JMS Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 This show is kind of a guilty pleasure of mine. It seems like it's mostly accurate too; but the vikings weren't really into high culture or anything. They were charming when they had to be, they were brutal and theiving when they could be. and above all they were opportunists who happened to discover the B2 bomber of their day... The Viking Long ship. The show covers the period of first raid by the Vikings on the British Isles. Near the the beginning of an era where the combination of the viking raids, the Islamic Empire, and the bad leadership of the Catholic Church pushed Europe into 700 years of dark ages. It's worth checking out if you haven't seen it... It's a little bit like a well done "A team", set around a legendary viking leader Ragnar Lothbrok, who was for a period the scourge of France and the British Isles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skinsmarydu Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 We're addicted as well...can't wait! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enforcer_FFX Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 I'm with you, JMS. It's a guilty pleasure show of mine too. Def looking forward to its return! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexey Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 Vikings are very interesting... I probably won't watch it on tv but I did listen through the Great Courses lectures about Vikings by Kenneth Harl. Highly recommended, check your local library! Fun trivia... there is currently a denialist movement in Russia about the Rus bring Vikings. They say Rus were Slavs and yay Russia. (Widely accepted theory is that Rus were Vikings who got that part of the world going by establishing posts for trading with Constantinople, settling as rulers and eventually assimilating into the Slavic society) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGoodBits Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 Yeah the wife and I watched the entire first season. Excited about the premier tonight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riggo-toni Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 All the Kenneth Harl lectures I've listened to, including the one on the Vikings are indeed quite good, but he goes so quickly from one name/event to the next that if your mind wanders for a moment or two, you're screwed. Philip Dailaeder is my favorite Great Courses lecturer when it comes to the Middle Ages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bang Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 Cool, i'm looking forward to it. ~Bang Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TTViper Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 Great show, excited for season 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Going Commando Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 The actress who plays Aslaug is smoking hot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riggo-toni Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 a hot chick named "Ass log"? Hmmmmm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Going Commando Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveFromYellowstone Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 Vikings are very interesting... I probably won't watch it on tv but I did listen through the Great Courses lectures about Vikings by Kenneth Harl. Highly recommended, check your local library! Fun trivia... there is currently a denialist movement in Russia about the Rus bring Vikings. They say Rus were Slavs and yay Russia. (Widely accepted theory is that Rus were Vikings who got that part of the world going by establishing posts for trading with Constantinople, settling as rulers and eventually assimilating into the Slavic society) Russians really believe that? Reminds me of the Indian denialists who believe the nonsense out of india theory. They say that Sankrit evolved independently in India despite mountains of evidence to the contrary. I like this show though, I don't have to think too hard about it I can just enjoy it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexey Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 ... Philip Dailaeder is my favorite Great Courses lecturer when it comes to the Middle Ages. Will check it out, thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexey Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 Russians really believe that? ...Not all Russians obviously, but there is a movement... There is this comedian guy, one of a handful popular comedians during the late USSR years. He decided to add some meaning to his life by pushing this nonsense. I didn't know this until i worked with a guy who was into it... That, ancient aliens, secret energies, conspiracies, and every other crazy thing out there. Hoot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
China Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 OK, I have to say I found it amusing that in the battle at the beginning with the 2 brothers on opposite side, that they played shirts and skins so you could tell the two sides apart. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skinz4Life12 Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 this show has been a pleasant surprise. very entertaining and the season 2 premiere didn't disappoint. I didn't think Ragnar and Rollo would battle in the opening scene like that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riggo-toni Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 She looks like Seven of Nine's older sister....Six of Nine? Heyyyyy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kindred Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 Love this show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Going Commando Posted February 28, 2014 Share Posted February 28, 2014 OK, I have to say I found it amusing that in the battle at the beginning with the 2 brothers on opposite side, that they played shirts and skins so you could tell the two sides apart. They were beserkers, who would fight bare chested or without mail shirts reportedly. Beserkers were supposedly able to commit acts of fearful strength and ferocity. Rollo was definitely beserking out in that scene. That was a really well shot scene. I love the cinematography of the show. Didn't expect Lagertha to up and leave in the first episode though. Thought that switch was going to take more episodes. Also, I think it's kind of weird that the main deviation from the legends that the show has made is that Bjorn was actually Aslaug's son, not Lagertha's. Wonder why they made the change? Aslaug's sons with Ragnar were essential to her identity. I think Ragnar not having sons with Lagertha would have made it a lot more obvious why they'd divorce, and he'd shack up with Aslaug. It would have also made Lagertha's miscarriage the season before more compelling, and it would have prevented a pretty big plot hole that emerged--Ragnar being devastated by the loss of his future son and heir. The way the show did it, you were just kind of like, "uh... Ragnar, you've already got a son with Lagertha who is like 14." Bjorn is Aslaug's son. Bam, plot hole fixed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
China Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 They were beserkers, who would fight bare chested or without mail shirts reportedly. Beserkers were supposedly able to commit acts of fearful strength and ferocity. Rollo was definitely beserking out in that scene. True, that's one way it has been reported and If that helps with your willing suspension of disbelief, that's fine. But there is debate about the term Berserkers: The word, however, may also mean "bear-shirt," reflective of the shape and nature of the bear assumed by these warriors. More literally, it may refer to protective bearskins that such warriors may have worn into battle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warskins65 Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 From Wikipedia, who is "never" wrong..... he name berserker derives from the Old Norse berserkr (plural berserkir). This expression most likely arose from their reputed habit of wearing a kind of shirt or coat (serkr) made from the pelt of a bear (ber-) during battle. The element ber- was sometimes interpreted as berr-, meaning "bare", which Snorri understood to mean that the warriors went into battle bare-chested, or "without armor" as men of Odin.[5] This view has since been largely abandoned.[6] Have not seen this show, but will give it a try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadySkinsFan Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 They were beserkers, who would fight bare chested or without mail shirts reportedly. Beserkers were supposedly able to commit acts of fearful strength and ferocity. Rollo was definitely beserking out in that scene. That was a really well shot scene. I love the cinematography of the show. Didn't expect Lagertha to up and leave in the first episode though. Thought that switch was going to take more episodes. Also, I think it's kind of weird that the main deviation from the legends that the show has made is that Bjorn was actually Aslaug's son, not Lagertha's. Wonder why they made the change? Aslaug's sons with Ragnar were essential to her identity. I think Ragnar not having sons with Lagertha would have made it a lot more obvious why they'd divorce, and he'd shack up with Aslaug. It would have also made Lagertha's miscarriage the season before more compelling, and it would have prevented a pretty big plot hole that emerged--Ragnar being devastated by the loss of his future son and heir. The way the show did it, you were just kind of like, "uh... Ragnar, you've already got a son with Lagertha who is like 14." Bjorn is Aslaug's son. Bam, plot hole fixed. Maybe Aslaug will name her son Bjorn to take the place of Lagertha's Bjorn, since he chose to go with his mother instead of staying with his father. Bjorn kind of disinherited himself. Bam, plot hole fixed! I need to check out this legend. Any good references? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skinsmarydu Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 I need to check out this legend. Any good references? me too...I read something about a Ragnar being just under Thor in Norse mythology, but that's all I've come up with so far. Nice payoff for Rollo's life...and the declaration that "we must follow the law". From the previews of the rest of the season, it's gonna be awesome. Glad we've finally got a thread for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMS Posted March 1, 2014 Author Share Posted March 1, 2014 me too...I read something about a Ragnar being just under Thor in Norse mythology, but that's all I've come up with so far. Nice payoff for Rollo's life...and the declaration that "we must follow the law". From the previews of the rest of the season, it's gonna be awesome. Glad we've finally got a thread for it. Found a couple of sources on Ragnar Lothbrok, but be aware they contain a huge spoilers on how the show is going to end up. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/489597/Ragnar-Lothbrok http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ragnar_Lodbrok http://nancymariebrown.blogspot.com/2013/04/the-real-ragnar-lothbrok.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadySkinsFan Posted March 1, 2014 Share Posted March 1, 2014 Thanks for the references, JMS! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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