#archaeodeath

Vikings Seasons 1 and 2 – An Archaeodeath Review Source: https://howardwilliamsblog.wordpress.com/2015/02/05/vikings-season-1-a-review-of-death/

So, I have finally gotten around to watching the first two seasons of ‘Vikings‘, the fabulous fictional drama/blood-bath that has brought the Viking Age back into prime-time viewing. Since I run a third-year course for archaeology students with the same name (and yes, I do believe they stole it from me without any credit whatsoever, how could it possibly be coincidence?), I thought I needed to immerse myself fully in the blood- and semen-soaked world of modern TV Norsemen packed full of kick-ass shield-maidens, ludicrous dialogue and implausible fight scenes.

  Let me make it clear. I am a serious academic who studies (among other things) the Viking Age. Let me equally make it clear. I don’t really give a Jorvik poo about whether women really did fight in battle, whether Vikings warriors wore eye-liner, or whether all the swords depicted have authentic late-eighth-century parallels. I certainly couldn’t give a flying Odinic fart about whether the Northumbrian accents were ‘accurate’ (and by the way, who on earth really knows?), the tonsures were quite right, or how ludicrous ‘Winchester’ might appear. As for details like whether it chimes that King Horik’s wife killed Svein Forkbeard (did I really hear that right?), whether Anglo-Saxon bishops would really rabble-rouse crucifixions of apostates in 8th-century Wessex, or whether pagan priests looked like they survived a good poisoning from The Name of the Rose, talk to Charlemagne’s elephant, coz the Prof ain’t listening. Ok, it did annoy me intensely that the Anglo-Saxons were such credulous oafs in season 1 and despite better armour and weapons, still hadn’t a clue how to form and maintain a shield wall FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! I am more of an Anglo-Saxonist than a Viking boffin and that really got my goat. But let’s not dwell on that…