Vinland Saga Episode 14
Added 2024-08-01 17:00:10 +0000 UTCComments
This was one of the harder hitting episodes in the first season, even after watching the 1st season twice, I still felt that way when watching that episode.
A.J. Ramos
2024-08-02 18:33:26 +0000 UTCThe Scandinavians generally had a moral code against cruelties, but doesn't mean some hadn't found loopholes or ignored it the same as Christians. They had multiple afterlife sections, one for warriors who proved themselves great warriors, Valhalla. There was Freyja's domain too I don't remember much. There was a punishment for warriors where they were locked in permanent war. The one I'm most familiar with is Hel's domain, which is for the common folk and the evil. Her domain is a golden field that is a peaceful resting place until reincarnation and the evil would start in the soil, cold and alone in darkness, then become wheat to be reaped over and over until their soul is cleansed, and then they could become farmers then reincarnate. (Common folk were farmers from the get-go and could reincarnate faster without being tortured) but what made men evil was the very things Christians portray Vikings doing. Raping, underhanded fighing, killing someone without a weapon. Basically cowardly evil things that some used war to get away with. It was illegal in their own countries and many warriors looked down on that behavior. A lot of what we see of the viking age was written by Christians who tend to color the facts to make Christians look better in history and Pagans worse, so a lot of what we traditionally see can't even be completely trusted, so I try to keep in mind that it's not all what it seems. Women in Scandinavia were treated better than they were in the rest of Europe at the time for example. Vikings were warriors sent to find resources, not only to pillage. They tried to reason with England and trade for land to farm on out of necessity and England attacked them when they were defenseless. With this show in particular, also keep in mind that Askeladd's men are mercenaries, not the average Scandinavian man or Vikingr, their moral compass is money. Basically, the Scandinavian's were not a whole lot different from the English, but they believed in having more joy and freedoms from life and embracing death, where Christianity had a lot of restrictions and viewed what Pagans did as sin, and they should take everything in moderation, which even if you took away Christians' history with Pagans, would've still put them at odds with each other. So while different, Scandinavians still had honor and morals, just a lot of it is unknown because what we mostly see is the propaganda made from Christian authors and priests who studied the Norse. In fact it was one of the priests who made Loki a figure similar to the devil by comparing the two. There was never a good or evil God/Goddess in the pantheon because they are lessons rather than rules, since the Norse pagan pantheon is all about knowledge, learning and understanding the natural world, and the arts
Chels
2024-08-02 02:11:50 +0000 UTCDang that's crazy, I had no idea. I knew it was a long-running work but no that long. I've never watched past this episode so I'm excited going forward. Have you read the Manga / would you recommend it?
Roy Mathew
2024-08-01 19:00:22 +0000 UTCIt's so crazy to think that I first read Vinland Saga when I was in high school. I'm now in my 30s and I'm here watching the anime for the nth time with two random people I don't know. The author has been writing this story for over 18 years.
Hayate
2024-08-01 18:30:34 +0000 UTCHonestly, this is one of the best episodes of Vinland Saga so far! This show reminds you again that these Danes / Vikings are not good people at all. This is also why I love how complex Askeladd's character is. You hate him at first for killing Thors, but you slowly like his character for being a charismatic leader and from learning his backstory bit by bit and then you go back to hating him again for doing this.
Villenthessis
2024-08-01 17:48:07 +0000 UTCThis is my own personal religious opinion. Ok I've warned you all lol. I think it might be helpful to remember that this took place before the Protestant Reformation. Catholics (like me) have traditionally believed that one can loose their salvation if they knowingly and willfully commit what is called a "Mortal Sin". This causes one escape out of a "State of Grace" which can results in judgement if one does not repent and confess their sins before death. The medieval Catholic Monks had a saying "Memento Mori" which roughly translates to "remember your death" to get people to focus on the eternal. This is why a lot of renaissance paintings had skills in them at random locations; to remind the viewer that their death was coming. It's interesting that you guys see this as a bad form of Christianity whereas I genuinely saw it as somewhat wholesome (albeit extremely simplified). I think the problem comes when judgement and punishment is all that is talked about and not the love of God and how we can always choose to do good starting right now. It is sort of like knowing a parental figure has the power of punishment and has set out strict rules, but ultimately those rules are for your own benefit and are the result of love. It could also be because I'm autistic and I prefer rules-based systems lol. For me, I fear less the judgement and punishment of God and more so the feeling that I might disappoint him, the God who I feel has blessed me with so much. I think what the priest is trying to discern is what is traditionally known as "Agape" love which refers to "a pure, willful, sacrificial love that intentionally desires another’s highest good" - even people who you don't like or might be your enemies. This was the love that Christians believe Christ showed in the cross for humanity. Also in the scene where Anne was "elated" I've had a moment like that in my life where I saw genuine evil be committed right before my eyes affecting the people closest to me. I felt at the time that the moment caused a realization within me: things I previously thought were important (expensive cars, being attractive to women, etc.) ultimately didn't matter in the long run and idk how to describe it but I felt like I was experiencing a moment of "freedom" and "clarity", even though I had lost a lot.
Roy Mathew
2024-08-01 17:47:07 +0000 UTC
