The Greenlanders by Jane Smiley?
Looks interesting.
Yes standingwave, that’s it! (Just found it.) It’s a very good, if somewhat dark, book.
Thanks.
I’ve seen the first two episodes, and enjoyed them. Looks like it is set at the very beginning of the Viking era, with the first raids into England. Has some fantasy elements, with Ragnar seeing visions that appear to be Odin. Not quite sure what the drowning man in the title sequence is supposed to be…maybe Thor’s death?
It’s a step or three…ok maybe 10 steps…below Game of Thrones, but entertaining. I think there are 9 episodes, with room for another season or two if it catches on.
It’s keeping my attention so far. So far. I know it’s TV but didn’t they make that trip down to England in about 2 1/2 hours?
Somehow, they’ll find a way of working Hitler into the show.
So far so good. Enough to keep me watching.
There’s also Margaret Elphinstone’s The Sea Road. She’s very good.
Pardon the gross ignorance of history, but were the Norse oblivious of England in 800 AD? Ignorance of Iceland/Greenland, and of course North America, makes sense. But surely earlier seafaring expeditions must have followed the European coastline till the British Isles, no?
I sorta got the impression that the Evil Boss Dude knew there were lands to the west, but did not want to go there for some reason. Possibly because that is where his sons were killed…but maybe I’m reading too much into it.
I’ve just watched the first four episodes of this show, and personally I’m really enjoying it. I can recognize some inaccuracies and what not, but it’s not really bothering me.
One thing I do like is they at least aren’t presenting all vikings as the romanticised noble savage warriors. They are indulging in politics and scheming, and all sorts of tawdry and underhanded behaviours
Cool ‘cameo’ I picked up, one of Ragnar’s crew ‘Eric’ is the same actor who played the leader of the Viking band in The 13th Warrior, Vladimir Kulich 
I’m enjoying it a lot too. I will however, be extremely annoyed if the show ends up with the monk converting Ragnar to Christianity.
I just watched the second episode last night and had the same exact thought. It seems every historical movie made has to involve a conversion to Christianity as a central theme.
I thought the raid was well done. Most shows would have had the priests fighting back like ninjas and the Vikings shouting oaths to Odin. This was a bunch of armed men brutally beating and stealing from the weak because they can. Probably just like it happened.
I think lately it’s more likely the priest will become more and more one of the Vikings - at least it feels like he’s starting to identify more with his captors every day.
We love this show - the shield maiden wife, the cocky Ragnar, crazy Loki. Very surprised at the quality of this show so far.
It’s lacking from being on the History Channel; this is a show that desperately wants to be on an HBO or Showtime. There’s a sufficient level of violence, but it still seems like they’re holding back, and they seem to really want to break out the swearing and nudity, only they can’t, so we get bizarre, awkward scenes like Ragnar and his wife inviting the priest to “join them” (presumably to show their immoral heathenism?).
They do manage to work in quite a bit of rape (not that I’m endorsing that kind of thing, I’m just noting it’s surprising how much of that is included for being on the History Channel).
When do they get to the part where they go to New Zealand?
I have only watched the first episode and it was good enough to have me DVR the series. On a semi related noted, this thread inspired me to dig out my 13th Warrior DVD and watch that movie again.
Really underrated, love Vladmir Kulich and that Irish Wolfhound!
Why? It’s part of history.
Is it?
It is? I mean, I know Scandinavians eventually became Christians, but I didn’t think the historical/mythical Ragnar Lothbrok converted.
And the historical raid on Lindisfarne was in 793 AD - conversions were some hundred of years later. Compressing the entire Viking age into one man’s lifetime seems kind of ridiculous.
The (admittedly brief) reading I have done on this indicates that missionary efforts had been going on since the early 700’s. Why would Athelstan know Old Norse if he had not been a missionary?