![]() ![]() In the case of The Northman, one might say there is something primal that makes us love stories of betrayed kings reclaiming their kingdoms. ![]() While Nazis might fancy The Northman, its attempt at historically accurate Vikings leads to a compelling aesthetic with a much broader appeal. Understanding history is an ongoing political process of making meaning, and what constitutes historical accuracy changes over time. ![]() At the same time, Vikings are legitimately fascinating, and bad people liking a good thing doesn’t usually make that thing less good, though it can cloud perceptions. and elsewhere have seized onto the imagery and iconography of Viking warriors as part of a fascistic appeal to pure bloodlines and social Darwinism, taking after Hitler’s own adoption of Wagner’s operas (and writings) and drawing on the 19th century pre-Weimar Volkisch movement. ![]() They have religious beliefs we find strange and enticing, making them prime fodder for comic book superheroes and videogame characters. They’re typically portrayed as violent, which makes for entertaining spectacle. Vikings captivate the public as simultaneously exotic and familiar, conquerors and barbarians, idealized noble savages, pure-blood white conquering raiders-rather than traders with ties to different geographic spaces and ethnic groups. The Northman is director Robert Eggers’ biggest film to date, and its commitment to a form of historical accuracy contributes to its success while also providing fodder for the worst instincts of some people that really like Viking imagery. ![]()
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