Vikings introduced some truly mysterious characters, such as The Seer, one of the most respected figures in Kattegat who once paid his respects to none other than Floki by licking his hand – but why did he do that? The branch of historical dramas has gained a lot of force in recent years, and one of its most popular titles has been Vikings, created by Michael Hirst. Vikings premiered on the History Channel in 2013 and lived on for a total of six seasons, coming to an end in 2020 after lots of drama, action, betrayals, and a couple of unsolved mysteries.
During its first seasons, Vikings was led by legendary Norse warrior Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel), following him and his Viking brothers through various raids and travels, beginning with the Lindisfarne raid, which marked the beginning of the Viking Age. Ragnar died in Vikings season 4 but the stories from the Viking Age continued through Ragnar’s sons and other characters close to him, such as Floki (Gustaf Skarsgård), one of only two characters from season 1 to make it to the final season of Vikings. Floki was Ragnar’s best friend, Kategatt’s boat-builder, and an incorrigible prankster, but behind all his strange mannerisms and unmistakable laugh was a deeply troubled man.
Floki presented himself as a joyful and energetic man, but it was all a disguise to hide the many struggles he went through. Floki often considered himself not worthy of the good things that happened to him, nor he believed himself to be capable of doing things that brought him joy, and as Vikings progressed, his inner battles got more complicated. Floki also got involved in a couple of weird moments, such as when The Seer (John Kavanagh) licked his hand instead of the other way around, which led to the belief that the Seer sensed Floki was actually Loki.
How The Seer Sensed Floki Was Loki (& Was He)?
The Seer was the oracle of Kattegat, but his backstory is as mysterious as he is. The Seer was deformed and his eyes were either sewn shut or skin grew over his eyes, all of this giving him a disturbing appearance. The Seer is believed to dwell between life and death, allowing him to communicate with the gods and pass their messages to the mortals that came to him for help or advice. As Vikings believed their fate was already decided by the gods, the Seer was an important figure to them as he was their link with the gods, and in order to show respect, those who visited him licked his hand. However, when the Seer finally met Floki in Vikings season 4, the Seer was the one who licked Floki’s hand, much to the surprise of the Viking, and the Seer also told him that he had been waiting for him “in the space between life and death”.
Vikings didn’t explain why the Seer licked Floki’s hand, but it’s widely believed that the oracle sensed that Floki was actually the Norse god Loki. Among the many theories about Floki is one that says Floki was either a descendant of Loki, the god himself in disguise, or a representation of him, so the Seer sensed that and showed his respect by licking his hand instead of the other way around. Floki shares some characteristics with the God of Mischief that go beyond their very similar names, as they are both pranksters, eccentric, and both were imprisoned in caves: Loki in the tale “The Binding of Loki”, and Floki after he killed Athelstan. When Vikings season 4 was airing, it was also theorized that Floki was going to become the next Seer and the oracle knew that, so licking his hand was his way of showing Floki that he was the chosen one. In the end, Floki didn’t become the next Seer, and it’s unknown if he truly had a connection to Loki, but the Seer licking his hand remains one of Vikings biggest mysteries.