History Trivia / Vikings

* NamesTheSame: Leif is the son of Erik, which technically makes him Leif Eriksson. He obviously isn't ''that'' Leif Eriksson.

* PlayingGertrude: Travis Fimmel is only thirteen years older than Alexander Ludwig, who plays his son. Katheryn Winnick is likewise only fifteen years older than Alexander. This is however a result of AluminumChristmasTrees - young marriages were very common in Viking society as puberty was considered adulthood.

* TrollingCreator: Michael Hirst regarding the nature of the supernatural elements of the show, saying stuff like: "If you show dramatisation of the crucifiction to a Christian, would they say it's a fantasy?". Hirst has also all but confirmed the fan theory that Floki is the god Loki.

* AbortedArc: The rising conflict with king Aella is unexpectedly cut short in season 1, given a minor resolution in episode 7, leaving the final 2 episodes to set up new conflicts. That is because Ragnar was meant to die at the end of season 1 but the producers realised they had created an icon with Travis Fimmel as Ragnar and it would have been a waste to kill him off so early in the show. In the first half of the season you can see that they are seting up Ragnar's death with Lagertha's pregnacy (so Ragnar will have son''s'' to avenge him), the introduction of Aella's snakepit and Ragnar comment about pigs (seting up his FacingTheBulletsOneLiner).

* HilariousInHindsight: Ivan Kaye who plays King [=Æ=]lle played Ivar the Boneless in ''Hammer of the Gods''.

** Ragnar was supposed to die in season 1, which is why King Aelle's snake pit is introduced so early in the series.

* RealLifeRelative: The characters of Helga and Torvi are played by real-life sisters Maude and Georgia Hirst, who are also the daughters of Michael Hirst, the show's creator.

** Clive Standen originally auditioned for the part of Ragnar, but actually wanted Rollo. Creator/TravisFimmel then came along and was cast as Ragnar and Clive Standen got to be Rollo instead. So in the end, everybody got what they wanted.

** [[spoiler:Aslaug's death]] was originally supposed to play very differently, as [[spoiler: Aslaug was supposed to put on armor and fight Lagertha herself]]. However Alyssa Sutherland objected that this would be wildly inconsistent with the character's portrayal up to that point and the scene was changed. An allusion to the original idea still appears in the filmed scene when [[spoiler:Aslaug says that if she were the warrior her mother and father were, Lagertha would already be dead.]]

** It was made in the wake of HBO's ''Series/GameOfThrones'', and shares that show's focus on political intrigue in a medieval setting, though ''Vikings'' places a far greater emphasis on battles and swordplay and has less intricate plots.

** Almost surely made in the wake of HBO's ''Series/GameOfThrones'', and shares that show's focus on political intrigue in a medieval setting, though ''Vikings'' places a far greater emphasis on battles and swordplay.

* RomanceOnSet: Althrough we are not sure about what was going on between their characters, George Blagden and Elinor Crawley fell in love during the production.

** Clive Standen originally auditioned for the part of Ragnar, but actually wanted Rollo. Travis Fimmel then came along and was cast as Ragnar and Clive Standen got to be Rollo instead. So in the end, everybody got what they wanted.

** Grunhild is congratulated for defeating Sven Forkbeard. The real Sven Forkbeard was a Danish ruler who became King of England in 1013, over a century after the events of ''Vikings''.

* TrollingCreator: Michael Hirst regarding the nature of the super natural elements of the show, saying stuff like: "If you show dramatisation of the crucifiction to a christian, would they say it's a fantasy?". Hirst has also all but confirmed by the fan theory that Floki is the god Loki.

* RealLifeWritesThePlot: Siggy's death was written in at Jessalyn Gilsig's request as she could no longer handle the long filming periods in Ireland away from her young daughter.

** Ragnar was supposed to die in season 1. Thank Odin they didn't do that.

* IKnewIt: Anyone who remembered Ragnar's death in the saga and the Seer's prophecy knew that Ragnar was not actually dying.

** [[spoiler:Aslaug's death]] was originally supposed to play very differently, as [[spoiler: Aslaug was supposed to put on armor and fight Lagertha herself]]. However Alyssa Sutherland objected that this would be wildly inconsistent with the character's portrayal up to that point and the scene was changed. An allusion go the original idea still appears in the filmed scene when [[spoiler:Aslaug says that if she were the warrior her mother and father were, Lagertha would already be dead.]]

** The script for the first season features a number of things that didn't make it into the cut such as Sinric appearing and telling Ragnar of England.

* ExecutiveMeddling: Sort of. Michael Hirst has reported: There's a feminist collective in New York who wrote to me a couple years ago and they said, 'We don't' care how many of the male characters you kill off, but if you do anything to Lagertha, you're in trouble.' So I'm very careful about that warning." Basically, he is being borderline threatened by a feminist group to write Lagertha as a Mary Sue.

** Almost surely made in the wake of HBO's ''Series/GameOfThrones''.
** It has itself almost surely inspired the making of BBC's ''Series/TheLastKingdom'', though [[Literature/TheSaxonStories the books]] that show is based on predate ''Vikings'' by several years. ''The Last Kingdom'' features the Viking invasion of England after Ragnar's time, led by the warlord Ubba who is supposed to be another son of his (though only the books point out the relation).

* HilariousInHindsight: Ivan Kaye who plays King Ælle played Ivar the Boneless in ''Hammer of the Gods''.

* ActorAllusion: Vladimir Kulich is a [[Literature/The13thWarrior badass]] [[Film/{{Ironclad}} Viking]] [[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim yet again.]]

* HeyItsThatGuy:
** Ragnar was once Tarzan in another life.
** His son grows up to be [[Film/TheHungerGames Cato]]. No wonder he's such a skilled tribute!
** Haraldson is [[Film/TheUsualSuspects Dean Keaton]].
** Erik Marteinn is [[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim Ulfric Stormcloak]], [[Literature/TheThirteenthWarrior Buliwyf]], and [[Series/{{Angel}} The Beast]].
** Rollo is [[Series/RobinHood Archer]] and [[Series/{{Camelot}} Sir Gawain]]. Others may also remember him as Moses John Jackson in the 2005 Salisbury Playhouse production of ''The Invention of Love''.
** Centuries from now, King Aelle may turn out to be [[Series/TheBorgias Ludovica Sforza]].
** Lagertha is [[Series/{{House}} Eve]] and [[Series/{{Bones}} Hannah Burley]].
** Athelstan is [[Film/LesMiserables2012 the alcoholic revolutionary Grantaire]] in his next life.
** [[Series/{{Glee}} Terri Schuester]] hasn't changed much since moving to Scandinavia. [[spoiler: Or has she?]]
** King Horik is played by veteran character actor Donal Logue, from, among other things, ''Film/{{Blade}}, ''Film/TheTaoOfSteve'', Series/SonsOfAnarchy'', and ''Series/{{Gotham}}''
** King Ecbert is [[Film/BatmanBegins Thomas Wayne]] /John [=McArthy=] -- the latter being the same role that got Linus Roache nominated for a Scottish BAFTA.
** Floki will be [[Literature/ArnTheKnightTemplar the king of Sweden]].
** Torstein is [[Series/GameOfThrones Ser Hugh of the Vale]].
** Stender the farmer is [[Series/{{Riget}} Jørgen Krogshøj]].
** King Brytwulf of Merica is [[Series/GameOfThrones Ser Meryn Trant]]. [[spoiler:So, if you've ever had fantasies of seeing him brutally decapitated and his severed head repeatedly stabbed, now you can.]]
** Tostig is [[StarWars Gold Leader]].
** None other than WWE's Wrestling/BeckyLynch played a [[https://www.instagram.com/p/xmllKjC_ZF/ shield maiden]] shortly before she was signed to WWE. To a lesser extent, other Irish wrestlers Katey Harvey and Danger Dawn played shield maidens too.
** King Harald used to raid with [[TrueBlood Eric Northman]]