Vikings is a historical drama that was created by historical fiction guru Michael Hirst. Aside from Vikings, Hirst can take credit for Camelot and The Tudors. He is a master at his craft, and Vikings might be his most exceptional work to date. The show depicts Ragnar Lothbrok's rise from farmer to Scandinavian King of the Vikings. Vikings is a lot of things. It's brutal, gory, intense, and entertaining. The one thing it is never, is boring.
With Vikings in its last season, we are already preparing ourselves for missing our favorite braided beauties. Before we are left to reruns only, let's take a look at our favorite facts about the show Vikings.
20 Secondary Actors Were Cast Before The Stars
Vikings has a solid cast full of talented actresses and actors who have helped make it such a massive success. The series has also gathered a ton of secondary actors to help make those battle scenes look and feel more authentic. Fans of the show would be interested to know that the secondary actors were cast before the leads.
19 Fimmel Endured Snake Bites In His Final Scene
Ragnar Lothbrok meets his maker in an epic scene filled with venomous snakes and a very deep pit. The actor who played the Viking King, Travis Fimmel, actually endured several snake bites while filming his character's exit scene. Talk about being dedicated to your craft! We hope he received some kind of bonus for this.
18 70% Of The Show Is Filmed Outdoors
Most of the show is filmed in Ireland, and the series does do work on a production set, but the vast majority of Vikings is filmed in the outdoors. It is predicted that roughly seventy percent of the entire series takes place outdoors. Actors have to endure whatever elements come their way. Mother Nature cares not for film schedules.
17 The Writer's Two Daughters Appear In The Series
The Vikings series is a bit of a family affair. Period piece savant, Michael Hirst, developed, wrote, and produced the show, and brought his two daughters into the production as well. Maude Hirst portrayed Floki's wife Helga, and her sister Georgia played the character Torvi. What a talented family!
16 They Film Mostly In Canada And Ireland
Vikings is a dual Irish/Canadian production developed and produced by Octagon Films and Take 5 Productions. The show first premiered on Canada's History channel back in 2013, but the vast majority of the series is filmed in beautiful Ireland, primarily because of its stunning scenery and its tax advantages.
15 Katheryn Winnick Is A Black Belt
Anyone who has seen even one episode of Vikings will tell you that you would have to be several shades of crazy to take on the mighty Lagertha. On the show, Katheryn Winnick's character is fierce, almost as fierce as the actress herself. Winnick is a second-degree black belt and a licensed bodyguard.
14 When Large Groups Of Norsemen Are Filmed, Viewers Hear A Compilation Of Dead Languages
In the scenes where droves of Vikings are gathered together and gearing up for battle, a lot of chatter can be heard in the background. Parts of four dead languages were used on the show to demonstrate to viewers exactly what language sounded like back when Vikings pillaged and raided the earth.
13 The Cast Had To Physically Drag A Boat Up A Cliff!
While plenty of special effects are used in the series to make scenes look as incredible as possible, some of the heavy lifting is truly done by the actors. In Season 4, episode 9, Ragnar and his band of pillaging pals haul a Viking ship up a cliff. We hope these actors had their Wheaties the morning of the shoot because this was all grit and hard work, no special effects here. They went with the old heave ho method.
12 The Weapons Used In Fight Scenes Are Real!
This work on Vikings is no joke. Fight scenes entail a lot of detailed practice, and the actors become highly skilled in their weaponry. The shields and swords that viewers see flying around are oftentimes real weapons. Let's hope that none of these actors ever have an off day, or it could be off with a head!
11 Actors Can Spend Up To Three Weeks Perfecting Fight Choreography
These actors take their choreography more seriously than the cast of Dancing with the Stars does. A lot of detail and thought goes into each and every battle scene that the writers devise. Actors can spend up to three weeks practicing a single fight scene so that they nail it.
10 The Chemistry On Set Is Real – The Cast Are Very Good Friends
The actors and actresses on Vikings might go to war together while the cameras roll, but once the cameras are turned off, the cast of Vikings is nothing but tight. When the actors have downtime on set, they play practical jokes on one another, watch movies, and hang out as friends.
9 The Cast And Crew Have To Put Up With A Lot Of Pranks
This cast is full of pranksters, and the biggest jokester of them all might be Travis Fimmel, the actor who played Ragnar Lothbrok. The hunky, Aussie actor has gotten a reputation among the cast and crew for being the guy behind most of the on-set pranks. Everyone has to watch their back when Fimmel is around.
8 Siggy Was Never Meant To Kick The Bucket
Siggy was a favorite character among fans, going from rival Queen to Viking servant. She met her demise while saving two of Ragnar's sons from drowning in the frigid Scandinavian waters. This character was not intended to pass on, however. The actress, Jessalyn Gilsig, asked to leave the show for personal reasons, hence her character's untimely exit.
7 Katheryn Winnick Both Acted And Produced
Katheryn Winnick plays Lagertha, Ragnar's first wife, and ultimate feminist shieldmaiden. Winnick is an accomplished actress but has some skills behind the camera as well. She did some directing for the Vikings series during its sixth season, proving that she is a wealth of talent in all that she does.
6 The Show Features Professional Wrestler The Edge
WWE Hall of Famer, Adam "Edge" Copeland, had a guest role on Vikings where he played the character Ketill Flatnose. His character and his family follow eccentric Floki to a small Icelandic community. This isn't the wrestler's first guest acting role outside of the wrestling ring, though. In 2015, he also had an appearance on The Flash.
5 "To the Gates!" Utilized A 13,800 Square Foot Set
While most of the show takes place outside, incredible sets are also constructed and used. In the episode where the Vikings descend on Paris, the set that was used for this part of filming took up an astounding 13,800 square feet. Minimal CGI was used for this particular scene, and hundreds of crew members and extras got in front of the camera to battle it out.
4 Most Of The Actors' Costumes Are Handmade
Those costumes and armor that the Vikings actors sport are awe-inspiring, and a lot goes into the making of them. Many of the costume and armor pieces are painstakingly handmade. Wet leather was molded right to the actors' bodies and then dried, to give them as much of an authentic look as possible.
3 The Composer Uses Norse Instruments For The Score
Einar Selvik is the mastermind behind much of the Vikings soundtrack. This Norwegian composer aimed to give the music of the show an authentic feel, so he utilized the sounds of ancient Norse instruments to get that sound just right. Some of the instruments that fans hear in the soundtrack include a bukkehorn, a tagelharpa, and a lyre.
2 Many Of The Actors Auditioned For Different Roles Than They Ended Up With
Many of the Vikings actors initially auditioned for different roles than they ended up playing. Gustav Skarsgård, who ended up playing Floki, and Clive Standen, who took on the part of Rollo, both initially auditioned for the mighty Ragnar. Travis Fimmel, who became Ragnar Lothbrok, first wanted the role of Floki. Everything seems to have worked out just fine in the end.
1 All Those Ravens Are Significant
If it seems like there is always a gaggle of black ravens flying about the Vikings' heads, it is for a good reason. The inclusion of ravens in the series is by design, as according to Norse mythology, the God Odin was the keeper of two messenger ravens named Huginn and Muninn.
Sources: factinate.com, buzzfeed.com