Fierce Female Characters dominate in Vikings: Valhalla

I’ve just finished watching the TV series, Vikings: Valhalla and I LOVE it!

Confession, I have a weakness for historical dramas, and this action packed story filled with plot twists and fierce female leads was worth binge watching. Spoiler alert ahead!

Synopsis

Vikings: Valhalla, which premiered on Netflix on February 22nd, 2022,  is a historical drama series created by writer Jeb Stuart for Netflix as an offshoot for the 2013-2020 Vikings series. 

The story follows Greenlander family led by Leif Erikson and Freydis Eiriksdottir who travel from their homeland to the fictional seaside town of Kattegat in pursuit of  a man who had raped Freydis during her childhood.

Their father, Erik the Red, is a reputed fierce warrior and seafarer who was banished from the Viking clans because of his murderous ways. And though he is not featured in this season of Vikings beyond reputation, Erik the Red, according to medieval sagas is a prominent figure as he is believed to be the founder of the first settlement in Greenland.

While I did capture beautiful shots on screen from the show itself, in the event that
this means that I could be guilty of infringing copyrights, I'll steer clear of posting 
those.

Leif is striving to make his own path away from his father's long shadow and, beyond her quest for revenge, Freydis seeks her destiny.

The siblings' quest for revenge leads to Leif joining the Vikings on a war to England where he performs many feats of bravery while Freydis begins a pilgrimage to the pagan temple of Uppsala to learn of her destiny.

I won’t share many spoilers beyond this, but I will say that there are, of course, love stories, bridging religious and cultural divides and, ultimately, both male and female rivalry for power. Yet while there is a lot of masculine blood and brawn in these Viking battles, the strength of the female characters shine through. 

Historical Places, People and Events Portrayed in Vikings: Valhalla

A number of historical events are believed to be portrayed in the film. These are a few:

• Queen Emma was married to King Aethelred of England and later became married to the Viking King Canute after he invaded England. She was also, in fact, stepmother to Prince Edmund who assumed the throne upon his father’s death.

• The St. Brice’s Day Massacre, one of the first violent scenes in the series, was based upon fact as in the year 1002, King Aethelred in fact ordered the killing of all Danes in Anglo-Saxon England. 

• It is also believed that the battle between the English and Vikings on a bridge did in fact occur though the actual historical events linked to the scene are debated. For some, this could have been influenced by the 1066 Battle of Stamford Bridge. For others, the scene is influenced by the nursery rhyme, “London Bridge is Falling Down” and also by tales in the saga of St. Olaf of Norway, suggesting that there was a battle at London Bridge itself. Whatever the influence, the scene is action packed and entertaining- if you go for blood and gore films that is.

• The destruction of the temple of Uppsala by Christians. The temple of Uppsala was in fact a place of ancient Norse worship in Sweden, though it was destroyed by Christian King Inge the Elder in the 1080s.

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The Women of Vikings: Valhalla

The women depicted in the show are strong, clever, devout, even cunning. They outwit the men and are seen to fight as fiercely as they do. 

Jarl Haakon, the chieftain of Kattegat, is strong and wise. To Freydis, she is a compassionate mentor, and she is well loved by her people, however, she is not to be taken for granted on the battlefield.

When her guest, male chief Olaf demands that she execute justice his way and threatens to burn the city to the ground, her warriors draw weapons.

"Tell me again," she says menacingly. "What I must do."

Queen Emma of Normandy, faced with the threat of approaching Vikings, promises to fight.

"We create nightmares," she says.

Queen Aelgifu of Denmark is also fierce. When she learns that she has been upstaged by Emma who is also married to King Canute, she travels to England to lay her claim to the throne. Of course, there can only be one queen. Queen Aelgifu, upon meeting Emma, says:

“Surely, you are astute enough to realize that if a wolf is roaming your halls and warming itself by your fires, it must be considering you its dinner.”

The first season ends though with Emma victorious, having outwitted her nemesis.

Strong Men love Strong Women

The strength of the female in this film, in my opinion, really stands out in the love affair between Freydis and Harald Sigurdsson. Harald is a strong warrior who performs many feat. He declares his love for Freydis even as she questions their ability to find common ground because of their different faiths, and at the end, she is his saviour when all appears lost on the battlefield. I just loved this scene!

So guys, if you’re the type to go for historical dramas, this might be a good show to binge on. I give it a thumbs up, and I cannot wait to see the second season.