"Eric." "Ragnar Lothbrok, welcome to my house." "You also, Rollo." "I've done as you asked, Ragnar, and sought out these young men to meet you." "All of them have sworn upon their rings to keep this meeting a secret." "You have done well, my friend, although I knew I could trust you." "What are we here for?" "You are here, firstly, because you have nothing better to do." "See, all you lot live idle and wasted lives." "Listen to him!" "We have built a new boat." "A boat?" "And with this boat, for the first time, we can go west." "Across the great sea to a place called England, where countless riches await us." "How would we steer across the open sea?" "We have discovered a way." "You want us to join you in the boat?" "Yes, we do." "And I have Ragnar's word that we will all be equal and share equally the spoils of our raid." "If there are any." "What is your name?" "Knut." "I promise you, Knut, I've heard witnesses." "Just stories." ""Just stories."" ""Just stories"?" "All things begin and end as stories." "We have to remember, though, that Earl Haraldson has ordered us to sail east." "The Earl knows nothing about our new boat." "He knows nothing about the new way of navigating." "This is why he refuses to let us go west." "He could kill us for disobeying his orders." "Yes, he could." "We can offer you a chance to shine in battle and impress the gods, and to bring back such plunder that you have never seen before." "Have you got the balls to join us?" "I'll go." "And I. I will go." "I, too!" "I will, too!" "And I!" "I will go!" "What about you, Knut?" "Are you coming?" "Yes, I want a good story to tell my children." "Prepare to leave in the next few weeks, and tell no one that doesn't need to know." "Good throw." "Well played." " Well?" " My Lord, there was a meeting." " Where?" " In the house of Eric Marteinn." "Was Ragnar Lothbrok there?" "Yes, Lord." "Shall we show them the ax?" "Nothing would please me more, but it's too soon." "We need to watch and wait." "Only good things come from watching and waiting." "Were you looking at my wife?" " Have you slept with her?" " No, Lord!" "I swear on all the gods." "If she wants to sleep with you, then I give my permission." "It will all be arranged." " So when do we sail?" " I already told you." "I don't want you to come." "Why not?" "I need to leave the children and the farm in the hands of someone I trust." "What if the Earl finds out we have gone without his permission?" "He might try and claim our family home." "This was going to be the most exciting voyage of our lives." "To go west!" "I have dreamed of it many times, and in my dreams, we are always together." "What if there is no west?" "This is the most dangerous and stupid voyage ever." "What if we both die, hmm?" "Then who would take care of the children?" "Rollo?" "You have no right to say that!" "All right, all right." "You go." "You go and I shall stay here and look after the children." "Siggy?" "Go away!" "It's so cold in here, but we'll be warm soon enough." "What do you take me for?" "Did you really suppose that a worm like you could sleep with a woman like me?" "I'm an earl's wife!" "Now I know who to trust and who not to trust." " Take him." " Yes, Lord." "Get rid of him." "Come." "Go where?" "Outside." "Get up!" "My love!" "Never mind that." "Defend yourself." "How dare you!" "Am I not good enough for you?" "Am I not strong enough for you?" "Listen..." "You listen." "Don't you remember?" "I saved your life." "How could I forget?" "You keep reminding me." "I'm so angry with you!" "Stop!" "Are you mad?" "You could have killed each other!" " Is that what you want?" " We were just having an argument." "Well, never argue like that again." "Go on then!" "Back to bed!" "It's a fine thing when the little pig teaches the boar a lesson." "Olafur surprised me." "I didn't think, out of all of them, he would behave like that." " A man lives or dies by his honor." " That's true." "He thought so little of mine that he really believed that I would give you to him?" "Honor is a rare commodity these days." "Yes." "Almost as rare as those in whom I can trust." "It's true, my love, our enemies are everywhere." ""Everywhere"?" "They cannot prevail." "They cannot prevail." "Are you still angry with me?" "No." "But my heart is in still such pain that I cannot be with you." "Rollo." "Nice work, Eric." "Where is my anchor?" "It was promised for today." "Maybe your blacksmith is a liar." "Oh, I don't think so." "This hair is from his daughter's head." "I promised him that if he went to Earl Haraldson," "I would find a way to kill her." "I still don't see Knut." "Well, that's because he isn't here." "He hasn't sent word either." "That troubles me." "We live in a sea of troubles." "But look, some are ended." "Here, this is yours." "And this is mine." "Master." "May the gods bless us with powerful winds and calm seas." "Come here, slave." "Cover the ravens." "Feel that wind." "That breeze is up." "Ready the oars!" "Come." "Well?" "They have set sail." "Good." "They'll never be heard from again." "But..." "But what?" "What if Ragnar is right?" "There are no lands to the west!" "Get out." "It's noon." " Look at the board." " Get the bucket." "Not too far south." "Nor too far north." "The board works." "How do we know?" "The great sea is held in place by Jörmungand, the serpent, whose giant body encircles it, and who keeps his tail in his mouth to complete the circle and stop the waves breaking loose." "But one day, the god Thor, son of earth, was fishing in the sea for the serpent, using a bull's head for bait." "Jörmungand reared up and the waves pummeled the shore as he twisted and writhed in a fury." "They were well matched, serpent and god, in that furious fight." "The seas boiled around them, but then the hook became dislodged, and the serpent slithered free" "and sank again, so quickly, beneath the waves." "And soon, the sea was calm once more, as if nothing had disturbed it." "Thor." "Storm's coming." "Should we let down the sail?" "Floki, should we let down the sail?" "Yes, we have to take the sail down, and then we must row." "If we are not moving forward, then we will be soaked by the waves and sink." "Ready?" "Keep her straight!" "You heard him!" "Tent!" "Shove the oars!" "Row!" "Row!" "Lindisfarne Monastery, Kingdom of Northumbria, England" "Are you afraid?" "Yes, Ragnar Lothbrok, I am afraid." "But not for me." "I am afraid for my boat." "Thor is striking his anvil." "He is angry with us." "He wants to sink us." "It's true!" "Thor is beating his hammer." "The lightning is the sparks from his anvil." "But he's not angry with us." "I understand now." "Why should he be angry with us?" "Why should he want to sink our boat?" "Don't you understand?" "He is celebrating." "He is full of good news." "He wants to show everybody that he can't sink this boat." "He loves this boat!" "Sit down, you idiot!" "It's my boat, and the gods love my boat." "Why should I not be happy?" "Floki, sit down." "Remember, you can't swim!" "Did you see that, Brother Athelstan?" "Did you see that?" "Tell me you saw it." "Yes, Brother." "Yes I saw it." "It is written - and so it has come to pass." "God help us, Brother Athelstan." "God help us." "Father Cuthbert!" "What is it, Brother Athelstan?" "We can all see the signs." "Signs?" "What signs?" "Of what do you speak?" "You know as well as we that judgment day is at hand." "Jeremiah says so!" ""And on that day, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars of heaven shall fall."" "In the name of God, that is enough." "But it's true!" ""And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and 10 horns."" "I will hear no more!" "You will return to your dormitory and pray to God for forgiveness and humility." "And when the storm has passed, all shall be well." "You will do as I order." "Yes, Father." "There is no west!" "We are not sailing towards any new country, but just into an empty ocean," "utterly and completely lost." "Kauko, Leif, we have been persuaded by madmen and fools." "The god Loki is behind this voyage." "That scoundrel, that sly one." "Trouble and suffering are meat and drink to him." " Shut up, man!" " No!" "No." "If anyone is mad, it is you." "I'm not the one who convinced all these good men to sacrifice their lives for a dream, an illusion." "It wasn't me who joined forces with The Sly One to get us to sail west into nothing, into nowhere." " He's mad!" " Don't tempt the gods!" "Oh, and here we are, lost, certain to die." " For what?" " Sit down and shut up." "You sound like The Sly One." "Perhaps you are the god of mischief who sends men mad and sends them to their deaths." "Sit down!" "I curse the day I ever agreed to come with you, Ragnar Lothbrok." "For this ship is cursed, and we are..." "Release the ravens." "If the birds do not return, there is land." "But if they do..." "Father!" "Good day to you, blacksmith." "My Lord, how can I be of use to you?" " You make anchors, don't you?" " Yes, Lord." "Have you made any recently?" "No, not recently, Lord Haraldson." "You didn't forge an anchor for a man called Ragnar Lothbrok?" "I would have remembered." "Don't hurt my daughter." "Why would I hurt your daughter?" "His Lordship just wants to know the truth." "Did you forge the anchor for Ragnar Lothbrok's ship?" "Yes, I forged it." "Let go of her." "Put down your hammer." "I promise you no harm will come to your daughter." "Look in the flames." "The sages say that we can see our future in the flames." "No!" "Please, no!" "What do you see?" "I see my own death." "No!" "No!" "No!" "They've come back." "There's no land." "Seabirds!" "Seagulls!" "Seagulls?" "Listen!" "It works!" "Yeah!" "We made it!" "Row!" "We made it!" "Row!" "Ragnar, you did it!" "Tie the sail!" "Oars!" "Drop the oars!" "What is it?" "Why was the warning bell rung?" "They've come." "They are here." "Who is here?" "Hell and all its devils!" "Lock the doors and stay inside, all of you!" "Hurry." "The gate!" "They know we're here." "No one throw their lives away unnecessarily, even to impress the gods." "Stay close." "They're here!" "Come, Brother!" "Quick!" "Arne, get to work." "Don't be afraid." "Trust in God, and let us pray." "This is the end!" "The Son of Man cometh!" "Get away!" "Leif." "I don't understand." "Why do they leave such treasures unprotected?" "Is there some spell, some magic which protects them?" "It appears not." "Perhaps they think their god protects them." "If this is their god, then he's dead." "He is nailed to a cross." "He cannot protect anyone." "He is not alive, like Odin, Thor or Freyr." "What use is he then?" "**" "You speak our language?" "How do you speak our language?" "I've traveled." "We are told to travel, to take the word of God." "Please, don't kill me." "What is that you have in your hand?" "A book." "The gospel of St. John, I wanted to save it." "Of all the treasures I see in this place, you chose to save this?" "Yes." "Why?" "Why?" "Because without the word of God, there is only darkness." "This is a strange place indeed." "We have been everywhere and we have found no women." "Just these strange men." "I believe they are the priests of their god." "Take what you will." "This is what we came for." "Why have you not killed this one?" "He is worth more alive" " to sell as a slave." " I will kill him." "We have no room left on the boat." "I forbid it." "How can you forbid it, little brother?" "We are all equals, and I say he dies." "Does it really mean that much to you, brother?" "This is what we care for your god." "So much gold!" "Look!" "Keep them moving!" "Your doing, Floki?" "Want to drown, my friend?" "Let me help you."