Make way there!
Come on! Make way!
Make way!
Brother!
Brother! Where are you?
Aethelwulf?
Thank God
you are come.
What on Earth made you
think I would not, sire?
No, I never doubted you,
but others...
Our own youngest
brother fled to Mercia.
He was always
the runt of the litter.
Our parents should've
drowned him at birth.
Where are
the heathens now?
Only one,
perhaps two days away.
And your forces
are ready and armed?
Yes, if you are
ready to lead them.
I would regard it
a great honor, sire,
to defend our kingdom
and our homeland.
And there's no man better,
Lord Aethelwulf.
The poets sing
your battle praises
in the halls.
That's because I paid them.
If you paid them,
they'd sing your praises too.
That's poets for you.
My Lady, pray,
have you no time
for laughter?
No, My Lord Aethelwulf,
only for fear.
How soon will
they come?
Soon enough.
I hope so.
I can't wait
for Valhalla.
Good day to you, folk.
What is the problem here?
The problem is her.
What has she done?
She has had a child,
the boy in her arms.
What of it?
He's not my child.
We tried for many
years to have children
but without success.
And then,
just over a year ago,
a young man came to the door.
I remember the day.
I was making a loom.
The young man said
his name was Ríg.
He gave us some
good advice on our work
and stayed at our house.
After three days,
he left,
and then nine months later,
she gave birth to a son.
Whose child is it?
I do not know, My Lady.
We were all
in the same bed.
I was too scared...
You see? She is
not an honest woman.
She had sex with Ríg
and could not bring
herself to tell
me the truth!
Do you know
who this Ríg was?
No, he was
just a young man.
On the contrary.
We know from our
ancient stories
that Ríg is another
name for Heimdall.
The god Heimdall?
My Lady!
Yes, the god Heimdall!
You are fortunate
that he chose your
household to appear in.
That's just a story.
Our whole lives
are just stories.
You should be ashamed
you did not trust your wife,
despite the joy and comfort
she has brought you,
and the fact
that a god chose you
of all people to visit.
Do not punish her,
but rejoice with her,
drink wine with her,
and sacrifice
one of your animals
to Heimdall, the god.
But if I hear you
have harmed this woman
or this child,
you will answer
for it to me.
It seems
they intend to stay
here a while.
I had not expected that.
My Lord,
why don't we attack?
They have
a strong position.
Perhaps if we can
make them leave their
position and attack us.
How could we
force them to do that?
They're scavengers,
little more than beasts.
We must be able
to out-think them.
If we leave it
much longer, they'll be
even better dug-in.
My Lord, if a wolf comes
into your sheep fold,
you don't try to out-think it.
You go in and drive
it away or kill it!
How dare you
argue with me?
Lord Aethelwulf, forgive us.
We only meant...
I know what you meant.
You meant that you're
already greater warriors
than I am,
although only yesterday
you were still green,
sucking on your
mothers' breasts.
Go do your jobs.
Set up camp.
You see them up there?
Yes, I can see them.
What're we waiting for?
To see what they'll do.
So you want to hand
them the initiative?
We can't afford to lose
half our men by being
stupid and attacking.
We wait until the odds
are in our favor.
Ah...
Awake! Awake!
Under attack!
Arm yourselves!
Rise! Rise!
Throw! Throw!
Odin!
They're on us! Weapons!
My Lord!
We're being attacked!
Amen.
Who are you?
I'm Lord Aethelwulf,
brother of King Aelle.
You are the brother
of the King, yet you
lead his army?
Hmm.
Does he send you to
fight all his battles?
In the bedroom too?
Ragnar! Come and see!
Their iron is stronger
and better than ours.
And we've
captured a dozen
of their horses.
I'm hungry already.
What ails you, my friend?
The gods won't
lift my curse.
I am fated to live forever
on this miserable Earth.
Who is this?
This?
This is
the King's brother.
What do you say?
Shall we go
visit the King?
God help us!
My brother defeated, dead.
God help Northumbria.
Sire, we do not know
if your brother is dead.
But we do know, My Lord,
that he was defeated!
Who are these barbarians,
these savages?
Why have they
come to torment us?
Sire, some learned
and wise men say
that these Northmen have
been sent here by God...
To punish our people
for their many sins
and transgressions.
That we have departed
from the path
of righteousness
that our lord set out,
so now he is holding
us to terrible account.
Forgive me, sire,
but what if God has not
sent these Northmen
here to plague us?
Then who has, pray?
Could it not, sire,
rather be the work
of the devil?
Go on then, My Lord.
What is your advice?
My advice, sire, is that,
as we are facing
the forces of Satan,
we must resist
them at all costs.
Even at the cost
of all our lives
if necessary.
For evil cannot be
accommodated nor yet
ever bargained with.
Aye!
Sire, if I might speak?
I put it to you
that it might be
that these
pagans have come here
by their own account,
that they are
neither of God
nor the devil.
They are just savage men
more interested in robbery
and plunder than in
matters of the spirit.
Then what is your advice?
Listen to him.
Sire, since they
have come for gain,
then let us offer them
enough money or whatever
else they desire
to go away and
leave us in peace!
Shame! Shame on you!
Shame on you!
He is right!
Why waste more blood?
Let's pay them off!
Foolish!
My Lords, let me think
on it just a little while.
In the meantime,
let it be known
I have sent envoys out
to raise more men to arms
for our use if need be.
Long live the King!
Contend, O Lord,
against those who
contend with me.
Fight against those
who fight against me.
Draw the spear and javelin
against my pursuers.
Say to my soul,
"I am your salvation."
Sire, they are here.
Greetings.
King Aelle invites your
leader to meet him
in his villa to talk.
Who is your leader?
The King did not know
that his brother
was still alive.
He would like to talk
to you about what
he can give you
to set his brother free.
Do you accept
the King's invitation?
Where are you going?
We should attack
while they are weak.
How long will it take them
to raise another army?
"Attack,
attack, attack!"
That's all he ever says.
I want to talk
to the King.
What is
there to talk about?
Imagine the treasures
the King keeps
in his household.
I want them.
I want to see how he lives,
what manner of men they are,
and I'm hungry.
Listen to me,
if we agree to
walk into his house,
he can kill each
and every one of us.
You forget,
we hold his brother hostage.
Why should he care
about his brother?
Do I not care
about mine?
They're coming.
My Lord Eadric.
Sire, this man
is Ragnar Lothbrok,
his brother Rollo,
and their companions.
Ah, yes, Ragnar Lothbrok.
We've heard
that name before.
We are pleased
you have decided
to talk to us.
Perhaps, sire,
you should invite
them to eat first.
Forgive me.
Let us feast
together and then talk.
The King!
Ragnar Lothbrok,
may I present
my wife, Ealswith,
and my son, Egbert.
Hello.
Go on now.
We need more.
In the name of the Father,
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit, amen.
Amen.
Shall we talk, King?
Very well.
What do you want
for the safe
return of my brother
and for leaving my kingdom?
Is he a priest?
He's a bishop
of our church,
a man of God.
I, too, have a man
of God at home.
Two thousand pounds
in gold and silver.
What did
he say?
How much?
Two thousand pounds.
I do not think
I heard you properly,
Ragnar Lothbrok.
Hmm.
Two thousand pounds
in weight.
That is the price.
I agree to the terms.
Good.
But first, you must
return my brother.
When we receive payment,
you shall have your brother.
You must give me
time to collect such
a vast amount.
And in the meantime,
you and your men
must remain in your camp
and make no further
attacks on my people
or their property.
Agreed.
Sire! How can we trust
the word of a pagan?
Let me baptize
one of them.
There is one
further condition.
I desire that either you
or one of your companions
agrees to be
baptized into our faith.
That way, I can make peace
with a friend and
fellow Christian,
and not an enemy.
You want one of us
to become Christian?
Yes.
Tostig!
I will be Christian.
My Lady Lagertha,
I hope you can
find it in your heart
to speak to the wife
of the late Earl.
Of course. Hello, Siggy.
Please sit down and join us.
Wait! Earl Haraldson
tried to kill my father.
I know.
And if he had succeeded,
I would be standing
where Siggy's standing now.
So what would you
like me to say to her?
I would ask her
to sit down.
Thank you.
What can I do for you?
It is what I can
do for you.
I want to serve you.
That is not necessary.
I remember very well
how I served
the father of my church,
and it did me no harm.
In fact, I found in service
a great freedom and honor.
When I accepted
that I should
forget about myself
and serve Father Cuthbert,
well, then I became happy.
If it's really what you want,
I accept your offer.
Thank you.
You and your daughter
are now under my protection,
but I will never
treat you as a servant.
O Lord, Holy Father,
almighty and eternal God,
expel the devil and
his kin from this person,
from the head, from the hair,
from the brain, from the brow,
from the ears,
from the nostrils,
from the mouth,
from beneath the tongue,
from the throat,
from the neck,
from the chest,
from the heart,
from the entire
interior of the body,
from the thoughts,
from the words,
and from the deeds,
in the name of
Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen.
I anoint thee
in the name of the Father
and of the Son and
of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
I now pronounce
you baptized and born again
with the new
Christian name of Rolf.
May the Lord
bless you and keep you
from this day
hence and forever.
Amen.
We have witnessed
a true miracle.
Now I ask you to
fulfill your promises.
Return to your ships
and await your
payment in peace.
Agreed, Ragnar Lothbrok?
What is it?
I can't sleep.
Come here
beside me, daughter.
What worries you?
I fear for father
so far away.
Our lives are fated, Gyda.
We all have to accept that.
I can feel it moving
underneath my hand.
Mmm-hmm.
He has a strong kick.
He? Are you
so sure it's a boy?
A long time ago,
the Seer prophesized
that your father
would have many sons.
That's how I know
it's a boy.
Now sleep.
I won again.
Well done, Rolf.
What's wrong
with you, Floki?
There's nothing
wrong with me.
I did not renounce the gods
in front of everyone.
It was a joke.
I didn't believe it.
I didn't even know what
the old fool was saying.
It doesn't matter.
Surely, you've made
them very angry.
Don't be stupid.
No, you are the
stupid one to risk
the wrath of the gods.
How will you ever get Odin
to forgive you now?
They're here!
Come and see!
They're empty.
Move back!
Reform!
My men!
Regroup!
Odin!
Valhalla.
How many Christians
did I kill, Floki?
How many?
Do you think Odin
is still angry
with me now?
Whoo!
It seems your brother,
the King,
does not care if
you live or die.
If you let me talk to him,
I will persuade him
to honor his pledge.
Why should I not
just kill you now?
Then you'll have nothing
left to bargain with.
I have this.
Open!
Open the gate!
I swear
before God almighty,
I declare war eternal
on the Northman,
Ragnar Lothbrok.
I swear to our
Lord Jesus Christ
and to the Blessed Virgin,
one day, I will
avenge myself on him
and bring him to
justice and to death,
so help me God.