Vikings: Did Ube Really Discover America?

Warning, spoilers. The following paragraphs show plot elements from Season 6B of Vikings.

Finally available on Netflix, the second part of Vikings season 6 marks the end of the story of the sons of Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel). If Bjorn (Alexander Ludwig) and Ivar (Alex Hogg Andersen) are dead, Hvitserk (Marko Ilso) and Ube (Jordan Patrick-Smith) have a very different fate. While the former converts to Christianity and takes the name Athelstan in England with King Alfred, the latter embarks on a more perilous journey.

Indeed, Ube left the Kattegat with his companion Torvis (Georgia Hirst) to pursue his father’s dreams of expeditions and discovery of lands to establish new colonies. After a deadly stop in Greenland, he manages to discover a new land and new people.

In this new territory – which is none other than North America or the New World, also called Vinland! – Ube and his crew find Floki (Gustaf Skarsgård), who was left for dead in Iceland at the end of season 5, but who survived and helps Ube familiarize himself with his new surroundings.

The series of Vikings inspired by historical facts and other Scandinavian legends, one can believe that the real Ube really led the expedition and invaded the American lands. And yet, it is not. According to Norse tales, Ube’s feats of arms have more to do with his role as leader of the great heathen army that invaded Britain in the 9th century than with the expedition.

It was Vikings creator Michael Hirst who wanted to approach the discovery of America with Ubi’s character in the final season of the series, even if that meant taking huge liberties with fairy tales and historical reality, as he explained. To the collider: “I always knew the end would be the discovery of America. That’s what I planned.”

But there is one famous Viking who is said to have been the first to lead an expedition to the Americas, and his name is Leif Eriksson. In the Sagas of the Greenlanders, we learn that Leif Eriksson will be the first European to discover continental North America. Although this is not entirely true according to writings such as Voyages au Vinland and studies, he remains the most famous explorer of the time and one of the first to set foot on the land.

After hearing the story of the merchant Bjarni Herjolfsson, Leif embarks on a long journey to find these lands and shores of North America. Some of them will find and even establish a colony. His survival and successful expeditions earned him the nickname “Leif Lucky”.

And that Leif Eriksson (Sam Corlett) is none other than the hero of the spin-off Vikings: Valhalla, also available on Netflix. So far, the first season of the spin-off series has yet to dig into Leif’s explorer side, but it wouldn’t be surprising if seasons 2 and 3, which are already in production, show that side of the Vikings.