comes from another alien - the dragon-like Murven. Among films about Vikings and barbarians, this one is notable for the fact that it was the first time the Old Norse language was used in film.
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Original title : Outlander Genre : Science-fiction, action, adventure Actors : James Caviezel, Sophia Myles, Jack Huston... Country : USA, Germany, France Rating : Kinopoisk – 6.3, IMDb – 6.2 Age restrictions : 16+
The Vikings were people of enormous stature and strength
There is a dual point here. Archaeologists quite often found the remains of Vikings; their average height was approximately 173-175 cm; a living person, of military occupation, could weigh more than 90 kg. But for modern people, they were rather of average or even short height. Another thing in their time, the population of Britain was hardly higher than 164 cm for men and the Vikings significantly surpassed them in physical data. However, the average height of, for example, the Frankish guards of Charlemagne (Charlemagne) was 182.5 cm. Therefore, not always, most of the Vikings were head and shoulders above their rivals. Although Hrolf the Pedestrian (Rollo in the series) is described as a man of such powerful build that no horse could carry him!
Beowulf (2007)
In the days of the Vikings and trolls, a loud feast could be prompted not by the arrival of a police squad, but by the visit of a monster. This is what happened at King Hrothgar's feast, when the music and hubbub woke up the ferocious Grendel. The monster appeared at the holiday and killed many guests, after which it hid with its mother, the water demon. For the liquidation of the ignorant, the Danish king appointed a reward - half of his gold. Beowulf responded to this call, arriving with the Getae on a ship. Fantasy by Robert Zemeckis is a free adaptation of the Anglo-Saxon epic, filmed using motion capture and 3D technology.
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Original title : Beowulf Genre : Cartoon, fantasy, action, drama, adventure Actors : Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, Robin Wright, John Malkovich, Angelina Jolie... Country : USA, UK Rating : Kinopoisk - 6.2, IMDb - 6.2 Age restrictions : 16+
Halfdan and Harald were brothers.
Halfdan the Black and Harald Fairhair were not brothers, but father and son. Moreover, looking younger in the film, Halfdan was Harald's father. Moreover, the boy ran away from home very early with the Finn sorcerer and they never met again. Therefore, there was no way they could fight in the same formation and be the same age! As you can see, the series has a lot of inaccuracies and obvious embellishment to achieve greater entertainment. Upon careful study, errors can be found on several dozen more points, but for now we will focus on these.
Gold Valhalla (2007)
The battle of gods and giants is transferred to earth, to modern Copenhagen. Warring factions are hunting for the Golden Horns, which are on display under guard at the National Museum. Children from the family of a museum employee join the fight on the side of Thor and company. Among the films about Vikings that are interesting for children, the Danish comedy can be recommended as a family movie for an entertaining introduction to Scandinavian mythology.
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Original title : Guldhornene Genre : Comedy, family Actors : Laura Östergaard Bühl, Lukas Schwarz Thorsteinsson, Clara Maria Bahamondes... Country : Denmark Rating : IMDb – 4.4 Age restrictions : 12+
Women fought in the same ranks with the Vikings.
Although women had a very high position in Scandinavian society: they owned property, could replace the king, could leave their husbands, but still their participation in battles was an extreme measure, when there was simply no one else to do. It is hardly possible, even for the most prepared woman, to withstand a fight with a ninety-kilogram giant, seasoned in battles. These are pure fantasies and a nod to modern girl power
Norwegian Discovery of America (2007)
The events take place in Vinland - the land to which the medieval Scandinavians sailed, and later called North America. One of the visits to the mainland in 1007 ended tragically - after a fight with the Indians, the living Vikings rushed to the boats, leaving the dead on the shore. Among them were two living comrades. Fleeing from the aborigines, the Norwegians went deep into the continent. But not only northern warriors landed on the coast; fate prepared for them a meeting with Irish monks.
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Original title : Severed Ways: The Norse Discovery of America Genre : Drama, adventure, history Actors : Fiore Tedesco, Tony Stone, David Perry... Country : USA Rating : IMDb – 4.5 Age restrictions : 16+
