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Norse Culture as a Source of Inspiration for the Vinland Saga Phenomenon

by Patricia Pârvu,

Bringing forward an outstanding set of legendary figures and mixing them well enough to create an original narrative in Vinland Saga, Makoto Yukimura raised the standards for historical storytelling. With its heart for tragedy and unforgiving violence, season two of the Vinland Saga anime is currently streaming on Netflix and Crunchyroll, and it has been one of the most anticipated sequels of Winter 2023. While the series references a good deal of real-life environments and names, Yukimura's interest in Norse culture and history is more profound than it looks, from obscure concepts such as the ‘berserker’ to the work's very title.

The anime opens its narrative with Thors Snorresson—a fierce Viking, otherwise known as Troll of Jom, who no longer sees any meaning in violence and coercion as a way of life. He takes refuge in Iceland, enjoying a peaceful life with his wife Helga and two children, Ylva and Thorfinn. Despite his father's principles, Thorfinn isn't as content with leading a simple life. His horizons expand far and beyond to the utopian land mentioned in the tales of adventurer Leif Erikson.

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But the quiet would not last for long. War breaks out between England and Denmark, and old faces come knocking at Thors' door. Thors eventually loses his life in battle, leaving Thorfinn to experience genuine brutality and grief for the first time in his life.

Vinland Saga” is, by its title, a direct reference to Norse culture and ancient literature. But before tackling it as a whole, readers might first want to get acquainted with the meaning of the first term: ‘Saga’. It is the word for ‘tale’, or ‘history’ in Old Norse, and it generally encompasses the epic prose in Scandinavia between the 12th and 15th centuries.

Unlike the ‘Eddas’, known to describe Norse Gods and mythical events, the sagas tell the stories of mundane heroes and their adventures. The focus steps back from mythology in favor of human achievements; this might be a reason why the viewers of Vinland Saga have not yet come across any All-Mighty Thor, nor his hammer, nor his ever-mischievous brother Loki, but are instead invited to follow the life of young Thorfinn as he ventures away from his childhood home to join aboard a ship of ballistic Vikings.

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The old sagas were divided into five main subgenres, each touching a preferred topic. Perhaps not surprising to anime viewers is the fact that “Vinland Saga” was previously used to describe two of the works known as ‘Icelandic Sagas’ or ‘Family Sagas’ (Íslendingasögur), which are based on explorers' journeys to the mysterious lands of Greenland and North America. Vínland—or the ‘Land of Wine’, in Old Norse—refers explicitly to the name Vikings gave to highlight their discoveries in North America.

While the presence of Leif Erikson in the anime is a surefire reference to the historical figure who might have discovered Vinland in the year 1000—who also featured in the Icelandic "Erik the Red's Saga" and "Saga of the Greenlanders"—the origin of Thorfinn's character vaguely leads us to Norse explorer Thorfinn Karlsefni. Wherein Leif's character slowly begins to fade, Thorfinn becomes a prominent presence in the “Saga of the Greenlanders,” following Leif's route to North America.

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In an interview with Twin Engine, Makoto Yukimura indicates that while the inspiration for Thorfinn's character in Vinland Saga indeed comes from the figure of Thorfinn Karlsefni in Norse literature, he is aiming for a more complex approach. “Actually,” Yukimura says, “there was once a king named Olaf Tryggvason who became a slave for the first time and then became king again.” As such, Yukimura's Thorfinn is also based on bits of Olaf Tryggvason's past, an ambitious leader who first had to experience hardship to understand kindness.

One of the series' noteworthy antagonists, Askeladd, is himself a product of Yukimura's passion for Norse culture. His name is strongly tied to Askeladden, or Ash-lad, a famous character from a series of Norwegian folktales collected by Asbjørnsen and Moe. Despite his frail build and his status in the family, Ashlad is well known in Norwegian folklore as a clever and patient individual, achieving whatever he wants against expectations. His description may contradict the typical legend, portraying an inverted version of a hero, but this only makes Askeladden twice as unpredictable as the saga protagonists.

In the meantime, Yukimura's penchant for complex, well-rounded characters is also evident here as he links Askeladd's past to another legendary figure, Olaf the Peacock—an Icelandic merchant who gained his nickname due to his ostentatious wardrobe and bearing. As a result, with Ashlad's wit and Olaf's grandeur, Vinland Saga's Askeladd manages to stand out as more of a charming villain who steals many of the scenes he appears in.

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Like the real-life characters Yukimura draws from, the Vikings' lifestyle and mentality should not be passed over in any discussion of Norse cultural elements in Vinland Saga. An ache for discovery, a thirst for gold, a stark appreciation of honor and battle—most of these features come out best in two of the first season's events, both having the warrior called Bjorn in their focus.

The following paragraphs contain spoilers for the first season of Vinland Saga

The ‘berserker’ and Valhalla are tackled from the perspective of Bjorn. The former touches on a rather literary concept, but it otherwise stands for a vivid depiction of the ‘berserker’, or, if one tries to translate the original word in Old Norse, “Bear-shirt.” At the end of the episode titled “Troll,” Bjorn—also meaning ‘bear’ in Scandinavian languages—reveals that he's curious to find out “what the Troll of Jom is made of.” Therefore, he eats a mushroom that helps him reach an uncontrollable rage and savagely battles his way to Thors. His eyes are white, mad, and his hair disheveled. He hurls two men in the air as if they weighed nothing. For all that, a collected Thors finishes him in two punches.

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“Bear-shirts” and “Wolf-skins” are often referred to in the sagas as indestructible, shield-biting warriors with complete disregard for their own safety; this not only makes them great opponents on the battlefield but also creates a not-so-great reputation outside it, leading them to be seen as outlaws or renegades—sometimes even cultists—in Norse societies. No one can tell for certain what was behind the act of ‘going berserk’ (‘Berserkergang’). However, the use of natural drugs such as magic mushrooms seems to be one of the most popular theories for the phenomenon, besides the possibility of it being a natural reaction to stress.

Berserkers are an omnipresent motif in Norse literature; their character is mainly portrayed as fearless, their skin is immune to arrows or swords, and their connection to Odin has been referenced numerous times. However, it is also important to acknowledge that these descriptions reach the grounds of the fantastic; in reality, those responsible for the Vikings' victories are not the mindless, bloodthirsty warriors as seen in episodes capturing the image of a furious Bjorn, but rather careful fighters and meticulous strategists, materializing in the likes of Thors and Askeladd.

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Another noticeable event in terms of references to Norse customs and thought is none other than the duel between Bjorn and Askeladd, occurring somewhere at the end of the season. We already know Bjorn is heavily wounded from episode 18, “Out of the Cradle,” where he was stabbed shortly after waking up from his berserker state. He knows the blow is fatal; hence he challenges Askeladd to fight him so he can die honorably in battle and step through the gates of Valhalla—the so-called ‘heaven’ in Norse mythology, namely a Viking ideal.

Different from the singular paradise described by Christians, entry into Valhalla (the ‘Hall of the Slain’ or even ‘Rock of the Slain’) is not predicated on conventional morality, and Valhalla itself represents only one of the five realms the Norse believed people traveled to in the afterlife. The other four making up the list are Fólkvangr (ruled by the goddess Freyja), The Realm of Ran (who attends those who die at sea), of Gefjon (who is known from the Prose Edda to watch over the virgins), and last but not least The Realm of Hel (the Norse underworld, often associated with the traditional Hell in Christianity). The concept of the afterlife, as well as the mythological tree Yggdrasil with its nine worlds, takes a characteristic complexity in Norse culture and has been, to this day, a subject of careful study for scholars all over the world.

When Bjorn asks Askeladd to duel him to his grave, he wishes to die a hero and be taken by Valkyries to the place with the greatest esteem in his culture. Valhalla (ruled by mighty Odin) is but a hall of heroes, where warriors are invited to join Odin's army and fight by his side in an endless battle. Bravery is the pattern, so the best way to secure your entrance into Valhalla is to put your life on the line and sacrifice yourself for your army's victory.

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This is what the old Vikings believed back then, and this is what Bjorn also wishes for. Moreover, the same belief pushes Askeladd to grant his friend's wish and accept the challenge without thinking twice. Not to humiliate or end the fallen warrior's suffering, but because he wishes the best for Bjorn's soul.

As mentioned before, mythology is not this series' principal concern. Beliefs and religious practices are nonetheless a central part of a person's life; it helps us get quicker to a character's psychology. Bjorn may not have stricken thunders from his bare palms, but he knew the stories and believed in gods and miracles. The battle-driven mentality of the century defines a good part of who he is as a character, as a good starting point for any characterization is to indicate the person's cultural background.

Paradoxically, mild references to mythology and fantastic events strengthen the historical accuracy of Vinland Saga, setting the viewer in a specific place and time. Trees may be flung from their roots, and people may pull a perplexing show of parkour as they jump from ship to ship without breaking a leg—but that is only because the story has been written in the spirit of the old sagas, theatres of greatness popular for stretching reality in a fiery attempt to highlight the actions of their heroes. As in the case of the anime, the sagas start from real people and actual events but end up somewhere between reality and fiction as the narrative evolves.

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At the end of the day, Vinland Saga clearly understands historical events while presenting a story that is hard to forget or recreate. There are multiple references to real characters and culture throughout the series, and more are to be unveiled in future episodes. Yukimura built up his narrative as less history lesson and more expedition at sea, throwing several pieces of insight for us to fish out. With that, I invite readers to set sail with me and further navigate the waves of Norse culture through Thorfinn's eyes.

Sources

  • Barraclough, R. E. (2012). “Sailing the Saga Seas: Narrative, Cultural, and Geographical Perspectives in the North Atlantic Voyages of the Íslendingasögur”. Journal of the North Atlantic, No. 18, pp. 1-12 (12 pages). Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/26686409
  • Clunies Ross, M. (2010). The Cambridge Introduction to the Old Norse-Icelandic Saga. Cambridge University Press.
  • Orchard, A. (1997). Dictionary of Norse Myth and Legend. Cassell.
  • Rees, O. (2012). “Going Berserk”. Medieval Warfare, Vol 2, No. 1 in the issue Viking expansion in the eleventh century, pp. 23-26 (4 pages). Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/48578628

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