Vikings on TV in The Netherlands

Courtesy: History Channel

Hail Vikings,

In The Netherlands Vikings season 4B is already over at Film 1 (paid channel).
Fox the Dutch unpaid tv channel has announced season 4A will start on the 23rd of April.
This means that I will try to keep my blog up to date again. I have seen the season and found out it could be a hell of a job to get the mythology right, but I will give it a try.

Vikings: On TV in The Netherlands

Credit: History Channel Bernard Walsh

Hail Vikings,

As I announced earlier in The Netherlands Vikings season 4B will start at Film 1 (paid channel) on the 2nd of January.
Fox the Dutch unpaid tv channel already has shown season 3 and the wait will be when they announce season 4A.

I will keep you posted.

Vikings: SPOILERS season 4B episode 11 The outsider

http://www.lipstickalley.com/showthread.php/973730-Vikings-Season-4-Official-Thread/page65

Hail Vikings,

I am back and so is Vikings. Before I start to tell you how I found the première of Vikings season 4B. I will tell you this is only once. Please give it time because in The Netherlands the première will be somewhere in January at Film 1 paid cable television. Dates yet to announces so keep watching this space for more info.

Welcome to a new episode of Vikings. I was wondering what to expect for this first episode. I have seen so many scenes already so it couldn't surprise me just yet. Nevertheless, I have loved the first episode.

If it comes to mythology I'm pleased to see that Ragnar took it to the next level in comparing him to Odin by hanging himself to the tree. Even Odin refused him to die is another explanation.The scene with Floki is also about dead it seems it is still the theme of the episodes. 

Even when the sons of Ragnar, dared by Ragnar to kill him no one stands up at that moment. It seems if Ubbe tried but didn´t it was nice to see that he stepped up. 

Ivar seems to have the same emotion as Ragnar, only Ivar got them stronger in the scene when he is making love to Margrethe we see every emotion coming by and that without a single word it was magical. Ivar has a mixture of strength within him that no one expect. In the forest scene, later we see that the only one who expect him to be that strong is after he threw the axe to is Hvitserk.

Vikings: Announcement

https://www.facebook.com/VikingsCon/

Hail Vikings,

I will be back on the blog in a couple of weeks. Due to circumstances, I will be back on the 6th of December till then I can tell you a few things.

There is a Viking-con coming next year. You can back it: 

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/vikingscon--2#/updates

Updates and more information:

https://www.facebook.com/VikingsCon/?fref=ts

Also, a new Viking game by risk.app and MPYR will come out:

www.MPYR.com have reached the Kickstarter campaign to make the game so please check them for more updates. 

That's it for now until 6 December.

Vikings: How to recognize a trading partner in the Viking period

http://www.waverijn.info/images/Info/Pages/17/Vikingen.htm Dutch source

Hail Vikings,

When I went to the Museum Meermanno the museum itself is about books. So when I got asked to go to a reading about graphic I didn´t expect the outcome of that reading. It was about the Chinese art Kai-awase Symbolon. those based on a love story where you get one-half of a shell and you need to find the other half. It is like memory but there is a difference both shells have different paintings inside. But enough about that. What has this to do with Vikings or trading I will tell you.

We know that in the time of the Vikings they had coins. In The Netherlands, they found half a coin or a quarter coin. This brings me to the story of the trading partner and the reading that I went to. At the reading, they told the coins had a real trading system at that time.

If you got a piece of land that you bought from a trading partner, and you have particular agreements with that partner, for instance, he kept the watch over your land while you were gone, how did he keep his promise to watch over the land? How did you know it was the right trading partner? How did they do that in those times?

The answer is given in this way: They cut the coins in half or quarter. If you got half or quarter a coin in your possession and the trading partner has half or three-quarter a coin it fits into a whole coin. So if you came back and you showed them the piece of the coin they could easily fit it. If it fits the agreement was that it was given back to you. 

This was also with family how to recognize family when not together or from another country it was your identification coin that would show if someone died or came to visit.   

Vikings: My journey to the Vikings in The Netherlands

Hail Vikings,

I learned a lot today about history. I went to Utrecht (Trajectum in the time of the Vikings). I went to an archeological find under the Dom Tower and church. Everything I write about is from the tourguide point of view. The first thing we found out that there where archeological finds earlier but it wasn't relevant at that time so they destroyed it or threw it away. That is why there is not so much to be found about Vikings. It answered my question from last week. Archeologists did find a lot about the period before the Vikings. That is why the Dutch learn about the Roman period and then go on to the 17th century.

In The Netherlands, there was a difference between the Frisia culture and the ones that lived below Trajectum. Frisia wasn't that important according to the people who lived below Trajectum. Why because Frisia was poor and where farmers. Trajectum was rich. Trajectum had his first Heathen church build around 300 they assume. When Christianity came they placed a Christian church above a heathen church. Like we see in most countries what happened when Christianity took over. Now that church has the style gothic. But it all started with a roman fortress. We know that Ubbe was called Duke of Frisia. (From blog 17-05-2016)

http://members.home.nl/keesdebrouwer/vikingen/06_veroveringen.htm

But back to the Vikings we know from different books about that period that Vikings have been coming from the side of Frisia until they went to Paris they came from the North side of The Netherlands before Paris. After Paris, they came through Germany and Belgium. When they came from the north they are described as Barbarians or Pirates. When they came out Germany and Belgium they assumed it where traders.

They found two skeletons in their burial and they are eager to find out who they are because they aren't allowed just yet. Permission to go on with the digging and to find out more isn't there yet, this is because they are experimenting with how to preserve the digging in a way that everyone is able to visit it. Unfortunately, they don't know yet how. They actually hope to dig the whole Roman period but if they are allowed to dig further maybe they will find a little more about the attack from the Vikings in and around the church. They have layers of ground they dig for the first time and those layers of ground could prove something totally different and could show us what truly happened. They dig from donations.

Sources:
https://youtu.be/xmEvdgHwLuQ?list=PLcHciJxGwDYyBXKdaUI1yqjCalzyO_HdO

http://www.domunder.com/en

Dutch sources:
http://members.home.nl/keesdebrouwer/vikingen/06_veroveringen.htm
http://www.domunder.nl/

My journey: Vikings in The Netherlands

Tamara Bakx ®

Hail Vikings,

If you were wondering why I did recaps and didn’t announce them on social media here will be the answer to that. I have been to many places in The Netherlands lately and have discovered and learned a lot of things.

I have been to Middelburg city on Walcheren (Walcria) to read some old books about Vikings, and do research about Walcria and the Vikings in The Netherlands, I went to Texel twice (Texla) to find out more about what they did there and in Friesland (Frisia) amazed as I was what they did.

Then I went to Den Oever (in the Viking time this was also Texla) to the Dutch Viking Information Centre (VIC) I suggested my theory about Rorik and Ragnar and he told me it could be the same person because they couldn’t write at that time. So my theory still could be right. I will post a lot of things and pictures in links later. In Den Oever, they have a good collection of Vikings coins, swords, a boat, clothing. In Den Oever, they told me to do my next stop in Leiden.

Tamara Bakx ®

So I went to Leiden to the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden (http://www.rmo.nl/english) the next stop in my journey to find what we know about the Vikings. They had also a good collection of interesting objects. The treasure of Den Oever is also there, but they have also a fibula from Wijk bij Duurstede (Dorestadum).

Next, stop Groningen, where I went to the Strip museum, translated Comic book museum (http://www.stripmuseum.nl/index_english.html). You might wonder what has this to do with your Viking journey funny fact is that they have a small piece replica tapestry of the battle of Hastings made by Bayeux. It is the battle between William the second and King Harald beginning of the Norman conquest 1066. They have also a large collection about Eric the Northman a comic book.

Tamara Bakx ®

Today I went to Eindhoven (Betua) PreHistorisch Dorp, The Prehistoric Village while there is no real evidence that they were there they found out Woensel nearby Eindhoven named after Wodan another name for Odin.  There they found a talisman in a grave of a child they think it is from the Vikings. I learned a lot today in this village. I learned how to write with a feather like the monks did, I learned about different herbs in a garden, to make a fire with stones, arrows with a wet stone, cups from clay, how loam could be used for making a blade or axe, to make wooden dowel pins for boats, braid, swirl a bracelet, rope making. I have learned a lot of things today.

What they did to keep old things in Eindhoven is that if you want to break a house down the law tells you to do archaeological research on the space before you are going to build again. So if anything is found they have proof once they found something Viking related.

The Viking house they have built is found in the border between Eindhoven, Helmond, and Den Bosch. The house dated from 950 AD. It has a great hall and you can see it in a boat figure. They think it is a forerunner for a castle they built later on that ground.

Photo's from the journey:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/jba467ry5duq152/AABgpOJflZa9Dfsb4ldcxpzYa?dl=0

Vikings potrait 5 Rollo (update) with history

Rollo

http://nerdrepository.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/clive-standen-header.jpg

Rollo is the brother of Ragnar who lives in the city Kattegat. When Ragnar said they would be equals. Something Rollo believes in. Unfortunately something that would never happen during both seasons. In order to be equals with his brother he takes the chance to join the army of Jarl Borg. Rollo betrays Ragnar at the end of season 1. When he comes back in season 2 he kills Arne and badly wound Floki. He then gets a trail and is degraded by everyone except for Siggy. Rollo feels himself empty when he is back in Kattegat. He wish they had killed him. When he ask Ragnar to forgive him he first isn’t allowed to go on raid. He is one of the people behind the betray to Jarl Borg. He disguise King Horik because he is having a splendid time with Siggy. When he found out that she is doing it with King Horik he want him dead. In one of the last episode he had an big accident in the last he was recovering fron that we don't know what will happen next to him.

In history Rollo was better known as Rollo the Walker or Rollo the Viking. He started to raid in France and became the duke of Normandy. He was baptised Robert. Like we saw in the series. Rollo is Latin for Hrólfr. They still debate if he is Norwegian or from Denmark. He is also the one who besieges Paris. He is the great-great-great grandfather of William the Qonqueror.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rollo

Clive Standen

http://www.zimbio.com/photos/Clive+Standen/Vikings+ATAS+Panel+Hollywood/RDzuELvcpQ9

Clive Standen started as an stuntman before he started to switch to actor. He is Irish and better known for Robin Hood and Camelot. He likes to dive that is why he is spokesman of Sea Sheppard. Clive is also game, theatre, film and TV actor but also doing voice overs. He is dad of three children and married. He was a formal international Muay Thai boxer.     

   

Vikings potrait 4 Siggy Haraldson

Siggy

http://www.history.com/shows/vikings/cast

Siggy is an earl’s wife when we first met her. She lost her children except her girl who died at the end of the season due of a plague. Her husband was killed by Ragnar during season 1. She is the protector of Rollo from day one. After the dead of her husband she choose for Rollo. She is the one in season 2 who see that Rollo is strugeling with his life after he betray Ragnar. He is walking the hall of shame. She is the one who convinced him to go and talk to Ragnar. When he is forgiven the game of Siggy starts. She betray Rollo with king Horik only to regain power. What the difference between this betrayl is that she does it for Rollo. When she is asked to do it with King Horik’s son and to kill the children of Ragnar she finally realise she is done with Horik.

Jessalyn Gilsig

glee.wikia.com

Is a multi-talent she is good at art art and acting. Canadian and known for Glee and Heroes. She is a single mum. Her debut was in 1989 in the film industry. She did also different TV series. Her ex-husband is Bobby Salomon they have a daughter. She is the daughter of writer Toby Gilsig.   

One Vikings saga to rule them all

Photo credit: Jonathan Hession

I was doing research for my portrait/review on Earl Haraldson and then I came across the Saint’s Saga of Olaf Haraldson. The longest and most completed one of that time.

I was looking for the answer did Earl Haraldson and Ragnar came across each other in that saga. I couldn’t find it. After a while I read the whole saga I found another thing to write about. The names of the main characters of History Vikings The only two I could find where Athelstan and Bjorn. But the support characters I could all find in the saga.

So if you want to know more about the support characters or three of the next main characters go and find out the saga yourself. I will name them for you. Who is there to find and which season:

Season 1                             Season 2                             Season 3

Knut                                   Halfdan                               Kalf

Leif                                    Sigvard

Bjorn                                  Ivar

Arne                                   Horik

Thorstein

Athelstan

We only need to read one saga to rule them all.

So if you want to know more I want to advices you to go and see the saga.

http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/heim/08stolaf.htm

Which Vikings Character will be dead halfway in the series just an beforehand conclusion based on what you see?

indecisivespice

During the panel of Comic-Con it was announced that we will lose a beloved character in the serie Vikings. There were two of the main characters not at the panel this year.

Floki played by Gustaf Skarsgård and Athelstan played by George Blagden. If you watch the trailer you don’t find a direct answer.

If you look further there might be an answer to that into the trailer. In the trailer is less Athelstan and less Floki but Floki is there at the end. A sign that Athelstan will die?

On the other hand the seer tells us about “stones and bones, a river two shores, three sides” etc. If you take Floki who is a trickster and named after the trickster god Loki. There is a story in Loki’s history with a couple of things in it who reference to what the seer says.

When Loki was in his darker sinister form he insulted the gods and fled. He made a house with three or four doors so when the gods went out looking for him he could escape through the doors. (three sides) Loki’s children Vali turned into a wolf and Narfi was killed by Vali this was necessary for bones to bound Loki onto a rock (stones and bones). This would mean that Floki would be the one who is going to die or at least bound.(1)

Who dies we will know when we see the season but I will tell you in either way I wouldn’t like the idea of killing Floki nor Athelstan but as Clive said in the panel “everybody will die in the series some day because it is part of the history”. We know that but we love the characters so much that we are forced to believe that they couldn’t die at all.

There is a king who is going to die does that count as a beloved character maybe Eckbert? Or are we trapped in the idea of those getting killed and will it be Ragnar? The trailer also show us that Lagertha and Eckbert are going to bond? Would that means jelousy or will she marries Ragnar again?

What we do know for sure is that Rollo played by Clive Standen will be there in a fourth season if they keep track of the history of Rollo. “The raiding on Paris will continue if season 4 will be a go”says Michael Hirst.

1                            Norse Mythology A to Z Revised edition Kathleen N. Daly, revised by Marian Rengel

ISBN 0-8160-5156-9

Vikings set will come to Comic-Con

Photo by John Sciulli/WireImage

The Vikings will be back this year at Comic-Con. Last year you could do a longboat race. Ever wanted to play a Viking on set?  This year you could be a Viking on set and it will all be filmed. 

There is panel time again with less cast but it will be as awesome as last time. Our beloved Vikings cast will be there Travis Fimmel, Katheryn Winnick, Clive Standen and Alexander Ludwig together with Michael Hirst. All in 6 instead of hall H what is actually a bit disappointed because it has room for less people to go and enjoy the panel. 

Ever wanted an autograph by one of them there is time for that as well. Unfortunately I will not be there but I would love to go there some day. I will watch it live on the internet. And maybe one day I will enjoy a Comic-Con. Have fun fans who are going there.

http://historyvikings.tumblr.com/post/91468816617/hide-the-gold-were-raiding-comic-con