Vikings: Valhalla Emma of Normandy true story and how it relates to Rolo?
Vikings: Valhalla is Emma of Normandy, Queen of England, and here is her true story and her relationship to Brolo of the Vikings.
The Vikings: Valhalla introduced Emma of Normandy, the Queen of England, who is only related to Brolo of the Vikings, and this is her story. One of the most popular historical dramas of recent years is Vikings, created by Michael Hearst (Theodore), and is based on real events, people, and also two legends from the Viking Age. Vikings premiered on the History Channel in 2013 and ended 2020 after six seasons, but that wasn't enough to tell the most exciting stories of the Viking Age, so a sequel titled Vikings: Valhalla was announced. 2019.
The Vikings only told a portion of the highlights of the Viking Age and introduced some of its most famous characters, such as the legendary warrior Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel), his brother Rollo (Clive Standen), and his sons Bjorn Ironside (Alexander Ludwig), Ubbe (Jordan Patrick Smith), Hvitserk (Marco Ilsø), and Ivar the Boneless (Alex Høgh Andersen). The Vikings explored the early years of the Viking Age, beginning with the Lindisfarne Raid, and with his main character arcs now over, it's time to move on with a sequel series set in a different era of the Vikings and with new characters, some linked to those of the Vikings.
Vikings: Valhalla takes place over a century after the events of the Vikings, and it follows Leif Erikson (Sam Corlett), Freydís Eiríksdóttir (Frida Gustavsson), and Harald Sigurdsson (Leo Suter), who take on a journey that takes them across oceans and battlefields, from Kattegat to England and more, with the conflict between Vikings and English royals (Pagans vs Christians) as a background. Among the characters, they meet in England are Emma of Normandy (Laura Berlin), Queen of England, stepmother of Prince Edmund (Louis Davison), and who proves to be an ingenious strategist. Emma has a connection to Vikings through Rollo, and here is her true story and how she is related to Ragnar's brother.
Who was real-life Emma Normandy?
Emma of Normandy was the daughter of Normandy ruler Richard the Brave and Gonor, Duchess of Normandy. Through her marriages, she became the English, Danish, and Norwegian queen, and was the mother of Gunhilda of Denmark, Harthaknut, Alfred Ethling, Goda of England, and Edward the Confessor.
Emma married King Æthelred of England in 1002 in an attempt to pacify Normandy, and her brother Richard II hoped to improve relations with England after a recent struggle and a failed kidnapping attempt against him by Ethelred. In the late 10th century, Viking raids into England often took place in Normandy, so through this marriage, Æthelred intended to unite against the threat of the Vikings. Emma was given the Anglo-Saxon name Alphgifu and had two sons by Æthelred (Edward and Alfred) and one daughter (Goda, also known as Godgifu).
What does Valhalla get right about the Emma of Normandy?
In Vikings: Valhalla, Emma of Normandy is introduced as Queen of England by her marriage to King Æthelred (Bosco Hogan), who is afflicted. After Æthelred's death, his son from his first marriage, Edmund, assumed the throne, and Emma retained her role as queen. As previously mentioned, Emma was Queen of England in real life thanks to her marriage to Æthelred, Edmund was crowned king after Æthelred's death, and as in Valhalla, Emma retained her position as Queen of England through her marriage to Canute (Bradley) Freegard, who had conquered England.
What has Valhalla changed from the true Emma of Normandy story?
Although Vikings: Valhalla is based on historical events and real-life people, the events of Season 1 were not entirely historically accurate and many of them were condensed into a short time. King Swain Forkbeard, Canute's father, invaded England in 1013, so Emma and her children were sent to Normandy and later joined by Ethelred, but they returned to England after Forkbeard's death in 1014. In Valhalla, Ethelred was already dead when Forkbeard arrived to take on the role of Canute as king while his son joins a Danish battle. When Canute took England, he agreed with Edmund to divide the kingdom, with Edmund Wessex and Canute taking over the rest, and he would take the throne after Edmund's death, which conveniently happened soon after. In the series, there was no such agreement, and Edmund was killed by Earl Goodwin (David Oakes).
Only two of Emma's children appear with Ethelred in Vikings: Valhalla, where they are abducted by Olaf Haraldsson (Johannes Hokor Johansson) to manipulate and torture Emma. In real life, historians believe that Emma's marriage saved her son's life, with Canute being the one who tried to get rid of rival claimants but spared their lives after marrying Emma.
How is Emma of Normandy related to Prollo Vikings?
Emma of Normandy is one of the characters in Vikings: Valhalla who is directly related to one of the main Vikings: Rollo. In the Vikings, Rollo was Ragnar's brother, but in real life, not only is there still debate about Ragnar's existence but there is no connection between him and Rollo, the latter was a real person. Rollo was a Viking who became the first ruler of Normandy and, through his marriage to Poppa of Bayeux, fathered a son, William I Longsword. In Viking fashion, William married Sprota and had a son named Richard I with her, who later married Junor and had two children with him: Richard II and Emma. There's still more to learn about Vikings: Valhalla's version of Emma, but through it, the series can show off Rollo's legacy, more so because he's no longer in the final season of the Vikings.
What happens to Emma Normandy after the first season of Valhalla?
After her marriage to Canute, Emma's children were sent to Normandy to live under the guardianship of her brother, and through her marriage, she also became Queen of Denmark and Norway - however, this must be resolved in the Vikings: Valhalla as Canute is still married toÆlfgifu (Pollyanna McIntosh), a relationship For some, like Forkbeard, it should not have been an obstacle to Canute's marriage to Emma because the other was a "pagan marriage. Years later, Alfred and Edward returned from Normandy to visit their mother and were supposed to be protected by Harthacnut, Emma's son with Canute. However, Alfred was kidnapped and blinded by a hot iron being placed over his eyes, and he died of his injuries soon after. Edward fled and returned to Normandy, only to return to England once he secured his place on the throne.
After Canute died in 1035, Harthaknut assumed the throne of Denmark, and five years later he and Edward shared the throne of England until Harthaknut's death two years later. Emma coordinated rule by being the link between the two monarchs, and some suggest she had an equal role in this joint leadership. Emma of Normandy died in 1052, but the circumstances surrounding her death are unknown. Vikings: Valhalla gives Emma a greater role in leading and presenting England as a great strategist, so it will be interesting to see how the writers continue to build her story, even if it's not historically accurate.
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