Wait... They Did Vikings ACTUALLY WELL for Once??
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- čas přidán 3. 06. 2022
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When I first saw the trailer for The Northman (2022) my initial reaction was "oh great, yet another generic revenge story", and I expected them to butcher Viking Age culture and equipment, stripping any semblance of historical accuracy, replacing it with tired old fantasy tropes.
But I was wrong. The movie is surprisingly realistic and well researched. Also entertaining, well directed and acted overall.
So let's dive into some things I noticed in particular about the representation of history in this film.
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"When you think about it, berserkers were basically drug fueled real life furries of the Viking age" - Skallagrim, 2022
So we can use this in an essay I assume ?
@@mikepette4422 Yes, and be sure to call it the "Viking" age to be historically accurate like Skallagrim was here
@Kestrel
So the ancient version of bath salt fueled Florida man.
"Don't you dare quote me on that... This is not a statement backed by historical sources." -Skallagrim, 2022 literally a second after lol
When i heard "don't quote me on that", i knew i made a mistake. I knew i shouldn't have pause the video right away so i can quickly tweet what he just said.
Also, when he killed the draugar he put the head between the buttocks, which is how you set undead spirits free in the Icelandic Sagas. I was really impressed by that.
Why?
It's funny because, here in the modern world, most of the undead spirits (woke zombies) already have their heads firmly planted inside their buttocks and they don't seem to be set free at all. They remain steadfastly chained to their insane beliefs.
@@regulus6773 maybe similar to the concept of souls is store in the anus of the Japanese?
@@regulus6773 because that draugr was an asshead.
In the Saga of Grettir the Strong he uses a rope to go down in a burial mound of a draugur/ ghost to retrieve treasure and ends up cutting off the head and placing it against the mound-dwellers buttocks. Here are some footnotes from the book: "Ghosts in the sagas have physical substance and several instances are recorded of ritually placing a ghost's head between its buttocks to 'kill' it. Grettir does the same with the ghost of Glam in chapter 35." This theme of going down into a burial mound for treasure and killing a ghost in this way seems to be prevalent for heroes in many Icelandic Sagas.
Something to mention of the Draugr, is that he is wearing Migration Period kit. His sword is 300 years older in design, his helmet resembles more a 6th century Spangenhelm with a boar crest and cheek plates like the Beowulf poem describes. That is good attention to detail
migration period designs or vendel period work is amazing. easily my favorite period
Now I’m interested in learning more about the Vikings. Any recommendations for a starting point, fellas?
@@yunarukami14 start with the germanic tribal age and learn everything you can there first. Its such a large period of amazing history that gave birth to the viking age. Through the germanic tribes you watch the vikings origins unfold then you will have a much better understanding of the political and cultural side of things. Check out topics like Rome in Germania, the frankish and saxon wars, Charlemagne's conquering of germania, the massacre of Verden, and so much more. Look up ancient texts like Germania by Tacitus. Not always reliable but it's a source on the germanic age.
@@yunarukami14 keep in mind with the Germanic tribes theres a lot of broad information but there are so many other tribes not mentioned as much that are fun to read about. Unfortunately some of them we don't have as much information on as the larger tribes that lasted longer.
@@corytucker6668 Thank you very much for the insightful information. Btw, do you have a Discord acc?
I think the Northman hit that sweet spot between authenticity and old norse tales perfectly
It's an Eddas, it's a Legendary story of Amleth. it's not supposed to be real. It's the legend that inspires Hamlet.
@@Spite_Lip It is loosely based on the story of Amleth told by Saxo Grammaticus as far as I remember, and a lot of things happen differenty so it's not the same story in the movie, only inspired by it
The north man was fucking horrible.
@@soundchamber2696 You're horrible.
@@soundchamber2696 I disagree.
Glad you enjoyed it. I like this honest quote from Eggers about it.
"This movie is not 100% accurate-that’s impossible in any period, and particularly something like 1,000 years ago. And I can’t be 100% unbiased. But I’m trying my best to both represent the physical and material world as it could have been, and to articulate the Viking mindset without judgement. That is definitely what I’m trying to do."
It's not meant to be historically accurate. it's the cinema version of an Eda, lyrical legend. Concerning Amyleth, the protagonist that inspired Hamlet from Shakespeare.
Eastern Slavs in that time were pagans not christians, the godess of earth (Morana) is a godess of death not life, that would be Živa. And so on (a mound with a draugr with anhronistic armor on Island*...). It's not a bad movie, but it is a history inspired adventure fantasy movie not a historical drama movie like it was propagated. Edit: Iceland*
@@valentintapata2268 But the Slavs in the movie were pagans, no? He even receives a prophecy from a Slavic seer
@@aronchai Olga is pagan, but the captured slaves are (at least one point) addressed as christians. The seer was also pagan, but she seemed to come from Papua new Guinea.
@@valentintapata2268 the slaves referenced (I assume you’re referring to the scene at the Icelandic farm when they say “their god is a corpse nailed to a tree”.) aren’t all Slavs. Most are probably from the British Isles. Forgive me if I’m wrong tho. Absolutely loved this film. Biased because I loved his last two as well specifically because his obsession to historical detail. But as he himself says it’s impossible to get everything right it’s a 1,000 bloody years ago and you’ve gotta take liberties. Definitely suggest watching interviews of Eggers explaining his process ✌🏻
There was a fantastic interview with a historian who worked with the director and how he really listened and wanted to make it authentic.
Too bad the director didn't get his wish.
@@romgl4513 what did the director want?
@@rubz1390 "...wanted to make it authentic."
@@romgl4513 You realize the story is based on a Scandinavian legend about Amleth, who was the inspiration for Hamlet... It's one of the authentic viking movies out there.
@@MyUniqueVibe I actually replied to someone saying it was based on the legend. Being the most authentic so far, probably, does not make it to be completely so. With the attempt at authenticity, the little discrepancies like female clothing on the hofgothi priest, or the tactical leather underwear, hurt the most.
the northman is already one of my favorite movies of all time because of how immersed you get in the history and mythology of the period. Wish there were movies like this about ancient Greece, Rome, Gaul, and well everywhere and when else...
facts
A celtic/gaulish saga would be interesting!!!
@@krakenpots5693 would love a Vercingetorix movie would be cool, and I mean a real one with historical accuracy (as much as is possible for Iron Age gaul). That would be amazing
If you looking for a good immersive movie like The Northman then you should wach "Il Primo Re" - "The First King". Its a movie about the first king of Rome, Romolo. Highly recommended.
There's this one show called "Barbarians" On Netflix that covers the events of the battle of Teutoburg Forest. It is fairly historically accurate, the only languages being spoken in the show are Latin and German (Not proto-Germanic, hard to find/teach actors to speak that)
Since the movie was based off the legend of Amleth, which Shakespeare's Hamlet was based off on, the revenge story makes sense. Plus the director stated that in his movies, if there does seem like mythological/magical elements, it's because the characters believe in said realities. Amleth believes in Odin, Valkyries, draugrs, etc., and thus it is present in the film, though in such a way that we don't know for sure if it is real or not. But, the fact the sword was unable to be drawn during the day, but that one guard, makes me believe in this movie, it is a fact of life - and remember, this story is based on the medieval Scandinavian legend, so it's not trying to be 100% realistic.
The fact this legend inspired Hamlet is interesting, a fact I did not know beforehand. When you compare the two, you can see similarities.
Exactly, it's historically accurate to the Eda. This is a tired critique of what is meant to be legend.
Yeah most people i see describe it as "just another vengeance story" usually cite a movie that is based on Hamlet, so its a little unfiar to call the Northman "just another" when its the grandpappy of the movie they think its a rip off of.
I love the surrealism in the movie. It was mostly very well done. Especially the bjork and the valkyrie scenes. But the draugr scene didn't really fit.
@@ww3032 The Draugr scene was awesome and handled perfectly.
@@anarki777 I thought it ended kinda weirdly.
This is indeed the crap I am looking for and no Jedi mind trick can tell me otherwise.
As for the berserker with the shield on his back, Olaf was clearly being thoughtful and bringing a spare along if someone needed it. Always thinking of others that Olaf.
Berserkr-chad
Gallowglass kerns picked up whatever they could on the field and carried it, spears swords shields, people look at kerns as lowly lowly class. there was a small poem about a strongest kern picking up a wagon wheel to throw down an incline as the wheel of death bore down toward the line, they parted paths, head gazed away lookng at the wheel. There gallowglass was already upon the enemy. So this tells me distractions was a key. Gallowglass didnt split that far off from vikings tactics.
he just forgot ;)
Or he wanted both hands free to climb the palisade when he got to it. And, if you play that scene until you see whatsisname using his axe to climb the wall, there's Olof Shieldonhisback climbing in the background.
No idea what he did with his shield afterwards, since the camera follows the man character, so maybe he did run into a slightly more prepared villager and get skewered.
On the other hand, if *I* were charging a fortified village and saw that I would have to climb over their walls (and, apparently, berserker union by-laws prohibit the use of pansy nithing gadgets like ladders or logs with steps cut in them) I might very well sling my shield so that I would not have to spend valuable time at the base of the palisade, where the defenders have a much easier time sticking arrows or spears in me, slinging the shield so I can climb their shitty palisade.
@@christopherreed4723 Dude it was a joke. No need to go all realistic on us.
I mean, who wouldn't want to show up to the battlefield rocking an epic "apple-pie-styled" armour, right?
Nein
Edit: Heckin OP did change that, but the og comment ended with a "richt?". So it was a mistake after all. What a lad.
Once you get close to the fire, you'll smell irresistible!
It'll distract your foes!
@@Halo_Legend just now I realized why you said this 🥴🤣
You will charge into battle looking both menacing and delicious.
I've been watching Robert Eggers for years. He's a history nerd that for some reason keeps making movies. The Witch took 5 years to research and when they built the sets he imported a period accurate roof thatcher and carpenter to build a period accurate farmhouse and just called it a film set. This surprises me not a whit.
Kinda disappointed by the number of people commenting that the story is "standard" or "generic" without realizing what it's an adaption of. Prince of "the Danes". Revenge quest. Protagonist's name is Amleth. Ring any bells? They even had him talk to Willem Dafoe's skull.
The problem is any story is going to be seen as standard or generic because we are so inundated with stories in today's age. Even the grandparents of genres fall prey to it.
It's like calling Tolkien's fantasy races generic, it's only "generic" because evryone have copied everything from it for decades.
It’s a shit movie 😂 I’ve watched it it was terrible
It feels generic and standard because of how it is presented.
I think it was terrible. Really dissapointed. I expected an epic story adventure and got some kind of weird dark generic revenge story. :-( I had been waiting to watch this movie.
The draugr scene was an amazing one, because after killing the draugr and placing the head in its arse, the camera spans back to the throne, displaying the just-now-killed draugr sitting on the throne, as it was before, only to fall apart after the sword was picked up. This gave me the impression that it was either imagination OR a test to see whether the character was worthy or not.
Also the scene where the vikings dance around a bonfire the night before the raid was a nice touch to display just how the berserkers could have thrown themselves into the battle rage, by consuming drugs and surrendering to the primeval nature by howling and dancing. It was great.
God, you’re so right about Assassin’s Creed.
I loved the first several games for their well-researched, immersive settings. And the weaving of historical figures and events into each story.
People complain about the gameplay shift whereas I dropped off as the historical authenticity faded away. Used to be my favorite series for having weapons that were mostly authentic and not the standard oversized swords or over-prevalence of katanas we usually get.
Well... AC1 is really the only game to get the armor and weapons of the medieval period correct. As for the more modern era games, like AC3 and Black Flag, they got the clothes and weapons pretty good there. But the armor and weapons of AC2, Brotherhood, and Revelations are about as fantasy as Odyssey's is: there's clear inspiration and a few sets of armor/weapons that are good, but the rest are complete hogwash.
i honestly enjoyed them more then the new ones, Odyssey wasn't that bad but it was a grindy game, valhalla was just straight up boring, i miss the old AC games bcuz their story was actually fucking interesting , Odyssey was nice too since i was really interested in finding out more about kassandra and why her brother had joined the cultists, Valhalla is literally just "We have to strengthen our tribe, so go do some chores for them"
@@PANCAKEMINEZZ Even AC3 and Black Flag get tons of things wrong. In Black Flag for example sailors seem to be non-existant.. Everyone on the ships is a regular soldier (don't get me started on the uniforms too. Utter dog shit) AC3 on the other hand is a poor portrayal of the American War of Independence and its lack of accuracy ruins the narrative which jumps so quickly in years and skips so many important events (whilst getting several very wrong).
AC1 and 2 I loved. 3 was my favorite solely for the gameplay (muskets. Just saying).
But I noticed 3s history went out the window.
Black flag was over rated af (decent, but over rated) and that's when I personally got tired of assassins creed.
You can interpret the scene where they charge the village differently. It seems that the very first row of the berserkers was supposed to climb the wall, kill the sentries and open the gate, so that the others could come in that way. That would explain why some of them wore shields on their back, to have them out of the way while climbing, while others, like the main character, had none, because they wanted additional agility.
They could still run up to the wall using the shield and then ditch the shield when climbing, no?
@@Lttlemoi Yeah, pretty much. I do get the reasoning however. But its silly not to use a shield when its right there.
@@Lttlemoi They want to use the shield later and not throw it away... (???) Doesn't that make sense.
@@anarki777 ok so put it on your back when you reach the wall
About leather helmets:
Here in czech republic, we actually have one artifact which we speculate might be a leather helmet, but it also could be a just a bucket.
It's called "Podivenova přilba", it was found in early medieval grave and it is made of leather and what would be top of a helmet is hard wood
Cool!
I think it's realistic to think that our ancestors in Europe overall used leather helmets as a cheaper option to the steel helmet. Same with leather armor. It's just that it disintengrates in the soil.
@@LordOfSweden leather as armour is shit, it is really easy to cut through… For it to work it needs to be treated in certain ways (cuirbolli) and that techniques first appears in europe much later. Leather in viking age archaeology is not rare, thousands of objects and fragments have been found, and non hints armour
@@EmilReiko It's better than nothing, especially combined with padding. I think it's very likely they used it. Would be logical. With layers of other clothing.
They've found some pieces of a leather armor. So we know someone did.
I have a theory about tall sheepskin cossack hats, and even top hats during the victorian era... I believe they were meant to provide a measure of protection from bladed weapons, especially if the strike was not a full force blow...
Your head could be protected from a lighter, chopping sword cut to the top of the head by the crumpling effect of a tall leather hat. It could form cushioning and create multiple layers of leather to prevent the cutting edge from getting through to the intended target.
Same with a good stiff top hat...a crack on the top of the head with a walking stick, cudgel or sword could be weakened to a tolerable level by a well-fitted hat.
In theory. My theory...as a professional armchair warrior!
Bram Stoker is the father of purposefully mixing real events to a fantasy setting. Dracula is full of actual events with a slightly different explanation. A few years before the book was printed, a wolf escaped from the London Zoo and was seen all over town. Stoker made that wolf his vampire which, by all accounts, creeped the hell out of Londoners reading the book that remembered the escaped wild animal.
I went in with high expectations for an action movie and I found myself astonished with all the poetic scenes in it. It is meant to be the movie version of a saga, not a viking movie, and seeing it that way made me appreciate it much more.
Also, the "cruelty scenes" (lets call them like that, ok?) were exceptionally well done. I mean when was the last time you've seen what really happens to captured women? This was some real grimdark, several moments were close to nauseating.
I feel like people often overlook the impact that a dose of reality can have on fiction. Like even for something like Skyrim, a realistically proportioned warhammer is six times more terrifying than the catoon wiffle bats that the game uses.
It's one of the reasons I love Dark Souls and Elden Ring. Amongst all the crazy fantasy stuff and flashy boss weapons, there's normal things like the Lucerne, Longsword, Estoc, etc. Same with the armors.
@@xXbrokenvoidXx seeing a accurate weapon makes the crazy stuff look cooler by having a baseline
I think your point about real life people wearing wool hats and shorts proves the point that this guy running with the shield on his back could very well could have been a real person. Because real people do stuff that isn't smart or efficient all the time.
Yeah, I can imagine a Berserker taking a shield and forgetting to actually use it in the thrill of battle
Sometimes there are also small thoughts that go unnoticed in hindsight, because we are thinking about it too hard.
Maybe the guy simply thinks that his ears get cold quicker than his legs. Which is not even implausible given that the latter are made of moving muscles.
That Berserker might simply have a shield, brought it with him and doesn't want to throw it away, just because he doesn't need it right now.
Finally someone said it. The mindset that every dialogue-every scene has to play out in a perfect and idealistic sequence is ridiculous. The CinemaSins culture of picking apart every little detail is extremely reductive, especially in this context.
Was a bit disappointed that he focused more on the shield bit than what this movie accomplished.
@Roniixx How about "Mad Jack Churchill" who actually killed a German soldier in WW2 with a bow and arrow...
@Roniixx meanwhile in Korea
"Admiral you are outnumbered several hundred to one I recommend disbanding the Navy"
"My liege it is not several hundred to zero"
I would love to know Skall's opinion on "A helmet has always been a good idea".
A painfully underrated masterpiece. For me, the best viking movie ever, if a little short.
Yes, please!
YES , very funny : czcams.com/video/pD-f45TbvEw/video.html&ab_channel=R%C3%A5detforSikkerTrafik
@@romgl4513 I think it was terrible. Im so tired of them always portraying our ancestors and weird, immoral, dirty, stupid etc they can never just make a good story with authentic style..
@@LordOfSweden have you even watched the clip in question?
Also, people have always been weird, immoral, dirty, stupid, etc.
As to authentic style, we don't really have any good first hand contemporary accounts of what they believed, the stories they told, etc. Unless someone would happen to know what Fjölsvinn whispered to Nannas husband, I'd say anyone who definitely claims to know what they believed/stories they told/etc is full of sh!t
Skall didn't mention the Valkyrie in the film, that some have criticized as being corny and anachronistic, until historians pointed out her design was an homage to the operas of Wagner and the romantic perception of Vikings during the 19th century. The director literally picked a mythological figure that brings legendary warriors in the afterlife, and gave her a look that evokes our own legends concerning Vikings. Absolutely brilliant.
What a bold move.
I think the director went more towards the descriptions of the Valkyries from the sagas (which were also Wagner's inspiration); she was wearing a swan cloak if I remember correctly. She also had filed teeth, which has been found on some bodies in Viking age graves in Scandinavia
"someone clearly researched..."
Yep, that is Robert Eggers alright... the self admitted glutton for historical research.
I highly recommend keeping an eye out for his previous films, VVITCH and Lighthouse and whatever he works on next. I have repeatedly seen that he's doing a Nosferatu remake. Which would be very interesting to see him take on that era with his insistence on historical accuracy.
I don't think he's gonna go through with it, he himself said he needs more experience as a movie director before he could tackle that one
Both the VVITCH and the Lighthouse were incredible. Couldn’t be more impressed by Eggers debut, especially considering how young he is. He has so much ahead of him.
@@CyVinci It's like watching a young Kubrick make his debut in movie making, he was also interested in making historical movies
I like about it how the supernatural parts are only supernatural because the people in the movie believe them to be and we see the plot throug their eyes. For example the sword has all the proper runes on it so the wielder believes it to be magical and awesome and probably so do the opponents he fights with it.
Just look at history, if your leader conveniently finds THE HOLY LANCE right before you're about to attack the Sarazens you're all hyped up because you cannot fail. Any old iron can be magical and amazing if you convince enough people (including yourself) that it is.
The sword could not be pull out of a scabbard during the day.
@@valentintapata2268 yeah, and even the guy who did not know the backstory of the sword could not pull it
It’s supernatural because it’s meant to be a saga
Saw it at the cinema, with my mom, who is an active Åsatru member. One of the reason we went to see it is because she knows many who have worked on clothes and jeweley for the movie. Damn intense experience, people barely spoke for the duration of the movie xD I need a to rewatch it
What is this Asatru?
@@ngastakvakis4425 Asatru (Icelandic: Ásatrú) is a religion which involves the worship of ancient Germanic spirits and Gods.
@@ngastakvakis4425 the belief in the norse gods (the human focused ones specifically like odin and thor, while not worshiping the vanir)
Thank you.
"People barely spoke" at the cinema is now a measure of high praise?!?? That's the minimum basic courteously I expect when watching a film in public (with a few exceptions like open air screenings).
The "no evidence of his cowardice" line had me dying
the fact that he said it like he was actually curious if that was his goal
I liked hearing Mike Stoklasa criticize the movie for the slaves and peasants not being dirty enough.
They're dirty sometimes, they're clean sometimes. It's the realistic depiction of filth.
People in the past would have been less "dirty clothes" much of the time (they washed their clothes regularly enough!) but more "worn out clothes". Clothes would typically be heavily patched or scruffy, due to the high labour costs of making clothing before the mechanisation of the textile industry, and especially before the development of mechanical looms.
@@Myndir A lot of people would have been highly skilled at repairing clothes though.
So assuming there was a decent match for the material available, anyone decently well supplied would have decent repairs.
Iceland was... less well supplied than most. Not quite wilderness but not exactly a craft shop either.
The director presents the story in his movies like a tale that people of the time would tell themselves at campfires: very realistic but with magical elements like the draugr or the sword. the lighthouse and the VVITCH was similar in that regard. I personally love that kind of storytelling.
Yes, Eggers is all about manifesting a certain historical mindset without much in the way of judgement. The VVitch is a Puritan's view of the world. The Lighthouse can be interpreted in many way, but it can be interpreted as a cautionary sailor's tale.
One thing that bothered me is that I find it incredibly hard to believe that Viking raiders could possibly maintain the caloric and exercise requirements to look like Alexander Skarsgaard did in the film. Having 9% body fat probably didn't help in the ancient Nordic winters.
If I hasn't been mentioned, the northman is based on the original story that inspired hamlet.
How uncreative.
Ian Price was an advisor for the film, and he is probably THE expert of the Viking Age and Viking culture. There were details in the film that were just so accurate. For example...the seer (a male) was wearing women's brooches, which is absolutely accurate. Male magicians wore women's clothing items.
Neil Price
I think Eggers did a wonderful job at incorporating mythology into the film. He didn't treat it like superstition, he gave it the respect the people of that time would have.
I have a bone to pick with you, @Skallagrim. My dissertation was just failed because I said "Berserkers were basically drug-fuelled real-life furries."
Problem is, Eggers usually does lower budget movies. This movie though was a studio produced movie with a considerably larger budget. What seems to have happened was that Eggers was forced to concede on some of his own filmmaking quirks and obviously historical accuracy. With the VVITCH he could go full on with the weird dialect and very accurate costumes, yet with this movie he was forced to concede to some of the more stereotypical hollywood tropes. If a studio is gonna pump tens of millions of dollars into a movie, they really want to make sure that it wont alienate 90% of the audience because its impossible to follow or in the case of lets say VVITCH where i can be very hard to understand what they are saying.
Eggers really is one of the greatest movie makers of our time and the Northman is great. As a dane, i was really impressed with how he emulates the Saga feel in the movie. We have a viking play every summer in my hometown and this movie feels like one of those plays (which are directly insipired by the sagas) but giving it a huge budget. Its not really a historical depiction as it as an interpretation of viking sagas that are put into a hollywood production.
Considering the restraints he was forced into, it is very impressive that he managed to stick to relative accuracy.
It may not be a documentary showing the true life of a viking, but in my opinion the director really seems to respect the feel and pace of a viking saga. Slow-paced, atmospheric, full of mystery and blending of mythology with real life, and finally the classic story of revenge and outwitting your opponent which is so common in sagas.
I truly respect his try at accuracy considering how many executives was standing behind him saying, "Could we please get some horns on those helmets? It would look so much better!"
Also worth noting is that the burial scene in the film is almost word for word portrayed as described by Ahmad ibn Fadlan, who attended a norse funeral during his travels.
I thought that the "magic" sword was a nod to the Ulberht sword and it was "magical" because it was made of steel not iron.
Hovever its a vendel era ringsword, there was no ulfberths around in that age… But im sure Its a nod to the cursed sword magical Tyrfing, that also has seathing/unseathing kinks. Regarding the “backstory” of the sword: There is also a nod to a theory that ancient scandinavians used bone charcoal from ancestors (in this movie a giant though) to steele (make iron into steel) swords and in the process added percieved magical properties and soul to the swords… notice how he talks with it as it is a person
The sword had a Damascus pattern, I thought that was why it was special, Damascus steel.
I enjoyed Jackson Crawford's review of the movie, though he was only analyzing it from the story side and from the runes used. He commented that although they (correctly) used younger Futhark for most of the runes, the sword was incorrectly written in elder Futhark, the runes used in the Proto-Norse or Proto-Germanic period. He argues that while you could say that the sword was created in that earlier period, the runes on the sword spell out "draugr" in Old Norse, whereas during the time that the elder Futhark runes were used, the word would have been "draugaz", so it's an anachronism either way.
He commented that he appreciated that the story seemed to use Old Norse moral values instead of modern ones, but that there were certain aspects of the actions the characters took that felt out of place in the context of the society that is presented in the Sagas.
Link czcams.com/video/679oLpzZkGw/video.html&ab_channel=JacksonCrawford
He also has an interview with the expert used in the movie
I don't know anything about the subject, but couldn't the makers of the sword use the old script deliberately for whatever reason, while still writing the "new" word, some sort of transliteration?
Hes an actual expert and has confirmed this is antiwhite. - it’s not historical at all.
@@raymondfoster9326 lol, are you dumb?
Anyways, the lingo issue is really nitpicking - when anything about the draug is perfectly Vendel Era Germanic, the helmet, armour, shield and the sword is a ringsword - it is so bloody fantastically done... Only thing, one can wonder how a Scandinavian 6/7th century king ended up being buried in Iceland
@@raymondfoster9326 what do you mean by antiwhite
7:47 I totally get what you mean!
I was shocked finding out that the battle in Braveheart was supposed to be 'The Battle of Stirling Bridge' ...despite there being literally no bridge, just a straight forward charge on a flat landscape and all the Scots painted with woad like stereotypical Picts.
And my TV Box reccomended it to me as a "Documentary" !
Bridges? Bridges? We don't need no stinking bridges!
I hate that movie so much!
@@MangUcokProductions why? because they killed hundresds of horses in the making or why else? i like it. great false story, great emotions, nice war scenes (compared to other at that time), great soundtrack.
@@TheValinov it wasn't bad, same with the patriot. As long As you go into them realizing that they weren't trying to be historically accurate they're fun movies. Certainly better than 90% of the movies made today.
I haven't seen the film and I think you raised some good points when you were dunking on the dude with the shield on his back. I think that character elements like that are often to help the audience tell who's who. So you have the guy with no shield, a guy with his shield on his back, a guy with a shield out and long pants and a spear, a guy with shield out and short pants, a guy with a shirt on, etc. I think there also might be a thing here where that guy is in the foreground and if he had his shield in his hand while running, he be blocking the shot with his shield. Anyway, just thought I would throw out some film making possibilities that might explain the weird character choice for this scene- again, haven't seen the film so I don't know if that makes sense or not.
I actually love Eggers' filmography. He's one of the most exciting directors of his generation. The Lighthouse still remains his best work in my eyes,but even tho I really like The VVitch I enjoyed The Northman much more,so it takes the close second place. The movie itself felt really visceral and it was just a great cinematic experience. The story was simple,of course,but that was kinda in the sheer concept of the whole movie and it's not the plot that was supposed to be its meat and potatoes
He's one of the few directors who i'll check out regardless of what kind of movie he'll make. I don't care much for vikings, but still wanted to see this because of him.
Exactly the same thoughts my friend ;)
Great video like always.
The leather helmet is a interpretation of the man head carving in a elk horn who is nowadays at Stockholm museum.
Some people argue the man is welding a helmet maybe in leather reinforced with iron round plate. We don't know for sure, but in the movie it seem good!
In defence of the berserk with a shield on his back. He is running just to climb on the wood palisade to enter a raiding village. To climbing you need two hands, in general. And I could bet he is using his shield properly as soon as he gets inside the walls.
Anyway, I'm glad You make this video, since I've watched this movie two days ago. And to me it's one of the best "viking" movies, I've ever seen.
And btw. the story in the movie is mostly based on AmlethSaga, real life north saga pretty well preserved to the modern days. And yes, Shakespear writing Hamlet was simply retelling this Saga of Prince Amleth, only more accurate to his own times (under assumption, of course, William Shakespeare ever existed, which is not clear ;) ).
Or maybe he really pissed off other berserkers, and the probability to get an arrow or an axe in the back for him was much higher, than a probability to get shot in the face by some peasant.
@@Almoniification as far as I know it wasn't uncommon for berserkers to attack each other,
@@Almoniification Olaf had to much goat grease with his dinner the evening before the battle and farted in the warrior's tent all night long.
That's bound to get you an axe or two in the back.
What good is having both hands empty, ready to climb the palisade, if you don't even fuckin reach it because you get shot before you even get close?
@@Askorti Well, with free hands you run more quickly, so you have less chance to get hit before you reach the wall you wanna climb
Robert Eggers is obsessed with historical accuracy in his films. He does loads of research and works with experts in the field to make sure he gets it right. I think in an interview, he said that fantasy and sci fi are all cool and fun, but there is so much rich history on our planet that you can easily make a captivating film grounded in reality, and there's no reason to change it up since it's already so interesting.
Another recent series that's really well researched, but is set in Mesoamerica (Aztec, Maya, etc) is Onyx Equinox, speaking as somebody who helps history/archeology channels on that region: It's an aduit-action animated series (with light horror elements). Onyx is more mythological, with a focus on gods and monsters, but is still very authentic to the historical societies: Of the civilizations it features (not just the Aztec and Maya, but also the Zapotec, Totonac, etc), it has real cities with their historic layouts, and even the specific architectural and garment motifs for it/the inhabitants, etc. Even more impressive then the literal authenticity is the symbolism and themes of the show's plot, characters, visual iconography, and how that ties into actual Mesoamerican art, religion philosophy, etc.
For example, the Undworld Gates in the show, while fictional, use visual design from actual Maya and Epi-Olmec art of caves, pools, and mirroes, as they were all symbolically tie to underworld entrances. Even the first gate in the show appears inside a cenote (which are literally caves pooled with water), with the Izel being rescued from attempted suicd (and is tainted by underworld energy, so metaphorically entering the underworld) by Yaotl, a emissary of Tezcatlipoca, one of the things the diety is associated with being mirrors.
Even Izel's arc as a main character is tied into themes from Aztec poetry, adages, and philsophy: A big part of those is life and dea being complimentary, such as with creation myths involving the gods sacrificing themselves or giving blood to create the world or humanity, which was cyclically destroyed and recreated (of course, also a plot point in the show). Sacrifice in those societies was paying that back and continuing the cosmic cycle. So the transience of life and it's wonder BECAUSE of it being temporary and fleeting is a common theme in Aztec poetry; and in their ethics, it was recgonized that life is painful and difficult, but what was just is to accept it and help others through it, living a self-sacrificing life (sometimes litterally) to help others. At the start of the show, Izel is in clearly intentionally in complete rejection of these virtues, and his arc is in part about getting past that state of mind.
Even the lyrics of some of the music is sung in Nahuatl/Aztec, Kiche and Yucatec Maya, Zapotec, etc. I will say that at times the pacing and animation can be iffy, but it's easily the best I've seen Mesoamerica handled, and it does have some great music, background art, etc.
you really made me want to see it
I'm gonna look that up.
In defense of the shield on the back: given the reckless and disorganized fighting that could be expected of berserkers it is likely that he would have enemies on all sides of him, and wanting to avoid being mistaken as a coward by being cut down from behind he could have just chose to protect his back with the shield.
He is about to climb a wall, having the shield slung on the back makes sense
Catching the spear and throwing it back was so badass. I want to see someone test this.
I made a spear and a shield when I was in 6th grade. The shield was made from a table top, and the spear was made from a hoe - the metal cone was still attached, but the head rusted off.
Anyhow, I had my brother hold the "shield" to see if it could stop the "spear". The shield exploded ito several pieces, and the spear barely missed hitting him. He got angry and pulled the spear from the ground and threw it back at me. . . I swear to God, It was out of an action movie, but I did a little spin and grabbed it out the air and charged at him as he stood there with this look of awe.
He then rolled up into a ball, just as I got to him, and made me trip and fall. Then picked up a board from the shield rubble and started smacking me with it, and we ended up in a fistfight/wrestling match.
Fun times. Don't try this at home.
I went to an SCA event recently and we just started throwing a spear around in a circle
Not really difficult if you have a little practice, in fact it would be pretty easy to catch a 'spear' when it starts to slow down and descend. We do that some times in lacrosse, when we pass the stick to each other by throwing it like javelins. Another hypothetical example would be a rugby ball, pretty easy to catch with one hand if it's thin a long like a spear.
If you can catch an arrow (which I HAVE seen done) you can catch a spear
@@dab0331 Never seen someone catch an arrow, but I have seen someone hit one out the air with a sword. Fun fact, the arrow didn't even break, just had a scratch. Oh, and also, it spun like crazy, and bounced around until the tip buried itself into the ground.
I'm glad to have a breakdown by someone with a martial and historical perspective on the movie! Keep it up!
The northman is a "movie version" of Amleth. The same story that inspired Hamlet. Which is an old Scandinavian story. So it literally is a story written by a viking made for vikings.
I've been watching your channel for years and years at this point. The quality of jokes and content has never faltered!!! Love the channel and the great work you do here! Thank you!
To me, the fantastical elements in Robert Eggers' movies is his way of reflecting the fantastical mentalities of the people of those times, where people genuinely believed that gods or witches or spirits were at work behind the forces beyond their control.
This is the one thing that Vikings did right, in my opinion (apart from choosing Wardruna for the score). We're not always sure that what we're seeing is "real" or if the characters believing in it makes it real to them, so we see what they see. We can see Odin, the entrance to Valhalla etc. through the eyes of the characters, I get the feeling they were going for the same thing in Northman.
Glad to hear you talk on this! I came to your channel several times after the movie released looking for your impressions before giving up. I thought you'd like it!
Robert Eggers goes all out on his films, and he had Sjón help him with the screenplay.
Eh, drug fueled bezerkers . You know Skall, he could have been so high he forgot he had a shield on his back. .
Yeah, that was my other guess too. :)
@@Skallagrim You know, with the drug fueled part, that might also explain the shield biting part.
Basically having several of them strapping the shield onto their arm while lucid and the drug frenzy meaning they didn't quite understand it and couldn't figure out how to get rid of it and trying to bite it off.
I've heard stories of meth heads gnawing on their weapons at times in various places...and some accidental "suicides" caused by it
I know most of the actors lines...mhm...: "Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhrgh"
Skal great vid man, I too appreciate this Northman so much. I also appreciate your shorter uploads, as I watch them on my lunch break and unfortunately do not have time to enjoy more than about ten minutes of anything.
I love that every times the characters go through a fantasy situation, it's always because they are *HIGH AS BALLS.*
The fact they depicted a ship burial was insanely cool and brutal.
Never been done before. 13th what? Also, still not very accurate depiction.
@@romgl4513 Well, more accurate than 13th warrior. And the "I can see my dead relatives" verses are finally used in the correct context. It never was a "viking warrior poem", it was spoken by a slave woman asking for her sacrifice, probably not as her free decision.
@@Kuhmuhnistische_Partei And no ritualistic gang rape. The consultant was asleep on this one.
Isn't it a portrayal of the possible inspiration for Hamlet?
Yes
Nooo way! The dude is just called Amlet by chance. The movie is just based on the same Norse legend Shakespeare used.
Omelette
Thanks for covering this, I loved the movie myself, love the director (the guy did the lighthouse and the witch) and the movie isn't doing well at the boxoffice so it is nice to see some recognition
Thanks Skallagrim for another great video. Even though you don't get alot of views as you used to. You still put in a lot of work into everything you do on CZcams. I am grateful that your one of the most passion and authentic dudes on CZcams.
It's amazing how this is a very accurate historic portrayal of this period of history....and then there's a huge load of people calling it "bad" because it's "weird" and recommend you watch "Vikings" instead 🤦♂️
5:36 - He keeps the shield on his back for the stamina boost effect
What really impressed me-and you didn't mention-was the well-researched depiction of sacred Viking rituals and how seriously the Vikings themselves experienced them (as in most pagan cultures). Eggers the director and Alexander Skarsgård, the lead actor & a producer, were apparently especially insistent on the authenticity of the visionary-religious-ritual aspects of the film. (Yes, when our hero, Amleth, experienced anything supernatural, he was in an "altered state".) Well-done, Skallagrim.
I am inclined to believe that the shield on the back is indeed to avoid dishonorable wounds. They are not fighting in formation but going melee, where even the most courageous risks attacks from behind. But the divine corpse collectors for Valhöll (at least according to cliche) have such types of wound as a disqualifier, so avoiding them is a prime directive.
I have no personal experience, so I have to aks: is running with the shield on one's back maybe easier than carrying it in one hand? So, could it make sense to do that until one gets into melee range? I doubt that during running one can hold the shield up in a protective manner, so its defensive value is heavily diminished anyway while doing that.
I think he was just getting ready to climb that wall.
'' I doubt that during running one can hold the shield up in a protective manner' - uh...why? YOu think you can't run holding a shield in front of you..? When running towards the source of projectiles is when they'll hit you hardest (physics), it's never more important to be shielded
'could it make sense to do that until one gets into melee range?' - not while you're running within arrow/spear range of the people you're running at, no
I am inclined to believe this is a fan theory contrived before finding any evidence, the opposite order of science
@@helvete_ingres4717 Did you ever try to RUN with a large unwieldy object lifted up in front of you with one hand that has to be kept in position?
@@CthonicSoulChicken That's another good reason.
To my knowledge, the Berserkrs possessed the spirit of animals. You could tell what kind by their furs(Berserkr 'bear warrior', Ulfhednar 'wolf warrior', and Svinfylking 'boar warrior'). So it's a spiritual thing.
I enjoy these analysis videos very much, especially Skall's refusal to say something is all good or all bad and deconstructing each detail individually instead.
after about 5 years of watching the channel the outro music is realy starting to become nostalgic to me in a sense.
One element of the film that I absolutely love is how almost every single tragedy that happened in the story, happened because one of the characters performed a taboo action, and cursed themselves. Amleth's mother, accursed herself by plotting to kill her husband and son, marking herself a kinslayer, and betrayer. Amleth's uncle, on the other hand, directly killed his own half brother, and attempted to kill his nephew, cursing himself similarly. Amleth himself, of course, killed his mother and both half brothers, his younger brother in espically dishonorable circumstances.
Their own actions and choices dammed them, and twisted fate into a tragedy, even while ensuring that Amleth would have his fated glorious death in an erupting volcano. Most tragically, however, is how it was all avoidable.
Had Amleth's mother plotted slightly differently, everyone involved would have had a far happier outcome. The father was already mortally wounded, doomed to die slowly, in bead, and therefore denied Valhalla. He was looking to complete all the rituals Amleth required his father for, to see his son ascend to manhood.
Given a few more days, and I strongly suspect that Amleth's father would have challenged his brother to a duel, stating that his wounds doomed him to a death in bed, and that he would not accept such an ignominious death, and that should his brother defeat him in a duel to the death, befor the gods, and in sight of the entire settlement, he would take over, with Amleth as his heir. That, simply put, would satisfy everyone, (except perhaps Amleth) gods, man, and woman, allowing every intrested party to achieve their goal. The mother would get rid of a husband she hated, for a new husband she liked, the father would get the glorious death he desired, and Valhalla that was promised. The Uncle would get a throne he desired, and a wife he loved, both denied by his bastardry. Amleth would see his father die in a manner considered most honorable, going to a great reward, and presumably wouldn't fuck off to become a mercenary berserker, though that's not any guarentee. Finally, the gods would see a King die honorably, and receive him to their halls, and see an auspicious family act in fatefully potent ways, echoing their concepts, and continuing their practices.
Viking Furry is a great gamertag lol
All your videos are great. Thanks for the good content.
I'm so glad I found this channel. This will help with my Old Norse D&D campaign.
I really liked the low fantasy aspect of this movie, much like the original Conan the Barbarian movie. The supernatural stuff feels more special when it feels tucked away and secretive.
In the context of a movie set, maybe Mr. Back-Shield was just an extra that didn't have the hand eye coordination to actually run with the shield in his hand. If so he probably only ended up in the shot at all because they didn't have any more extras with the right look to replace him, so the just compromised by sticking the shield on his back.
Where's I can see it more as - I have to climb that wall before the fight, I'll sling my shield until I need it for the actual fighting inside.
Wearing a woolly hat/beanie with shorts makes sense. Keeping your head warm is important, because it dissipates the most heat. Sometimes weather can be middling. I've rocked sandals and t-shirt with a beanie on this spring.
I heard Eggers talk about how the hair styles weren't historically accurate. It was done to visually distinguish the Vikings from other groups. Eggers acknowledged all the groups would have had similar hairstyles. But when translating to a visual medium with a modern audience, they needed the difference.
06:25 - thats Robert Eggers style. He depicts everything as real that the characters believe to be real and he doesnt question it unless the characters do. I think thats brilliant because you cannot really understand a culture that is deeply religious, for example and ignore the religion. So the answer is: all this was real because it was real for Amleth
I assumed that the guy with shield on his back needed free hands to climb the wall quickly.
Same here. It would make some sense.
He is a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle!
WHILE charging and being peppered with arrows and spears?
The others are smarter. They can easily sling the shield across the back or shoulder once they've reached the palisade and have to start climbing.
Dude I love you! Seriously you can be so funny in such a dry way! It's great!
Hey there my friend, I've been watching you for a long time and love how you review the weapons and armors, and if you may, it would be fun to see your weapons review on Elden Ring.
The most surprising thing about this movie was William Defoe
why ? isn't he in everything ?
Good as a jest, nice as a hofgothi Pagan Priests, excellent as the scull. A very talented actor.
Thought I'd never get to see Skall react to Northman. Glad I was wrong.
I love that film so much.
So many impressive details. Loved the berserk leader's ritual head gear and stance matching the depictions in pressblech.
As an “Honorary Canadian”, i.e; I’ve seen the movie “Strange Brew” enough times to have written a PhD thesis on it and gone to more Rush concerts than I can remember (RIP Neil), I have seen the “toque and shorts” look far too often! Thanks for another great video, Skall!
"drug fueled furrys of the viking age" fucking KILLED me! its not often that any videos or movies actually make me belly laugh out loud especially when watching by myself but holy shit i had to pause the video for a couple minutes cause i couldnt get ahold of myself XD
I really enjoyed The Northman. I also felt that when watching it the director was giving the audience a choice as to whether it was a saga and all the mystical stuff was actually happening or just some regular dudes quest for revenge and the mystical stuff is just the main character hallucinating (or something.) The fight with the Draugr is actually a good example of this, does it really happen or does it just happen in his head?
I love the film a lot, but a key thing I keep in mind when considering historical accuracy vs. fantasy in this movie is this: I think that most of the exaggerations in the film are actually equivalent to exaggerations the Viking Sagas themselves would have made. Draugr, Valkyries, fighting without armor - there's a lot of "unrealism" in the film, but if the vikings themselves were making those same exaggerations and fantastical additions, then I see that as being faithful to the storytelling of the period. It's very easy for a movie to use MODERN sensibilities that don't make sense, but I personally feel like this film was made with a very dedicated mindset of telling the story how the vikings in THEIR period would have told it. That's what makes it so special to me.
It must be so much fun watching literally anything with you /s
The atmosphere in the Northman was so strong at times, I could feel like I was watching actual 10th century events, especially with all the attention to detail in the production. Also liked how they hadn't tried to make the characters relatable to modern audiences with forced "inclusion" and 21st century mindsets.
But the characters are modern asatru interpretations and that’s why folk like the movie....
because it’s NOT authentic 🤦🏼
@@raymondfoster9326 wouldn't you say it's more authentic than any other viking movie? And that's one of the reasons people like it.
It felt like I was watching a museum exhibit.
Speaking about Slavs, in this movie, a lot of things are absolutely cringe. Starting with the fortification of the Slavs, shown completely incorrectly, ending with the name of the character Anya Taylor Joy (Olga ) and the Christianity of the Eastern Slavs. The name Olga comes from the Scandinavian Helga (the name of the princess of the Rurik dynasty), and began to be used among the Eastern Slavs long after the Viking Age. Also with Christianity, Christianity was adopted after the adoption of Christianity by Prince Vladimir the Great (end of the 10th century), and the common people accepted Christianity for several centuries after that. Another question, why did the Vikings from Iceland sail thousands of miles to Ruthenia to capture slaves when Ireland and England were nearby (more likely targets for the raid)?
Wow I thought the same thing when I heard the name Olga. I think the director just had the historical attraction for Olga as a historical character and had to plug her in somehow.
They're not shown as Christian and it's not late 10th century or later, though
The whole movie is just a modern asatru take - it’s not authentic
@@TheAchilles26 in the movie they make a sign of the cross and the vikings call them dirty christians if i remember correctly.
@@SN-dg2ug, their village priestess is pretty clearly pagan. Not all the slaves on his uncle's farm are Slavs.
The "Say no more" in the beginning killed me! :-D
Good review!
funny how the moment someone makes historically realistic movie about vikings there are suddenly dozens articles crying about "white supremacy"
Well that should be obvious at this point
I don't really see that much of it. But I do actually see a lot of actual nazis fanatically praising the movie, because they don't understand the point of the story.
Heard they gonna outlaw polar bears for the same. Racist bears, look like clansmen. And beluga whales, don't get me started.
Funny how a White Supremacist commits mass murders at a grocery store, and suddenly there's all these articles about "white supremacy." Naw, it must be because of that movie that no one saw, whose cast and crew are all very Liberal.
@@Kuhmuhnistische_Partei where I don’t see any nazis praising it
"Berserkers were basically drug fueled real life furries of the viking age." Skallagrim 2022
This is a director who, for his previous film, researched lighthouse keeper diaries from the period to write authentic dialogue. This guy knows his stuff
The director, Robert Eggers has done two other movies, The witch and the lighthouse. Both are also period pieces and both are also unprecedentedly well researched and historically accurate
The story as such is pretty standard but the movie as a whole is impressively well done, yep.
it`s a classic epic, but a pretty awesome one
Movies don't necessarily need to tell a story. I'd rather have a movie with no story than a cheesy one.
there's very few wholly original stories left to tell. Telling a classic story well doesn't really diminish it
personally i wish more people did that then try to force a 'new spin' on old ideas, those are the ones that usually end in disaster
Customer: "I want apple pie armor"
Armorer: "Say no more! I meant it. Please don't say anything ever again. You've already hurt my brain so much"
Just subscribed, thank you for the analaysis.
"Surprisingly well done"? I'm guessing this is your first eggers movie?
Yes.
Give his other movies a chance they are all great.
I love how women were depicted so close to reality in that movie
I was angry there were no Black and Asian Jarls. I'm about to write an angry review because we didn't see enough diversity
@@mikepette4422 come on man. You know black people dont actually give a fuck about that.