“Vikings: Valhalla” will start on Netflix in a few weeks. Before the series premiere, the maker Jeb Stuart recently raved in the highest tones about the successors of Lagertha – and their historical role models.
On February 25, the time has finally come: Season 1 of “Vikings: Valhalla” comes to Netflix. And the new Viking series not only comes up with brutal battles and well-done action, as a teaser trailer recently showed. The “Vikings” spin-off probably tries to outdo the original with its new characters. Above all with the successors of the legendary shield maiden Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick), whose historical role models were “spectacular” according to “Vikings: Valhalla” maker Jeb Stuart. He recently revealed this in an interview with the US website Polygon.
Watch Vikings now on Netflix
“Vikings: Valhalla” creator reveals: Lagertha’s successor is “spectacular”
Vikings: Valhalla is set in the early 11th century, approximately 100 years after the events of the original series. Accordingly, the series tells the story of new characters. In addition to the legendary explorer Leif Eriksson (Sam Corlett) and the Norwegian prince Harald Sigurdsson (Leo Suter), the main characters also include Freydís Eiríksdóttir (Frida Gustavsson) and Emma von der Normandie (Laura Berlin). Like “Vikings”, they are based on historical personalities. And about the latter, “Valhalla” maker Jeb Stuart recently gushed at length.
In the interview with Polygon, he describes the historical Freydís as a “spectacular female character”. The daughter of Erik the Red was not only a cunning warrior, but also, like her half-brother Leif Eriksson, a gifted explorer. Freydís was one of the first European people to establish settlements in North America.
Jeb Stuart is at least as enthusiastic about Emma from Normandy: “At first she was just a kind of possession of her father. But in her early 20s she became one of the richest women in Europe.” Emma’s first marriage was to the English King Æthelred II. It was her sons Alfred Ætheling and Eduard the Confessor who were initially able to repel the invasion of the British Isles by the Vikings. After the death of her first husband, Emma married Knut the Great, who ruled over England, Denmark, Norway and southern Sweden. When he also died, the double queen managed to keep her power by seizing the royal treasure and installing her son Hardiknut on the throne after numerous power struggles.
“Vikings: Valhalla”: stories about emancipation and equality
“Vikings” already scored with a large number of female characters who were in no way inferior to the men, involved in political intrigues and fought at the front line in every battle. Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick), Torvi (Georgia Hirst) and Gunnhild (Ragga Ragnars) are just a few examples.
And it looks like Freydís and Emma are continuing that tradition in Vikings: Valhalla of telling good stories about women’s emancipation and equality – and doing it in their own way. Because while Freydís, as a Viking, already met men on an equal footing in the 11th century, Emma first had to fight for her power and autonomy. So they should certainly fill the big footsteps of Lagertha & Co. If they don’t even surpass the fan favourites.
The article first appeared on TVSPIELFILM.de.
Netflix: You might also be interested in this