Without Athelstan, who will Ragnar rely on to guide him in Paris? A year to 18 months later Athelstan has been assimilated into the viking society and lies about his Christian faith and tells the British that he shares their beliefs. On the death of his father, Edward the Elder, in 924, Athelstan was elected king of Wessex and Mercia, where he had been brought up … This dislike was only intensified after Ragnar allowed himself to be baptized. The fact that that has now vanished before his eyes leaves him open to danger and leaves a big weak spot for him as a character. Read more 'Vikings' Renewed for Fourth Season. 34. Moving forward, that becomes a very important issue. King Athelstan died on 27th October, 940, at Gloucester, aged forty-four, after a sixteen year reign and chose to be buried at Malmesbury Abbey in Wiltshire, a favourite of his. He reigned between 925 and 939 AD. He inevitably becomes a darker figure who isn't going to trust people. Then I had to say, well what does that mean? Athelstan is tasked with interpreting and preserving the many scrolls of Roman parchment. And the logic also pointed to the fact that Floki now was so desperate to save Ragnar from the influence of Athelstan that he was spreading the word to other Vikings that they ought to get rid of him. Athelstan was born in 894, whilst his grandfather Alfred the Great was still King. Hirst: There was no question of him being able to bring the baby back because the baby, Alfred, becomes one of the most famous kings in English history. So I came to this terrible, terrible conclusion that I would have to kill my friend George. Read more 'Vikings' Actress on Shocking Exit: She "Let the Gods Take Her". 34 [SPOILERS] (S3E6) Athelstan… Discussion spoiler. Sitemap | At the end of the series, Hvitserk turned to Christianity and he was given the new name, Athelstan. So it was clear the baby had to grow up in Wessex and had to become, in due course, king of not only Wessex, but of England. THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER is a registered trademark of The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. ... the west. Blagden: That is the most tragic part of that whole relationship, that Athelstan never knew that he had a son. Hirst: That was the hardest, most emotional and emotionally difficult episode that I've written on Vikings. It's not just Floki. The name “Athelstan” is important in Vikings, as that was the Christian monk captured by Ragnar and company in season 1. The History drama knocked off another fan-favorite on Thursday. Athelstan said, "At least you have children." Unfortunately, Athelstan died just two years later in 939 at the age of 45. The first acts that he does afterward, when he shaves his head off is actually partly (an homage) to when Athelstan steals the knife in the first season and you think maybe he's going to try and stab Ragnar, but no. Of course deep down Ragnar knows he is going to get revenge once he knows who did … All the latest gaming news, game reviews and trailers. Watch the young priest struggle with an emotional and psychological turmoil as he balances his faith in both God and Odin, … But why was he killed? I'll have to find a way of sneaking back on the set in this upcoming season four and maybe be a background artist — see if anyone notices me! Ubbe wants to sacrifice Othere to the gods, but he is reminded by Torvi that he himself was once baptised. They're real people to me. Æthelstan died at Gloucester on 27 October 939. I miss him to pieces. Æthelstan defeated them at the Battle of Brunanburh, a victory which gave him great prestige both in the British Isles and on the Continent. His grandfather Alfred, his father Edward, and his half-brother Ælfweard had been buried at Winchester, but Æthelstan chose not to honour the city associated with opposition to his rule. Sadly, Athelstan was killed by Floki in season 3 – but why did Hirst decide to kill off such a beloved character? The road to season 6 was not easy, and many characters perished in the way, among those Athelstan, aka "the priest." It was a heartbreaking moment for Vikings fans for many reasons: Athelstan was a favorite and so was Floki, and viewers had grown fond of the friendship between Ragnar and Athelstan. She is an Audiovisual Communication graduate that wanted to be a filmmaker, but life had other plans (and it turned out great). Torvi has her baby and she and Ubbe call him Ragnar. Adrienne is very into films and she enjoys a bit of everything: from superhero films, to heartbreaking dramas, to low-budget horror films. Directed by Lucas Taylor. Athelstan consults The Seer in order to determine how the long the gods will test the Viking people and what more he must do and give up. The tomb in the Abbey is fifteenth century and is empty, but his name lives on in Malmesbury. I really loved Athelstan. All orders are custom made and most ship worldwide within 24 hours. Athelstan’s death forever changed Ragnar Lothbrok. Hirst: There is going to be a huge payoff of that relationship in an unexpected way, but it's quite a lot further down the line. He becomes Alfred the Great. One of the leading characters in the final 10 episodes was Hvitserk (played by Marco Ilsø). How will it affect King Ecbert, who also loved Athelstan? Click the button below to start this article in quick view. The 9th century had been a tumultuous one for the Saxon kingdoms of England, which had fallen one by one to invading Danes with the exception of Alfred’s kingdom: Wessex. Athelstan was killed in season 3 at the hands of Floki (Gustaf Skarsgård), mostly out of jealously. The Hollywood Reporter caught up with Hirst and Blagden for their takes on Athelstan's final journey. Athelstan became a fan favorite thanks to his relationship with Ragnar and his family, especially his daughter Gyda. With George Blagden, Travis Fimmel, Jennie Jacques, John Kavanagh. If Athelstan knew about his son would that have changed his view of martyrdom; could he have brought him back to Kattegat? It was not until 954 that the Viking king Eric Bloodaxe was driven out of Northumbria and the Anglo-Saxons once more controlled all of England. That all came to an end Thursday when Athelstan finally found God again. The bloodshed keeps coming. A year after his crowning he married one of his sisters to the Viking King of Northumbria, Sithric. Blagden: Michael sent me this five-page-long email explaining why he needed to make that choice this season. VIKINGS season 6 midseason finale has arrived and fans are curious to know about the real King Athelstan, whose name resurfaced thanks to the mysterious wanderer Othere. Guillermo del Toro said “hi” to her once. What joy that would bring him. When series creator Michael Hirst first conceptualized Athelstan (George Blagden), he was a device to bring Western audiences into a pagan world. Athelstan was the first king of all England, and Alfred the Great's grandson. © 2021 The Hollywood Reporter, LLC. Vikings has said goodbye to a lot of characters, and one of the most heartbreaking deaths was that of Athelstan. Ragnar's friend Floki had long distrusted Athelstan, (correctly) believing that he was lying about having given up his Christianity. It was a lovely email explaining how Athelstan had always been one of his favorite characters and he didn't want to overextend it. They would expect him to attend ceremonies, but that’s it. Terms of Use | It's this wanderer, Sinric (Frankie McCafferty), who is going to reappear in Ragnar's life and help him to Paris. Just as Eckbert says he will. Athelstan’s death wound up having a “profound effect” on Ragnar, and the legendary Viking never fully recovered from the loss. AdChoices | Do Not Sell My Personal Information He had learned to forget about himself and has devoted his life to Christianity. Blagden: It was sad to leave Vikings; it's a really original show. 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What relief. The Vikings quickly retook control of York that same year and held it until 954. It precursors this fact that Athelstan becomes a father and never knows it. I thought it would be an amazing thing for him as a character to recover his faith. Most of the biggest deaths in Vikings have happened under this mentality, which is good as Hirst knows when a character has given its all and, as Blagden says in the interview, doesn’t try to make them “exist past the point where it needs to.” Athelstan’s death was very dramatic, but it did serve a purpose in the story and helped maintain him as a fan favorite by not overextending his stay. However, a … It would be just going around in circles. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. It's had a profound effect, initially inwardly but then more and more outwardly and in his behavior. In season 3’s episode "Born Again," Floki (Gustaf Skarsgård) approaches Athelstan while he is praying. By Molli Mitchell PUBLISHED: PUBLISHED: 21:01, Wed, Feb 5, 2020 The priest publicly declared his convictions by throwing the arm ring Ragnar (Travis Fimmel) had gifted him into the ocean, right when the Vikings learned King Ecbert (Linus Roache) had slaughtered their people back in Wessex. I've lived day in and day out with Athelstan and Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick) and Ragnar. Edmund briefly captured York, but after his death the Vikings regained it. Historically speaking, he fights against Ragnar's sons. Then it became a major scene. After saying farewell to Jessalyn Gilsig's Siggy just two weeks ago, Vikings parted ways with another original series castmember during an unexpected episodic twist on Thursday. High quality Ragnar Athelstan gifts and merchandise. On the other hand, Athelstan was born and raised a Christian and in a time when Christianity had already been firmly rooted in England for several hundred years. Amber Dowling, [Warning: This story contains spoilers from Thursday's "Born Again" episode of History's Vikings.]. ... For Athelstan it was very important to have many allies. Are you sad to see Athelstan go? Vikings has seen a lot of characters come and go, most of them meeting their fates in violent ways, and one of the most heartbreaking deaths was that of Athelstan (George Blagden) – but why was he killed off? How do you think it will change the tone of the show? Close. Viking culture is seen from a first-hand experience through Athelstan's perspective. Athlestan was a young Christian monk taken as a slave by Ragnar and his Viking brothers from Lindisfarne monastery, very early on in the series’ first season. To which the answer is obviously not. By his own wish he was buried at Malmesbury Abbey, where he had buried his cousins who died at Brunanburh. Adrienne Tyler is a features writer for Screen Rant. 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