The newest adventure series on Netflix with historical undertones is Vikings: Valhalla. The series is supposed to be a sequel to History’s hit series Vikings, which featured Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel) and his wife Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick). In the new Vikings: Valhalla series, the focus is on Leif Eriksson (Sam Corlett) and Freydis Eriksdotter (Frida Gustavsson) as they seek revenge from Greenland to Kattegat and then to London. While the first Vikings series is a representation of what happened in History, and the events shown in the series meant that it was real life, fans are asking if Vikings: Valhalla true story is what was depicted in the series.
Everything is similar to the original Vikings series in the type of wars, the women full of guts, the arrogance of kings and warriors, the constant run-off between Christians and pagans. Everything that the original Vikings displayed was replicated. So, again, is Viking: Valhalla a true story? Get all the information you need about this here.
The Characters Behind The Series Vikings: Valhalla
In Vikings: Valhalla, the main character is focused on Leif Eriksson, Harald Hardrada, Canute, the Great, and the gutsy Freydis Eriksdotter. The series opens up with the St. Brice’s Day slaughter, sanctioned by the then English King, Aethereld, who ordered the killing of all Vikings who had settled down in England. This news traveled to the Vikings in their land, and they sought out revenge; Canute and Harald were the chief protagonists. Leif Eriksson, an experienced sailor only concerned about exploring the world, soon found himself in the thick of the action. Fans believe the show revolved around Freydis Eriksdotter and Leif Eriksson, who were explorers, but we did not see them cross the Atlantic. Why is this so? In the historical story, this is who they were. Did the show’s creators tweak the storyline for the overall flow? Can we still say Vikings: Valhalla is a true story?
Is Vikings: Valhalla True Story Depicted in Netflix’s Show?
The truth is Vikings: Valhalla is based on a true story. It is historical, and there is evidence that supports this notion. But is the show on Netflix thoroughly based on the historical evidence? No. Indeed in history, Leif Eriksson did have a sister, gutsy one we must add, Freydis Eriksdotter. But was she everything portrayed in the series? No. The show’s creators had to tweak a lot of the storyline to have a consistent storyline to push forward. Another revelation in history books is that Leif Eriksson and Harald Hardrada were not contemporaries. They lived in different ages. The show expressed the two being friends, but in real life, they did not exist simultaneously, again validating the claim that the show was not entirely based on historical events even though it had gleanings from the actual events.
Another piece of evidence is that it took years, actually a decade, to carry out the invasion of England after the St. Brice Day Massacre. However, it took only days to invade England on the show, a testament to the writers to get the show going with action and thrills.
Who is Freydis Eriksdotter in The Vikings: Valhalla True Story?
Netflix’s show depicted Freydis Eriksdotter, played by Frida Gustavsson, as the sister of Leif Eriksson, the main protagonist of the series, who was after revenge for what the Christians did to her. One of the Christians sexually assaulted her and engraved a mark of the cross on her body when she was still a young girl. So, her life ambition was to find the killer and exact her revenge. However, Freydis was a fierce warrior who fought alongside men in real life. Some historical accounts say she fought Native American warriors while she was pregnant. Some other versions say she killed her fellow explorers and their wives in rage. We do not know if this is entirely true. But these are historical pieces of evidence that weren’t rendered in the Netflix series.
Did Jarl Haakon Appear in the Vikings: Valhalla True Story?
Caroline Henderson played the role of Jarl Haakon, the ruler of Kattegat. In the series, she is the granddaughter of a great Viking Lord who married a woman from Alexandria in Egypt, hence the difference in skin color. She was fierce in the series and ruled Kattegat with an iron hand. However, there was no mention of Jark Haakon in the history books in real life. Apparently, she was made up by the writers. Nonetheless, the writers can point to one Hakon Eriksson as an inspiration behind the character.
Who is King Canute?
Was King Canute correctly depicted in Vikings: Valhalla true story? In the Netflix series, King Canute, played by Bradley Freegard, was the overly ambitious ruler of Denmark and was revered as the ruler of the Vikings. He was King of Denmark, Norway, and England throughout his lifetime in real life. He invaded England in the 1010s conquering Prince Edmund, who was to take over his father’s throne. The great king was renowned for helping to solidify the relationship between the church and Scandinavia.
What Are The Notable Differences Between The Netflix Show And The Real Events?
One notable difference is that in the show, King Sweyn and King Canute were in the same timeline, while they lived at different times in real life. In real life, Sweyn and Canute were never kings simultaneously. In fact, Canute only became king after the death of Sweny in 1014. Also, it wasn’t Canute that conquered England; Sweyn did.
Another difference is, that in the series, King Aethereld died shortly after the St. Brice Day’s Massacre, leaving his young son, Edmund, to take over. However, it wasn’t until 1016 that King Aethereld the Unready died in real life. According to History, he defended against the invasion of London before King Sweyn finally overcame it.
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The fighting among the Vikings due to religious differences never happened. In the series, several fighting occurred between the Christian Vikings and the pagan Vikings. But History says the Vikings got along well regardless of their religious differences. So the war between Christian Vikings and pagan Vikings portrayed in the series never happened in real life.
Conclusion
We have examined whether Vikings: Valhalla was based on a true story. If we gave out spoilers, we apologize. However, there is a reason why the Vikings: Valhalla show is doing the numbers on Netflix; you should give it a look.
