holy shit, this looks awesome. I was wondering if there would be a civil war/in-fighting after the way season 4 went (and ended) and it sure looks like it.
Hopefully they saved some budget for better fight scenes this year.
Side note...I've been reading the Saxon Stories (a historical fiction series that chronicles the battles from the English side of the wars and raids between the English and Vikings), and based on what I've read a lot of this show is true historical fiction, some of the character are made up and plot is invented or embellished, but a lot is also truly based on history (as accurately as it can be from that era).
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No, purple, but something I did learn from this show and the Saxon stories is that Vikings and Raiders are pretty much the same thing.
Vikings are a collective term for the Swedes, Norse, Danes, Fins, Icelanders, etc. in the time frame from roughly the 700's - 1000's
and they'd go on raids (mostly of Europe, but also each other) and while on a raid they'd be called Raiders.
so Raiders are really just Vikings who are attacking a coastal town for purposes of theft, rape, and pillage.
and they'd never really wear horned helmets, at least not in battle, maybe ceremonial at best, but unlikely.
both English Kings (Ecbert and Aelle - the blood eagle scene was great) were good characters they lost last season and Ragnar obviously was awesome.
I like how they were able to lose main characters and the show not suffer.
is that Aethelstan's son? Alfred? a little bit of mangling of history if that's how they play it, because technically Alfred was born to Aethelwulf and his first wife, not Judith.
but like I said they change and embellish plots to an extent.
In fact I think the aethelstan character is made up in the show. there were real Aethelstans's or athelstan's but none that fit the plot as a priest.
Agree though Alfred the Great could be it's own show.
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I believe that the next Wessex king that they are going to portray (Aethelstan's son) is "Alfred the Great." His story alone is as interesting as any Viking IMO.
is that Aethelstan's son? Alfred? a little bit of mangling of history if that's how they play it, because technically Alfred was born to Aethelwulf and his first wife, not Judith.
but like I said they change and embellish plots to an extent.
In fact I think the aethelstan character is made up in the show. there were real Aethelstans's or athelstan's but none that fit the plot as a priest.
Agree though Alfred the Great could be it's own show.
You're right, but why have a good named Alfred if it's not him? I think the show is loosely following the big people/events from history but taking liberties to make it flow right as a show. I'm fine with it and am happy the show is still running.
Rollo's historical story is really interesting too. It's a bit weird with Ragnar aging and Rollo not, but I'm still interested to see how they finish things with him.
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In comment 13561336 Metnut said:
Quote:
I believe that the next Wessex king that they are going to portray (Aethelstan's son) is "Alfred the Great." His story alone is as interesting as any Viking IMO.
is that Aethelstan's son? Alfred? a little bit of mangling of history if that's how they play it, because technically Alfred was born to Aethelwulf and his first wife, not Judith.
but like I said they change and embellish plots to an extent.
In fact I think the aethelstan character is made up in the show. there were real Aethelstans's or athelstan's but none that fit the plot as a priest.
Agree though Alfred the Great could be it's own show.
You're right, but why have a good named Alfred if it's not him? I think the show is loosely following the big people/events from history but taking liberties to make it flow right as a show. I'm fine with it and am happy the show is still running.
Rollo's historical story is really interesting too. It's a bit weird with Ragnar aging and Rollo not, but I'm still interested to see how they finish things with him.
Definitely historical fiction, not a documentary, so I don't expect it to be perfect.
I don't even remember if they ever showed Aethelwulf's first wife at all and Judith technically was french I believe.
so they definitely take liberties.
but from an entertainment standpoint the show is great, the fact there is a link to historical accuracy at all makes it better IMO.
Yes! can't wait to finish the books. I'm on The Pagan Lord now.
they're easy reads unlike Game of Thrones which took me around 6 months to read, I go through the Saxon stories in a week. Of course finding time to read with three kids is a challenge.
They might as well for all the historical accuracy of the program.
one amazing thing to keep in mind:
remember that the seer in Vikings laughed when he told Rollo that if he could tell his future he would be amazed?
In real history Rollo becomes the single point of origin common to all European Royalty to this day. Really
Whats more, William the Conqueror was a Norman descendant of Rollo. So Rollo's descendants, not Ragnar's sons and not Ecbert's successors, eventually wins England.
btw, pjcas, glad you found Cornwell. Some of his other series are also very good and led me to do the work to find the history behind the historical fiction
one amazing thing to keep in mind:
remember that the seer in Vikings laughed when he told Rollo that if he could tell his future he would be amazed?
In real history Rollo becomes the single point of origin common to all European Royalty to this day. Really
Whats more, William the Conqueror was a Norman descendant of Rollo. So Rollo's descendants, not Ragnar's sons and not Ecbert's successors, eventually wins England.
btw, pjcas, glad you found Cornwell. Some of his other series are also very good and led me to do the work to find the history behind the historical fiction
Thanks Bill, looking forward to the next book, the series is addictive and I'll absolutely read more of Cornwell, and I too, find myself looking up the characters and finding out the real stories out of the fiction. Usually it's to see if I can find any spoilers before reading a book and to learn things like did Ivar the boneless have sons who ruled, was Ubba real, does Bjorn die etc. what Saxon king ruled which areas, and when etc. and between Vikings and The Saxon Stories and what I've looked up there is familiarity and expectation/anticipation which makes the books more interesting.
Rollo is definitely one of the most interesting characters, I had no idea he was Genghis Khan like in his offspring prowess. I'll have to look it up.
Anyway, I liked Cornwell's series on Arthur and a series that described the life of the early freemen archers who were so essential to Henry V at Agincourt.
Great books in the Sharpe series on Trafalgar and his book on Waterloo was terrific.