#Northmen: A Viking Saga

[medievalandfantasymelee]

THE HOT MEDIEVAL & FANTASY MEN MELEE

FIRST ROUND: 12th Tilt

Asbjörn, Northmen: A Viking Saga (2014) VS. Thranduil, the Elvenking, The Hobbit Trilogy (2012-2014)

Propaganda

Asbjörn, Northmen: A Viking Saga (2014) Portrayed by: Tom Hopper Defeated Opponents: - Connor MacLeod [Christopher Lambert], Highlander (1986)

Asbjörn looks like he could kill you, but he's actually a cinnamon roll (but he will still kill you if he has to). He spends a whole movie protecting a princess from mercenaries, and I think that's very sexy of him. Also, have you seen those arms? *swoon*

Thranduil, the Elvenking, The Hobbit Trilogy (2012-2014) Portrayed by: Lee Pace Defeated Opponents: - Vaisey, Sheriff of Nottingham [Keith Allan], BBC’s Robin Hood (2006-2009)

“He's such a bitch and I like him so much. THE blond bitch, old as hell and annoyed about everything. Willing to leave the dwarves in the dungeons to rot claiming he's patient but is not at all patient for an immortal. Also really pretty.”

Additional Propaganda Under the Cut

Additional Propaganda

For Asbjörn:

For Thranduil:

[lehoeing]

Jorund threatening Asbjorn

Leo Gregory as Jorund in Northmen: A Viking Saga (2014)

[atrumvox]

Surtr: The Fiery Force of Creation and Destruction

Dive into the fiery world of Surtr, the legendary fire giant of Norse mythology! In our latest video, "Norse Myths: Surtr the Destroyer and Creator of the New Order," we explore the dual nature of this fascinating figure. Surtr plays a crucial role in Ragnarök, igniting the flames of destruction that mark the end of the old world while simultaneously paving the way for a new beginning.

🌋 *What You'll Learn:*

Surtr's powerful impact during Ragnarök, including his epic showdown with Freyr.

The symbolism behind Surtr's flaming sword and what it represents in Norse mythology.

Insights into the prophecies that surround this enigmatic character.

Are you ready to uncover the myths and mysteries of Surtr? Join us as we journey through the rich tapestry of Norse legends!

[sheigarche]

There's a movie called "Northmen: A Viking Saga" from 2014 that I'm 99% sure was used as some inspiration for Hellblade 2.

I mean, I'm not saying it's that level of good, or well written, well acted, or well directed. BUT it's impossible to watch it and not see one thing or another that reminds you of Senua's Saga.

[broomsick]

List of interesting ressources pertaining to norse paganism, scandinavian folklore and history, and nordic religions in general

These are sources I have personally used in the context of my research, and which I've enjoyed and found useful. Please don’t mind if I missed this or that ressource, as for this post, I focused solely on my own preferences when it comes to research. I may add on to this list via reblog if other interesting sources come to my mind after this has been posted. Good luck on your research! And as always, my question box is open if you have any questions pertaining to my experiences and thoughts on paganism.

Mythology

The Viking Spirit: An Introduction to Norse Mythology and Religion

Dictionnary of Northern Mythology

The Prose and Poetic Eddas (Online)

Grottasöngr: The Song of Grotti (Online)

The Poetic Edda: Stories of the Norse Gods and Heroes

The Wanderer's Hávamál

The Song of Beowulf

Norse Mythology: Myths of the Eddas (Online)

Rauðúlfs Þáttr

The Penguin Book of Norse Myths: Gods of the Vikings (Kevin Crossley-Holland's are my favorite retellings)

Myths of the Norsemen From the Eddas and the Sagas (online) A source that's as old as the world, but still very complete and an interesting read.

The Elder Eddas of Saemung Sigfusson

Pocket Hávamál

Cassell's Dictionary of Norse Myth and Legend (Online)

Cassel's Dictionary of Norse Myth and Legend

Myths of the Pagan North: Gods of the Norsemen

Lore of the Vanir: A Brief Overview of the Vanir Gods

Anglo-Saxon and Norse Poems

Gods of the Ancient Northmen

Gods of the Ancient Northmen (Online)

Norse Mythology - The Gods, Goddesses, and Heroes Handbook: From Vikings to Valkyries, an Epic Who's Who in Old Norse Mythology (A vulgarized and fun read for for newbies!)

Two Icelandic Stories: Hreiðars Þáttr and Orms Þáttr

Two Icelandic Stories: Hreiðars Þáttr and Orms Þáttr (Online)

The Elder Eddas of Saemund Sigfusson; and the Younger Eddas of Snorre Sturleson (Online)

Sagas

Two Sagas of Mythical Heroes: Hervor and Heidrek & Hrólf Kraki and His Champions (compiling the Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks and the Hrólfs saga kraka)

The Saga of the Jómsvíkings

The Saga of King Heidrek the Wise (Online)

The Heimskringla or the Chronicle of the Kings of Norway (Online)

Stories and Ballads of the Far Past OR Stories and Ballads or the Far Past - Translated from the norse (Icelandic and Faroese) with introduction and notes

Stories and Ballads of the Far Past: Icelandic and Faroese

Heimskringla: History of the Kings of Norway

The Saga of the Volsungs: With the Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok

The Saga of the Volsungs (Online. Interesting analysis, but this is another pretty old source.)

The Story of the Volsungs (Online) Morris and Magnusson translation

The Vinland Sagas

Hákon the Good's Saga (Online)

The Saga of Hervör and Heidrek (Online)

The Saga of the Jómsvikings (Online)

History of religious practices

The Viking Way: Magic and Mind in Late Iron Age Scandinavia

Nordic Religions in the Viking Age

Agricola and Germania Tacitus' account of religion in nordic countries

Myths and Symbols in Pagan Europe: Early Scandinavian and Celtic Religions

Tacitus on Germany (Online)

Norse Mythology: A Guide to Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs

Scandinavia and the Viking Age

Viking Age Iceland

Landnámabók: Book of the Settlement of Iceland (Online)

The Age of the Vikings

The Vikings (Online. Mind the year of publication, this source is pretty old!)

Gesta Danorum: The Danish History (Books I-IX)

The Sea Wolves: a History of the Vikings

The Viking World

The History of Iceland

Guta Lag: The Law of the Gotlanders (Online)

The Pre-Christian Religions of the North (This is a four-volume series I haven't read yet, but that I wish to acquire soon! It's the next research read I have planned.)

Old Norse Folklore: Tradition, Innovation, and Performance in Medieval Scandinavia

Children of Ash and Elm: A History of the Vikings

The Penguin Historical Atlas of the Vikings by John Haywood

Landnámabók: Viking Settlers and Their Customs in Iceland

Nordic Tales: Folktales from Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland and Denmark (For a little literary break from all the serious research! The stories are told in a way that can sometimes get repetitive, but it makes it easier to notice recurring patterns and themes within Scandinavian oral tradition.)

Old Norse-Icelandic Literature: A Short Introduction

Saga Form, Oral Prehistory, and the Icelandic Social Context

An Early Meal: A Viking Age Cookbook and Culinary Oddyssey

Runes & Old Norse language

Uppland region runestones and their translations

Viking Language 1: Learn Old Norse, Runes, and Icelandic Sagas and Viking Language 2: The Old Norse Reader

Five Pieces of Runic Poetry

Old Norse-Icelandic Literature: A Critical Guide

Eddic to English: A survey of English translations of the Poetic Edda

Catalogue of the Manks Crosses with Runic Inscriptions

Old Norse - Old Icelandic: Concise Introduction to the Language of the Sagas

A Companion to Old Norse-Icelandic Literature and Culture

Five pieces of runic poetry translated from the islandic language: Quotations

Nordic Runes: Understanding, Casting, and Interpreting the Ancient Viking Oracle 

YouTube channels

Ocean Keltoi

Arith Härger

Old Halfdan

Jackson Crawford

Wolf the Red

Sigurboði Grétarsson

Grimfrost

(Reminder! The channel "The Wisdom of Odin", aka Jacob Toddson, is a known supporter of pseudo scientific theories and of the AFA, a folkist and white-supremacist organization, and he's been known to hold cult-like, dangerous rituals, as well as to use his UPG as truth and to ask for his followers to provide money for his building some kind of "real life viking hall", as supposedly asked to him by Óðinn himself. A source to avoid. But more on that here.)

Websites

The Troth

Norse Mythology for Smart People

Voluspa.org

Mimisbrunnr: Developments in Ancient Germanic Studies

Icelandic Saga Database

Skaldic Project

Life in Norway This is more of a tourist's ressources, but I find they publish loads of fascinating articles pertaining to Norway's history and its traditions.

Germanic Mythology

Stories for all time: The Icelandic Fornaldarsögur

[fjorn-the-skald]

Masterpost: History Raids

Plundering the past like an 8th-century Viking: hit-and-run style. Learning is a lot, so I keep everything short, simple, and straight to the point. That’s what History Raids are about. So if you’re interested in Viking history, Norse mythology, and medieval sagas—keep reading.

For the sake of simplicity, all links below lead to my YouTube videos—but everything is also available in an audio-only format in case you find visuals too distracting. So if you want an auditory learning experience, pillage my podcast feed instead.

I’m also including future content here, as well. I recorded most of this material between 2021 and 2022, so a lot is already in the queue. I’ll put a date if it’s fully scheduled, otherwise I’ll just share the title so you know what’s to come later on. I’ll update this post as we go, so make sure to save it somewhere accessible if you see something exciting.

Fjorn’s Hoard of History:

The Vikings

Northmen, Danes, and Swedes

Wends, Balts, and Sámi/Finns

The Migration Period (~400-550 CE)

The Vendel Period (~550-750 CE)

The Viking Age (~750-1050 CE)

What Makes a Raid ‘Viking’?

How to Tame a Viking: Christianization and the End of the Viking Age

Norse Mythology: Remnants from the Void

Norse Mythology in Eddic and Skaldic Poetry

Norse Mythology in Snorri and Saxo’s Salty Prose

Special: ‘Viking’ Love Stories (2/14)

Norse Mythology in Saga Literature

Norse Mythology: Creating the Cosmos

Norse Mythology: Midgard and Asgard

Norse Mythology: Yggdrasil

Norse Mythology: The War of the Gods

Norse Mythology: The Major Æsir

Norse Mythology: The Major Vanir (and Other Deities)

Norse Mythology: Giants

Norse Mythology: Dwarves

Norse Mythology: Elves

Norse Mythology: Valkyries

Norse Mythology: Norns

Norse Mythology: Spirits

Norse Spirituality: What Are Land-Spirits?

Norse Spirituality: Don’t Scare Them!

Norse Spirituality: Dealing with New Neighbors

Norse Spirituality: Whale-Wizard vs Land-Guardians

Norse Spirituality: Unleashing Their Fury in Feud

Norse Spirituality: Salty Men Preach Against Them

Days in the Old Norse-Icelandic Calendar

Weeks in the Old Norse-Icelandic Calendar

Months and Holidays in the Old Norse-Icelandic Calendar

Years and Reckoning in the Old Norse-Icelandic Calendar

Norse Farmsteads and Agriculture: the North

Norse Farmsteads and Agriculture: Homesteads

Norse Farmsteads and Agriculture: Fields and Yields

Norse Farmsteads and Agriculture: Harsh Realities and Change

Norse Healing from Gods and Magic

Norse Healing from Runes

Norse Healers at Work

Herbal Remedies and Medieval Medicine in the North

Medical Manuscripts in the North

Herbal Gardens and Monastic Medicine in the North

Medical Miracles in the Medieval North

Famous Norse Healers

Special: Álfablót: Sacrificing to the Elves

Special: Njáls saga: A Medieval Bestseller Most People Haven’t Heard of

[amadenchart]

Meads On Me!

AU inspired by Vikings/northmen, but with dragons, one of my favorite themes. xD

Vygo's name here is Sigmund while Indrys' name is Signý (based on the names of the characters from the Saga of the Völsungs). They are Viking lords. ;)

Sigmund is celebrating something here, what could it be?

[Original Character: Sigmund]

SubscribeStar

[racefortheironthrone]

Re: Viking propaganda in fiction, do you think The Northman should count as propaganda? It's extremely open and graphic about the mass enslaving and raiding that the northmen had going on, down to the fact that Amleth's quest to save his mother was ultimately hollow given she was 100% onboard with the plan to murder her rapist slave owning husband. Arguably none of the Norse characters come out looking as anything other than anti-villains (or outright villains) at best.

Yes, but it's also the case that Amleth looks really cool and ripped and the fight scenes are really cool, and sometimes that can trump the intended message and contribute to propaganda. Pace to Martin Scorsese's intended messages about gangsters and Wall St. crooks being really bad people, but if you go to great lengths to make the crimes look really fucking cool and the comeuppance is drab and washed-out, it's not a very effective communication of said message.

I'm reminded of a time when a liberal tv news show (Donohue? Ted Koppel? 60 Minutes? Don't remember) did this segment criticizing Reagan's "Morning in America" commercial by reading statistics about unemployment and poverty over footage of the commercial. Reagan's communications director calls them up and says "thank you." Baffled, they say, "what do you mean thank you? We just savaged you." And he replies, "yeah, but you played the commercial over and over again, and it's the visuals that people are going to remember."

Sorry, back to The Northman. I dunno, maybe we could call this a revisionist Viking movie, in the same way that (according to the huge number of messages I got about Vinland Saga - yes, I hear you people, I'll give it another try, I'm just saying that the show's opening doesn't exactly fit with its message) Once Upon a Time in the West was a revisionist Western movie.

[ianmccloud]

The Legend of Halfdan – Trailer to the Final Chapter | Viking Saga Trilogy

Halfdan had an encounter with Fenrir, and after this experience, he tasked the village blacksmith with forging a sword. This sword was so powerful that the druids sank it into the realm of the dead, where it was to remain until the day came to restore the balance. When the old druid appeared, all the Northmen knew, for they had heard of this day since they were children. The moment had arrived, and so they all set out to witness this fate."

[azharniaz]

Olga Kurylenko, Jeremy Irvine & Kelsey Grammer Set For 'Turbulence'

EXCLUSIVE: Filming has wrapped in the UK on under-the-radar action-thriller Turbulence, starring Olga Kurylenko (Oblivion), Jeremy Irvine (Treadstone), Hera Hilmar (See) and Kelsey Grammer (Frasier). The film reunites the team behind 2024 action film No Way Up, including director Claudio Faeh (Northmen: A Viking Saga) and writer Andy Mayson, who also produces. The synopsis reads: “Young married…

[medievalandfantasymelee]

THE HOT MEDIEVAL & FANTASY MEN MELEE

QUALIFYING ROUND: 18th Tilt

Asbjörn, Northmen: A Viking Saga (2014) VS. Connor MacLeod, Highlander (1986)

Propaganda

Asbjörn, Northmen: A Viking Saga (2014) Portrayed by: Tom Hopper

No Text Propaganda Submitted

Connor MacLeod, Highlander (1986) Portrayed by: Christopher Lambert

“Those brooding eyes, the arms swinging the sword. I could watch him all day.”

Additional Propaganda Under the Cut

Additional Propaganda

For Asbjörn:

[Gifset]

For Connor MacLeod:

No Additional Propaganda Submitted

[lehoeing]

Jorund Fight Scenes

[metalwaremusic]

Viking Farewell 3 - Saga Of The Northmen #Shorts #vikingmetal #vikingmusic

via IFTTT

[tsumitokisei]

Northmen A Viking Saga

Fully enjoyed that, even with it's little flows. Just happy to watch a Viking movie I've missed, accepting recommendations here. Very surprised to see Ryan Kwanten :D Lovely :D While the end credits you listen to Amon Amarth :D

[ancestorsalive]

Halfdan was one of the leaders of the Viking Great Army of the 9th-Century; one of his brothers was Ivar (usually identified with the “Ivar the Boneless” of the sagas).

The 'Great Heathen Army' arrived in England in autumn 865, and killed the kings of Northumbria and of East Anglia in the next four years.

In the autumn or early winter of 870, Halfdan and his warband left East Anglia and invaded the kingdom of Wessex, establishing their base at Reading.

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle - which for this period is a near contemporary source - gives a detailed narrative of the campaign that followed: the vikings fought nine general engagements against the West Saxons who were led by their king, Æthelred I and his brother - and successor - Alfred.

The most important of these battles took place on the Berkshire Downs, at the place called Ashdown, in January 871.

The viking army was drawn up in two divisions: one, opposed by Alfred, was led by various jarls; the other, which King Æthelred engaged, was under the command of 'the heathen kings Bagsecg and Halfdan'.

Ashdown was a West Saxon victory, but it was only one in a series of battles that winter. The two sides were at stalemate, despite the arrival of a 'great summer army’ to reinforce Halfdan’s host.

In the autumn of 871, the combined viking army left Reading and wintered in London. By now, Alfred was king of Wessex. The Army went on to campaign again in Northumbria - drawn there by a revolt against its puppet king - before it settled for the winter in Mercia at Torksey (on the River Trent; this winter camp has yielded a lot of archaeological finds).

The vikings remained there for a year; late in 873 they moved on Repton (which has also yielded archeological finds) and drove the Mercian king, Burgred from his kingdom.

The following year the viking army divided into two. While Guthrum occupied Cambridge - from where he invaded Wessex once more - Halfdan took his contingent north to a base on the Tyne. They attacked the Picts and Strathclyde Britons and then returned south to settle Northumbria where they “proceeded to plough and to support themselves” (Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, 876).

Halfdan’s men occupied the area centred on York; the northern part of Northumbria remained in the hands of the English lords of Bamburgh.

Halfdan himself does not seem to have joined his followers in settling what eventually became Yorkshire. He may have gone to Ireland instead. His brother Ivar had died there in 873, and Halfdan may have attempted to take his brother’s place as ‘king of the Northmen in Ireland and Britain’.

Certainly, the Annals of Ulster record a bout of Viking bloodletting in 875, when ‘Albann’ (i.e., Halfdan) killed a rival’s son.

Halfdan was certainly in Ireland in 877, when the Annals of Ulster record another skirmish at Strangford Lough between rival Scandinavian leaders; only this time, it’s Halfdan, “the king of the Danes” who died on the day.

Image by Michael Rosskothen.