Inspired by Norse legends, Vikings: Valhalla is the long-awaited spin-off of Vikings. What does the title of this series available on Netflix mean?
Set more than 100 years after Vikings, the original series, Vikings: Valhalla focuses on recounting the heroic adventures of new Norse legends, such as explorer Leif Eriksson (Sam Corlett), his valiant sister Freydis Eriksdotter (Frida Gustavsson) and the ambitious Prince of the North Harald Sigurdsson (Leo Suter). Through the story of these three mythical characters, this Netflix spin-off will plunge us into the heart of the tensions between the Vikings, torn between their pagan and Christian beliefs, and England.
When Vikings: Valhalla was announced by Netflix, fans of the parent series weren’t too confused by this chosen spin-off name since the term Valhalla was already used in Vikings. But those who will discover Vikings: Valhalla will surely wonder what this term means and especially why it was chosen for the title of the Netflix series.
The end of the Vikings?
In Norse mythology, Valhalla is where Viking warriors land after death. Only the bravest warriors (but also female warriors) on the battlefield are chosen by the Valkyries to join the realm of the Gods and the great hall of Asgard where Odin reigns. The latter then prepares the fighters for the final battle, called Ragnarök, – also quoted in the series -, which refers to a prophetic end of the world.
Vikings: Valhalla focuses on the later years of the Viking Age and will run for multiple seasons, already slated for Netflix. It could therefore be that the series goes to Ragnarök and the great final battle prepared in Valhalla. It is therefore quite logical that Vikings: Valhalla is named like this. Perhaps we will see the Vahalla in the series and the new characters join Lagertha, Bjorn, Ivar and especially the legendary Ragnar, whose vision of Valhalla came to him at the very beginning of the Vikings series? The circle would thus be closed.