History Main / VikingFuneral

* In ''Film/TheIslandAtThetopOfTheWorld'', The Godi orders Sir Anthony, Ivarrson and Donald executed by having them tied to longship that set alight and sent out into the harbour.

* In chapter 39 of ''Manga/VinlandSaga'', a Viking Funeral is held for Thors.

A subtrope of BurialAtSea in which the deceased (usually a warrior, but not necessarily a Viking) is laid in a boat with his effects, such as a sword, and set out to drift at sea. Then, a character (usually someone with emotional ties to the dead, or simply the most skilled [[ArcherArchetype archer]] present) lights a [[ArrowsOnFire flaming arrow]] and shoots it at the sail. The ship is then engulfed in flame and slowly breaks up and sinks.

* A skit in ''Machinima/Supermarioglitchy4sSuperMario64Bloopers'' has Mario and [=SMG4=] taking the first batch of their online merchandise onto a boat and pushing it out to sea before burning it with a flame arrow to make room for their new merchandise.

* Seen [[https://www.homestuck.com/story/558 here]] in ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}''. [[RuleOfFunny For a safe]].

** The female lead is a slave slated for the HumanSacrifice part of her master's funeral.
** Also, Coal's corpse is first seen floating along the sea in a burning boat.
* Luke has one of these in Webcomic/{{Realmwalker}} when he dies.. Don't worry, he gets better.

In real life, vikings (or Norsemen in general) practiced a variety of ship-themed funerals which included burying an entire ship (which is great because that has allowed for exact reconstructions in modern times) to cremation aboard a boat and in the case the wealth elite, a ship. The idea of the ship being put to sea only occurs in a single mythic event: Baldr's funeral. Then again, it goes without saying that such a funeral would leave no traces.

** [[spoiler:Khal Drogo]] gets the third variant plus slave, only the slave is [[spoiler:the woman who killed him.]]
** Victarion Greyjoy peforms a rather horrific variation when he sacrifices some maidens to the Drowned God and R'hllor the lord of light by giving them a Viking funeral while they're still alive.

''Let my spirit rise, Valkries carry me''\\

* ''Series/{{Riverdale}}'': In "[[Recap/RiverdaleS04E09Chapter66Tangerine|Tangerine]]", [[AngstySurvivingTwin Cheryl]] finally decides to dispose of her brother Jason's corpse this way. She tearfully ignites the boat carrying Jason's body on fire while Archie and Jughead push it down Sweetwater River.

* ''Series/{{Riverdale}}'': In "[[RiverdaleS04E09ChapterSixtySixTangerine|Tangerine]]", [[AngstySurvivingTwin Cheryl]] finally decides to dispose of her brother Jason's corpse this way. She tearfully ignites the boat carrying Jason's body on fire while Archie and Jughead push it down Sweetwater River.

* ''Series/{{Riverdale}}'': In "[[RiverdaleS04E09Tangerine|Tangerine]]", [[AngstySurvivingTwin Cheryl]] finally decides to dispose of her brother Jason's corpse this way. She tearfully ignites the boat carrying Jason's body on fire while Archie and Jughead push it down Sweetwater River.

* ''Series/Riverdale'': In "[[Recap/RiverdaleS4E9Tangerine|Tangerine]]", [[AngstySurvivingTwin Cheryl]] finally decides to dispose of her brother Jason's corpse this way. She tearfully ignites the boat carrying Jason's body on fire while Archie and Jughead push it down Sweetwater River.

* Unsurprisingly considering it's a tale of an Arab experiencing Viking culture, two of these feature in the film version of ''Film/TheThirteenthWarrior'', one near the beginning and one near the end of the film.

* The player character in ''VideoGame/RuneScape'' can build ships and use them to burn the bones of barbarians which can be found in the ancient cavern. Burning mangled bones this way causes a ferocious barbarian spirit to appear which may drop some valuable items when defeated. Burning the rarer chewed bones only dropped by mithril dragons gives even better rewards without having to fight a spirit, including tripling the amount of prayer experience you get for the next few bones you bury or ashes you scatter with the amount depending on the quality of the logs used to make the ship.

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* Seen [[http://www.mspaintadventures.com/?s=6&p=002458 here]] in ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}''. [[RuleOfFunny For a safe]].

* ''Series/{{Norsemen}}'': When Chieftain Olav dies he is set on a raft with his most prized possessions and his brother Orm tries to light it with a FlamingArrow, but misses, repeatedly, until it drifts out of range. Though it later turns out they accidentally put the [[MacGuffin map to the west]] on the raft and Kark has to go get it. In season 2 the Lawspeaker gets a mound burial instead, the possibility of burying him with a ship is shot down as they've only got the one ship in the village.

* ''Series/{{Vikings}}'' probably had the single most straight and well researched version of this trope ''ever shown on television''; having been taken directly from Ahmed Ibn Fadlan's account of the Russ. It comes complete with fighting, drinking and other festivitites and a slave girl being sacrificed and having sex with a couple of men who say "tell your master I did this out of my love for him", which is taken directly from Ibn Fadlan's account. It even has an 'angel of death' overseeing the sacrifice. They sidestep the possible problems of shooting an arrow by just lighting the pyre on the longship while it's at anchor.
* The funeral of Catelyn's father, Hoster Tully, from ''Series/GameOfThrones'' used this trope in "Walk of Punishment", played for laughs at first when his son Edmure fails to hit the boat three times, and then for a badass moment when Edmure's uncle, Brynden, frustratedly seizes the bow, fires an arrow, and tosses it back without even needing to check if it actually hit the boat.

* Spoofed in one episode of ''Series/MalcolmInTheMiddle'', when Francis discovers a dead janitor in a hidden closet at Marlin Academy. He decides, along with several other cadets, to give the corpse a send-off worthy of a Viking prince by loading it into a dinghy, along with the janitor's worldly goods, dousing the whole thing with half a can of gasoline, lighting it and giving it a good push into the lake. Unfortunately [[spoiler:one of the other cadets has left the rest of the can of gasoline in the dinghy, and the whole thing drifts into Commandant Spangler's boathouse just as the can ignites, thereby causing it to explode.]]

* Played for laughs in one of Rose's stories on ''Series/TheGoldenGirls''. She says one of her relatives was being given a Viking funeral, but the fire department kept putting it out.

* In one ''Series/MacGyver1985'' episode, an evil therapist convinces one of his clients to give ''himself'' a Viking funeral... And he takes a friend of Mac's to [[HumanSacrifice play the part of the slave]].
* At the end of "A Reunion ...", the second-season premiere of ''Series/DontTrustTheBInApartment23'', James van der Beek, having abandoned the idea of a ''Series/DawsonsCreek'' ReunionShow, decides to put the past behind him by loading a [=DVD=] boxed set of the series and other memorabilia on a rowboat in the Central Park lake and lighting it on fire.
* ''Series/{{Supernatural}}'': Hunters usually give their fallen comrades the third variation to prevent their [[OurGhostsAreDifferent ghosts]] from rising. Specifically, the bodies are salted and burned.
* Referred to in the ''Series/{{NCIS}}'' episode "Outlaws and Inlaws" when a small boat with two bodies sails itself into San Diego harbor. Director Vance makes the Viking reference.
* ''Series/{{Mythbusters}}'': In the finale episode, Adam and Jamie retire Buster, their long-suffering crash test dummy, in a manner truly worthy of Valhalla: dressing him as a super hero, putting him on a rocket sled, and firing him at 800 MPH into a brick wall.
* On ''Series/NedsDeclassifiedSchoolSurvivalGuide'' a beloved ''backpack'' is given this treatment.
* ''Series/RizzoliAndIsles'': DiscussedTrope in "Stiffed". During an investigation into a murder at a funeral parlour, Korsac describes the custom to Jane, and she decides that is what she wants for her send-off.
* Spoofed in''Series/TheBigBangTheory'' where they have a Viking funeral in the bathtub for Amy and Sheldon's discredited theory.
* ''Series/{{Norsemen}}'': When Chieftain Olav dies he is set on a raft with his most prized possessions and his brother Orm tries to light it with a FlamingArrow, but misses, repeatedly, until it drifts out of range. Though it later turns out they accidentally put the [[MacGuffin map to the west]] on the raft and Kark has to go get it. In season 2 the Lawspeaker gets a mound burial instead, the possibility of burying him with a ship is shot down as they've only got the one ship in the village.

* The player character in ''VideoGame/RuneScape'' can build ships and use them to burn the bones of barbarians which can be found in the ancient cavern. Burning mangled bones this way causes a ferocious barbarian spirit to appear which may drop some valuable items when defeated. Burning the rarer chewed bones only dropped by mithril dragons gives even better rewards without having to fight a spirit, including tripling the amount of prayer experience you get for the next few bones you bury or ashes you scatter with the amount depending on the quality of the logs used to make the ship.
* ''VideoGame/TheLostVikings'' being, well, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Vikings]], send their fallen off on a burning ship on the game over screen.
* ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'': It appears to be tradition in Ferelden. After the siege, the dead of Redcliffe are sent off in floating pyres. In the Return to Ostagar DLC, this is the most respectful send-off you can give the late King.

* In the ''VideoGame/TheWitcher3WildHunt,'' once Geralt arrives in Skelliga he witnesses King Bran's funeral. For extra points, one of Bran's lovers throws herself onto the burning boat as it is sent off to sea.
* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'':
** ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'' includes an instance of the non-fiery variety in the final resting place of Olmgerd the Outlaw, bastard son of the 1st Era Nordic King Harald Hand-Free. Olmgerd died while raiding in modern day Morrowind and was given a burial which befits the son of a Nordic king - in his ship, axe in hand, surrounded by treasures. An ancient Daedric crypt was repurposed to hold his ship, which the PlayerCharacter can re-discover.
** ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Skyrim]]'', true to its Viking-inspired roots, has one of these for [[spoiler:Kodlak Whitemane]], who is burned on a funeral pyre at [[spoiler:the Skyforge]] following [[spoiler:[[VanHelsingHateCrimes the Silver Hand's attack on Jorrvaskr]]]].

* ''VideoGame/TheBannerSaga'' has a viking funeral for [[spoiler: whoever shot the arrow at Bellower and was subsequently crushed to death.]] Instead of a burning arrow, the boat is simply lit with a torch while still ashore. The scene even transitions to show the boat reaching the afterlife.
* In ''VideoGame/Payday2'', the climax of the Rats mission has the crew wiping out members of a drug cartel in a bus on a bridge. The crew can then potentially make the bus go up in flames while trying to recover the cartel's cash due to the C4 rigged around the bus. On the mission results screen, the crew's handler Bain may sometimes joke that the crew "gave them a true Viking funeral. Except they're not Vikings. Sad."

* In an episode of ''WebAnimation/CampCamp'', when Nikki thinks that she's going to die (long story, and [[spoiler:she's actually on her period]]), she requests that her friends do this to her...[[MurderByCremation when she's still alive]]. Fortunately, Nurf is a terrible shot.

* ''Webcomic/OriginalLife'' [[http://jaynaylor.com/originallife/archives/2011/11/256.html has one]] for a [[SeriousBusiness couch]].

* Used as a FramingDevice for the ''TMNT'' special of ''WebVideo/JoueurDuGrenier'': Grenier and Seb perform such a funeral for the whole ''Franchise/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles'' franchise, which they consider has been killed by the slew of poor adaptations.
* PlayedForLaughs in Creator/AchievementHunter's ''[[LetsPlay/AchievementHunterGrandTheftAutoSeries Let's Play GTA V]]''[='s=] first Heist episode. At the end of the episode, it's down to Geoff and Ryan and the two make their getaway as the others are killed off by the police and their ineptitude. Ryan decides to betray Geoff and kills him [[DidntThinkThisThrough before realizing Geoff had the money]]. Annoyed, Ryan just shrugs, declares "Viking funeral" and blows up the boat they were in, killing him and ending the episode.
* ''WebVideo/AskAMortician'': Caitlin explains that as cool as it looks, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQJOs8rm6xM it's not actually possible to build a pyre that will fully cremate a body on a simple row boat.]] Your local municipality will likely object to having scorched human remains wash up on shore.

* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'', when Bart decides he needs to grow up and [[ItsAllJunk put away his childish things]], he does so by giving them a Viking Funeral.

* In ''WesternAnimation/AllHailKingJulien'', upon realizing he can't be the same crazy party prince he was growing up, he throws a viking funeral for his wild and crazy party self in effigy. He then throws a party to celebrate.
* In ''WesternAnimation/IlEtaitUneFois l'homme'', when the Viking incarnation of [[TheHero Pierre]] dies in battle, he's given one of these by his family and companions.

* Yamagata from ''Manga/{{Akira}}'' gets this, with his companion Kaneda crashing his bike:
-->"I'm gonna send Yamagata his wheels!"

* Viking funerals are common amongst the [[Myth/NorseMythology Asgardians]] of the Franchise/MarvelUniverse. They have even been known to extend the practice to outsiders who prove themselves worthy. When Asgard was floating over Oklahoma (ItMakesSenseInContext) they made funeral pyres with boats.
* The eponymous V from ''ComicBook/VForVendetta'' is given a funeral in the spirit of this trope, with the train acting as a proxy for the traditional boat. Instead of being shot with a fire arrow, the train is packed with explosives.

* In Fanfic/FaceTheStrange, after [[Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog Shadow]] dies, the protagonists decide not to put him in a coffin [[InsaneTrollLogic because the vampire characters don’t want to be reminded of sleep]], so they instead put his corpse out in a boat and burn it, giving him what the narration refers to as a “[[FreudianSlip viking wedding]]”.

* Happens in the Hollywood epic ''Film/TheVikings'' (1958) by Richard Fleischer. The Viking Funeral of Viking prince Einar (Kirk Douglas) is the last scene of the film ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LClTjcyNJSI see it on YouTube]]). The TropeCodifier for cinema, this is the earliest instance to add FlamingArrows to the mix.

* Cremation on a pyre is the traditional funerary rite for Jedi in the ''Franchise/StarWars'' films, the most iconic being Darth Vader's at the end of ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi''.
* Happens at the end of ''Film/{{Outlander}}''. A similar funeral at the beginning of the film would have made BookEnds, [[WhatCouldHaveBeen but was cut for time]].

* In the ''Film/ConanTheBarbarian1982'' movie, Conan burns Valeria on a funeral pyre after she's killed by Thulsa Doom. It's especially poignant for Subotai's line.
-->'''Subotai:''' He is Conan, Cimmerian. [[HeWillNotCrySoICryForHim He will not cry, so I cry for him]].
* In ''Film/{{SOB}}'', Felix is shot by the police after brandishing a water pistol as if it were a real gun. His friends decide to steal his corpse, take it out to his boat, put it on a rowboat and set it on fire, in celebration of his life and at least one of the movies he made ''Pagan Plunder''.
* In ''Film/VanHelsing'', the titular character gives the love interest this treatment after accidentally killing her.

* The film ''Film/GrandTheftParsons'' revolves around the protagonist's attempt to keep his word to his friend, the late musician Gram Parsons, by burning his corpse in Joshua Tree National Park. Parsons' father wants a more conventional funeral, hence the need for the titular felony. {{Very loosely based on a true story}}; the movie adds a bitch-on-wheels ex as the main antagonist, presumably so the real (step)father who claimed the corpse (who probably has real lawyers) didn't have to be the heavy.
* Played for laughs in the direct-to-video film ''Film/{{Eulogy}}''.

* Unsurprisingly considering it's a tale of an Arab experiencing Viking culture, two of these feature in the film version of ''Film/TheThirteenthWarrior'', one near the beginning and one near the end of the film.

* In ''{{Film/Troy}}'', this is standard practice for both Greek and Trojan heroes.
* One of the last scenes of Creator/PeterJackson's ''Film/TheLordOfTheRingsTheFellowshipOfTheRing'' shows Boromir's body laid out in a boat and drifting over the waterfall of the Anduin.
* In ''Film/ThorTheDarkWorld'', Frigga and the others who fell during the dark elves' invasion of Asgard are given a mass funeral, each set out on their own boat and set on fire by arrows. Perhaps fittingly for the queen of Asgard, Frigga's boat is pushed out in front of everyone else's and set aflame by a solitary arrow; and then everyone else's boat is set on fire virtually simultaneously in a rain of arrows (though still one arrow per boat).
* ''Film/BeastsOfTheSouthernWild'': [[spoiler: Hushpuppy gives this kind of funeral for her father, Wink, with her friends and their families, mostly survivors of the storm, watching in respect.]]

* ''Film/BrotherhoodOfTheWolf'': Mani isn't a literal Viking, but the funeral pyre de Fronsac single-handedly builds to give his old friend [[DueToTheDead a proper funeral in accordance with his people's customs]] (which would have been kind of a big deal in an era where the Catholic Church was opposed to cremation as a funeral method) definitely invokes the same imagery.

* ''Literature/ProseEdda'': The pyre of the god Baldur is built on a ship which is pushed out to sea as the pyre is kindled. TropeCodifier.

* Discussed early on in the P. C. Wren's adventure novel ''Literature/BeauGeste'' (1924), when the three Geste brothers stage a "Viking's funeral" with a lead soldier and a toy boat set on fire, and the twelve-year-old Michael "Beau" Geste expresses his wish to be buried in this way. Many years later, his brother Digby fulfills his wish by burning Michael's body on an improvised pyre (thought without a boat).
* ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'': At the beginning of ''The Two Towers'', Boromir is laid to rest by Aragorn, Gimli and Legolas in one of the Fellowship's elven boats with his weapons and the swords of the orcs he killed when defending Merry and Pippin. The boat is then pushed into the Anduin and allowed to tumble over the waterfall. This treatment is [[JustifiedTrope justified in-story]] by the fact there is not enough time to give him a "proper" burial, but given that Creator/JRRTolkien studied ''Beowulf'' extensively, it is likely he was influenced by the funeral of King Scyld.

* In the Franchise/DoctorWhoExpandedUniverse short story collection ''Short Trips: Time Signature'', several of the stories involve the Sixth Doctor trying to show his companion, William, some Vikings. He never succeeds, but after William's death, the Eighth Doctor takes his ashes to Vinland, and arranges for him to have a Viking funeral.
* In the finale of the ''Franchise/ConanTheBarbarian'' story, ''Literature/QueenOfTheBlackCoast'', Conan sees off one of his greatest loves, the pirate queen Belit, like this, turning her ship into a funeral pyre and sending it out to sea.

* In ''Literature/StarlightAndShadows'', when Captain Hrolf dies, his crew burn his ship along with his body.