Vikings (TV series)

Lars Walker, in the magazine ''[[The American Spectator]]'', criticised its portrayal of early Viking Age government (represented by Earl Haraldson) as autocratic rather than essentially democratic.{{cite news|last=Walker|first=Lars|title=History Channel Gets Vikings Precisely Wrong|url=http://spectator.org/articles/33770/history-channel-gets-vikings-precisely-wrong|access-date=March 12, 2013|newspaper=[[The American Spectator]]|date=March 12, 2013|archive-date=November 19, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131119235645/http://spectator.org/articles/33770/history-channel-gets-vikings-precisely-wrong|url-status=live}} Joel Robert Thompson criticised depiction of the Scandinavians' supposed ignorance of the existence of Britain and Ireland and of the death penalty rather than [[outlawry]] (''skoggangr'') as their most serious punishment.{{cite news|last=Balar|first=Keya|title=Historical Inaccuracies in 'Vikings'|url=http://www.dailytargum.com/inside_beat/tv/historical-inaccuracies-in-vikings/article_fdfc4670-8c3d-11e2-93df-001a4bcf6878.html|access-date=April 14, 2013|newspaper=[[Daily Targum]]|date=March 14, 2013|archive-date=March 20, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130320022014/http://www.dailytargum.com/inside_beat/tv/historical-inaccuracies-in-vikings/article_fdfc4670-8c3d-11e2-93df-001a4bcf6878.html|url-status=live}}

Lars Walker, in the magazine ''[[The American Spectator]]'', criticised its portrayal of early Viking Age government (represented by Earl Haraldson) as autocratic rather than essentially democratic.{{cite news|last=Walker|first=Lars|title=History Channel Gets Vikings Precisely Wrong|url=http://spectator.org/articles/33770/history-channel-gets-vikings-precisely-wrong|access-date=March 12, 2013|newspaper=[[The American Spectator]]|date=March 12, 2013|archive-date=November 19, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131119235645/http://spectator.org/articles/33770/history-channel-gets-vikings-precisely-wrong|url-status=live}} Joel Robert Thompson criticised depiction of the Scandinavians' supposed ignorance of the existence of Britain and Ireland and of the death penalty rather than [[outlawry]] (''skoggangr'') as their most serious punishment.{{cite news|last=Balar|first=Keya|title=Historical Inaccuracies in 'Vikings'|url=http://www.dailytargum.com/inside_beat/tv/historical-inaccuracies-in-vikings/article_fdfc4670-8c3d-11e2-93df-001a4bcf6878.html|access-date=April 14, 2013|newspaper=[[Daily Targum]]|date=March 14, 2013|archive-date=March 20, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130320022014/http://www.dailytargum.com/inside_beat/tv/historical-inaccuracies-in-vikings/article_fdfc4670-8c3d-11e2-93df-001a4bcf6878.html|url-status=live}}

Monty Dobson, a historian at [[Central Michigan University]], criticised the depiction of Viking clothing but went on to say that fictional shows like ''Vikings'' could still be a useful teaching tool.Dobson, Monty (March 18, 2013) [http://www.livescience.com/27997-viking-obsession-history-channel.html Obsessed with the Good and Bad of ‘Vikings’] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201114232849/https://www.livescience.com/27997-viking-obsession-history-channel.html |date=November 14, 2020 }}, ''[[LiveScience]]'', retrieved April 17, 2013 The Norwegian newspaper ''[[Aftenposten]]'' reported that the series incorrectly depicted the [[temple at Uppsala]] as a [[stave church]] in the mountains, whereas the historical temple was [[Gamla Uppsala|situated on flat land]], and stave churches were characteristic of later Christian architecture.{{cite news|title=TV-serie om vikinger skaper latter for historiske tabber|url=https://www.aftenposten.no/kultur/TV-serie-om-vikinger-skaper-latter-for-historiske-tabber-7183762.html|access-date=April 25, 2013|newspaper=Aftenposten|date=April 24, 2013|archive-date=April 27, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130427184742/http://www.aftenposten.no/kultur/TV-serie-om-vikinger-skaper-latter-for-historiske-tabber-7183762.html|url-status=live}} The temple in the series has similarities with reconstructions of the [[Uppåkra hof]]. [[Kattegat]] is depicted in the series as a village when in reality, it is a body of water.{{Cite web |last=Mapes |first=Terri |date=June 23, 2019 |title=The Kattegat: What Is It? |url=https://www.thoughtco.com/where-and-what-is-the-kattegat-1626687 |url-status=live |website=www.thoughtco.com}} The [[''Gesta Danorum'']] records that Ragnar's royal lineage was stationed in a village called [[Lejre]].The Nine Books of the Danish History: Gesta Danorum

Monty Dobson, a historian at [[Central Michigan University]], criticised the depiction of Viking clothing but went on to say that fictional shows like ''Vikings'' could still be a useful teaching tool.Dobson, Monty (March 18, 2013) [http://www.livescience.com/27997-viking-obsession-history-channel.html Obsessed with the Good and Bad of ‘Vikings’] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201114232849/https://www.livescience.com/27997-viking-obsession-history-channel.html |date=November 14, 2020 }}, ''[[LiveScience]]'', retrieved April 17, 2013 The Norwegian newspaper ''[[Aftenposten]]'' reported that the series incorrectly depicted the [[temple at Uppsala]] as a [[stave church]] in the mountains, whereas the historical temple was [[Gamla Uppsala|situated on flat land]], and stave churches were characteristic of later Christian architecture.{{cite news|title=TV-serie om vikinger skaper latter for historiske tabber|url=https://www.aftenposten.no/kultur/TV-serie-om-vikinger-skaper-latter-for-historiske-tabber-7183762.html|access-date=April 25, 2013|newspaper=Aftenposten|date=April 24, 2013|archive-date=April 27, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130427184742/http://www.aftenposten.no/kultur/TV-serie-om-vikinger-skaper-latter-for-historiske-tabber-7183762.html|url-status=live}} The temple in the series has similarities with reconstructions of the [[Uppåkra hof]]. [[Kattegat]] is depicted in the series as a village when in reality, it is a body of water.{{Cite web |last=Mapes |first=Terri |date=June 23, 2019 |title=The Kattegat: What Is It? |url=https://www.thoughtco.com/where-and-what-is-the-kattegat-1626687 |url-status=live |website=www.thoughtco.com}} The ''[[Gesta Danorum]]'' records that Ragnar's royal lineage was stationed in a village called [[Lejre]].The Nine Books of the Danish History: Gesta Danorum

[[List of Vikings characters#Main characters|Many characters]] are based on (or inspired by) real people from history or legend and the events portrayed are broadly drawn from history. The history of more than a century has been condensed; people who could never have met are shown as of similar age, with the history amended for dramatic effect. Season one leads up to the [[Lindisfarne#Viking raid on the monastery (793)|attack on Lindisfarne Abbey]] of 793 (before the [[Rollo|real Rollo]] was born). In season three the same characters at roughly the same ages participate in the [[Siege of Paris (845)|Siege of Paris]] of 845. By this time, Ecbert was dead and [[Æthelwulf, King of Wessex|King Æthelwulf]] was already on the throne. Rollo is shown having his followers killed and fighting his fellow Vikings, whereas in history they were [[Rollo#Descendants|granted what became Normandy]] and continued to co-operate with their Norse kinsmen.

[[List of Vikings characters#Main characters|Many characters]] are based on (or inspired by) real people from history or legend and the events portrayed are broadly drawn from history. The history of more than a century has been condensed; people who could never have met are shown as of similar age, with the history amended for dramatic effect. Season one leads up to the [[Lindisfarne#Viking raid on the monastery (793)|attack on Lindisfarne Abbey]] of 793 (before the [[Rollo|real Rollo]] was born). In season three the same characters at roughly the same ages participate in the [[Siege of Paris (845)|Siege of Paris]] of 845. By this time, Ecbert was dead and [[Æthelwulf, King of Wessex|King Æthelwulf]] was already on the throne. Rollo is shown having his followers killed and fighting his fellow Vikings, whereas in history they were [[Rollo#Descendants|granted what became Normandy]] and continued to co-operate with their Norse kinsmen.