The character was one of Lagertha’s allies
Launched in 2013, Vikings is the History Channel’s first fiction project and initially had a modest budget, before becoming one of the most influential series among pop culture lovers.
The plot is a historical drama that immerses viewers in the intriguing and brutal era of the Norse warriors, exploring their conquests, and betrayals.
Inspired by stories of invasion, trade, and exploration, the series covers almost a thousand years of history and creates an engaging portrait of Viking culture, highlighting legendary figures who shaped the course of events in medieval Europe.
Finalized in 2020, Vikings aired for six seasons. As its main plot, the production begins by following Ragnar Lothbrok, who becomes legendary for his Viking raids.
Alongside his loyal companions, including his beautiful wife Lagertha and his ambitious brother Rollo, Ragnar embarks on daring expeditions that alter the course of his history forever.
As the seasons go by, and as the narrative progresses, Ragnar’s sons take center stage in the series, facing new political challenges, epic battles, and moral dilemmas.
Astrid’s story on Vikings
Among the characters attracting attention is Astrid, played by Swedish actress Josefin Asplund. Full of twists and turns, her story is marked by difficult situations.
Introduced as a strong squire, Astrid was Lagertha’s (Katheryn Winnick) second-in-command and was part of her court in Hedeby. In the fourth season of Vikings, it was revealed to the public that Astrid and Lagertha were lovers.
With many comings and goings, after Ragnar’s death, Astrid became Björn’s lover, even though she was still part of Lagertha’s court. A season later, in the fifth part of the series, Astrid is kidnapped by Harald and forcibly taken back to his kingdom, where she is forced to marry him.
Bringing a raw and real portrait of the reality of women in times and societies like those shown in the series, Astrid ends up being sexually abused by another man besides the one who forced her into marriage. She discovers that she is pregnant, but the plot doesn’t reveal whether the child was Harald’s or the result of an attack.
Astrid’s death
Although trapped in a troubled and cruel reality, Astrid still loved Lagertha, her former lover. This love, coupled with the nightmare she was experiencing, led the character to take drastic action in the fifth season.
In the twentieth episode, during a big fight, Astrid begged her lover to kill her. She said she didn’t want to be the mother of Harald’s child and begged the woman to take her life along with the life of the baby she was carrying in her womb.
Feeling very sorry for herself, Lagertha hesitated to obey, as she didn’t want her beloved to die, let alone have the terrible act of killing her come from her own hands.
However, sensing this hesitation, Astrid decides to take action on her own and runs towards Lagertha, driving the Viking warrior’s sword through her belly. Before she dies, she tells Lagertha that she hopes the goddess Freya has a place for her in her hall.
The sixth season
After Astrid’s tragic ends on Vikings, the show remained on the air for another season and brought several other deaths to the screen, some of which were expected and others not.
One of the deaths that pleased the fans was that of Bjorn, who had already proven himself a fearless fighter, even considered a demigod. He loses his life fighting, of course. The warrior died hit by arrows while holding his sword high in the air.
Another unexpected death at the end of last season was Ivar. He had always maintained a false relationship with King Oleg. But, contrary to what was expected, he is not killed by Oleg, but in a fight.
Vikings: Valhalla
Created by Jeb Stuart, especially for the Netflix platform, the spin-off Vikings: Valhalla reached audiences in 2022 to fill the gap that the original series left in fans’ hearts.
Filmed in County Wicklow, Ireland, the series is set 100 years after the events depicted in the Vikings storyline and tells of the beginning of the end of the Viking Age, which is marked mainly by the Battle of Stamford Bridge, which takes place in 1066.
The first episode gets off to an intense start, as the official synopsis says. “In the Danelaw, a Viking colony in England, it’s Saint Brice’s Day and Harald Sigurdsson sets off for Norway. Meanwhile, King Aethelred II, the ruler of England, ordered all Danish settlers in England to be killed, including Harald’s brother, Sten Sigurdsson. King Canute, the ruler of Denmark, calls all the Viking warriors to meet in Kattegat to form an army for revenge”.
The main cast is made up of Sam Corlett as Leif Eriksson, Frida Gustavsson as Freydís Eiríksdóttir, Leo Suter as Harald Sigurdsson, Laura Berlin as Queen Emma of Normandy, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson as Olaf Haraldsson, Bradley Freegard as King Canute, David Oakes as Godwin and Caroline Henderson as Jarl Haakon.
Other names that can also be seen in the series are Lujza Richter as Liv, Gavan O’Connor-Duffy as Njal, Edward Franklin as Skarde, Sam Stafford as Ulf, Álfrún Laufeyjardóttir as Yrsa, Jack Mullarkey as Toke, Kenneth M. Christensen as Jarl Norí, James Ballanger as Hallbjorn, Christopher Rygh as Agnarr, Pääru Oja as Arne Gormsson, Jaakko Ohtonen as Johan and Robert Mccormack.
Exploring the tensions between the Vikings and English royalty, Vikings: Valhalla has already had three seasons released.
