What is this?
My Lord, this man says
he has a message for you
from Ragnar Lothbrok.
Let him go.
What's the message?
Ragnar Lothbrok challenges you
to meet him in single combat.
Ragnar Lothbrok has a very
high opinion of himself.
Well, he is
a descendant of Odin.
Ragnar said that
if you refuse his challenge,
then shame would follow you
the rest of your life.
There would be greater
shame in accepting
a challenge from a criminal.
That would suggest
that I take him seriously,
that I see him as an equal.
The challenge is declined.
When Ragnar Lothbrok
appears in Kattegat,
he will be put in chains.
Stones and bones.
He searches for your death.
Does he desire to be Earl?
If he kills you,
would it not be so?
Tell Ragnar Lothbrok
I accept his challenge.
Take him away.
Ragnar.
What?
Let's go away.
Let's leave here.
This is not
the only place for us.
He is old.
What are you
frightened of?
You can't fight.
You're still too weak.
Perhaps that
makes us equal.
Never fight unless you know
the odds are in your favor.
That is our way.
Who sets the odds?
Our fates are
already decided.
You don't believe that,
and neither do I.
You are wrong.
I do believe it.
Come to bed.
You need to rest,
to sleep.
Yes, I will.
There's always
time to sleep.
I was thinking about our boys,
what they would look like now.
Don't. Don't think about them.
Think about tomorrow.
When I must kill a man
for whom I have
the utmost respect.
Respect?
You respect
Ragnar Lothbrok?
Why not?
He is what I used to be,
restless, ambitious.
And he was right
about the western lands.
But I always knew
that in my heart.
Then why didn't
you tell him?
Because the moment
that I reached out
to Ragnar Lothbrok
was the moment
that all my friends,
all my supporters
would have deserted
me and joined him.
It was impossible to do it.
But it's true our fates
have brought us together.
And maybe he's opened
the western lands for me.
That is my hope
after I kill him.
The Seer promised
you would kill him?
Yes.
Good.
I'm sure that's
our first child.
Now get up and fetch me
some pickled herrings.
I'm starving.
I don't like the smell
of them in the bed.
Your clothes are
smelly enough as it is.
Why can't you just wash
like everyone else?
I thought a wife
wasn't supposed
to nag her husband
until they'd had time
to grow tired of each other?
If you don't get up
and fetch me some herrings,
I will beat you.
Perhaps that will make you
show a little life when we
have sex in any case.
Very well. I'll go.
I can't wait till tomorrow.
Personal combat is
always thrilling.
Who is this Ragnar Lothbrok?
I've heard many
people talk about him.
I don't talk about him.
He's my father's enemy.
Ooh...
Lord,
High One,
hear me.
Listen to me.
Give me your favor this day.
Grant me your blessing
as you have done in the past,
and I will make
a sacrifice of my enemy
if his death pleases you.
Give me a sign.
I cannot feel your presence.
Husband.
Our sons' hair.
Believe at least in
them and in yourself.
Don't look so worried.
This is
a personal combat.
The combatants can
choose any weapon and
shield they desire.
Each man has two shields.
If both are broken,
there can be no
further replacement.
Fight, Ragnar!
Father, you can do it!
You can do it, Earl!
Finish him!
He is weak!
Lord Odin is here,
waiting to see which one
of us he will take to
his great hall.
So I shall dine after all
at the high
table of the Aesir.
No! No!
No!
Tonight I shall be
drinking with our boys.
Kill him.
Kill him!
Hail, Earl Ragnar.
Hail, Earl Ragnar!
- Take it!
Take it!
Lord Ragnar,
I have come to swear
to you my allegiance
and fealty
to you and your
family from this day.
Leif, you are my friend.
And you, Torstein,
and you, Arne,
you are my friends.
What is your name?
Tostig, Lord Ragnar.
Do you swear
allegiance and fealty
to me and to my family
from this day forth?
That won't be
so long then.
By my sacred rings,
I swear.
But I also have
a favor to ask, Lord.
What is this favor?
That the next
time you go raiding,
you take me with you.
I do not wish to insult you,
but the truth is you...
That I am too old?
Yes, I am old.
But I have been
a warrior all my life.
Many years I sailed
with Lord Haraldson
and fought battles
against the Eastlanders,
and I watched
all the companions
of my youth die.
And though I fought with
them in the shield-wall,
never once was I
touched by a blade.
All the friends
and companions of
my youth are dead
and feasting and
drinking with the Aesir
in the halls of the gods!
While I,
I am forsaken,
bereft.
Which is why
I beg you, Lord,
gift me the chance
to die with honor
in battle
and join my
friends in Valhalla.
This summer,
we shall have more
ships to go west,
for that is our future.
When we return to England,
let's take him with us.
All in favor?
Aye.
There is no need
for you to swear.
You have already
paid a heavy price
for your loyalty to me.
Nevertheless,
I will swear, brother.
I swear to be true to you,
your wife and your family
as long as your
good fortune holds.
How will we ever be
equal now, my brother?
Why have you agreed
to grant Earl Haraldson
such a big funeral?
Was he not your enemy?
He was also a great man
and warrior.
He earned his
renown in this life,
and now, in death,
he deserves such a funeral.
I want to show
you something.
♪ I dreamt a dream last night
♪ Of silk as fine fur
♪ Now an Earl is
felled by spears
♪ It is horrible
now to look around... ♪
Who is she?
She's one of
the Earl's slaves.
When he died,
all of his slave
women were asked,
"Who wants to die with him?"
This one agreed.
She wants to die?
These other servants
are preparing her.
♪ As the valkyries
sing their song ♪
Put the body on the bench.
Let's make our offerings.
You need
a drink, priest.
Drink.
Drink!
There's that slave girl,
the one who has chosen to die.
What are they doing?
She is having sex with
the men who live in there.
Each one of them
says to her,
"Tell your master
I did this out
of love for him."
Because she will
soon be reunited
with her master in death,
and she will be
able to speak to him.
Silence!
Bjorn, who is that woman?
We call her
the Angel of Death.
I can see my master.
He is in Valhalla.
He calls me.
Let me join him then.
I cannot stay.
What's the matter
with you, priest?
I don't want to watch.
It's only death.
You will stay,
or my father will
hear of it.
Yeah! Yeah!
Hail! Hail, Ragnar Lothbrok!
Hail, Earl Ragnar!
Ragnar!
Hail, Earl Ragnar!
Hail, Ragnar Lothbrok!
Move!
I ask permission
to light the pyre.
I have something important
to tell you, husband.
I am with child again.
I know you're a boy.
The Seer told me.
By all the gods, my son,
you have made me
a happy man.
Have you come to kill us?
Why would I do that?
Because Ragnar
told you to.
It is often
the way that the new Earl
deals with
the family of the old.
Ragnar won't kill you.
How can you be sure?
My brother
doesn't hold grudges.
He's strange that way.
Well, even if
we don't die,
they will still shun
us like a bad smell.
And they'll make it
so we have to leave here,
even though they know
no one else will take us in.
They won't.
Not if I vouch for you.
No one will force
you to go anywhere.
They wouldn't dare.
What do you want
in return?
You were once
married to an Earl.
Would you not
like to be married
to another one?
Who?
What do you mean who?
Me.
The pigs are
fattening nicely.
Just like your mother.
It's cold even in here.
I can't wait for
the spring or the raids.
I want to go to England.
No.
What?
I said no.
But why?
Because I said so.
Don't be too impatient
to put yourself in danger.
But you cannot
alter my fate!
You sound like
your uncle
when he doesn't
know what to say.
Come on.
Ragnar, I have heard
many of your stories,
but tell me,
what is Ragnarök?
I have heard mention
of it several times,
but so far no one
has explained
the meaning to me.
Let's show this
ignorant Christian
what Ragnarök is.
Get the leaves.
The twilight of the gods
will happen like this.
There will be three years
of terrible winters
and summers
of black sunlight.
People will lose all hope
and surrender to greed,
incest and civil war.
Midgardsormen,
the world's serpent,
will come
lunging from the ocean,
dragging the tides in
and flooding the world.
The wolf, giant Fenrir,
will break his
invisible chains.
The skies will open,
and Surt, the fire-giant,
will come flaming
across the bridge
to destroy the gods.
Odin will ride out of
the gates of Valhalla
to do battle for a last
time against the wolf.
Thor will kill the serpent
but die from its venom.
Surt will spread
fire across the earth.
At last, Fenrir
will swallow the sun.
No!
So where did these
Northmen come ashore?
They didn't.
What do you mean,
they didn't?
They came in three ships,
and those ships are now
sailing up the Tyne.
They have ships
that can cross oceans
but also sail up rivers?
What manner of men
are these?
If they are
sailing up the Tyne,
then, sire,
we shall soon find out.
Ah, yes, My Lord Wigea,
of course you know
all about them.
You accused them
of having supernatural powers,
which is why a small force
of them defeated you.
I merely said they
fought like demons,
like men possessed,
with no fear of death.
Unlike you, My Lord?
I fear death as
much as the next man,
but I have no fear
that afterwards God
will raise me up again.
Well said.
Come, all of you!
I have something
new to show you.
Let the serpents
bite these devils.
Let them also bite
those too weak and afraid
to fight to the death
for their king and master.
My Lord! No! No!
You look terrified,
My Lord Wigea.
Have you lost your faith?
Are you not certain anymore
that God will raise
you up from the grave?
Have mercy!
Personally,
I hope he does not.
I hope he leaves
you there to rot.
No!
Lord...
God!
Now, let us prepare
to defend ourselves
against these
heathens and barbarians.