Summary
Vikings: Valhallaseason 3 had many twists and turns, including King Canute’s second son, Harold Harefoot (Pyry Kähkönen), killing his grandfather, King Sweyn Forkbeard (Søren Pilmark), but did this actually happen? Set over 100 years after the events ofVikingsseason 6,Vikings: Valhallatells stories from the final years of the Viking Age. However, although it followed new characters linked through their Viking heritage,Vikings: Valhallahad one key similarity to its main series: despite featuring real-life historical figures and telling real-life historical events, the series wasn’t entirely historically accurate.
Vikings: Valhallaseason 3 caught up with its characters seven years after the ending of season 2, in which Leif (Sam Corlett) and Harald (Leo Suter) arrived in Constantinople, Freydis (Frida Gustavsson) took over Jomsborg, Queen Emma of Normandy (Laura Berlin) found out Godwin (David Oakes) was behind her assassination attempt, and King Canute (Bradley Freegard) returned to England. The latter had a bigger role in season 3 as he looked for his successor, with his father, King Forkbeard, and his son Harold Harefoot both wanting the throne, leading the prince to kill his grandfather, which wasn’t historically accurate.
Vikings Valhalla Season 3 Ending Explained: What Happens To Everyone?
Vikings: Valhalla ended with its third season, which was full of twists, turns, and shocking reveals for Leif, Harald, Freydis, and Queen Emma.
Harald Harefoot Didn’t Kill King Forkbeard (But He Might Have Been Murdered)
King Sweyn Forkbeard Died In 1014
Both Harold Harefoot and King Forkbeard were real-life peopleand were related to King Cnut, but Harefoot didn’t kill his grandfather. InVikings: Valhallaseason 3, Harefoot wanted Godwin on his side and he wanted to be the next King of England, and he knew his father would listen to Godwin. King Forkbeard, however, didn’t think Harefoot was strong and smart enough to be king and told him he needed to be tougher. Forkbeard also told his grandson that he killed his father so he could become king.
After learning of Canute’s declining health, Forkbeard told Godwin and Harefoot he should be the next King of England. Godwin supported Forkbeard, much to Harefoot’s surprise, who felt betrayed, but that was just part of Godwin’s plan. Forkbeard’s story foreshadowed his fate, as Harefoot entered his room at night and smothered him after Forkbeard teased him about not having the strength to do it, but to his surprise, Godwin was also there, supporting what Harefoot was about to do.
King Forkbeard died in 1014 at the age of 50, but the exact cause of death is unknown – however, it has been theorized that he could have been murdered.
The real Sweyn Forkbeard was born in 963 in Denmark and was King of Denmark from 986 until his death, King of Norway from 999/1000 until 1013/1014, and King of England for only five weeks, from December 1013 until his death. King Forkbeard died in 1014 at the age of 50, but the exact cause of death is unknown – however, it has been theorized that he could have been murdered. According toBBC,one theory is that Forkbeard was murdered by the ghost of St. Edmund, who was killed by Sweyn’s Viking predecessors.
According toHistory Today,Svein might have fallen from his horse and died, and he was buried in York, the capital of the Danelaw. However, most likely out of fear that King Aethelred would return and destroy his corpse, Forkbeard’s body was dug up and taken to Denmark, his final resting place.
King Forkbeard Didn’t Kill His Father, Either
King Forkbeard Told A Story To Harefoot That Isn’t Historically Accurate
King Forkbeard killing his father to become king is also somethingVikings: Valhallacame up with, but the real Forkbeard did something against his father. According to chronicler Adam of Bremen, Sweyn Forkbeard was the son of Harald Bluetooth, King of Denmark and Norway. In the mid-980s,Forkbeard revolted against his father and took the throne of Denmark, after which Harald was driven into exile in Germany and died shortly afterward in 986 or 987. Some sources believe Forkbeard was exiled years later, but this has been debated due to evidence of Forkbeard’s actions in Denmark.
What Vikings: Valhalla Changed About King Forkbeard
Vikings: Valhalla Made Its Own Version Of King Forkbeard
The real Forkbeard built an alliance with the Swedish king and the Jarl of Lade to go against Norwegian king Olaf Tryggvason (not to be confused with Olaf Haraldsson).
King Forkbeard wasn’t a big presence inVikings: Valhalla, but he definitely left his mark on the show. Forkbeard was introduced in season 1 when he arrived in England to rule in Canute’s place while he went to Denmark to fight the Wends. It was under Forkbeard’s “reign” that Godwin was made Earl of Wessex, which then led Godwin to kill King Edmund so Canute would be the only King of England. After Queen Aelfgifu arrived in London with Canute’s fleet to threaten Forkbeard, the latter supposedly banished Emma to Normandy, but it was part of a plan.
While Aelfgifu and Godwin traveled to Mercia, Forkbeard located Canute’s fleet and Emma retook the throne of England. Forkbeard led the fleet to Kattegat as Olaf and his forces were attacking it, forcing Olaf’s men to abandon Kattegat quickly. Forkbeard captured Olaf and his surviving men, and Olaf made a deal with him: the freedom and safety of his son, Magnus, in exchange for Olaf advising Canute’s eldest son, Svein, the new King of Norway. Of course,none of this happened to the real Sweyn Forkbeard.
Forkbeard later raided England, reportedly motivated by the St. Brice’s Day Massacre.
The real Forkbeard built an alliance with the Swedish king and the Jarl of Lade to go against Norwegian king Olaf Tryggvason (not to be confused with Olaf Haraldsson). They defeated Olaf and divided Norway among them, withForkbeard getting direct control of Viken district(viaHeimskringla). Forkbeard later raided England, reportedly motivated by the St. Brice’s Day Massacre, which led King Aethelred to send his sons Edward and Alfred to Normandy, where he later joined them in exile.
As Forkbeard began to organize his new kingdom, he died, and his eldest son, Harald II, succeeded him as King of Denmark, while Cnut was proclaimed King of England. However, Cnut was driven out of England when Aethelred returned, but became king of all England after the deaths of Aethelred and his son, Edmund Ironside.
Source:BBC,HistoryToday,Heimskringla.
Vikings: Valhalla
Set over a thousand years ago in the early 11th century, Vikings: Valhalla chronicles the heroic adventures of some of the most famous Vikings ever chronicled. As tensions between the Vikings and the English royals reach a bloody breaking point and as the Vikings themselves clash over their conflicting Christian and pagan beliefs, these three Vikings begin an epic journey that will take them across oceans and through battlefields, from Kattegat to England and beyond, as they fight for survival and glory.
