How does Netflix's "Vikings: Valhalla" relate to the original History series?
Is the same creative team making the sequel?
Will it be historically accurate?
Keep watching for all those answers and a lot more.
Just when you thought you had a handle on all the various descendants, relatives and
acquaintances of Ragnar Lothbrok, the story of "Valhalla" jumps more than 100 years into
the future.
According to a Netflix press packet, the sequel series begins in the year 1002, kicking off
with a "particular historical event."
That could be the Viking attack on London Bridge led by Olaf Haraldsson in the trailer,
but historically, that event didn't take place until several years later, if it happened
at all, so it's more likely something else.
Another candidate is the St. Brice's Day Massacre, in which King Aethelred II ordered the slaughter
of all the Danish Vikings living in English territory, hoping to put an end to years of
Viking raids.
Instead, King Aethelred's actions provoked the Danish king Sweyn Forkbeard to increase
the frequency and severity of his attacks, eventually forcing Aethelred and his queen,
Emma of Normandy, into exile.
Considering many of the main players in the St. Brice's Day Massacre are confirmed characters
for the first season of "Vikings: Valhalla," it seems like a strong, dramatic contender
to kick off the series.
"The entire North is threatened."
"By the English king."
Whatever event marks the beginning of "Vikings: Valhalla," prepare to see a significantly
more complex political landscape than in "Vikings."
In the Netflix press packet, showrunner Jeb Stuart explains what the world will look like:
"The Vikings had been living in the British Isles and had settled into big areas called
the Danelaw.
The Danelaw had started to grow — not just with Danes, but also with Swedes, and Norwegians,
and folks from all over Scandinavia.
[...] Saxon nobles were afraid that, if you went out another generation, suddenly there
wouldn't be any difference between Saxons and Vikings."
The Vikings on "Vikings" spent most of their time engaged in power struggles, but there
was one man in control behind the camera.
Creator Michael Hirst wrote every single episode of "Vikings," so perhaps it's not surprising
that he'll be less involved in the sequel series.
Hirst will still be an executive producer, alongside "Vikings" vets Morgan O'Sullivan
and showrunner Jeb Stuart.
Stuart you may know as one of the co-writers of "Die Hard."
"Welcome to the party, pal."
Given the time jump, we likely won't be seeing any of the familiar faces from "Vikings,"
unless they appear as ghosts, visions, or in flashbacks.
Fortunately, the same person who worked his casting magic for "Vikings" is back for "Valhalla."
Frank Moiselle returns as casting director, and has filled the new series with cast members
O'Sullivan says "bring a fresh, youthful energy to this story."
Also back is "Vikings" historical consultant Justin Pollard.
He will be the one digging into the obscure history being explored by the show, working
to make sure it's as accurate as possible.
He spent months consulting with Stuart on the new series before writing even started.
As for the shooting location, "Vikings: Valhalla" is being shot in Ireland, just like the original
series, so there will be the same breathtaking scenery fans expect to see.
"Vikings" had one indisputable lead character: Ragnar Lothbrok.
"Vikings: Valhalla," though, will have three central characters sharing the spotlight:
legendary Viking explorer Leif Eriksson, pagan shieldmaiden Freydis Eriksdotter, and the
Norwegian prince and Viking berserker Harald Sigurdsson.
Brother and sister Leif and Freydis will meet Harald for the first time during the events
of the series.
Stuart says he chose to build the story around these three characters because of what they
represent.
In the Netflix press kit, he says:
"For me, they each embody different elements of the Viking spirit.
Bringing Leif and Freydís — who are both Greenlanders — to Norway, to Kattegat, and
embedding them in the Viking story just seemed a very natural place to go."
Centering "Vikings: Valhalla" around three characters will also help offer a broader
perspective on the culture and characters, which will be important to help modern viewers
relate to the story.
Stuart added:
"It's a timeless story.
In a strange way — if you take massive violence out of the equation — the Vikings embody
some of the elements that we still most want for ourselves.
[...] Our characters are dealing with relationships and issues that are just as relevant today
as they were a thousand years ago, and those stories will always excite and captivate us."
While some suspected that the title "Vikings: Valhalla" meant a glimpse into the Viking
afterlife, we now know that the title of the series isn't necessarily about that sort of
life after death.
The title "Valhalla" was chosen because the show depicts the events that lead to the end
of the Viking Age, which historically ended in 1066.
Stuart said:
"We played with a lot of new titles and kept coming back to 'Valhalla' because the idea
of the show is inherently tied to the end of this era.
It's all about showing this incredible time in history — and how all things eventually
come to an end."
But don't get too worried just yet about the end of the "Vikings" era.
Since the series begins in 1002, the show has more than six decades to play around with
before the Viking Age comes to a historical close.
And it's not like any period of history ever came to a neat stop, so we wouldn't worry
about running out of Viking legends to dramatize any time soon.
Frida Gustavsson will be playing Freydis Eriksdotter, the daughter of Erik the Red and sister of
Leif Eriksson, on "Valhalla."
In an uncanny coincidence, Gustavsson's real-life father is also named Erik, and her real-life
brother is also named Leif.
And it doesn't end there.
Gustavsson's real-life nickname is also "Freydis."
No wonder she really threw herself into her role, reading multiple books to prepare, with
her favorite being "Valkyrie: The Women of the Viking World."
Gustavsson was also an accomplished rider prior to the show, giving her an advantage
during the scenes on horseback.
We can only hope she also did some strength training, too, since Gustavsson's costume
is actually the heaviest of all the lead characters on the show.
There are more than 2,700 hand-cut leaves that decorate her shieldmaiden armor.
A big part of bringing the characters to life on "Vikings" was the intricate costumes, designed
in the show's final few seasons by costume designer Susan O'Connor Cave.
Cave is back for "Vikings: Valhalla," using her keen eye for detail to enhance the story.
For example, while the high-necked dresses that Emma of Normandy wears on the show are
indicative of her station and royal bearing, they're also meant to act as her armor.
They convey that although she doesn't charge into battle like a shieldmaiden, she's still
a warrior in her own right.
Similarly, although the devout Jarl Kåre holds no official position in the church,
the silhouette of his costume is meant to evoke a cassock, a garment traditionally worn
by certain Christian clergy.
Cave also incorporated the Vikings' cultural and religious shifts into her costume designs
for "Vikings: Valhalla."
You may notice richer colors and more chainmail in the Viking’s costumes, meant to reflect
their transition to Christianity.
Color and texture also plays a big role in enhancing the characters, with the Greenlanders'
costumes meant to reflect their connection to the earth, and the Vikings' costumes overall
appearing more organic, favoring wools, linens, and furs.
The Saxons, meanwhile, will wear mostly velvets, silks, and brocades with heavy embellishment,
highlighting the stark differences between the cultures.
While "Vikings" developed a reputation for playing a bit fast and loose with history,
the truth is a bit more complicated than that.
Justin Pollard served as historical consultant on both "Vikings" and "Vikings: Valhalla,"
making him responsible for all the research that helped inform the storylines.
But researching Viking history isn't as simple as just referencing old texts.
As Jeb Stuart explained in his Netflix interview,
"There are a million different ways to look at history ... We don't know a whole lot about
the original Vikings — they didn't have a written language, so the documentation is
tricky.
They left us the sagas, but the sagas were written 200 years after the end of this story,
and they were written by Christians.
We know archeologically what has been dug up, but we're still discovering new things
about Viking culture."
Obviously, it's tricky to make an authentic show about a group of people whose history
was only written down centuries after the fact, and even then, only by people outside
their culture.
There's no simple "correct" version to defer to, which means that many creative decisions
are based on historical interpretations rather than historical facts.
Still, the team behind "Vikings: Valhalla" did their best to be as true to history as
they could.
Stuart says,
"Ultimately, we've made an authentic show.
Sometimes we've moved dates or characters around a bit, but the historical pieces are
all there."
While things did begin to shift by the end of the series, the original "Vikings" mostly
pitted the pagan Vikings against the English Christians, with only isolated characters
like Athelstan expressing any interest in bridging that gap.
However, the series does feature the conversion of the Viking warrior Rollo to Christianity,
at first in name only, but later on, in practice.
A hundred years later, the religious landscape in Europe looked very different, with many
Vikings having followed in Rollo's footsteps and converted to Christianity.
"Vikings: Valhalla" will explore the conflict between the pagan and Christian Vikings, with
both sides being well represented by the Viking families in the series.
Of its three main characters, Freydis and Leif will both still worship Odin and the
old gods, while Harald is a Christian.
More broadly, while the Greenlander Vikings will still be pagan, the Norwegian and Danish
Vikings will have largely converted to Christianity.
According to Stuart, the two groups will clash in "Vikings: Valhalla" in a religious civil
war.
"Christians are my true enemy!"
"And you are mine!"
He said in the Netflix press kit,
"It's a long and somewhat complex timeline, but when our story is set, Christian Vikings
were mostly very sincere, very tough, and very focused on absolute and total conversion
to Christianity — or violently wiping paganism off the map entirely."
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