Vikings
Summary
Despite being base mostly on tangible - life sentence people and events , the telecasting seriesVikingshad various historical inaccuracies throughout its six seasons . create by Michael Hirst , Vikingspremiered in 2013 on the History Channel and came to an end in 2020 after six season . Vikingsis inspired by the saga of Ragnar Lodbrok and boast some primal characters and events from the Viking Age . However , despite these inspirations , Vikingsdoesn’t stand out for its historic accuracy , receiving a lot of unfavorable judgment for some of the changes made for the sake of the narrative and more .
Vikingstold the story of Ragnar Lothbrok ( Travis Fimmel ) , the legendary Viking warrior , who led his Viking army into different raids and battle against the English and more . AsVikingsprogressed , it bit by bit wobble its focussing to Ragnar ’s sons – Bjorn , Ubbe , Hvitserk , Sigurd , and Ivar – and their own journeys , becoming the supporter of the serial . Manycharacters inVikingshave existent - life-time counterpartsand many events are affirm by historical records , but many others , along with specific details about the characters , their lifestyle , culture , and more , were historically inaccurate .
Viking has a perplexing timeline due to clip saltation , diachronic inaccuracy , and more , but real - life events are key to build the storyline .
15Viking Warriors Didn’t Call Themselves Vikings
Despite The Name’s Show, The Term Arrived Many Years Later
While these warriors are now known as Vikings , that name was n’t used by them during the Viking Age .
One of the biggest historical inaccuracy inVikings , and one that ’s well missed as it ’s not that well - known , has to do with the title of the serial . While these warriors are now known as Vikings , that name was n’t used by them during the Viking Age . According toHistory Extra , the name “ Vikings ” was popularized in the 11th centuryand might come from the Christian Bible “ vik ” , which in the Old Norse language meant “ bay tree ” or “ inlet ” . Back then , they were predict “ Dani ” ( Danes , as back then this was n’t used only to mention to the indweller of what ’s now Denmark ) , “ pagani ” ( pagans ) , or “ Normanni ” ( Northmen ) .
14The Real Ragnar Lothbrok
Ragnar Lothbrok Might Have Not Existed
It ’s generally believed that Ragnar Lothbrok was a combining of historic figures .
Whether Ragnar Lodbrok was a genuine someone or not is still consider among historians . grant toHistoric UK , there are reference to a Viking raider in 840 advert in the Anglo - Saxon Chronicle named “ Ragnall ” and “ Reginherus ” , who raid the coasts of France and England . Scholars have also proposed that the Danish King Horik I was the real Ragnar Lodbrok , and others believe it could have been King Reginfrid , who reign part of Denmark with his brother Harald Klak and was expel by Horik I.
King Horik I appears inVikings , played by Donal Logue .
Custom image by Yailin Chacon.
It ’s also possible that Ragnall , from the Irish Annals , was the tangible Ragnar . Because of this , it ’s generally believed that Ragnar Lothbrok was a compounding of historic figures , but the character as portray inVikingswasn’t real .
13Lagertha Wasn’t Bjorn Ironside’s Mother
Bjorn’s Real Mother Was Aslaug
Ragnar and Aslaugh had five children : Ivar the Boneless , Bjorn Ironside , Hvitserk , Ragnvald , and Sigurd Snake - in - the - Eye .
According to Saxo Grammaticus’Gesta Danorum , Ragnar ’s first wife was shieldmaiden Lagertha , just like in the series , but she was n’t the mother of Bjorn Ironside . Ragnar later on married Kráka , revealed to be Aslaug , a secret girl of famed sub Sigurd Fafnesbane . Ragnar and Aslaugh had five children : Ivar the Boneless , Bjorn Ironside , Hvitserk , Ragnvald , and Sigurd Snake - in - the - Eye , and they might have had two half - crony named Eric and Agnar . Bjorn is also said to have been the first swayer of the Swedish Munsö dynasty , with Icelandic sagas claiming that he was the ancestor of the house of Munsö , which rein Sweden until c. 1060 .
Some of the characters in Vikings are free-base on real - life people , among those Bjorn , whose parentage was changed in the serial . Let ’s take a look .
12Rollo & Ragnar Weren’t Brothers
Unlike Ragnar, Rollo Was A Real Person
As Ragnar ’s existence is debated , many of the relationships and fight link to him inVikingsare historically inaccurate .
Vikingswasted no meter establishingthe rivalry between Rollo and Ragnar , with the former jealous of the latter ’s accomplishments and thus perpetually live in his trace . While this was a big part of the drama and conflict in the first seasons ofVikings , Ragnar and Rollo were n’t brother . It ’s important to remember that , as Ragnar ’s existence is contend , many of the relationships and engagement linked to him inVikingsare historically inaccurate . Rollo , on the other hand , was a veridical person(the heavy Rollo of Normandy ) , buthe had no connections to Ragnar Lodbrokor any of the diachronic figures believed to be Ragnar .
11Vikings Wore Helmets To Battle
In Vikings, The Warriors Rarely Wore Helmets
Ragnar and company go into battle with no protection for their heads , though there were some rare occasions where they wore helmets , which are said to also be inaccurate .
The diachronic inaccuracies inVikingsgo beyond event and characters , as there are also part of the Vikings ’ lifestyle and more that the series did n’t get ripe . Throughout its six time of year , Vikingssaw many fight between the claim warrior and their many enemy ( including fellow Vikings ) , and as exciting as they were , there was one element that was n’t ripe : the lack of helmets . Ragnar and company went into fight with no protection for their head , though there were some rare occasion where they tire out helmets ( which some claim were also inaccurate ) . In reality , few of them would have survived those brutal battles without any head damagehad they worn no helmet .
10Ragnar’s Daughter, Gyda, Didn’t Exist
There’s No Record Of A Daughter Of Ragnar Named Gyda
Gyda is mostly a fictional case , as there ’s no platter of Ragnar birth a girl with that name .
InVikings , Ragnar and Lagertha had two small fry : Bjorn and Gyda . The latter was shown managing the farm with Lagertha while Ragnar journey and take Bjorn with him sometimes . Gyda promptly bonded with Athelstan and became very close , but Gyda ’s time inVikingswas brief . When the pest hit Kattegat , Gyda strike down inauspicious and passed away while Ragnar was off on a raid . However , Gyda is mostly a fabricated character , as there ’s no record of Ragnar have a daughter with that name . Ragnar might have had two daughters , who could have been Ragnhild Ragnarsdottir and Åløf Ragnarsdóttir , but it ’s unknown .
9The Real Kattegat Isn’t A Village
Kattegat Is Actually A Sea
Kattegat inVikingsis a hamlet with farm and more , rule by an Earl , but the real Kattegat is completely different .
Kattegat is one of the main preferences ofVikings , being the home of Ragnar and his phratry , Floki , Rollo , and the rest of Ragnar ’s men . Kattegat inVikingsis a village with farm and more , ruled by an Earl , butthe real Kattegatis entirely different . In reality , Kattegat is n’t a village nor is it a piece of soil , buta ocean area bounded by the Jutlandic peninsula in the west , the Danish Straits islands of Denmark and the Baltic Sea to the Confederate States , and the province of Bohuslän , Västergötland , Halland and Skåne in Sweden in the east . The Kattegat Sea is shallow and hard to navigatedue to the many sandy and stony Rand and slick currents .
8The Real Athelstan Was Very Different
Athelstan Has Little To Do With His Vikings Version
Athelstan seems to be loosely based on the Anglo - Saxon swayer King Athelstan , King of the Anglo - Saxons from 924 to 927 and King of the English from 927 to 939 .
InVikings , Athelstan was a Christian English monastic whom Ragnar take as a slave after the Lindisfarne raid . Athelstan end up becoming Ragnar ’s best friend and taught him about his organized religion , which led Ragnar to have a crisis of faith . Athelstan was a real person , butVikingsdidn’t do an accurate depiction . Athelstan seems to be broadly free-base on the Anglo - Saxon ruler King Athelstan , King of the Anglo - Saxons from 924 to 927 and King of the English from 927 to 939.InVikings , Athelstan was the father of Alfred the Great , but the real Athelstan was in reality his grandson .
The real Athelstanbecame the first Anglo - Saxon ruler of England after conquering York , the last persist Viking kingdom , so unlike hisVikings ’ counterpart , he did n’t befriend these warriors . The real Athelstan died at the geezerhood of 45 , and as he did n’t have Son , he was deliver the goods by his half - chum , Edmund I.
After Athelstan ’s expiry , the Vikings choose York back , reconquer it in 954 .
7Ragnar Never Faked His Death To Infiltrate A City
It Was Actually Bjorn Who Did It
The one who did this , grant to historical records , was actually Bjorn Ironside .
InVikings , Ragnar falsify his own deathto infiltrate Paris , which was tell to be dense , becoming one of his most memorable moments in the series as he got out of the casket at a chapel service , to the surprisal of all attendees . However , the one who did this , accord to diachronic phonograph record , was actually Bjorn Ironside . To gain entry into the townsfolk of Luni , Bjorn ’s foster father Hastein sent messenger to the bishop saying Bjorn was deathly illand asked for a deathbed changeover , asking to receive Christian sacraments and/or be buried within their church . Bjorn was brought in , and once deep down , he leap from his capstone , with the Viking party then take a crap their means to the townsfolk gates .
6Christians Didn’t Use Crucifixion As Punishment
While It Made Way For Some Shocking Scenes, It Wasn’t Like That
Historians argue that this would have been a mocking of the excruciation of Jesus , which is unlikely Christians would have done .
Athelstan did n’t have an easy life after the Lindisfarne raid , and in season 2 , he stay in Wessex after accompanying Ragnar on a maraud . While hunting for food , Athelstan was capture by the Saxons , who labeled him an apostate . Athelstan was then crucified , but before he succumb to the wounds , he was rescued by King Ecbert . In reality , there are no phonograph recording of Christians using crucifixion as punishment , more so as Emperor Constantine outlawed crucifixion in the 4th 100 . historiographer debate that this would have been a mocking of the crucifixion of Jesus , which is unlikely Christians would have done .
