The History Channel was mostly synonymous with documentaries, then came the hit TV series Vikings. The show which is known for its great plot and stylistic violence is considered by many as a worthy alternative to Game Of Thrones. Though not an entirely accurate portrayal of historical events, Vikings is inspired by mythical Norse hero Ragnar Lothbrok and his raids.
The series is currently in its sixth and final season which is set to run for 20 episodes. A spinoff serious titled Vikings: Valhalla has also been picked up by Netflix for production. Aside from the show's plot, there are several behind-the-scenes secrets that only true fans know about. Here are some of them.
The Story Behind The Eyeliner
You might be wondering what's up with the dark eyeliner that some of the characters apply in the show. Is it to make them appear tougher? Well, it does make them appear tougher and a little scarier but that is not entirely its purpose. Neither is it a fashion statement.
Real-life Vikings normally used a kind of eyeliner called kohl. This was useful in protecting their eyes from the sun's rays. It was a black powder made by crushing antimony then mixing it with burnt almonds, chrysocolla, lead, ochre, oxidized copper and malachite. Plenty of chemistry there.
Katheryn Winnick Is A Real-Life Martial Artist
Katheryn Winnick plays Lagertha in Vikings. She is the shield-maiden who had a short-lived marriage with Ragnar Lothbrok. Interestingly, Katheryn is a skilled martial artist in real life. She posses a 2nd-degree black belt in Karate and a 3rd-degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do.
Katheryn is also a fighting instructor. She taught Taekwondo classes and basic self-defense skills to Hollywood actors while studying for her Kinesiology degree at York University, Toronto. To make it even more interesting, she is a licensed bodyguard too.
50-liter Barrels Of Fake Blood Are Used For Every Battle Scene
Ancient battle scenes were pretty bloody and the show also makes its own violence and gore look as real as possible. And that means using plenty of fake blood. All this is according to Special effects, makeup and prosthetics expert Tom McInerney. He is the man responsible for making everything look as real as possible on the show.
In an interview with Sydney's Special Broadcasting Service (SBS), he said, "We have to make approximately ten 50-liter barrels of blood for every battle scene and the challenge was to make something that doesn’t stain costumes or the actors’ skin. We’ve invented a new type of ‘blood’ made of sugar syrup and food coloring that washes out."
Some Of The Actors Have Different Roles Than The Ones They Auditioned For
A couple of the actors on Vikings ended up landing different roles than the once they auditioned for. You can call them 'consolation roles' or just a way of the producers saying, "we think you fit better in this other role". At least they didn't miss out on the show entirely.
For example, Gustav Skarsgård who plays Floki and Clive Standen who plays the often shameless Rollo wanted to be Ragnar. Interestingly, Travis Fimmel (Ragnar) actually wanted to be Floki. For him, it's a case of wanting less and being given everything. Lucky guy.
The Show's Soundtrack Is Composed Using Ancient Viking Instruments
The show tries to be as authentic to the Viking Age Norsemen as possible. One way it makes that happen is by having an authentic soundtrack that feels true to the era. No electronic equipment or modern instruments are used when composing the soundtrack.
Einar Selvik is the Norwegian composer who makes all the magic happen. He uses an array of Norse instruments like the bukkehorn which is molded from the horn of a wild goat. He also uses a lyre and the Scandinavian bowed instrument known as the tagelharpa which has strings made from horsehair.
The Languages Used Are Extinct
The Vikings never documented their daily activities so it's hard to know exactly how they sounded like. Plenty of the languages that existed at the time do not exist now. So, the show's creators chose to go with four random dead languages as the occasional language of the Vikings.
The languages used are Anglo-Saxon, Old Norse, Latin, and Old Frankish. When they aren't speaking in English, they might sound like they are growling but that's the point. It's the languages that no one uses anymore because territories that spoke those languages were conquered by bigger empires.
Ragnar Lothbrok Might Not Have Been Real
The character of Ragnar Lothbrok is based on the real-life Ragnar Lodbrok who was a Viking and king of Denmark and Sweden. But was he really real? Many historians have argued that he might have been simply an imagination. And events he's associated with were simply those of a number of lesser-known rulers.
In the 2003 book Historical Dictionary Of The Vikings, renowned historian Katherin Holeman wrote: "Although his sons are historical figures, there is no evidence that Ragnar himself ever lived and he seems to be an amalgam of historical figures and literary invention."
Jarl Borg Was Originally Swedish
In Vikings, Jarl Borg is one of the rulers of Gotaland who enjoys using two hatchets while fighting. When series creator Michael Hirst came up with the character, he made him Swedish. But there was one problem. Sweden didn't exist during the era in which the series is set. Imagine if that had gone unnoticed.
Luckily, Swedish actor Gustaf Skarsgård (Floki) noticed the error while reading the script and informed Hirst that his history is a little off. We hope he was given a huge bonus for saving the show some major embarrassment. Or maybe no one would have noticed.
A Family Of Actors
Gustav Skarsgård, the man who plays Floki, happens to be the younger brother of popular actor Alexander Skarsgård. You might know Alexander as the vampire Eric in True Blood and as Tarzan in The Legend Of Tarzan. Their other two brothers are also acting, and so is their dad Stellan Skarsgård.
You might remember the dad as Soviet minister Boris Shcherbina in the critically acclaimed mini-series Chernobyl and as Dr. Erik Selvig in several MCU films. It really runs in the family. Stellan has been nominated for plenty of awards throughout his career.
Travis Fimmel Might Have Caused Some Accidents
Travis Fimmel plays the tough-looking Ragnar Lothbrok in Vikings but back in the 90s, he was one of the world's most sought-after underwear models. He was also the first-ever male model to be offered a six-figure deal by clothing brand Calvin Klein.
His billboards are rumored to have caused a number of car accidents in the streets of London because they distracted female drivers. Back in 2002, he was also named one of the world's sexiest bachelors by People Magazine. However, he chose to focus more on acting than modeling.