How Historically Accurate is Assassin's Creed Valhalla?

If you took warrior Eivor and have already traveled the territories of Norway and England in Assassin's Creed: Valhalla with them, or you are going to do so in the future, you're probably thrilled with the Norse setting. These somewhat mysterious warriors are lately quite popular, as evidenced by the TV show Vikings, for example. Some, especially fans of the Assassin's Creed series, may get hooked on the Nordse mythology and themes, and become more interested in exploring their history after playing Valhalla.

Ubisoft is known for its rather liberal approach to historical facts and authenticity, so we will not go into too much detail as to how historically accurate the game actually is. First of all, we want to bring you closer to the actual realities of Viking life in the Middle Ages, perhaps also to do away with some pop-culture myths, so that everyone can see for themselves how close – or to the contrary – Valhalla universe is to the facts. You'll be able to do it when the time is exactly ripe for you, as the game's really huge and full of secrets.

Is AC: Valhalla realistic about the Viking world?

Before we begin, we want to disclaim: none of us have doctorates in Viking history. Therefore, in addition to studying various sources on our own, we decided to ask for help from real experts in this field. Our descriptions are enriched by the statements and comments of Leszek Gardela, a PhD, researcher at the Danish National Museum in Copenhagen, and Ms. Ewa Strukowska from a historical reconstruction group Utgard.

Not "A Viking," but "To viking.”

One of the most frequently repeated mistakes is capitalizing the word "viking," and thus suggesting it's a nation of people in a similar sense as, for example, the Saxons. Meanwhile, the origin of the word "viking" is much more complicated, and in scientific and historical works several different theories have been proposed on this subject. There have been attempts to combine it with the Old Norse word "vik" (Bay) and the old English "wic" (a port settlement), or the fornsvenska (Old Swedish) "vika" and the Old Norse "víkja," meaning "change of rowers." The latter in the feminine form "víking" meant a distant overseas expedition, and in the masculine "víkingr" – a participant of such expedition.

"Vikings" doesn't denote members of the nation of the ancestors of IKEA owners.

"Viking" also meant participation in long, overseas expeditions, mainly for military purposes and looting. Initially, this was the term used to describe any raid of this type, regardless of the ethnicity of the raiders, but during the period of Scandinavian dominance in the seas, the word kind of stuck to them. The terms "viking" and "vikingr" appeared in runic inscriptions and Icelandic sagas describing the 10th and 11th century. A viking could mean a trade expeditions (rather than a raid), and the ill fame didn't actually surround the word until after the viking era.

Horticulture and trade – not just looting

The daily life of the vikings was not as turbulent and hazardous as pop-culture images try to convince us, and it did not consist solely in fighting and conquering other peoples. Thanks mastering maritime travel, they were able to venture into distant regions and trade with exclusive goods otherwise unavailable. Merchants from the North offered walrus tusks, seal and whale skins, as well as wood and iron. They were also known as slave traders, usually trafficking humans into the Arab countries. Assassin's Creed: Valhalla tries to portray this more peaceful side of the vikings, as some of the areas can be taken over not by military conquest, but rather completing a storyline.

Many "vikings" were simple farmers and merchants.

There, of course, were Invasions of faraway lands, and one of the main reasons for the conquest of other lands was certainly the desire to acquire more fertile lands for agriculture, which definitely was difficult in the Nordic world (with the exception of Denmark). Vikings usually worked hard in the fields, but the yield was often very modest. Famine was often a direct concern, and historians emphasize how unrealistic is the pop-culture image of a towering, strong Norse warrior.

The mortality rate among children was up to 40%, and the skeletons found from this period often showed signs of malnutrition, chronic diseases or congenital injuries. This was one of the reasons for "amateurs" to go on looting expeditions – people, whose regular profession involved crafting or carpeting, rather than cracking skulls with axes.

Spiritual riches taste best

If so many Vikings were merchants or farmers, then where did the stereotype of a fierce, brutal warriors come from? There's an important detail that Assassin's Creed: Valhalla actually nicely emphasizes. Playing as Eivor, we often find gold chests with precious loot, hidden in temples of the conquered lands. This is quite accurate historically. Settlements and temples were eagerly targeted during raids, simply because places of worship usually contained valuable items, and at the same time the defense was not as strong as in large cities or forts.

Note, however, that friars and monks were the literate minority of that world, and as such, they were able to perpetuate the image of Nordic peoples as brutal, savage raiders. We can't just dismiss that as their malevolence though, as they indeed only had a chance to recognize the vikings as looters.

Fictitious horns

The symbol of a viking in pop-culture is a horned helmet. Source: IMDb.

Another common misconception is the iconic horned helmet. In fact, Nordic warriors used ordinary, nasal helmets, which were very popular throughout the whole Europe around the 10th century. They differed mainly decorative elements.

So where did the rather popular image of a sinister helmet with horns come from? From much later, more civilized times, although they aren't just a figment of imagination.

Axes dominate the game. In fact, however, axes were weapons of the poor.

Assassin's Creed: Valhalla quite realistically shows this fact, as there aren't many "horned" warriors among the members of the clan. Equally interesting is the issue of weaponry used by the vikings. The game gives us access to an axe at the very beginning, and this weapon is used throughout the game in different variations, though we can also use swords, bows, etc.

In fact, the type of weapon used depended heavily on the economic status of the warrior. Swords were extremely expensive, so only the richest could afford them. Axes were much more affordable, and therefore much more common, just like the cheap, effective, and accessible to all spears. Interestingly, as reported by Scandinavian historians, weapons from those times were quite easily found during various archaeological excavations, unlike helmets and pieces of armor.

Feminism

A smooth transition from axes to women may seem strange, but it fits the narrative of Assassin's Creed: Valhalla. After all, the game let's us freely switch the gender of the protagonist at all times between male and female. Is this an emanation of "cultural marxism" of the creators, or a historically justifiable decision?

. What was it really like among the Vikings?

Turns out, that indeed, viking women, compared to other European tribes and nations at the time, enjoyed more significant authority and more freedom, mostly in terms of their rights. Of course, life was organized along the classic division anyway, with women being concerned about the household and anything within its boundaries, and men traditionally taking care of anything outside, including agriculture.

The vikings in the north often experienced malnutrition. Shortage of food isn't really visible in the game. Is there Wasabröd in there?

However, things changed when most men went on overseas expeditions, often lasting several months. At those times, the responsibility of running the settlements shifted to women, who hunted and sometimes fought. They also had more social freedom and were able to make independent decisions concerning their lives.

Gardela notes, however, that the social position of men and women wasn't equal. Men held a degree of superiority, but it was more a matter of women performing different roles than men, rather than being simply submissive to them. Were there any female warriors such as Eivor? Historical sources seem to confirm it:

Speaking of warlike women, it's impossible not to mention the Valkyries, ”choosers of the slain” from the Norse mythology. Legends about them have probably been informed by real events and actual female warriors. Over time, rumors and stories about them turned into legends and myth. Among the vikings, the most famous female warrior was Hervor.

Hervor's Death by Peter Nicolai Arbo – Ukendt, Public Domain.

Oracles, shamans, and religion

The beginning of our adventure in Assassin's Creed: Valhalla includes, among other things, a visit to the local oracle, which, as it turns out, isn't mere fantasy. Eivor seeks to understand recent visions – with the help of Valka. Religion really played a significant role in viking life and was concerned with everything – from success in battles to regular activities and problems of the daily life. Both men and women could be spiritual guides.

Is the Volka the historical Volva?

A certain equivalent of the in-game Valka is probably the character of Volva – an oracle who predicted the future, and knew about herbs and healing. She traveled a lot, and visited many settlements; perhaps she was famous enough to be invited by people. Another kind of link between people and the gods were local priests:

For vikings, it was extremely important to have good relations with each of their many gods, even if they all exhibited typically human qualities. Various ceremonies were regularly held in their honor. One of the most important were the consecration ceremonies called "Blót". These were typically sacrificial rites. Vikings sacrificed items, animals, and even people in return for specific benefits.

One of the most often sacrificed animals were horses – their blood was collected in bowls, and their flesh was cooked and eaten. Blood would be splashed on the altar and sprayed on people. These ceremonies also served the wealthier members of the community as a way to display their power and wealth. They often were feasts delivered to a congregation. In addition, there are reliable reports that people were also sacrificed during "blót" ceremonies. The god who "demanded" such sacrifices was, for example, Odin.

Plenty of stuff to do in spare time. For example, play games.

Social "minigames" and tattoos

In the end, we left the most relaxed and carefree aspect of being a viking – both in Assassin's Creed: Valhalla, and probably in reality, that were games, also of the social kind. We have a game of dice (Orlog), an unusual duel with rhymed insults (Flyting) (more characteristic of the territories in England) and competitions in drinking, or fishing. What was it like in reality?

Eivor can tattoo his/her entire body.

In addition to indulging in spare-time activities, we can go to a tattoo artist in the village to decorate your body. The creators have really invested a lot if time into preparing the wearable ink. Did vikings really do that? The answer isn't clear-cut, since skin obviously isn't as lasting as bones. In fact, the only suggestion that vikings did wear tattoos, or at least knew about the art of tattooing, is information from an Arabic merchant, who during his travels encounter the so-called Gardariki – often considered Norse people, they colonized the region of rivers Volga and the Dnieper.

How "viking" is AC: Valhalla, then?

So, has Ubisoft in the end produced a credible world? We hope this article will allow you to appreciate it more and examine it more thoroughly, maybe inspire you to do more research yourself. Let us know if you yourself have stumbled upon unique curiosities – or, on the contrary, some huge inconsistencies? In a computer game, anything is possible, but the main thing is what we enjoy. The size of Valhalla's open world and the variety of activities included there is just dazzline.