There seems to be no end to the fascination that the public has for the Vikings. The sea-fairing fearless Norsemen set about invading and ransacking the lands to the south of their domains in Scandinavia. The Vikings were also great traders, and their conquests took them as far as Southern Europe and even across to America.
Cashing in on this fascination, The History Channel created its epic historical series Vikings about these warriors. It ran for seven years from 2013 to 2020 with a total of 89 episodes being aired.
The Vikings had their own mythology and Valhalla was an enormous hall in the kingdom of Asgard where warriors who have died in combat are ruled over by the god Odin. The Valkyries lead half the warriors to Valhalla after their deaths, while the other half are chosen by the goddess Freyja to spend their time in the field of Fólkvangr. The Viking period officially runs for 793 – 1066 when Christianity was adopted, and the old Norse faith died out.
The new series Vikings: Valhalla concentrates its storytelling towards the end of the Viking period. It is a stand-alone series, but it is also a sequel to the original, set a century later. The new season dropped on 25th February on Netflix. The story begins early in the 11th century and features the adventures of the legendary Leif Eriksson, Freydis Eriksdotter, Harald Hardrada, King William the Conqueror, the Norman King. Full of character and action the plot follows the men and women who fight for survival in an ever-changing and vicious world.
TV critics have described it as gory, and totally binge-able. While others describe it as a viscerally intense, theme park ride. It has strong battle scenes and is an immersive TV experience. While the show is rooted in history it is not just a retelling of the texts. Ultimately it is an escapist, historical drama that fills the screen with unforgettable imagery. It has a sprawling cast of characters including King Canute, who many people assume was a mythical character. He was actually an astute strategist and a Viking King who held both the English and Danish thrones in the 11th Century.
There are eight series of Vikings: Valhalla currently available to watch on Netflix. However, even before the series aired it was confirmed that a second one was already in the can. In fact, Netflix has confirmed that they have commissioned 24 episodes so far.
When you have watched the series, you might find you want to further immerse yourself in the Viking world and there are plenty of opportunities to do this both in the real world and online. If you enjoy playing video games, then there are plenty of titles to choose from. You could dive into Assassin’s Creed Valhalla or battle your way through Valheim, which became immensely popular last year. If you enjoy having a flutter, you might want to head over to find the best free spins in Canada and play Casino Kings’ Viking Slots to set your heart racing and get you feeling like a warrior.
If you like your Viking experience to be a real-life adventure, there are plenty of options to choose from. You could travel to the Fortress of Jomsburg near Warsaw in Poland to discover how the Vikings traveled up rivers in search of places to pillage. It is a living museum and, in the summer, has historically accurate archery, ax throwing, sword fights, and coin making. If that all sounds a bit too exciting take a cup of mead to the peaceful L’Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland, Canada. It is a UNESCO world heritage site and visitors can wander around the remains of the timber and sod buildings which are over 1,000 years old.
Whatever your idea of Valhalla is, you can probably find it not too far away or just switch on the TV and head on over to Netflix for a bit of gore and glory.