The Northman Honest Review (some spoilers)

[@asathered]

I liked this review, but I have one big quibble: Chopping up Olga's motivation to "child rearing" is really disingenuous. Her motivation throughout the film is primarily vengeance against her enslavers. Over the course of the story she and Amleth fall in love, and by the end her character values escaping with their lives over simple vengeance, but that's a totally reasonable change of heart. Yes its revealed by the end that she's pregnant, but that hardly changes her valuing her own life and Amleth's over killing Fjolnir. If anything her being pregnant ends up affecting Amleth more than her since its what makes him decide to fulfil his oath of vengeance, since he expects Fjolnir to come after his children.

[@johnathankorkie4984]

Which he probably would. Son for a son and everything if he even heard a whiff of the name amleth

[@georgefreemon2935]

@@johnathankorkie4984 I agree.

[@albertito77]

No Xena warrior princesses is one of the best aspects. The women are feminine and so feminine things. Just like they were depicted in medieval source material.

[@TWteedoubleu]

Well said.

[@GasparGa]

By the way, wasnt Amleth one of her enslavers and murderer of the people in her village? Or do we just forget about that? Oh, okay then.

[@erskerbobbles]

My understanding (from a Robert Eggars interview) is that he really wanted some of the warriors to be entirely naked but had to settle for the "speedos"...

[@TheWelshViking]

Sad

[@ThePixiixiq]

And possibly a bit un-nordic 😋

[@DrJReefer]

I don't know about you but if I'm all armoured up with a long pointy thing in my hand ,all I'll be thinking about the naked guys running towards me is "easiest fight ever" *stab stab stab stab*

[@muurrarium9460]

Thats is just silly, nothing wrong with a few naked man running around.

[@jasontanner9755]

@@muurrarium9460 Have you ever run naked? It isn't comfortable. Things squish.

[@codename495]

Let’s be honest with ourselves, ANY skaarsgard brother in a leather speedo makes for a decent movie. There are many many forms of human beauty, masculine/feminine and lots of nifty mixtures of both and damn it if one of my favorite ones is a skarsgaard brother in a leather Speedo.

[@slyaspie4934]

Especially when they look this hench lol

[@withnail-and-i]

To me it's all about Dafoe pulling Da Foe out

[@JohnsDough1918]

@@withnail-and-i Hahahahahaha, da foe was quite a sight indeed!

[@ryuuakiyama3958]

Yes, the visual is enjoyable...

[@mrmadness2699]

WHY did you just give me the mental image of Pennywise the clown in a speedo!? 😂😂😂

[@giualonso]

“inside you there are two wolves; they both howl and wear leather speedos” made me actually laugh out loud in the airport!

[@andreasj864]

You must be a wizard because as I scrolled down to your comment he immediately said that quote! 😯

[@master_illitrix]

Did you _howl_ with laughter

[@beth12svist]

"You have two wolves inside you, both of them howl and wear leather speedos" is a hilarious and spot-on sentence. I don't think I'm going to see this, but this video is an excellent summary of both why I might want to and why I actually don't. :-)

[@anglerfish4161]

Nearly choked on my tea when he said that😅

[@muurrarium9460]

LOL, I had to stop and mop up my spilled tea at that point :)

[@beth12svist]

I was, thankfully, not drinking anything. :-)

[@p0etrygh0st]

I knowwww 🤣🤣🤣

[@seashore961]

I had to pause the video at this point because I was laughing so hard 😂

[@conmara6492]

I will add from an ecological perspective I do have to nitpick Iceland a bit, as during that time, it was a lot more covered in forest. I understand why they may have not known that, or chose to ignore that detail, but it would have been nice, even as a small background thing, to see the deforestation of Iceland occurring, as that was one of the primary industries going on in the region, timber harvesting.

[@John_on_the_mountain]

I was wondering where the wood came from for their village lol

[@gonvillebromhead2865]

In fairness, there is some historical evidence for leather helmets, though not by Vikings. In the right context, they are fine. Admittedly, that context is "the character is flying a biplane in the early 20th Century", but still...

[@jakubfabisiak9810]

Or playing american football, or riding in early tdf

[@NefariousKoel]

@@jakubfabisiak9810 - I recall my old high school line coach saying, "when I was in school, we'd fold up our helmets and put them in our pocket" more than once. That makes me feel old now, too.

[@theghosthero6173]

The chinese of the same period of the movie had them afaik. In fact they still wear them to this day passed down for generation among the Nuosu of Sichuan. I'm also guessing his helm is meant to be Light in order to be worn frequently to hide his nose if im guessing what the director might have meant.

[@darnokthemage170]

Yeah leather helmets were veey widespread in Europe by the 14th century. Now, does that mean that we have any sources on leather or hide helms in the viking age, no. But, i would be 0%suprised if we found one in Hedeby.

[@TheNEOverse]

I think the Valkyrie outfit was deliberately more over the top as a way of depicting how otherworldly she is.

[@matttyler8331]

Possibly also that it was a complete hallucination on Amleth's part. I think a filmmaker is allowed a little creative license when depicting a character's hallucination of a mythological creature. For instance depicting an someone having a dream of an angel could go many different ways.

[@seanmcgcostumes]

One of my *favorite* visual details was that the male priest wearing the oval brooches usually only seen on women's clothing. I felt like it was a great visual callback to the almost throw away line about not seeking to know women's magic, yet here's a man who did so and is wearing brooches traditionally worn by women. I thought it was such a clever way to visually tell the story if you know what to look for!

[@Sindizwe]

I did also really appreciate that while yes, Amleth has personal stakes in taking vengeance, it was emphasised that he is first and foremost bound by moral duty to slay his father's killers. And that is why he has to kill all of them, even his little brother, because otherwise the blood feud might get visited on his unborn children. It really goes out of its way to convey that part of the sagas. I thought that was neat.

[@littlesnowflakepunk855]

To be fair, he wasn't planning on killing his mother or his little brother. He had to kill them because they attacked him, and he very clearly felt remorse for having done it.

[@standunitedorfall1863]

@@littlesnowflakepunk855 And his mother thanked him for slaying her. Maybe because he released her from her torment.

[@danielbroberg1253]

One little detail in the movie that could have been done better, as pointed out by Dr. Jackson Crawford is the runic inscription on the magic sword in the mound. The runes on the sword say 'Draugr' but they say it in Elder Futhark runes, which were no longer in use by the early 10th century. The barrow-dweller was probably buried there a couple hundred years before the movie takes place, so in Elder Futhark times, but the language would also have been different. Instead, you would expect the inscription to read 'Draugaz', which was the word in Proto Norse back when the Elder Futhark was used.

[@euansmith3699]

Nitpicking of the first water! Huzzah!

[@andersnygaard909]

Agree, but if you really, really want it to fit, there was a period after the language began to change but before the futhark were shortened where you get an early form of old Norse in a transitional form of elder futhark. There's also one or two elder futhark inscriptions in old Norse where the carver appears to be showing off and/or using the archaic runes to obscure or riddle the text.

[@mathusalen1]

That the nitpicks are this precise make me like the film more tbh haha, way better than the "no they didn't use leather segmentata" type nitpicks that are common to period movies/shows

[@danielbroberg1253]

You're absolutely right! It would actually have been a neat little detail if, since it is a magic sword, the carver is using older runes to riddle the inscription! However, I think in the case of this movie they simply didn't pay attention enough to the language aspect of the inscription. The mound-dweller's helmet is clearly Vendel Age, and very similar to helmets from the 6th and 7th centuries found in Scandinavia, so we can clearly tell that he has been buried there for hundreds of years by the time the movie is set. So well within the Elder Futhark and Proto Norse period.

[@Arthur-zb9eh]

Wow, that would be some epic detail!

[@nahthanka5273]

17:40 there's quite a few mentions in Irish sources calling Scandinavians savages/barbarians/vandals etc. But I never got the impression that Scandinavians in this time period regarded themselves as more civilised than anyone else, particularly not the Rus who were probably quite sophisticated. That part of the movie really annoyed me.

[@stump4522]

They only mentioned Orkney and Brittany and that is it. I'm surprised no Franks or Anglo Saxon. Maybe they are consider as Christian Schwine in one scene. Speaking of slavery and Irish. I'm surprised no Dublin mentioning. Maybe that is later

[@helvete_ingres4717]

the way they spat the word 'Slav' seemed like it was just meant to evoke Nazism; not to mention the scene of burning the villagers inside the barn is straight out of an infamous scene where Nazis do the same in the Soviet war film Come and See. 'Barbarian' was a word of classical antiquity used to denote those outside of the Greek/Roman/Christian cultural paradigm, I don't think there was any equivalent word in the Norse lexicon (I'm not sure you can even take itwith its usual meaning of 'uncivilised' since the Greeks called the Persians barbarians even when Persia was a much greater 'civilisation' than they )

[@ninaroy5574]

All cultures tend to think their culture is superior and "the Others'', savage.

[@almandragoran]

@@stump4522 They also mentioned that some of the slaves were going to Uppsala.

[@charles2703]

They called the Inuit in Greenland “skraelings”

[@Gravelgratious]

The scene with the blacksmiths shop was awesome, literally was mesmerized by the amount of tools he had.

[@TheWelshViking]

Oh I forgot the smith!

[@RainartXIII]

I think a lot of love for this movie about the As-Accurate-As-Big-Budget-Movies-Allow depictions of the Old Norse culture and costuming should be attributed to Dr. Johanna Katrín Friðriksdóttir, as she was a main consultant to the film. From her interview with Dr. Jackson Crawford, it seems like she really pushed for as much authenticity as she could.

[@John_on_the_mountain]

Exactly. The next most accurate period piece is The 13th Warrior 🤣

[@john0constantine]

What I really liked was how people talked and how their mindset was presented. I'm not a historian, but it feels very authentic to me and really emphasizes the difference to modern people. I am really fed up with historical or fantasy shows where simple farmer boys have conversations like they had a modern secular high-school education. In the Northman, the mysticism was really the foundation of how they understood and conceptualize the world. Remote farmers/slaves were shown as simple people. It's so refreshing.

[@albertito77]

That the characters don’t parrot woke platitudes is a definite plus for this movie.

[@mercistephens7325]

@@albertito77 shut up you're not saying anything

[@Kick0a0cat]

Hey, Gabriel :D

[@john0constantine]

@@Kick0a0cat wtf where can you see my name?

[@john0constantine]

Ah wait, you're Elizabeth?

[@Thed538dhsk]

The film is more accurate than most portrayals in Hollywood but despite that its not 100%. Its based on legends and has lots of creative freedoms taken. Doesn't make it a bad film. Just means its a film and more like grim Viking fantasy vs say a documentary on the history of Norse cultures

[@eikrzatarra7867]

It's so satisfaying for me that finally we got a movie that represents "well" the norse culture. Of course that's still a movie thus It won't be fair for us to don't expect odd things within It. But I think Is a step forward.

[@mercilessforever]

Im not even norse im american but have studied the norse (amateurly) for my whole life and noticed they paid great attention to detail. I especially like how they portrayed the berserkers and their rituals before battle, the indoctrination process, and even fighting in the nude were all accurate to what i had read. Skarrsgard was perfect for this movie! Question is who is a cooler viking alex skars as tamleth or gustaf skars (brother) as vikings floki?

[@georgefreemon2935]

@@mercilessforever What do you mean your not “norse.” There’s no such thing as being American besides the Natives. Most white people in America are from Scandinavia and the UK.

[@moralityisnotsubjective5]

@@georgefreemon2935 What? I'll say I'm of Nordic/English descent or that I have Nordic/English ancestors, but I'm not going to say there's no such thing as an American when I was born in America. Pretty sure even the natives would look at you a bit funny for that assertion.

[@georgefreemon2935]

@@moralityisnotsubjective5 I didn’t say there was no Americans idiot. I said the Natives are the only Americans. He said “I’m not Norse, I’m American” which I’m assuming he’s white, but if he’s actually an American than that’s my fault and I will accept that.

[@deanthemachine8879]

The comparison between Skarsgaard and Bjornsson’s physical appearance is especially good because they actually fight each other in the Northman. Bjornsson is the huge guy dominating the game they are playing in Iceland

[@robertsreflektioner6208]

Me and my girlfriend saw the movie yesterday. As you said, the material culture (clothes, weapons, props) were excellent, loved that! A small detail I also loved was in the very beginning when King Ethan Hawke arrives and the people hail him, you hear someone say "Ringgiver!" That was a really nice detail! And when I saw the Draugr's ringpommeled sword and boar helmet, I squee:d in nerdjoy :-) (loving the similar scene in Conan the Barbarian, this was really really nice!) My main quip was with the valkyrie. Yes, I understand kind of what they wanted to do, with an over the top dream:ish sequence, but her attire just felt like anachronistic Wagner opera to me. For my girlfriend, biologists as she is, she noted that they changed the horses, sometimes they were proper islandic horses but at other times they were not. So she could tell when they were filming on Iceland and when they were shooting elsewhere, pretending to be at Iceland. Also, when cutting the head of a horse, they cut way too low, too close to the chest. They would more likely cut higher up, closer to the head (where the neck is thinner and has less meat and muscle to cut through). See, noticing things like that is why we are together :-)

[@gabbytriestomakethings]

I had a good chuckle watching Nicole Kidman have literally no idea what to do with the tablet weaving she was sat in front of, and also that she didn’t seem to have anything to use as the weft which would definitely make working on that hard to do….I’m sure she had an amusing actor moment realizing she didn’t know what to do but had to look like she did and also say her lines.

[@gkrasskova]

I saw that and while I don't weave I thought something looked off. I said to my sister in law: I don't think she has any idea what to do with that weaving set up. " lol.

[@str1xt]

Director to Kidman…. ‘ Nicole, please come away from the fire’ Nicole, ‘why’? Director’ your face has melted onto to your left boob darling’.

[@Which-Craft]

I was actually quite put off by that, given I was looking specifically for that scene after getting a heads up. I'd have thought, knowing they had a professional tablet weaver providing some of the materials, that they'd have given Nicole a lesson. I don't know, maybe the shuttle got lost....*eyeroll*

[@EmilBlichfeldt1992]

this almost feels like when marvel fans react to easter eggs in the movies. i like the idea of adding tiny historical details to make easter eggs for history buffs

[@skjaldulfr]

Re. the leather speedos: in an interview Eggers said he wanted them to be naked, but was somehow prohibited by regulation. (Which surprises me, because I thought nudity was allowed in R rated movies. The Northman as it is could be PG-13 as far as I can tell.) But it was a censorship compromise. I agree that Amleth scaling the wall, and then floating down the other side on wires, was not realistic. You're saying Ibn Fadlan's observations about the Rus do not reflect on vikings? My biggest complaint about the film is the crudely computer-animated fox. I wouldn't cut out half the violence, since violence is a big part of the sagas, and embedded in the definition of "viking"--Norse pirate.

[@anska7475]

I feel that there‘s still a difference between female and male nudity on screen, where displaying a completely naked woman is ok but if it‘s a guy it‘s a reason for pearls to be clutched.

[@TheWelshViking]

Saying that his observations should not be taken as observations on Vikings or the Old Norse. The Rus were distinct and heavily Khazarised and Slavic by that point

[@skjaldulfr]

@@anska7475 Theatrical releases must have a different set of standards than Netflix then. Because (unfortunately) we are shown Jack Randall's dick in Outlander.

Isn't it too gruesome for a PG-13?

[@skjaldulfr]

@ IDK where the line is. But PG-13 movies usually have scores of people getting killed. And blood. And decapitation (the Other Boleyn Girl).

[@krzychu777xD]

I loved how they handled hallucination mushrooms in this movie. Instead of making berserker use it to make them stronger, they used it as a poison to basicly make all the warriors in the village useless.

[@crispytoast6936]

Lots of hallucinogenic use in the movie. I was glad to see it, because other movies shy away from the fact it was used in rituals.

[@SuperMYSHKIN]

krzychu777 This is the kind of ignorant approach to the pre christian cultural use of psycho active plants, a modern projection of the modern prohibitive and obscene hypocrisy of western authoritarian attitudes to mind altering substances. "they used it as a poison to basicly make all the warriors in the village useless." A materialistic and scientific reduction, indeed.

[@1957bullshit]

I thought they were using henbane, not mushrooms.

[@TheWelshViking]

Not really. We also see them used to allow spirit communication, expansion of the mind at a coming of age ritual, and to allow much greater depth of understanding between generations.

[@Underjordiskentitet]

@@1957bullshit they are using Henbane in the Jester-Dafoe initiation ritual... they are poisoning the Hirdmen with mushrooms later.... Thje berserkers seem to be just working themselves up with ritual psychosis

[@enyahorton7630]

Incredible review :) love to see someone get as excited as I do about the textiles! My nit pick though, and apologies if it’s been said already (Tiny detail!): When we see the tablet weaving occurring she turns the tablets without passing the weft through the shed, there doesn’t actually appear to be a shuttle or a weft thread so she’s essentially just twisting cards aimlessly 😅

[@alicjamega8589]

True.. she didn't pass any weft. Still I find it amazing she worked on an Oseberg loom. That's exciting to spot such details :)

[@jayneterry8701]

And how many takes a consideration.

[@ScienceViking]

I noticed that too. Still, it was, at least, nice to see some sort of attempt.

[@Torirattle]

I was excited to see the tablet weaving but in now way expected Nicole Kidman to have learned it for the role 😀

[@ПаніПончик]

@Alicja Mega I was excited to see the setup for the loom, I was amused to see the "weaving". Imagine the worth of a trim woven by Nicole Kidman on the set of a film 😀

[@uglukthemedicineman5933]

24:46 The shirt he is wearing around his waist like a skirt, is the same shirt he is wearing in his adult introduction scene where he is rowing the ship. If you look at the shirt in that scene aswell as the scene just before he spots the raven and cuts his hair, his shirt has metal thingies (idk the name) which has similar functionality to buttons. So he can open his shirt like if it was a modern dress shirt.

[@TheWelshViking]

Ah, so it *is* just an entirely anachronistic shirt made up to allow shirtless scenes. Good spot!

[@AgentPedestrian]

I watched this in the theater with a couple SCA people, we went in garb and had a grand old time! I really felt like I was watching a medieval ballad or something

[@crispytoast6936]

I miss the SCA, I need to find out if my local chapter is still going.

[@anthonyhayes1267]

I went in garb too. Had a lovely conversation with a curious theater-goer.

[@zacharyodinlynn6667]

I loved the historically accurate costumes and buildings. I liked the fact that they depicted the religion and culture in a somewhat accurate way. But there were scenes I just could not watch. I was squirming in my seat so much. The draugr scene was my favorite, though, and I’m really glad they had him defeat it in the proper way according to legend.

[@allisonshaw9341]

For me it was when the Northmen put all of the children and old people, and pretty much everyone but the young women they were going to rape in that house and burned them to death. That was just too brutal.

[@standunitedorfall1863]

"Put the head in the butt!"

[@KateNord]

If I remember correctly headbands similar to those “danglies” at 5:35 have been found in grave finds in eastern Finland. So it seems they indeed existed at the, but it would be unsure whether they had been used in the Denmark area.

[@arabellalivesey9056]

I just feel like it slightly detracts from all the effort they supposedly put into having, as Eggar put it himself, the most historically accurate movie to date (a low bar) by having absolutely shredded men with bodies mostly only achievable by 21st century workout and diet routines that require complete dedication and entire teams of dieticians, personal trainers etc. The purpose of these physiques are explicitly to look good and are unachievable to most people nowadays given we don't have teams of Hollywood chefs and nutritionists and trainers nor are we being paid to basically work out and look amazing. I'm not diminishing the absolute effort and work that would go into achieving those physiques, but at the end of the day, it is work for actors. It is what they are paid for and it is what they do well, I don't believe however the Norse would be as inclined nor as able to get as ripped as Skarsgard is in the film. 99% of men don't look like that, nor do they have the facilities at hand to look like that. Also, seemed pretty impressive that 99% of the time these unarmored half naked vikings manage to dodge and are practically impervious to spears, arrows, and melee weapons yet they cut through the armoured individuals like butter. Seems about right. Edit: I understand that there are historical depictions of men with physiques akin to that of Skarsgard in the film, mostly in the form of Classical Roman and Hellenic sculpture, however I feel these same body types would not be prevalent amongst the Norse, who did not have the same gym culture that the Greeks and Romans did (I cannot speak for the Norse specifically as I am primarily a classicist, but we do know that the Greeks and Romans stood out in their dedication to achieving impressive physiques for aesthetic purposes, particularly in the higher classes to emphasise both their masculinity and their high status of actually being able to go to the gym). The Romans and Greeks were essentially the gym bros of the ancient world. I am not saying that Amleth should look unfit, but I feel like it would have been nice had they taken a similar approach to say Robert Pattinson's Batman, where he explicitly stated "I think if you're working out all the time, you're part of the problem... you set a precedent. No one was doing this in the '70s. Even James Dean - he wasn't exactly ripped." Pattinson didn't look shredded in Batman, but he still looked great and it made sense for the character. You can still have a beautiful body and physique without a BMI under 10 or an insane muscle mass, I just think it would be nice if cinema didn't continue to propagate highly unrealistic body standards. Of course Amleth needs to look fit, but in my own opinion it would be nice if they displayed positive depictions of more realistic body types that are still clearly strong and fit, but look less like they've been dehydrating for 3 days to have the skin really cling to the muscle (an actual Hollywood practice for shirtless scenes). Also, as highlighted by Jimmy, they lived in a cold climate; they drank beer and ate carbs. Even if they did far more physical labour than the modern man, diet is still a major (if not the primary) contributor to one's physique. I feel like Skarsgard would have looked just as good with his physique more akin to this imgur.com/m6xfiqI , which still makes him look imposing and fit whilst appearing slightly more realistic. But also, it is a film, and a good one at that in my opinion, and yes to complain about something as specific as this really goes to show how good the film is. I find this to be an issue that pervades most cinema, not just 'The Northman', but it just seemed particularly evident in this film given the emphasis on historical accuracy and context. All that being said, I am only human, and I too do enjoy seeing a shirtless Skarsgard as much as the next human.

[@mcgoose258]

I did chuckle to think that an actual viking would probably look at shirtless Alexander Skarsgård and back up nervously. not just because he's shredded, but merely being that shredded says things about his diet and lifestyle that would be super impressive to ancient peoples

[@euansmith3699]

I liked Jimmy's juxtaposition of the shredded Skarsgård and the mighty Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson.

[@Lurklen]

I mean, it's still a movie. I doubt most people in that age were movie star good looking, or spoke so clearly without the occasional "Um" or misspoken word. Hell, most fights do not have any semblance of choreography, and lighting rarely follows a person so that they are always readable to an observer. Rarely do you get to have a dramatic conversation without some silly interruption, and sexual encounters are rarely so tidily arranged as they are in film. That's just the cost of making something to entertain instead of to document or witness. The stories this was based on were the highlight reel of their reality, and I've no doubt the men and women were stronger and prettier and braver and impossibly better in them than the reality for those times as well. In that vein one might consider the nearly impossible level of physical fitness an accurate detail to the tale, if not to the time.

[@gwalchmai9638]

Guys, he is supposed to be a hero from a saga. Of course he is supposed to seem better than most men. It's the whole point of epic stories,, talking about people who are above the simple mortal. If you come to this level of nickpiking (sorry, I'm French) it must be that the movie is very good on all other domains ^^

[@mcgoose258]

@@gwalchmai9638 it didn't bother me, I just found it amusing. the movie also intentionally disguises the difference between Amleth's observations and his imagination, so you could easily explain any exaggeration as possibly being his perception of things, and not necessarily real

[@catherinerw1]

Do we need to find you a key to their props store? ;-)

[@eazy8579]

Let’s start looking; I want some of those clothes and maybe the fancy helmet and some of those swords

[@TheWelshViking]

Maaaaaaaaybe

[@SSRT_JubyDuby8742]

A well treated breakdown of the film, thankyou. It's awful being either an expert or keen hobbyist when watching a film which 'covers' your subject, it makes it extremely difficult to get caught up in the story for the garing errors, for me it's people playing musical instruments. I take solace in the fact that most really don't know, care or even seeing it if it is pointed out. Like deployed 👍

[@jasminearch8632]

Cue me yelling at literally every hospital drama 😁 Isn't it fun though?

[@GallowglassVT]

Honestly, one of my favourite parts was where they directly quote a line from The Havamal, not just for fluff or fan service, but in relation to the overarching plot. Like, it would have been so easy to turn into mystic mumbo-jumbo guff, but they actually linked it in with the thematic elements. That being said... why the hell are they using those kind of frame drums? That's something modern pagans have appropriated from the Sami and Native American/First Nations cultures. Like, it's not like we don't have physical evidence of the drums that existed at the time. Why, Robert?

[@SoloTravelerOffTheBeatenPath]

What do you mean? The Sami were living in Scandinavia at the same time as the Vikings. You really think they didn't interact and trade with each other?

[@derionone]

Alot of europe Used drums since antique times ofc it would spread

[@albertito77]

It’s highly probable that the Norse borrowed elements from the Sami

[@SoloTravelerOffTheBeatenPath]

@@albertito77 I’m sure they did. The opposite is also highly probable as well.. The Sami migrated into northern Scandinavia from what is now Russia only about 2000 years ago. Meanwhile the Germanic Tribes (Nords) had been living in Scandinavia for well over 8000 years. Yet the Sami are called the “indigenous” ones. It’s quite bizarre.

[@GallowglassVT]

@@SoloTravelerOffTheBeatenPath the Sami were in Scandinavia long before any Germanic people in the region. In fact, there's genetic evidence to suggest they've been there since the end of the last ice age, though the language arrived later with Finnic migration (both are Uralic languages). The proto-Norse on the other hand probably didn't arrive until around 4000 years ago.

[@mercianthane2503]

You know what's sad, Jimmy? We might not get another film like this, in which the director attempts to bring accuracies to a nordic themed movie.

[@alexanderavalon1115]

The costuming was absolutely stunning, but historic accuracy be darned. Alexander Skarsgård in leather briefs was definitely the best bit of consuming in The Northman.

[@TheWelshViking]

"Doesn't this objectify me?" Yes, Alexander. Puttemonn.

[@ninaroy5574]

I would think leather speedos would be de rigueur, considering the kinds of activities they were involved in, in those days, just like cowboys and chaps! This was an important film because of the historical artifacts that were replicated, the revisiting of the story of Hamlet but also, the efforts in bringing to light more aspects of the culture of the Vikings that some of us aren't as aware of. Can someone confirm if this happened during pre-Christian Viking era? I can't imagine all the cult of the occult and in particular, the rite of passage ceremony being allowed by the Church, once you adhere to christianity.

[@jayneterry8701]

@@ninaroy5574 thank you for putting in words a train of thought when Jimmy mentioned all the blood sacrifice . That was the old me. I've seen ( and been affected by years of battle scenes etc) At animal sacrifices; horses!! ✋

[@rickc-arelsii6276]

I'm a gay man and I have to say that leather speedos arem't a deal breaker for me. I'm glad that the film was trying to be accurate and your excitement for the details was palpable and infectious to a degree. Thanks for the video and pointing out these things for someone who really had no idea. Slán.

[@airo30]

IMO, the best part is where he kills the Draugr. According to the saga, there is only one ways to finally kill a draugr. And he did it!

[@smeastwest]

I've seen The Witch, and I haven't seen this movie, but from your description I'm not sure I like how Eggers writes women. I think it's difficult for men in particular to write women historically, without either turning them into a plot device for the man (eg. Braveheart), toughened up for a modern audience as their only character trait (eg. Keira Knightly in King Arthur), or villainized (The Witch). It probably doesn't help that there isn't as much surviving evidence of women's lives and their personalities from history. The pitfall of the thousands of years of patriarchy. Still... That being said, I'm really excited to hear and see costuming departments in movies upping their authenticity game. I truly believe it's because of people like you, who knows your shit, constantly calling them out on it. I hope it's a trend that continues!

[@SweetArmadillo361]

"Nobody in this film is likable" Amleth and Olga are.

[@meepitydoodle]

I squealed when you mentioned the tablet weaving - I've developed a slight obsession with it this year hah. I feel it's so unknown to a lot of people and it's just so incredible!

[@thecoolestguyeverer]

Something I really enjoyed were the callbacks to Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks with the sword having very strict conditions to being drawn, and the prophesized draug barrow. It's a really underappreciated saga in my opinion, and i'm glad someone with some filmmaking power read it (even if it was just the Hervararkviða). Too bad there was a migration-era barrow in... iceland (as cool as it wouldve been to see Hamlet fight some very pissed of Irish Papar).

[@TheWelshViking]

I tried not to notice that. I did end up whispering "how the f*** did he get there?" in the cinema.

[@ragnhildmd5063]

I remember one thing i found to be a major plot hole in the movie, considering the sword's conditions in the movie. It could only be drawn at night/when it's dark. However, the story is supposed to take place in Iceland... During summer... (and the only reason there is any darkness at night in the movie is because those scenes were filmed in Ireland)

[@thecoolestguyeverer]

@@ragnhildmd5063 i didnt even think about that hahahaha

[@almandragoran]

Didn’t it look more like an early Vendel period boat grave? As far as I’m aware, we have no crested helmets in Scandinavia from the migration period, or boat/ship graves with that kind of content. To me it looked like a somewhat beefed up late 6th/early 7th century boat grave.

[@berthulf]

"Inside you are two wolves, they both howl and wear leather speedoes." Perfect. Perfect. A round of applause for you, good sir! I choose to believe the berserkers thought they were legitimate shapeshifters and their Wolf Armour was supposed to be a lycanthropic form. And I'm sure we agree that wearing armour and assaulting a position is absolutely knackering, even in LH/Reenactment and LRP.

[@alekssavidge7738]

I would looove one of these kinds of videos for The Green Knight (I really liked its adaptation from the original poem, like the symbolic emphasis on the colonization of Scotland) and while I'm CERTAINLY not an expert I really enjoyed the costumes in that film! These kinds of critique/review videos aren't usually my jam but I genuinely enjoy hearing what you have to say and hearing your opinion. Thank you for making great videos! I always learn something! (Sidenote: feels weird that there are two Robert Eggers movies where Willem Dafoe has to act like a dog. What does it all mean...)

[@AstheCrowTries]

I feel like I need to watch this like all Eggers' movies: At home where I can pause CONSTANTLY to screech over details. Also I'm both flabbergasted and delighted that he's really making his oeuvre in meticulously propertied and wardrobed historical stories with bananas fantasy elements that ALMOST (but don't) throw the first bit out the window. Actually interested in watching this now (and think warmly on elderly weavers in Poland).

[@sannepedersen3649]

More power to polish weavers!

[@SolisScriptorivm]

I loved the movie and was very much looking forward to learn more about the details from you. Thank you for being thorough as always! This was great.

[@solveigw]

Happy belated birthday :) I'm not really a fan of excessive amounts of blood and gore on screen (or irl for that matter...), so I probably won't see the movie, but thank you for screen shots and references. (I was forever scarred watching the opening scene of Luc Bessons Joan of Arc in 1999. It's probably quite accurate and horrific in terms of how the vikings behaved on raids, but a little too much realism for my 19 year old heart to endure)

[@dustinakadustin]

I love how excited you are about the attention to detail. The bit that excited me the most was seeing colourful clothes and clean people in a medieval film for once. I really enjoyed the berserker raid, just cause it was a really engaging action sequence, same with the final action fight in the volcano, very Revenge of The Sith😂. I really enjoyed the story and characters, acting was really good, just an all around excellent film. Robert Eggers has once again knocked it out of the park.

[@maleahlock]

Yes! I kept waiting for the whhrrumm of a light sabre 🤣

[@jakubfabisiak9810]

Well, Beowulf in the poem fights Grendel naked (mainly to show off), so it wasn't out of character...

[@crispytoast6936]

I kept wanting to yell, "but you were the chosen one!" It was a great fight.

[@SeerWalker]

spoilers! i was so hoping you would mention the last scene with olga and her giant babies where it looked like her tortoise brooches were halfway down her chest? that's haunted me since i saw the film. i really did enjoy it though, i got far too excited when i saw gudrún tablet weaving (albiet somehow without any weft thread)

[@TheWelshViking]

Oh, I forgot that bit! Yeah, that was a disappointing miss from wardrobe I guess

[@gwalchmai9638]

I'd say it's a vision of Amleth who fantasises her in this sexy way :)

[@ragnhildmd5063]

Aside from everything you mentioned in the video, i discovered a major plot hole in the movie itself. The limitations around the sword Amleth uses to kill Fjolnir states that it can only be unsheathed when the sun has gone down/it's dark. However, based on how green it is in the movie, the entire revenge part is supposed to take place in Iceland.... During summer.....

[@TheWelshViking]

Ohoho!

[@ragnhildmd5063]

@Must play yeah, i agree. Can't say the plot hole ruined anything for me. I just found it quite funny.

[@ragnhildmd5063]

@Must play hah, that's true. Most revenge plots are very straight forward like that. I agree about the plot, and it isn't something that really exited me either. However, i think i would've preferred it if i had read it instead. I have to say though, that there are other sagas that i like much more, like the saga about Gunnlaug Ormstunga (which we had to read as part of curriculum in high school). Though all norse sagas are fairly straight forward imo, especially in the way they're written.

[@theoldsaxon6484]

There isn't a plot hole there. When he's dying and looking up at the sky, the smog rolls away and it's clearly a night sky.

[@ragnhildmd5063]

@@theoldsaxon6484 yes, but here's the thing. There isn't any darkness at night time during summer in Iceland. The island is within the arctic circle ad therefore has the midnight sun during summertime. The only reason why there is night time in the movie is because those scenes were shot in Ireland.

[@atelierthhun1165]

Now all I need is highly coloured picture book of all the accurate/believable stills from the film. Many thanks Jimmy, Happy birthday and I politely anticipate the promised pants.

[@shadowdramon01]

Kinda off-topic (I’ll just say, I really enjoyed this movie), but what’s up with that Valkyrie with markings on her teeth that made it look like she was wearing braces? What are those?

[@TheWelshViking]

Oh mate yeah, see my video on carved teeth. That's what they're meant to be, but did not translate well on screen and out of context!

[@amtmannb.4627]

I did like the film although I thought that it would touch me a bit more. But we loved the coherence of the story. I thought too: "wow, the vikings had a lot of time to go in a fitness studio". A sailor, worker in hard labor etc. never looks like those berserkers from that movie... However unfortunately the film was not successfull from a commercial point of view and therefore I suppose that there will not come more authentic viking adventures...

[@crispytoast6936]

What I'm hoping for is some more interest in being more authentic looking even in lower budget films, or in television.

[@jonnil1997]

Eggers himself does admit that their bodies are pretty unrealistic tho.

[@honorableviking1570]

When talking about the felt masks do you guys think it was literally just used because it was so cold up there? lol just something I thought of.

[@azteclady]

"the chaffing...THE CHAFFING" I love your commentary because you strive for fairness, including saying, "we don't know, so this thing that looks off-the-wall, could certainly be what happened, because we just don't know what they did, only know what material goods have survived the centuries" (paraphrasing, obvs)

[@Meme_tlg_69]

The runic inscription on the blade is wrong, they got the elder and younger mixed up. I forget exactly what it was, but I think they spelled a younger futhark word with elder futhark runes.

[@liberatedlady4689]

I finally had gotten to see the Northmen yesterday. Have been experiencing high heat where I am am needing a break for a bit. Loved this movie, my love for Vikings and all things related (have even lived in Iceland for 2 years 😁) I had found myself fascinated seeing the materials and the stitching and watching Ms Kidman tablet weaving, I was floored. I am actually excited to see this one again, to see even more on the background and such. Thank you as always Jimmy for another amazing take on this movie.

[@RyanRyzzo]

Bärsückkäre warriors - forgotten heroic trope :D "And so did Olof, his head sucked by two bears, smite and lay waste to and fro most mightily upon and besides the enemy for reasons not quite apparent." - Boing Edda, Barsukkirmal 3

[@bartolomeothesatyr]

You can't call that heroic trope forgotten, it's still well-known at leather bars and Turkish baths.

[@MagicalShift]

As someone who is an artist and crafter focusing on nålbinding I think it's amazing that they had Runa D Fjellstad to make socks. She's amazing and worth all the credit.

[@GeorgeEarlFranklin]

Hello. I recently read Eaters if the Dead and loved it. I was wondering if there was any other literature that was similar to it? Or viking related stories that i would like.

[@danzigrulze5211]

The fact that the valkyrie's teeth wear actually filed, was really impressive. Sure it wasn't ever mention that the filings were dyed, but I think they did that because it looks better on film. Now that I really do appreciate. So many things in the movie just amazed me visually.

[@ПаніПончик]

I can't find the source, but did read once that the filed grooves were stained for an effect

[@schmawa]

I actually think the name of the slavic guy (mentionned at 3:33) who hand-weave fabrics may be Mikhail Starikov and his shop is "OldCraft". I'm maybe wrong but it fits the description.

[@TheWelshViking]

That’s him and his brother!

[@menkemeijer8698]

so glad someone else hates those stupid blue filters that make colours wrong. I don't need a blue filter to feel the gravity of things. (also the filter gives me a headache)

[@AnnieTangerine8714]

@thewelshviking how did the angel of death and/or viking priestess dress? I actually only know the awful clichés from series and films with fantasy costumes and make up. But have no idea how they would probably look like

[@TearfulMoon]

It's so funny that one mention about berserkers not wearing armor turned into what it is today. It's like fan fiction. One time some character from the original work mentions some minor detail and fic writers will absolutely turn it into that character's whole personality and make allusions to that detail so often you'll roll your eyes each time you see it.

[@paulmitchell3877]

I have a question. In the manufacturing of the pile woven cloak, is the hair (wool) that is woven in sheep’s.

[@TheWelshViking]

Yep

[@jasontanner9755]

I thought it played out well as a Saga. It was a "Fairy Tale". And yes, one of the first things I did was remark on the hand sewn seams of the dresses and tunics.

[@lexeiburton]

Jimmy, what did the emphasis on Amleth's daughter mean, in the tree of life, in the episode when the Amleth floats away from Olga? Why on the daughter, and not on the son? Has she become the Queen of Orkney?

[@TheWelshViking]

She's meant to be Olga of Kyiv I think

[@lexeiburton]

If the action of the film begins in 895, and Princess Olga ruled in Russland in 945-960, then this is quite suitable. Thank you, Jimmy, for the logical tip! 😉

[@TheWelshViking]

No worries! She looks a lot like images of her irl so that seems to be it :)

My personal theory is that the wolf armour is them shapeshifting into wolves and having magic protection as such, but over time the recipe and rites got lost and that's why people don't do it anymore.

[@BlueEyedBrunette]

This episode has been out for a few weeks now, but didn't the Lord of the Rings movies have rivet mail? I remember it was handmade, link by link, but not if rivet or not. (The fact that the maker wore his fingerprints off is what stuck with me.)

[@ktheterkuceder6825]

Yeah the modern riped bodybuilder type got me too. Just have him lean,broad shouldered,barrel chested and chunky. Also hafthor is a strongman not an average norse. Editing: he must be medium height. Not tall not short.

[@mmedujard]

I don't know if I spotted it wrong, but did Nicole Kidman wear heeled shoes? I thought I spotted heels when the queens body was carried away...

[@TheWelshViking]

Whaaaaat!

[@binkymagnus]

I like your theory the vegvisir was Eggers trolling us. I loved the little Arabic coin Amleth wore. It was a nice detail and a great way to mark the character.

[@JohnnyH1982]

A cool pedantic point to make: Watch Conan the Barbarian (1982) with Arnold Schwarzenegger side by side with this film, they track similarly. For ex: The entire scene with the underground mound has to be a nod to the scene where Conan finds his sword (without the sword fight of course). I think Eggers even said that Conan was very much an unconscious influence on the film as well.

[@Melvaius]

I'm really looking forward to seeing this, hopefully one day we'll get Hrolf Kraki's Saga done with just as much attention to detail. Who doesn't want to see a massive bear wrecking house after all hahaha.

[@afterzanzibar]

Can you please tell me the gauge of steel of your helmet in the background and where you got it from. Also, do you have any videos on the steele gauge thickness of actual viking age helmet finds? Thank a bunch.

[@maleahlock]

Oh, Happy Birthday Mate! I hope your move is going well.

[@sherryball5570]

can you talk more about the "sagas" im trying to read the proseta but having trouble undersanding it.

[@brendamchenry5697]

You have made me want to go to a movie for the first time in years. I really need to upgrade my kit. Happy belated birthday 🎂

[@MrJackryanjr]

Pedantic detail critique: The landscape of Iceland at that time would have been forest and farmland. Love this review! Thanks for pointing out all the precise, material details and the highlighting the tropes and departures from the source material.

[@anska7475]

Wait, so in regard to the lament, everybody is quoting a movie that nobody remembers? I‘d never thought the 13th warrior had any impact whatsoever as it seems to be largely forgotten. Dreary, grim tale set in a dreary, grim world with dreary, grim weather is a thing that just simply works, I guess, as a short cut to set the mood. If the same tale is set in a light-filled, colorful surrounding, the difference between set and story might feel more like a comment on the story (showing moral decline or shallowness etc) than a setting to enhance it. So, turning the argument around, are there any none-grim stories set in the time that would benefit from all the lovely colors? Anyway, „make it 45 minutes longer and cut out half the gore“ has to be my new favorite movie review. =)

[@muurrarium9460]

Everybody has seen (and forgotten) the 13th warrior afaik 'Honey, its made of honey' was more or less the highlight of "new guy knows best" boredom-filled flick. Is wasn't bad, it just never let you connect with any of the actors on a visceral level, everybody was just a touch too cliche.

[@beth12svist]

I've seen and haven't forgotten 13th Warrior, although there definitely are moments in it I wish I could forget. Mostly, though, I think people like to act like it was terrible, because objectively it is, while secretly liking it, which is roughly my case. :D

[@muurrarium9460]

@@beth12svist I loved the little horse :) I have always been an Antonio Banderas-fan, but it was hard to like his character. But the overall tone of the film was just too depressing, just lots of mud, gore and despair.

[@beth12svist]

@@muurrarium9460 Yeah, pretty much. That, and it has an awfully uneven tone where at times it really can't decide if it wants to be grimdark, or super-cheesy.

[@muurrarium9460]

@@beth12svist Nicely put, I think you got it spot on!

[@user-yo1fb1kg4omykehiggs]

Hi Jimmy, I've not seen the film yet, but the question you posed about his tunic round the guy's waist, When I was in re-enactment if it was hot/too warm I'd roll my tunic with the arms wide and wrap it round my waist for ease of carriage! Not perhaps historically accurate but it worked! So maybe...?

[@TheWelshViking]

How? Did you have a really wide neckline? Because he's not just done the school boy round the waist thing, he's still *in* the tunic and it's round his waist

[@HYSTERIA-ee2re]

Hopefully this will be the precursor to more historically accurate clothing weapons Armor jewellery architecture and other nuanced things in TV and films set in this time period even if it's fantasy they could still dress them in accurate atire.

[@ac1646]

I've been binge watching your vids. Your enthusiasm and joy in this one is lovely to see.😁😁 Diolch.

[@SIMPLIFYDrawingandPainting]

Not seen it yet and I love Robert Eggers previous work, but I think he missed a trick. I reckon he should have had Amleth becoming a Varangian Guard like Harald Hardrada, instead of a berserker? Probably more historically accurate and a few scenes of Constantinople with some darker skinned people might of shut all the nazis up? Mind you, would have cost a lot more to film.

[@TheWelshViking]

Haha, but imagine the CG palace! So cool!

[@sosukeaizen7028]

Well, as an Orthodox Christian and part Norsk, I second that idea.

[@giggityskull8986]

What nazis are you talking about bruh?

[@giggityskull8986]

Are you referring to people who are of European heritage who are NOT nazis and just love seeing their heritage portrayed historically accurate on a film?

[@giggityskull8986]

Also do you know what a nazi is? It's a person who is a member of the National Socialist German Workers Party. Are you saying there are 1930s Nazis liking this movie??

[@talscorner3696]

Really enjoyed the video ^^ Somewhat unrelated question: where did you get your rings?

[@TheWelshViking]

They're from a lovely chap called George Easton who runs a shop called Danegeld :)

[@SwagHaz]

23:00 the splinted armor on the forearm and the greeves did exist in the valsgärde 8 mound (in the vendel age which is well the period where the torslunda plates come from) so i disagree i think its a really nice detail and i think it fits otherwise great video

[@TheWelshViking]

In a Migration era mound in Iceland? I think not ;)

[@SwagHaz]

wait a sec why would there be a migration era mound in iceland

[@TheWelshViking]

Zaaaaactly

[@almandragoran]

@@TheWelshViking Is it a Migration era mound though? Seems more early Vendel period to me, with the boat/ship, the helmet (do we have any Migration era crested helmets?) and the sword which looked similar to something like Valsgärde 8 to me.

[@EmperorProtects2025]

I'm definitely super late to this, but does anyone know where you could get an authentic viking age tunic ?

[@TheWelshViking]

Old Craft Wool based in Georgia make some lovely ones

[@1106gary]

Which Georgia is that? @@TheWelshViking

[@nicholasbenjamin3826]

I liked that the characters did not act like 21st-American suburbanites doing cosplay. Slavery is there, our hero does not oppose it (or the inevitable rapes) in an attempt to become more relatable. When offered the chance to not die at the mountain, and live as Mr. Anya Taylor-Joy, our hero choses to die at the mountain. So many modern depictions of the Norse turn them into super-Progressive diversity-loving feminists, and they weren't. They weren't even less evilly sexist than the Catholics, they were just differently evilly sexist. I hated the color-grading. You can't even make out what's on the King's flag, which defeats the purpose of a flag.

[@paulreveresluggage3921]

What's the problem with fjolnir wearing lamellar? Assuming these guys are rich, well traveled warriors it could have been bought or taken in battle from somewhere farther east.

[@TheWelshViking]

But y tho? Mail was easier to make and repair, better, and had social cache. Lamlar didn't

[@paulreveresluggage3921]

@@TheWelshViking I view it as visual exposition. I see a set of eastern armor so know I know this guy has fought and traveled far and wide and maybe likes trying out with other country's equipment. Also, maybe it is technically inferior to mail armor, but it's still armor and its not like a 10 against 1 fight puts him in much danger.

[@TheWelshViking]

@Must play Thy were required to be kitted out by official Imperial armouries there though. Standardised equipment ftw!

[@sikyr3329]

A scene that I liked was the ball game (knattleikr) scene which apparently is an actual sport played in viking age Iceland, and after that at the feast people wore flower hats if I remember correctly. Don't know if that could be a viking age thing but flower hats are being worn in sweden during midsummer festivities

[@gallowglass2630]

Sikyr There is a modern sport played in ireland called hurling that looks similar to that game.Its not very popular in Northern Ireland or the northern part of the republic more southern half of the island ,but its very popular in the locality where they filmed that scene. legends and written accounts suggest an irish origin for hurling,but neverthess its quite remarkable how similar it is to knatleikr

[@sikyr3329]

@@gallowglass2630 they're without doubt related!

[@Thed538dhsk]

Thank you for starting off and ending with props. Love your videos. Its nice to see you give praise to the lots of hardwork that went into making this film :)

[@sirencreed]

I was so excited for this movie while simultaneously holding no expectations for it. I loved seeing it with friends so we could laugh at one well set-up fart joke and I could ramble about tortoise brooches and the Norn's drop spindle spinning. Would I ever watch it again? Probably not. It had lots of things I personally disliked, and a lot of bloated scenes of Amleth skulking thru the night with gamer neck, so there's very little for me to go back for. But I'll always be happy that the clothing was orgasmically correct.

[@sirencreed]

@GiRayne As I said, it's things I personally dislike. Trippy psychedelic sequences, revenge stories in general, etc. And I didn't find either of the women's stories to be particularly "feminist" although I enjoy Anya Taylor-Joy in anything and Nichole Kidman's character was fascinatingly complex. I didn't find Amleth to be someone particularly worth rooting for, and there wasn't nearly enough time for any chemistry to grow between him and Olga. None of those things may ruin the film for other people, but they were things I just don't care to watch again, as gorgeous as I found a few individual shots and appreciate the research put into the material culture. It's probably a perfectly good movie overall, just not made for me, and that's fine. I got what I wanted out of it most.

[@countdooku75]

@GiRayne the films sympathies are not at all “clear” in the way you’re describing, you’re projecting your personal (and explicitly modern) politics on to it.

[@kurokumo8169]

Did you just put a picture of Edwin Booth for Hamlet? I just checked Google you did.

[@FrankStormcatcher]

I was tickled by the fact the the old due acting as a volva was in drag - inaccurate, yes, but still a nod to the sensibilities of the time. Possibly suggestive of channeling Oðinn? In any event, I had fun watching the film, and will enjoy watching it again to immerse myself in the details. :)

[@krysab6125]

Credited as 'He-witch' as well, with a pair of tortoise brooches!

[@bernadmanny]

It's because 'women's magic' was powered by semen, how do men aquire semen one asks, well that was part of the conversation of the time.

[@shironerisilk]

I really want to know what you think about the whole theory concerning Amleth's daughter (the ''Maiden King'' mentioned by Björk The Seer) being St. Olga of Kiev. Considering the segments in the land of the Rus, her mother's name being Olga and her characterization being exactly the same as the popular images of Olga of Kiev (with the crown and the veil) and Olga of Kiev being known for her revenge, I think that's what Eggers was going for indeed.

[@TheWelshViking]

Oh yeah, I think for sure that's what he was going for. I noted the crown at the screening now you remind me! and thought it was a pretty nifty little touch.

[@hotspurre]

I haven't seen it yet (I really don't want to sit in the theater at this point, just plain not ready for that,) a friend of mine who is very into Norse recreation saw it and loved it, so I'm glad you found a lot to like in the movie. It does sound amazing as far as the artifacts and plotting goes. Regarding the note about Seithr, as I recall in Lokasenna Loki accuses Odin of disguising himself as a woman to learn it, so yeah, that goes way back, at least legendarily.

[@bartolomeothesatyr]

It's weird Loki would taunt Odin for practicing seiðr in the Lokasenna, considering the Gylfaginning has Loki turning himself into a mare to seduce the stallion Svaðilfari to keep its unnamed owner from completing the walls of Asgard within the agreed-upon time and thus cheat him out of the agreed-upon payment, an episode which led to Loki giving birth to Odin's eight-legged horse Sleipnir. Norse mythology is wild.

[@Kuhmuhnistische_Partei]

Eh... and also: could you maybe write the word out you use at 7:35? Something like vara feltr? Warafeldar? I would like to look into it, but it's difficult without the right term. :D

[@TheWelshViking]

Varafeldur I believe is the modern one :)

[@Kuhmuhnistische_Partei]

@@TheWelshViking Thank you!

[@user-eq8ww1gr6v]

Charging into battle holding the sword backwards with no shield is the only part I felt took me out of the immersion. Loved the film, it was awesome!

[@Sothpawable]

@thewelshviking I have a question about the Oseberg Band. Do you have any professional knowledge as to why there are 3 yellow bands on one side and only 2 on the other? I have a theory from a crafter/gifters perspective but I'm curious if you have knowledge or a professional theory.

[@jakubfabisiak9810]

To me it felt like listening to a sagea. In the Volsung saga, Sigurd meets Odin, and fights the dragon, Fafnir. He tests the reforged sword Garm, by splitting an anvil with it down to the base. And that is presented as fact in the sagas. In that way, the fantasy elements in The Northman work just as well as if you were watching a saga.

[@inregionecaecorum]

I can guarantee you that actually happened, I was employed as the court photographer to the Volsungs, unfortunately the negatives got lost in a house move.

[@mmedujard]

What I thought is not really correct (but correct me if I'm wrong), are the wooden buildings in Iceland. As far as I know until the 19th century the peasants lived in kind of hobbit-like earth holes coverd with gras sods (or was it built with turf?) , because there was such a wood shortage on Iceland... even wooden furniture was scarce. As well I doubt that there was a hole birch wood there? Or has the vegetation changed in the last 1000 years there?

[@TheWelshViking]

There are a lot of turf houses but yeah, that's a good point!