“But in the Thunder, I Still Hear Thor”: The Character Athelstan as a Narrative Focal Point in the Series Vikings

This article explores the way the character Athelstan serves as a narrative focal point in the popular television series Vikings. Using this series as its main case study, it addresses the question of the ways in which the character functions as a synthesis between the two opposing world views of Ch...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Religions (Basel, Switzerland ) Switzerland ), 2021-03, Vol.12 (3), p.203
Main Author: Steenbakker, Margaret
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Athelstan
Christianity
narrative analysis
Norse mythology
Vikings
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Summary:This article explores the way the character Athelstan serves as a narrative focal point in the popular television series Vikings. Using this series as its main case study, it addresses the question of the ways in which the character functions as a synthesis between the two opposing world views of Christianity and Norse religion that are present in the series. After establishing that Vikings is a prime example of the trend to romanticize Viking culture in popular culture, I will argue that while the character Athelstan functions as a narrative focal point in which the worlds can be united and are united for a while, his eventual death when he has reverted back to Christianity shows that the series ultimately favors Viking culture and paints a very negative picture of (medieval) Christianity indeed.
ISSN:2077-1444
2077-1444
DOI:10.3390/rel12030203