The show Vikings has solidified an image of huge Norsemen warriors, making fans believe that they were an accurate depiction of history. However, Joe Rogan, who loved the Vikings, found out the hard way that these warriors portrayed in the History Channel show might not be accurately shown. Rogan and guest Shane Gillis went through some archaeological sites to find out the differences.
Michael Hirst’s show took inspiration from the sagas of Ragnar Lodbrok, who is one of the most popular Viking heroes. The show follows Ragnar’s journey from a farmer in Kattegat to the warrior who raided England and became the Scandinavian king.
What did Joe Rogan and Shane Gillis uncover about Netflix’s Vikings?
Vikings and other modern movies and TV shows may have used their creative liberty to an extent when portraying the Norsemen. Interestingly, Travis Fimmel‘s look in the show, from his fair-haired and blue-eyed appearance to his entire attire, might just be a work of fiction.
In an episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, Shane Gillis appeared as a guest and the discussion turned to the TV portrayal of the Vikings. Joe Rogan was a fan of the show while Gillis believed that the show was overrated. They decided to go down a rabbit hole and find more about the historical accuracy behind the show.
Rogan shockingly found out that some of the elements depicted in the show were a product of fiction. The two celebrities referred to an article from Discover Magazine, which detailed how the Vikings actually looked and what they wore. Interestingly, the article mentioned that most of the Vikings were farmers primarily and only a few of them were actually warriors.
Unlike what is portrayed in the show, the Vikings wore simple clothing and were composed of mostly flax and wool. The article also disproved the popular conception that they wore rugged, unfinished animal pieces around them. Instead, they wore finely made furs around their attire.
Rogan was particularly surprised when the article mentioned that Vikings hardly wore any of the helmets or protective shields shown in the series. According to history, only one preserved Viking helmet was found in Scandinavia, which was horn-free.
The article also advises fans against trying out the Vikings hairstyle as the show may have got it wrong too. Viking women typically wore their hair long and men usually sported a reverse mullet. Rogan and Gillis googled what a reverse mullet looked like and agreed that it was ridiculous.
Vikings may have gotten some of Katheryn Winnick’s role right
Katheryn Winnick played Lagertha, who was Ragnar’s first wife and a shieldmaiden. She went on to become the Queen of Kattegat. While Vikings’ history suggests that these Norsemen enforced gender roles more rigidly, they allowed women to take on more significant roles in some contexts.
Historical evidence suggests that female warriors like Lagertha could’ve definitely existed in Scandinavia. The show also accurately portrays the use of makeup among Viking men and women. There is evidence, suggesting that men and women may have used some sort of eyeliner.
Vikings is now available for streaming on Netflix.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
