How can you watch ‘Vikings: Valhalla’ online for free?
War, religion, murder, and revenge! How can you go wrong? Vikings: Valhalla, the Netflix series sequel to the hit History Channel show Vikings is about lethal warriors in the historical drama set in the 11th century.
The show is set one hundred years after the events of Vikings, as tensions between the Vikings & English royals reach a murderous breaking point and as the Vikings themselves clash over their conflicting Christian & Pagan beliefs.
Let us not forget epic fight scenes, romance, and the unification of the diaspora Viking people. How can you watch the awesomeness of Vikings: Valhalla online for free? Let us tell you.
St. Brice’s Day Massacre: English vs Vikings
To watch Vikings: Valhalla online, it won’t require the rather substantial foundational knowledge of its predecessor show, Vikings, to understand. The sequel series prioritizes building a new narrative for new characters. It also incorporates historical figures like explorer Leif Eriksson (Sam Corlett), Harald Sigurdsson (Leo Suter), and Queen Emma of Normandy (Laura Berlin).
The inciting incident of Vikings: Valhalla is the St. Brice’s Day Massacre, a true 1002 event in which King Æthelred of England ordered the indiscriminate killing of Danes. In the series, this massacre inspires the Vikings, both Christian & Norse, to swear revenge upon England once and for all. Yet in the midst of all a greater war, there are sub-stories that encompass personal revenge and a brother fighting for the honor of his sister.
In response to the massacre, the show presents a combined Norwegian-Danish invasion force. Vikings came from far away lands, as their ancestors had settled in countries they invaded or experienced war. Many had to set aside their differences to join the Danish king’s army and avenge the killings.
Into this mix, the writers insert a small boatload of Greenlanders, including Leif & Freydís (brother & sister). While Norway was very much part of the richly connected north Atlantic world, Greenland was remote even by Viking standards and played no real part in the political dramas of the era.
Fantasy mixed with historical fact
Vikings: Valhalla which envisions what might have happened if Harald (played by Leo Suter) were best buddies with Norse explorer Leif Erikson (Sam Corlett) and the lover of Leif’s sister, Freydís Eiríksdóttir (Frida Gustavsson). In light of historical accuracy, Leif died when Harald was about five years old, and Freydís was roughly the same age as her brother, so the scenario is pure fantasy. Still, it makes for excellent storytelling.
In an interview with Sam Corlett, he explained the inner conflict within the Vikings, “By this time, many of them had converted to Christianity, bringing them into conflict with their pagan brothers and sisters. That’s a major part of the series – these years proved to be a last stand for the old Viking way of life.”
Vikings: Valhalla displays the personal conflict between Viking culture & spirituality while maintaining historical references throughout the series. The Viking era is not a black & white world. Wars & invasions helped the Vikings encompass diverse identities with each individual, whether it be ethnicity, background, or spiritual beliefs.
VIKINGS: VALHALLA (L to R) LEO SUTER as HARALD in VIKINGS: VALHALLA Cr. BERNARD WALSH/NETFLIX © 2021
Caroline Henderson who plays Jarl Haakon, ruler of Kattegat during the events of Vikings: Valhalla season 1 explained that Due to DNA research, many people know that the Vikings were travelers.
“They traveled to northern Africa, Asia, all kinds of places,” Henderson tells Den of Geek. “Obviously, they brought back slaves and knowledge—but [they] also fell in love. Most likely, people of color have [always] existed in the [Viking] community. I think it’s amazing to bring that to [Haakon’s] story, because that’s closer to the [historical] truth, I think, than what we’ve seen [in Viking stories] so far.”
How can you watch Vikings: Valhalla online for free?
The eight-part series Vikings: Valhalla is released on Netflix on Friday, February 25th, 2022. The second season of Vikings: Valhalla has already been filmed, with a third also in the works, so this Norse saga is just getting started. You can watch Vikings: Valhalla online for free on VHmovies.net, 123 movies, and of course Netflix. You can also watch Vikings on Peacock.
