But in the Thunder, I Still Hear Thor
The Character Athelstan as a Narrative Focal Point in the Series Vikings
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 3584589 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Margaret Steenbakker (Tilburg University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2021 |
| Volume | 12 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 203 |
| Publication date | 2021-03-18 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Religions (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2077-1444 • E-ISSN: 2077-1444 |
| Publisher | MDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT) |
| DOI | 10.3390/rel12030203 |
| OpenAlex | W3138529500 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 9 |
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
Archaeology · Art · Christianity · Geography · Geometry · Literature · Narrative · Thunder · Folklore, Mythology, and Literature Studies · Historical and Archaeological Studies · History · Mathematics · Medieval Literature and History · Geology · Paleontology
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |