Vikings’ 15 Biggest Historical Inaccuracies Across All 6 Seasons

Despite being based mostly on real-life people and events, the TV series Vikings had various historical inaccuracies throughout its six seasons. Created by Michael Hirst, Vikings premiered in 2013 on the History Channel and came to an end in 2020 after six seasons. Vikings is inspired by the sagas of Ragnar Lodbrok and features some key characters and events from the Viking Age. However, despite these inspirations, Vikings doesn’t stand out for its historical accuracy, receiving a lot of criticism for some of the changes made for the sake of the narrative and more.

Vikings told the story of Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel), the legendary Viking warrior, who led his Viking army into different raids and battles against the English and more. As Vikings progressed, it gradually shifted its focus to Ragnar’s sons – Bjorn, Ubbe, Hvitserk, Sigurd, and Ivar – and their own journeys, becoming the protagonists of the series. Many characters in Vikings have real-life counterparts and many events are confirmed by historical records, but many others, along with specific details about the characters, their lifestyle, culture, and more, were historically inaccurate.

15

Viking Warriors Didn’t Call Themselves Vikings

Despite The Name’s Show, The Term Arrived Many Years Later

One of the biggest historical inaccuracies in Vikings, and one that’s easily missed as it’s not that well-known, has to do with the title of the series. While these warriors are now known as Vikings, that name wasn’t used by them during the Viking Age. According to History Extra, the name “Vikings” was popularized in the 11th century and might come from the word “vik”, which in the Old Norse language meant “bay” or “inlet”. Back then, they were called “Dani” (Danes, as back then this wasn’t used only to refer to the inhabitants of what’s now Denmark), “pagani” (pagans), or “Normanni” (Northmen).

14

The Real Ragnar Lothbrok

Ragnar Lothbrok Might Have Not Existed

Whether Ragnar Lodbrok was a real person or not is still debated among historians. According to Historic UK, there are references to a Viking raider in 840 AD in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle named “Ragnall” and “Reginherus”, who raided the coasts of France and England. Scholars have also proposed that the Danish King Horik I was the real Ragnar Lodbrok, and others believe it could have been King Reginfrid, who ruled part of Denmark with his brother Harald Klak and was expelled by Horik I.

It’s also possible that Ragnall, from the Irish Annals, was the real Ragnar. Because of this, it’s generally believed that Ragnar Lothbrok was a combination of historical figures, but the character as portrayed in Vikings wasn’t real.

13

Lagertha Wasn’t Bjorn Ironside’s Mother

Bjorn’s Real Mother Was Aslaug

According to Saxo Grammaticus’ Gesta Danorum, Ragnar’s first wife was shieldmaiden Lagertha, just like in the series, but she wasn’t the mother of Bjorn Ironside. Ragnar later married Kráka, revealed to be Aslaug, a secret daughter of renowned hero Sigurd Fafnesbane. Ragnar and Aslaugh had five children: Ivar the Boneless, Bjorn Ironside, Hvitserk, Ragnvald, and Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye, and they might have had two half-brothers named Eric and Agnar. Bjorn is also said to have been the first ruler of the Swedish Munsö dynasty, with Icelandic sagas claiming that he was the ancestor of the house of Munsö, which ruled Sweden until c. 1060.

12

Rollo & Ragnar Weren’t Brothers

Unlike Ragnar, Rollo Was A Real Person

Vikings wasted no time establishing the rivalry between Rollo and Ragnar, with the former jealous of the latter’s accomplishments and thus constantly living in his shadow. While this was a big part of the drama and conflict in the first seasons of Vikings, Ragnar and Rollo weren’t brothers. It’s important to remember that, as Ragnar’s existence is debated, many of the relationships and battles linked to him in Vikings are historically inaccurate. Rollo, on the other hand, was a real person (the great Rollo of Normandy), but he had no connections to Ragnar Lodbrok or any of the historical figures believed to be Ragnar.

11

Vikings Wore Helmets To Battle

In Vikings, The Warriors Rarely Wore Helmets

The historical inaccuracies in Vikings go beyond events and characters, as there are also parts of the Vikings’ lifestyle and more that the series didn’t get right. Throughout its six seasons, Vikings saw many fights between the title warriors and their many enemies (including fellow Vikings), and as exciting as they were, there was one element that wasn’t right: the lack of helmets. Ragnar and company went into battle with no protection for their heads, though there were some rare occasions where they wore helmets (which some claim were also inaccurate). In reality, few of them would have survived those brutal battles without any head damage had they worn no helmet.

10

Ragnar’s Daughter, Gyda, Didn’t Exist

There’s No Record Of A Daughter Of Ragnar Named Gyda

In Vikings, Ragnar and Lagertha had two children: Bjorn and Gyda. The latter was shown managing the farm with Lagertha while Ragnar traveled and took Bjorn with him sometimes. Gyda quickly bonded with Athelstan and became very close, but Gyda’s time in Vikings was brief. When the plague hit Kattegat, Gyda fell ill and passed away while Ragnar was away on a raid. However, Gyda is mostly a fictional character, as there’s no record of Ragnar having a daughter with that name. Ragnar might have had two daughters, who could have been Ragnhild Ragnarsdottir and Åløf Ragnarsdóttir, but it’s unknown.

9

The Real Kattegat Isn’t A Village

Kattegat Is Actually A Sea

Kattegat is one of the main settings of Vikings, being the home of Ragnar and his family, Floki, Rollo, and the rest of Ragnar’s men. Kattegat in Vikings is a village with farms and more, ruled by an Earl, but the real Kattegat is completely different. In reality, Kattegat isn’t a village nor is it a piece of land, but a sea area bounded by the Jutlandic peninsula in the west, the Danish Straits islands of Denmark and the Baltic Sea to the south, and the provinces of Bohuslän, Västergötland, Halland and Skåne in Sweden in the east. The Kattegat Sea is shallow and difficult to navigate due to the many sandy and stony reefs and tricky currents.

8

The Real Athelstan Was Very Different

Athelstan Has Little To Do With His Vikings Version

In Vikings, Athelstan was a Christian English monk whom Ragnar took as a slave after the Lindisfarne raid. Athelstan ended up becoming Ragnar’s best friend and taught him about his faith, which led Ragnar to have a crisis of faith. Athelstan was a real person, but Vikings didn’t do an accurate portrayal. Athelstan seems to be loosely based on the Anglo-Saxon ruler King Athelstan, King of the Anglo-Saxons from 924 to 927 and King of the English from 927 to 939. In Vikings, Athelstan was the father of Alfred the Great, but the real Athelstan was actually his grandson.

The real Athelstan became the first Anglo-Saxon ruler of England after conquering York, the last remaining Viking kingdom, so unlike his Vikings’ counterpart, he didn’t befriend these warriors. The real Athelstan died at the age of 45, and as he didn’t have sons, he was succeeded by his half-brother, Edmund I.

7

Ragnar Never Faked His Death To Infiltrate A City

It Was Actually Bjorn Who Did It

In Vikings, Ragnar faked his own death to infiltrate Paris, which was said to be impenetrable, becoming one of his most memorable moments in the series as he got out of the coffin at a chapel, to the surprise of all attendees. However, the one who did this, according to historical records, was actually Bjorn Ironside. To gain entry into the town of Luni, Bjorn’s foster father Hastein sent messengers to the bishop saying Bjorn was deathly ill and asked for a deathbed conversion, asking to receive Christian sacraments and/or be buried within their church. Bjorn was brought in, and once inside, he leaped from his stretcher, with the Viking party then making their way to the town gates.

6

Christians Didn’t Use Crucifixion As Punishment

While It Made Way For Some Shocking Scenes, It Wasn’t Like That

Athelstan didn’t have an easy life after the Lindisfarne raid, and in season 2, he stayed in Wessex after accompanying Ragnar on a raid. While hunting for food, Athelstan was captured by the Saxons, who labeled him an apostate. Athelstan was then crucified, but before he succumbed to the wounds, he was rescued by King Ecbert. In reality, there are no records of Christians using crucifixion as punishment, more so as Emperor Constantine outlawed crucifixion in the 4th century. Historians argue that this would have been a mocking of the crucifixion of Jesus, which is unlikely Christians would have done.

5

Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye Wasn’t Killed By Ivar

Ivar Killing Sigurd Never Happened

Vikings saw many shocking deaths because of how brutal or unexpected they were, and Sigurd’s death falls into both categories. Sigurd was the third son of Ragnar and Aslaug, but he never got along with his younger brother, Ivar. During a celebratory feast in Wessex, Sigurd kept provoking Ivar by telling him Aslaug was the only person who ever loved him, but she was now dead. Acting out of impulse (and without any remorse after), Ivar took an axe and threw it at Sigurd, who died seconds later in front of the rest of his brothers.

Sigurd was based on Sigurd Áslaugsson, who, according to the sagas, was the son of Ragnar and Asalug. However, Sigurd’s story is a combination of legends and historical events, so it’s unclear how he died, with one version saying that he was killed in West Francia in 887, but there are no mentions of him being killed by one of his siblings.

4

Prince Oleg’s Invasion Was Entirely Different

Prince Oleg’s Story Was Completely Changed

At one point in Vikings, Ivar met Prince Oleg of Novgorod, known as “The Prophet”. Oleg ruled the Rus in Kyiv and saw Ivar as his ticket to reclaim his Viking heritage and expand his dominion. To achieve this, Oleg invaded Scandinavia, but in reality, this never happened. There are no historical records that support the Rus invading Scandinavia, and it’s unclear what they would have gained from doing so (outside the context of the series, of course). Oleg’s target was actually Constantinople, and that’s why he was based in Kyiv, as part of his military tactics to invade those lands.

3

Ubbe Didn’t Discover Greenland

Ubbe’s Biggest Accomplishments Aren’t Real

Ragnar’s dreams of discovering and conquering other lands were fulfilled by his son Ubbe. In Vikings season 6, Ubbe led an expedition with his family, Kjetill, Frodi, and Othere to find the “golden land”, which was said to be a place of riches. When they arrived at an island, it wasn’t exactly the “golden land” they were looking for, and Kjetill jokingly named it “Greenland”. However, the Icelandic sagas say Erik the Red was the one who arrived in Greenland and named it that, supposedly in hopes that the name would attract settlers.

2

Lagertha Wasn’t Killed By Hvitserk

A Delirious Hvitserk Never Killed Lagertha

Lagertha was warned by the Seer that a son of Ragnar would kill her, but she would never have imagined who it was going to be. In Vikings’ final season, Lagertha rode back to Kattegat after killing White Hair and was badly wounded. Lagertha arrived at Hvitserk’s home, but he was in a state of delirium and hallucinated a serpent he believed to be Ivar. Hvitserk stabbed it, but he was actually stabbing Lagertha. Although there are no records of how Lagertha (and the people from the sagas believed to be her) died, there aren’t any records of Hvitserk killing her, either.

1

Floki Wasn’t The First Viking In America

Nor Was It Ubbe, Either

Ragnar often talked about his desire to explore other lands as he was sure there was more beyond what they already knew, but he didn’t get to do any of that. Instead, it was Floki who ended up on the other side of the world, where Ubbe and his people reunited with him. In reality, it wasn’t Floki nor Ubbe the first Viking in America, but Leif Erikson.

According to the Saga of Erik the Red, Leif ended up in Vinland (believed to be coastal North America) after being blown off course on his way to Greenland to introduce Christianity to the Greenlanders. However, after that accidental trip, Leif didn’t return to Vinland. Now, according to the Saga of the Greenlanders, Leif wasn’t the first European to arrive in Vinland – it was Bjarni Herjólfsson, who was also on his way to Greenland. About 15 years later, Leif approached Bjarni and embarked on a journey to the land he would go on to name Vinland due to its vines and grapes.

Vikings made a lot of changes to the sagas, legends, and many historical records of the Viking Age to fit into its narrative. While this isn’t bad as it made way for engaging stories, it’s important to remember that historical dramas aren’t always accurate, and some of the characters and events depicted in them are, more often than not, entirely fictional.

Sources: History Extra, Historic UK, Gesta Danorum, Icelandic sagas.