Vikings has seen a lot of characters die under different circumstances, but the most brutal death so far has been that of Jarl Borg (Thorbjørn Harr). Created by Michael Hirst, Vikings premiered on History Channel in 2013, and even though it was originally planned as a miniseries, it was quickly renewed for a second season. Vikings initially followed the raids and travels of the legendary Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel) and his Viking brothers, and gradually shifted its focus to Ragnar’s sons and their own journeys, becoming the protagonists of the show – more so after Ragnar’s death in season 4.
Vikings is known for its depiction of violence and bloody scenes, something that most people relate to the legends of the Vikings. With the series now in its sixth and final season, fans are taking a look back at the previous seasons and the characters that didn’t make it to season 6, whether they deserved it or not. Among those is Jarl Borg, the chief of Götaland and Torvi’s first husband.
Jarl Borg was introduced in season 1 and it was clear from the beginning that he was a man that couldn’t be trusted. Borg didn’t stick around for long and met his fate in season 2, and even though there were reasons to kill him, it’s the bloodiest and most intense death in Vikings to date.
Why Jarl Borg’s Death Was The Most Brutal
Jarl Borg manipulated Rollo into betraying Ragnar, attacked Kattegat when King Horik excluded him from their raids, killed many people there, and battled Ragnar and his men on his way out of Kattegat. But because life takes many turns, King Horik ended up telling Ragnar to reestablish their alliance with Borg as their forces were greatly reduced after their attack on Wessex. What Horik didn’t know was that Ragnar had other plans, and after Borg accepted the offer, Ragnar captured him and sentenced him to die by “blood eagle”, a legendary execution method that consisted in slicing open the back of the victim, hacking the ribs away from the spine, and drawing the lungs out of the back and draping them over the shoulders, resembling bloody wings.
Ragnar himself performed the execution of Jarl Borg in the center of Kattegat, while the entire population (including Torvi) watched. The scene of Borg’s execution was long, which adds to the drama of the moment and makes it more painful, even if it isn’t as graphic as other representations of the blood eagle in pop culture, but that’s exactly what makes it so powerful. The scene is regarded by critics and fans as the bloodiest, most brutal death scene in Vikings, and Hirst has stated that he’s very proud of it, calling it a “profound experience of suffering and spirituality in the Viking context”. Whether Jarl Borg deserved such an extreme execution or not, is up to every viewer, but what’s for sure is that he faced it with bravery, which earned him a place in Valhalla.
