Ragnar!
Odin!
Ragnar!
Come on.
Let's go home.
Watch.
What are you
two doing?
I'm taking Bjorn
to the thing
tomorrow.
Not yet.
He's not
old enough.
He's 12 years old.
Take him
next year.
Next year
is soon enough.
He'll need
a silk ribbon,
Lagertha.
You're a handsome boy.
Funny ears, though.
Don't sleep
with lots of women
in Kattegat.
I can do
without it
for a few days.
Is that another
way of saying
you love me?
Huh?
I always
dream of you.
Last night, I dreamt
you were feeding me
blood pudding.
What does that mean?
It means
you're giving me
your heart.
Get your dog, boy.
Frodi!
Come on, boy.
What will happen
at the thing?
The Earl
will deal with some
criminal offenses,
and then,
we'll discuss
the summer raids.
And where
will you go?
The Earl decides.
He owns the ships.
He'll send us
to the east,
as always,
to the Baltic lands,
but I want to know
what's to the west.
What cities
and gods
are over there.
See, I'm not
satisfied
with this.
Odin gave his eye
to acquire knowledge,
but I would give
far more.
And will
Earl Haraldson
let you?
Good.
Like this,
nice and tight.
And on three.
One, two,
three.
Very good, Gyda.
Gyda, feed the goats.
Go on!
What do you want?
We know
you're all
alone here.
All the men are gone.
If you're thirsty,
I will give you
a drink.
If you're hungry,
I will feed you.
Otherwise, you must go.
We will eat and drink
after we've satisfied
our other needs.
I don't want
to kill you,
woman.
You couldn't kill me
if you tried
for 100 years.
Out!
Gyda!
Gyda.
I went
to confess my love to her,
but I was set upon
by a bear
and an enormous hound
who guarded her home.
I killed the bear
with my spear,
and I managed
to strangle the hound
with my bare hands.
And that is how
I gained her hand
in marriage.
Did she tell you
the same story?
Just about.
Are you ready to receive
your arm ring
and become a man?
Yes.
And what does
a man do?
He fights.
And?
He looks after
his family.
That's right.
Could you
look after
our family?
What do you mean?
You look after us.
Say I wasn't there.
I have
a big decision
to make.
It may change
many things.
Now, go to sleep.
You have a big day
tomorrow.
Bjorn!
So, here you are,
brother.
Rollo.
By Freyr
and all the gods,
how you've grown.
Hello, Rollo.
Are you here
for the thing?
You're a real man now.
Come, let's get
a drink.
Looking a little
pale, Bjorn.
Are you ready
for a woman?
There's some good-looking
women in Kattegat.
Some of them are free.
Can't even grow a beard,
can you, boy?
Why don't you go
lie down?
So where do you think
the Earl is going
to send us this year?
Those bastards
to the east
are as poor as we are.
I know.
That's why
we should sail west.
I've heard
such tales, Rollo.
Great towns
and cities
and treasures.
Hoards of gold
and silver,
and a new god.
I've heard
those stories, too,
but what does it mean?
We can't sail
across an open ocean.
I believe
there's a way
to go west.
I have something
that will change
everything.
What?
What is that?
Now just listen.
A while back,
I met someone,
a wanderer.
He told me
it was possible
to go west,
over the open sea,
using this.
It's a sun board.
It needs to sit
in water.
Another wanderer?
This time,
it's different.
Now tell me, Ragnar,
this wanderer of yours,
has he ever
sailed west himself?
Just get some water.
Now, this candle
is the sun.
Every day, the sun rises
up into the sky
until noon.
See how
the shadow shortens?
At noon,
it is at its shortest.
That only tells me
how far south
I have traveled.
Didn't I just
tell you to listen?
The day before sailing,
you mark a circle
around the pointer
where the shadow
is at its shortest at noon.
The next day at sea,
you place the board
back into water
around noon
and watch the shadow.
If the shadow
only touches the circle...
Your course
remains true?
Yes.
And if it passes
outside the circle,
like this...
Then you have drifted,
and you must steer
further south.
Yes.
And what if it
never reaches
the circle?
Then you are too far south,
and must steer
more to the north.
That's it!
Keep the noon shadow
on the circle,
and your course will be true.
West.
But what if
there is no sun?
How can the board
help you then?
How could you
find your way?
Using this.
Follow me outside.
They call it
a sunstone.
You see?
There is the sun.
Now we go west.
Come on.
Silence!
Olaf Anwend,
you have pleaded guilty
to the charge of stealing.
Tomorrow,
you will run
a gauntlet of stones
and turf as punishment.
Yes, Lord.
Thank you, Lord.
Let it be known,
a fine is to be paid
by anyone who fails
to throw something.
Bring in the next accused.
- There he is!
- Murderer!
Burn him!
Eric Trygvasson,
you are accused
of the murder
of Sigvald Strut
this January.
How do you plead?
It wasn't murder, Lord.
I killed him in self-defense.
Liar!
If it wasn't murder,
why did you not
declare your crime
to the first person
that you met afterwards,
as the law obliges?
In fact, you passed
by several houses
before you reported it.
I thought the relatives
of the dead man
might be living in them.
The law allows you
to pass two houses,
in such circumstances,
but never a third.
You murdered
my brother
in cold blood!
It's not true!
We argued about
some disputed land.
He pulled out a knife!
You wanted
that land
for yourself!
You're a liar
and a coward.
Who says
I'm a coward?
I'm not a coward.
Silence!
As the normal procedures
were not followed,
this killing
cannot be atoned for
by compensating
the victim's family.
Murder is a dishonorable deed
amongst our people.
Carried out in secret,
unacknowledged,
and likely to give rise
to a series
of revenge killings
that would involve
your own family.
Lord, you knew
about that land.
You knew I had
a claim to it...
Enough!
I ask you
to look
to the accused.
If you think
that he is guilty,
raise your arms.
The decision
must be unanimous.
Eric Trygvasson,
you have been found
guilty of murder.
- Yes!
- Justice!
How do you wish to die?
By beheading, Lord.
Your wish is granted.
You shall be
executed tomorrow.
After which we shall feast
and talk about
the summer raids.
You have to.
Why is he smiling,
Father?
He wants to die well,
without fear,
to atone for his sins.
You must watch,
for his sake.
It's his only hope
of reaching Valhalla.
Feed him to your pigs!
And I curse him.
May he never
enter Valhalla.
May he never feast
with the gods.
Why did he do that?
He should not
have done that.
Someone told me
he wanted that
land for himself,
and he knew Trygvasson
had the best claim to it,
but refused to sell it.
You hear that, boy?
This is how things
are done around here.
Olaf,
son of Ingolf,
Bjorn, son of Ragnar,
may you accept this
gift of salt and earth
to remind yourself
that you belong
to both the land and the sea.
These arm rings
bind you in loyalty to me,
your lord, your chieftain.
Any oath that you swear
on these rings
must be honored and kept.
Do you understand
and swear to this?
Yes, Lord.
And do you freely
give your fealty to me,
your lord, your chieftain?
Yes, Lord.
Good. You may put
on the arm rings.
Come here.
Let us feast!
My Lord,
we all want to feast,
but we also want to know
where we will be
raiding this summer.
Can't it wait, Ragnar?
No. Tell us.
We want to know.
We have a right
to know.
Very well.
We will raid east again,
to the eastlands
and into Russia.
Every year
we go to the same places!
But there
is an alternative,
if you choose.
Yes, yes. Choice, yes.
I have heard
of these rumors,
these stories.
That if we travel west,
that we will somehow
reach a land
that is rich and plentiful.
But I tell you
that I will not risk
my ships or my reputation
on such a deluded fantasy.
They are my ships.
I pay for them.
And they go
where I tell them to go.
Now that's the end
of the matter.
Let's feast!
Let me see!
It's a fine ring.
Ragnar Lothbrok,
Earl Haraldson
wants to speak
with you in private.
Stay with your uncle.
Ragnar Lothbrok.
Sit down.
Are you hungry?
Yes, Lord.
You want to feast
in my hall?
You want to sail
in my ships?
Anything else
you want from me?
Lord...
You keep talking
about the west.
What do you know of it? Hmm?
Why are you so certain
that it's a land
of great riches?
I can't be sure.
But I believe that...
I don't care
what you believe.
You insulted me
out there,
and not for
the first time,
but, believe me,
it will be the last.
Who told you
you could go?
You are a farmer.
You should be content
with your lot.
Farms are few
and in great demand,
and there are many
people here
who would like
to possess your land.
Do you understand
what I'm saying?
I understand.
Then don't ever
stick your nose
in my face again.
I don't trust him.
Watch him.
Where are we
going now? I'm so tired.
To talk
to the gods.
It's what we do.
Why don't you come in?
I'm waiting.
Sit.
What do you want?
I want to know
what the gods
have in store.
For you,
or for the boy?
I'm more interested
in myself.
The gods desire you
to have a great future.
I see that.
But they can withdraw
their goodwill at any time.
To have
this great future,
must I challenge the law?
You must convince
the gods to alter the runes
so they work in your favor.
But the laws of men
are far below the workings
and shapings of the gods.
So I should take
the laws of men
into my own hands?
Answer me.
You already
have your answer.
No, I don't.
Well,
then go and ask
the gods yourself.
What are you afraid of?
Wait outside.
All right.
You haven't helped me
at all, ancient one.
Perhaps you asked
the wrong questions.
Where are they?
Where are my sons?
You said you'd found them.
We have someone
special to visit.
His name is Floki.
"Floki"?
Like Loki, the god?
Yes, only different.
How is he different?
He's not a god.
Why didn't he come
to the thing?
Because...
Because he's shy.
Floki, this is
my son, Bjorn.
Hello. How are you?
Well. Thank you, sir.
Let me see.
You have
your father's eyes
unfortunately.
Why unfortunately?
It means
he will be like you,
and therefore
he will want to do
better than you,
and you will
hate him for it.
How can you tell that
by just looking
at my face?
It's the same
with trees.
I can tell
which trees will make
the best planks
just by looking at them.
I can look
inside the tree.
Floki is a boat-builder.
Among other things.
This is one.
Inside this tree
are two almost
perfect planks.
They will bend,
then curve,
like a woman's body
from the thighs
to the back.
When I split this tree,
I will find them.
You can see that?
Do you think
I'm joking?
I joke
about many things,
son of Ragnar,
but never about
ship-building.
Do you imagine
ships are just
dead things?
So, what about
our boat?
It will be lighter
and carry a bigger sail.
The construction
is different.
It's built
with a strong
central plank.
The two strakes
above it are nailed
directly onto
the knees of the frame.
But the ones
below... Look!
Are cleated and
lashed onto the frames,
not nailed,
so they can move
in relation to each other.
This means the boat
won't butt against
the waves like a goat,
but move over them
like a ripple.
The hull is deeper.
How will my men
set their oars?
I will cut them
into the sheerstrakes,
and the ports can be closed
when the boat is at sea.
And you think
it could handle
long sea voyages?
That's why
I'm building it.
But will it be
strong enough?
We won't know
that until we try.
When will it be ready?
As to that...
What?
We're out of money.
We have to pay for the sail
and then the anchor.
I know what those blacksmiths
are like, greedy bastards.
For the anchor.
It's all I have left
from last summer's raids.
Don't worry.
We'll soon be
as rich as dwarves!
I missed you.
Did anything happen
while we were away?
No.
Did you miss me?
I ached
with love longing.
My belly was empty
of laughter.
Is that
what you want? Hmm?
You want me
to make you laugh?
I don't want
to laugh now.
I want to ride you,
like a bull.
Like a wild bull.
Hello, young Bjorn.
Hello, Rollo.
Where are your parents?
They are having sex.
Well...
I guess
we'll have to wait.
So, Gyda,
is your mother
teaching you how
to use a shield?
Yes, I know
how to use a shield.
Your mother
was a famous
shield-maiden.
"Was"?
Is a famous shield-maiden.
We fought in
the same shield wall
against the eastlanders.
She fought like a valkyrie.
Come on,
children, to bed.
Let's leave the men.
But I'm a man.
I have a ring.
Let him stay awhile.
To bed!
Say good night.
Good night,
my children.
- Good night.
Good night.
Hey!
Good night, Father.
Tell me your news.
What about the boat?
It's nearly ready.
Do you trust Floki?
Isn't he a great joker?
He's a great boat builder.
I trust him to do that.
I won't go
under your command.
I won't go
unless we're all equal.
We are brothers.
You and I will
always be equal.
Then we must find a crew.
Not many men
will go against
the wishes of Haraldson.
Many will be afraid.
Some may even go
to him and betray us.
I must go piss.
Yesterday, I was
with a girl
from the town.
Thank you.
A good-looking
girl, too.
But when
she shouted out
in pleasure,
I didn't see
her face.
I saw yours.
Lagertha...
Don't talk like that.
Why not?
I think about you
all the time.
That's too bad.
Don't insult me,
shield-maiden.
No.
I would never
insult you.
You're too great
a warrior,
but perhaps
not so great a man.
I saw something.
What did you see?
A sign.
It made me
certain we're doing
the right thing.
Good night, brother.
It's...
No need to say.
I see it in your eyes.
Beautiful.
It's only beautiful
if it works.
Set the sail.
Floki! The sail!
She'll sink.
No, she bloody won't.
I shouldn't have
pretended to build
such a boat.
It's beyond
my humble capabilities.
I'll set the sail.
I'm sorry, Ragnar.
I've wasted
all your money.
It was all a joke.
Shut up, man.
Ha!
Now it runs
on its cool keel.
It's beautiful.
Why didn't you
believe me?
I told you I could do it!
Now it's all up to you,
Ragnar Lothbrok.