The Last Kingdom is based on The Saxon Stories by Bernard Cornwell. Cornwell is a fantastic historical fiction author. There are thirteen books in the series, which follows Uthred of Bamburg as he fights invading Danes (vikings) and attempts to reclaim his home. Uthred is born as a Saxon (English), and raised with the Danes, so he is the bridge between worlds. The BBC/Netflix series based on the books follows the source material very well and disperses many myths about Early Medieval Scandinavians. Here are the big five that The Last Kingdom did away with.
- Vikings Stank
The show has many scenes showing the Danes bathing, which they did every Saturday. These people had solid grooming habits compared to others in the dark ages. They bathed once a week and kept their hair neatly combed. They washed their clothes frequently. John of Wallingford wrote that women left native men for the invading Vikings because they smelled good. “The Danes) …caused much trouble to the natives of the land, for they were wont, after the fashion of their country, to comb their hair every day, to bathe every Saturday, to change their garments often, and set off their persons by many frivolous devices. In this matter, they laid siege to the virtue of the married woman and persuaded the daughters, even of the noble, to be their “concubines.”
2. Mistreatment Of Women Was Accepted
First off, it was. Vikings were first and foremost slavers, and which was a massive part of their raiding and trade. But free women could get divorced. If a husband struck his wife three times, she could divorce him and take a part of their property and money. A wife is recorded divorcing her husband because his shirts were too low cut, which is funny because wives typically make the clothes. In The Last Kingdom, Brida is an independent woman among the Danes.
3. Shield Maidens Are A Debated Issue Among Historians
There are some cases of archeological digs revealing women garbed as warriors, but it is possible that this was meant to be a “Valkyrie” burial. The early Scandinavians were a nomadic culture that traveled by sea to colonize other lands. This means that women would have likely fought when necessary, like if another group of Vikings attacked a ship of colonists. It is unlikely that women were permanent members of warbands. Once again, Brida is one such in The Last Kingdom, but she is one of the only examples.
4. They’re Heroic
Viking culture has been glorified over the years and happens even now, with groups of people on TikTok calling themselves modern Vikings. Vikings practiced chattel slavery, taking people from their homes, burning their villages, and selling them in far-off lands. Slavery was a massive part of this. Young women were stolen and traded away. Having sex with enslaved people among Norse peoples was accepted. There are records of married men and women both using the enslaved in this way. Slavery is featured heavily in The Last Kingdom, Uthred himself is enslaved twice in his life: once when he is a child and again as an adult when he is betrayed by a Danish friend.
5. A Viking Isn’t A Person, It’s An Activity
Viking in Old Norse was a verb that meant something close to pirating or raiding. It was also used as a noun, but in the for Vikingr, like pirating and pirates. Vikings were made up of people from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, and Greenland. In The Last Kingdom, Danes are almost exclusively called “Danes.” The verb form of Viking is used though, as Uthred and his friends often say “going viking.”
If you haven’t seen this show, you’re missing out. It is certainly among the best period pieces of the last decade. The history is accurate, the acting is good, and the writing is always excellent. The books by Bernard Cornwell are worth a read as well, if only for the history alone. The story lags in places, as Uthred faces the same trials over and over (and over) again.
