Vikings

Vikings premiered on History in 2013 and was created by Michael Hirst, who also served as its principal writer. The series begins with Ragnar Lothbrok, a farmer and aspiring explorer in ninth-century Scandinavia, whose ambition leads him toward England. Although Ragnar is associated with legendary medieval traditions, the program combines saga material with historical figures and events rather than presenting a documentary reconstruction. Its opening season follows his opposition to Earl Haraldson, his first western raid, and the attack on Lindisfarne monastery in Northumbria, traditionally dated to 793. That raid establishes the show's central concerns: political authority, wealth, faith, kinship, and the violent consequences of expansion.

Ragnar's relationship with Lagertha, portrayed by Katheryn Winnick, is another major foundation of the early narrative. Lagertha is depicted as a shield-maiden who fights beside him, although the historical evidence behind her story is uncertain. Travis Fimmel played Ragnar, while Clive Standen played his brother Rollo, a character based partly on the historical founder of Normandy. The show's first seasons also introduce Floki, played by Gustaf Skarsgård, whose boatbuilding enables voyages across the North Sea, and Athelstan, an Anglo-Saxon monk played by George Blagden. Athelstan's friendship with Ragnar gives the series its most sustained examination of Christianity confronting Norse paganism.

After Ragnar's rise, the story expands from one man's voyages into a generational conflict. His sons become the principal agents of the later seasons, especially Bjorn Ironside, Ivar the Boneless, Ubbe, Hvitserk, and Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye. Their rivalries dramatize competing responses to their father's reputation. Bjorn seeks exploration and independent kingship; Ivar relies on military strategy and ruthless political calculation. The series also follows alliances among Scandinavian rulers, including King Ecbert of Wessex, King Aelle of Northumbria, and King Harald Finehair. These figures connect the fictional family drama to the documented Viking campaigns and kingdoms of ninth-century Britain.

Historically, the show takes substantial liberties with chronology, geography, and personal relationships. Ragnar's supposed lifetime overlaps people who lived in different periods, while several characters are composites or legendary figures. Nevertheless, the production draws on recognizable sources, including accounts of the Lindisfarne raid and the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. Filmed largely in Ireland, it uses landscapes, reconstructed settlements, ships, costumes, and ritual scenes to create its setting. Its success led to the sequel series Vikings: Valhalla, which premiered on Netflix in 2022 and follows a later generation, including Leif Erikson, Freydís Eiríksdóttir, and Harald Sigurdsson during its first season.