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History Channel Gets Vikings Precisely Wrong
The American Spectator ^ | March 12, 2013 | Lars Walker

Posted on 03/13/2013 10:42:29 AM PDT by PJ-Comix

It’s been more than fifty years since Kirk Douglas and his production company produced what most people still consider the best Viking movie ever made, The Vikings. Within the limits of the information available at the time, they made a good faith effort to do the thing relatively authentically. We’ve learned much in the years since, especially due to advances in archaeology, and many reenactors around the world (of whom I am among the least) work hard to re-create authentic Viking Age life. Dozens of accurate replicas of Viking ships have been built and put to sea, to the wonder and delight of many. The time would seem to be ripe for a depiction of the Viking Age that would surpass Kirk Douglas’s film in portraying of one of the most exciting and colorful eras in human history.

The History Channel’s new series, Vikings, is not it.

(Excerpt) Read more at spectator.org ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: historychannel; vikings
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In the last episode, I noticed that the hero, Ragnar Lodbrok, conveniently did not participate in the slaughter of the British monks along with the rest of his crew. They had to change reality in order to make their hero more palatable to the viewing public.

Oh, and yeah, it is RIDICULOUS to present the Vikings as being unaware of the existence of the British isles.

1 posted on 03/13/2013 10:42:29 AM PDT by PJ-Comix
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To: PJ-Comix

All I know is A.P. is PO’d they got rid of Percy Harvin.


2 posted on 03/13/2013 10:44:27 AM PDT by TurboZamboni (Looting the future to bribe the present)
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To: PJ-Comix

From what I remember being taught the vikes use to travel to the British isles and for the most part sneak in to their small coastal towns at night, kill most of the men folk and take the ladies for their own pleasure and plunder or destroy what they left.


3 posted on 03/13/2013 10:45:23 AM PDT by Joe Boucher ((FUBO))
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To: PJ-Comix
Oh, and yeah, it is RIDICULOUS to present the Vikings as being unaware of the existence of the British isles.

I was thinking the same thing. The Vikings would have been pretty stupid planning a plundering raid on 5,000 miles of open ocean.

4 posted on 03/13/2013 10:46:52 AM PDT by catfish1957 (My dream for hope and change is to see the punk POTUS in prison for treason)
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To: PJ-Comix
Oh, and yeah, it is RIDICULOUS to present the Vikings as being unaware of the existence of the British isles.

Yeah I struggled with that one myself. I'm also not so sure Vikings were that firmly controlled by their chieftains.

Outlander was a better Viking flick. LOL
5 posted on 03/13/2013 10:47:50 AM PDT by cripplecreek (REMEMBER THE RIVER RAISIN!)
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To: Joe Boucher
kill most of the men folk and take the ladies for their own pleasure and plunder or destroy what they left.

,,,,and ask "What's in Your Wallet?" :)

6 posted on 03/13/2013 10:48:03 AM PDT by catfish1957 (My dream for hope and change is to see the punk POTUS in prison for treason)
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To: PJ-Comix

Allegedly, Mel Gibson is producing a Viking film.


7 posted on 03/13/2013 10:49:32 AM PDT by Gene Eric (The Palin Doctrine.)
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To: catfish1957

Vikings (via Denmark) would definitely have known about the British Isles since their Angle and Saxon relatives had invaded that island hundreds of years earlier.


8 posted on 03/13/2013 10:49:58 AM PDT by PJ-Comix (Beware the Rip in the Space/Time Continuum)
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To: PJ-Comix

It is a great series. Some liberties are taken for sure. I don’t know if the early Vikings knew of the British Isles or not. It is clear they did in fact raid into Russia first. I don’t think whether that or not the Earl knew is really relavant, though it the conflict should make of a better story.


9 posted on 03/13/2013 10:52:21 AM PDT by wolfman23601
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To: Gene Eric

That I hear right now Mel Gibson try do Viking movie

This is History channel same channel bring you Iced Road Trucker Ax men and Swamp people


10 posted on 03/13/2013 10:52:26 AM PDT by SevenofNine (We are Freepers, all your media bases belong to us ,resistance is futile)
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To: SevenofNine

Remember when the History Channel was called “The Hitler Channel”?


11 posted on 03/13/2013 10:53:01 AM PDT by dfwgator
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To: PJ-Comix

Thank God “How to Train Your Dragon” got it right!


12 posted on 03/13/2013 10:53:04 AM PDT by freedumb2003 (Establishment Republicans don't like that totalitarian thing unless it is THEIR totalitarian thing!)
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To: PJ-Comix

Ragnar wanted Intel. He got it. Sounds about right.

From what I’m seeing, they are getting a lot more of the details right than I’ve seen in a long time. Even current research on weapons use and manufacture.

A few anachronisms, but nothing that ruins my enjoyment of the show.


13 posted on 03/13/2013 10:53:46 AM PDT by Dead Corpse (I will not comply.)
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To: Gene Eric

>>Allegedly, Mel Gibson is producing a Viking film.<<

Everyone will speak carefully reconstructed Vikingish.


14 posted on 03/13/2013 10:54:09 AM PDT by freedumb2003 (Establishment Republicans don't like that totalitarian thing unless it is THEIR totalitarian thing!)
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To: wolfman23601
It is a great series. Some liberties are taken for sure.

"Some" liberties? Read the article. They got the Viking political structure completely wrong.

15 posted on 03/13/2013 10:54:40 AM PDT by PJ-Comix (Beware the Rip in the Space/Time Continuum)
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To: PJ-Comix

I watched two episodes and then I was done. Stupid beyond belief.


16 posted on 03/13/2013 10:55:16 AM PDT by Valpal1
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To: wolfman23601

Its enjoyable enough to watch. I watch the Walking dead and they’ve taken one or two liberties with reality too.


17 posted on 03/13/2013 10:55:18 AM PDT by cripplecreek (REMEMBER THE RIVER RAISIN!)
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To: Dead Corpse

>>Ragnar wanted Intel. He got it.<<

Good move in the early going. AMD is still trying to keep up and TI just does utility chips (good ones, though)...


18 posted on 03/13/2013 10:55:32 AM PDT by freedumb2003 (Establishment Republicans don't like that totalitarian thing unless it is THEIR totalitarian thing!)
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To: catfish1957

too funny,
good job


19 posted on 03/13/2013 10:55:53 AM PDT by Joe Boucher ((FUBO))
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To: PJ-Comix
Oh, and yeah, it is RIDICULOUS to present the Vikings as being unaware of the existence of the British isles.

The Danes came to Ireland with nothing to do
But dream of the plundered old Irish they slew
"Yeh will in your Vikings", said Brian Boru
And threw them back in the ocean

The sea, oh the sea is the gradh geal mo croide
Long may it flow between England and me
It's a sure guarantee that some how we'll be free
Oh! thank God we're surrounded by water

20 posted on 03/13/2013 10:56:12 AM PDT by FatherofFive (Islam is evil and must be eradicated)
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