Vikings Season 1

DVD Wholesale Quick Overview:

Initially I picked up a copy of Vikings Season 1 from our local library. I liked it so much that I ordered the season from Amazon in 2014. As northern Winters are rather long, I’m recycling through Vikings past seasons, and enjoying them as much as my original viewings. Perhaps not for all tastes if one reads many of the other reviews, but for those of us who enjoy Vikings, I’d say to anyone who might be interested, it’s worth a try.

The series centers around the character Ragnar Lothbrook wonderfully played by Travis Fimmel. Initially he appears cut from the “typical” Viking mode, but upon further development we find a playful, passionate, curious, ambitious, and at times brutal man. The first season documents his rise to power from a farmer and seasonal raider, to the Earl of his village. Very good character development ensues in regard to his wife Lagertha, brother Rollo, shipbuilder and jester Floki, as well as his young son and daughter and friends and enemies. The cast becomes set, and new characters forshadow the coming season.

As no real written records document Norse mythology, the creative minds behind Vikings incorporate enough mythology into their storylines to create interesting rationale for how the Vikings live, Love, and fight. This first season provided me the incentive to read Kevin Crossley-Holland’s ‘The Norse Myths’ and Daniel McCoy’s ‘The Viking Spirit’. As most of what we know about Norse mythology Is fragmented and somewhat influenced by the Christianity of those who put Norse mythology into words, Vikings incorporates an innovative way to begin to bootstrap Christian influence into the world of Ragnar and the Vikings.

– Immer

THE VIKINGS is an ambitious undertaking because It is about a time, people, and violence that history is still vague. It is about a time of great exploration but with primitive tools for sailing. It is about a time of survival of the fittest long before the birth of Darwin. The Vikings sprang from an inhospitable topography and climate. The land itself spawned a people who were part of the rugged mountains, fjords, wilderness, frigid winters and unparalled beauty of their home. THE VIKINGS gives the viewers a taste of life during that time so foreign to our own, yet forbearers of many of our population today. The rugged, harsh survivors who endured the long cold winters, barren rugged mountains inhospitable to farming and marauding neighbors who swept down bearing weapons designed as “anti-personnel”.

The show is fierce, bloody and unforgiving; therefore, realistic. Life
was harsh and tenuous. Also, the show touches on the introduction of the Christian religion into the heathen and hedonistic practices of worshipping gods that endorsed sex and sacrifice. When events happened that terrified the people and rendered them
helpless against the forces of nature. The beginnings of ritualistic practices in
religion were designed to comfort the people as well as to try to influence the gods to relent and take pity on the suffering people.

THE VIKINGS is bold, brutal and realistic. It is a true portrayal of the times but is NOT
for the squeamish or the faint-hearted.

-Kindle Customer

After the Fall of the Roman Empire, circa 400 CE, Europe and her surrounding territories plunged into an abysmal era, often called the Dark Ages. While some believe the term too pejorative, other scholars have acknowledged it as a strange time when societal infrastructure was very tenuous. Warring barbarians battled for land and wealth across Europe until the territory was more or less united under Charlemagne in circa 800. Of the many barbarian groups associated with the Dark Ages, including the Goths and the Huns, the Vikings still capture our imaginations. Their picturesque ships with ornamented bow and single mast sail are iconic imagery associated with voyage, plunder and even pagan mythology. Their battle-axes, thick swords, and wooden shields symbolize a world plunged into literary and cultural darkness in which warrior might was esteemed beyond all else. Unfortunately the Vikings plundered many areas of Europe, notably the Irish monasteries where beautiful books were pillaged for the jewels ornamenting their covers.

The History Channel has produced a narrative series chronicling the lives of a Viking tribe during the 8th century. Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel) is the man of a humble family of four living on the outskirts of a Viking settlement. He and his family have sworn fealty to Earl Haraldson (Gabriel Byrne), the chieftain of the tribe. In the first episode, the story begins at the end of a battle in which Lothbrok has survived a brutal confrontation. We learn not only of his family and his farm but that Lothbrok is a warrior who has ambitions to raid the west by sea.

Lothbrok and his son travel to the main urban center of their tribe. There, Lothbrok’s son and another boy swear fealty to Earl Haraldson by kneeling and accepting a wrist ring. Oaths of fealty, the swearing of allegiance to a lord, became a widespread ceremonial rite during the Dark Ages. The ritual is associated with feudalism in which vassals swore allegiance and servitude to a lord. Before the oath, the boys along with a congregation of males, witness a trial and punishment of two residents who are convicted of crimes. After the ceremonies, Lothbrok suggests to the earl and those present that they sail west instead of their typical eastern raid. Earl Haraldson becomes indignant and chastises Lothbrok in private.

However, unbeknown-st to the Earl, Lothbrok has secretly commissioned a new ship to sail west thus disobeying his lord’s instructions. Thus begins a wonderful series of Viking culture intertwined with a compelling story. The production values are as good as any feature film recently produced. The photography of the lush Scandinavian landscapes is breathtaking, the acting superb, and the script compelling. This offering is far more compelling with a richer tapestry than other similar series such as the Tutors which was nothing more than a soap opera set in the 16th century. “Vikings” is one of the best historical made-for-television series since “Band of Brothers”.

-classicalsteve

DVD Wholesale Main Features:

Format: AC-3, Box set, Color, Dolby, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
Dubbed: English
Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only.)
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Number of discs: 3
Studio: 20th Century Fox
DVD Release Date: October 15, 2013
Run Time: 398 minutes