Vikings have been hard to miss in recent years. They appear everywhere — in TV shows, films, and games — and audiences keep coming back for more. Ragnar, Uhtred, Leif, Lagertha, and now Amleth are just a few of the names that have captured viewers’ imaginations. The Netflix series The Last Kingdom became the most-watched show worldwide in mid-March, with audiences spending more than 48 million hours in a single week following Uhtred’s adventures. In gaming, the Assassin’s Creed series has been going strong for 15 years, and its Viking-themed instalment became its best-selling release.
Who the Vikings really were
The people we now call Vikings lived in Scandinavia from the 8th to the 11th century. From there, they travelled across much of Europe, raiding, trading, and settling far from home. Their fame has long overshadowed other peoples of the same era, such as the Carolingians, Asturians, or Picts. Part of the fascination comes from how different they were from us — their values, beliefs, and way of life were shaped by a world very unlike our own.
For centuries, Vikings were remembered mainly as fierce raiders. This reputation was not undeserved, but it tells only part of the story. Many were farmers, craftsmen, or fishermen who never took part in raids. The lands they came from were among the last in Europe to adopt Christianity. Their old gods — Thor, Odin, Freyja, Loki — still inspire fascination today, appearing in modern comics, films, and games.
A spiritual world view
One of the most detailed and modern studies of the Viking Age comes from British-Swedish archaeologist Neil Price in his book The Children of Ash and Elm. Price describes how the Vikings’ view of the world was unlike ours. In their minds, the border between the human realm and the world of the gods was thin, and they believed they were always connected to divine forces through hidden pathways. For the Vikings, faith was often a gamble — they set out on dangerous voyages or into battle with no certainty of survival, trusting in fate and the gods to reward their courage. In a similar way, reading a detailed Stay Casino review can feel like preparing for your own journey into the unknown, where belief in a win plays as big a role as strategy.
Price is also the historical consultant for The Northman, a film by US director Robert Eggers that retells the Hamlet story in its original Old Norse form. The movie brings to life the spiritual side of Viking culture, showing how faith and supernatural beliefs shaped everyday life. Price calls it “probably the most accurate picture of their culture we have seen so far.” The film does not shy away from showing the grim realities of Viking life, including the kidnapping and enslavement of people during raids.
Written by enemies, restored by archaeology
Much of what we think we know about Vikings comes from the written accounts of their enemies. Monks and chroniclers recorded the shock and horror of sudden attacks, creating an image of merciless warriors. The Vikings themselves left almost no written records apart from rune inscriptions, relying instead on oral tradition. This makes archaeology crucial to understanding them. Excavations have revealed a far more complex society than the one described in medieval texts.
Thanks to these finds, we know the Vikings were also skilled traders who built an enormous network stretching from Greenland to Istanbul. They reached the shores of North America around 500 years before Columbus. Women held a stronger position in Viking society than in many other early medieval cultures, with more freedom in property rights, marriage, and divorce.
Violence and slavery in the Viking Age
Still, the Viking Age was not a peaceful time. “There is no denying that the Viking Age was marked by terrible violence,” says Price. The slave trade was a major part of their economy, and men and women alike were taken captive and sold. This reality makes it problematic to view Vikings purely as admirable figures.
So why does their popularity endure? Historian Fredrik Gregorius from Linköping University in Sweden believes it’s partly because we still don’t know everything. “We now know quite a lot about the Vikings, but still not enough for everyone to project onto them whatever they want,” he says. To some, they are adventurous explorers; to others, they are symbols of freedom and defiance. These interpretations can be harmless, but in politics, they can also be twisted into harmful narratives about conquest or superiority.
The changing meaning of the word ‘Viking’
The word Viking (from the Old Norse vikingr) meant “sea robber” or “seafarer.” But in the 19th century — and later during the Nazi era — the image of Vikings was reshaped to serve ideas of racial purity and nationhood, concepts that did not exist in their own time. Some far-right groups still use Viking symbols today, distorting history to suit their agendas.
Even modern entertainment can unintentionally reinforce myths. In the first episode of Vikings: Valhalla, characters shout “We are Vikings” before battle — something real Vikings would never have said. As Price points out, this is a modern invention. But he does not blame entertainment for being inaccurate, as long as it does not claim to be a documentary.
Depiction of slave trade on screen
One area where popular culture has been slow to catch up with history is the Viking slave trade. Films and series have often ignored it, focusing instead on heroic warriors and epic battles. Eggers’ The Northman changes this, showing the brutal capture and exploitation of enslaved people in unflinching detail. Price worked closely with the filmmakers, reading the script, supplying images and descriptions of weapons, clothing, buildings, and ships, and even visiting the set before the pandemic disrupted production.
Why do many groups claim to be Vikings?
Gregorius notes that the appeal of Vikings reaches far beyond historians or fans of action dramas. Feminists, environmental activists, and even people seeking a new spiritual path have turned to Viking culture for inspiration. Some try to revive Old Norse belief systems as modern religions, often aware that they are reinterpreting the past to fit present-day values. For many in environmental circles, the Vikings’ perceived closeness to nature is especially attractive, offering a contrast to modern industrial life.
In stories about Vikings, a common theme is their resistance to Christianity, often framed as a David-versus-Goliath struggle between the old gods and a rising new faith. This has parallels with how Native Americans were viewed in the German-speaking world in the 1970s and 1980s — as noble, spiritual people resisting foreign domination.
The role of Viking women in stories and history
The image of strong Viking women has also gained popularity. While there is historical evidence for women in positions of influence, not every portrayal is accurate. Some modern audiences see Viking women as role models for female strength and independence, even if the historical record is mixed. Gregorius points out that this sometimes reflects modern desires as much as history.
The TV series Vikings, which ran from 2013, played a big role in shaping the current image of Viking women through characters like Lagertha, a fierce and independent warrior. Price credits the show with portraying Viking life in a more human way, showing not only battles but also family life and daily struggles. This approach made the characters relatable and their world more tangible.
Another perspective in ‘The Last Kingdom’
Strong female characters have also appeared in The Last Kingdom, which has enjoyed renewed success in recent weeks. The show even drew praise from Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin. Price appreciated how it made the Vikings feel different, with something unsettling about them, capturing aspects of their culture that are often overlooked. Still, he reminds viewers that these are fictional dramas designed to entertain, not historical records.
Why are we still so fascinated by the Vikings?
Today, Vikings occupy a unique place in popular imagination. They are admired for their courage, seafaring skill, and adventurous spirit, yet their history is also marked by violence, exploitation, and beliefs far removed from our own. Our fascination may stem from this tension — a mix of admiration, curiosity, and the freedom to project our own ideas onto a distant and mysterious past.
In the end, the Viking Age was complex. It was a time of trade and travel, of art and storytelling, but also of raids and slavery. The challenge is to see the Vikings in their full reality, without stripping away the parts that make us uncomfortable. Whether in books, games, films, or series, their story continues to be told — and as new discoveries are made, it may change again. For now, they remain one of history’s most enduring and compelling cultures, both real and imagined.
