One of the most significant selling points of theAssassin’s Creedfranchise is the ability toexplore a whole range of historical settingsand historical figures.Assassin’s Creed Valhallais no different, allowing players to explore all of England, along with parts of Norway & North America, in the 9th century. Attacking historical figures with veritable glee.
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Being a work of fiction, the game takes manyartistic liberties regarding certain historical detailsfor the sake of storytelling. It’s no surprise, as when it comes to accurate portrayals of Viking and Norse culture specifically — accurate, reliable source material and archeological findings are hard to come by anyway. However, there are still some authentic historical details to be found, giving players a worthy and accurate portrayal of England during the Viking invasion.
Updated January 5th, 2023 by Stephen LaGioia:Viking and Norse culture seem to be making their mark in terms of popularity in media and entertainment. Shows like Vikings and The Last Kingdom, and Ubisoft’s AC Valhalla, are getting some people interested in the history of this resourceful, and often brutal, warrior people.
It’s easy to see why, as the culture is particularly unique — often invoking the imagination, not unlike an(often dark) epic fantasy. And with Ubisoft expanding the Valhalla universe with even more contentvia DLC and events, some have become even more curious as to thehistorical accuracy of the game.
14Viking Funerals — A Firey Service Of Ships
The Vikings are known, among other things, for their “interesting” funeral rituals. Ubisoft’s game touches on this “rite of passage” into Valhalla a number of times, but most notably with the funeral of the troublesome Ivarr.
Much like the TV showVikings, the game seems set on the notion of these funerals sending the fallen away by longship or boat, clutching their weapons and shields, as they were set ablaze. This is at leastlargely correct,according to most historians and archeologists. But while there isevidence of fiery ship burials(done with possessions of the dead), this becomes far more cloudy with regards to sending them out tosea.
13A Resourceful And Versatile People — When They Weren’t Raiding
It may seem nonsensical that Eivor and his Viking companions are able to achieve so much and have such a vast, diverse palette of skills. InValhalla, Eivor (or others) can gather and craft with resources, build entire settlements, fish, hunt, and of course, fight and pillage relentlessly. But this may not be so farfetched and, in fact, more accurate than most believe.
By most accounts, the Vikings were in fact a very industrious, adaptable people. They were farmers, seafarers, traders, blacksmiths, and warriors, among other trades. And this largely applied to the men as well as the women.
12Ireland Depiction — Sociopolitically Accurate (In Some Ways)
When it comes to the atmospheric Wrath of the Druids DLC, the historical accuracy can be particularly spotty, given the mythological aspects and the emphasis on Druids, which wouldn’t have been present at this time.
Whileitis accuratethat the Vikings invaded Ireland, the region would have been well underway with Christianization by the 9th century. Thus, Paganism as a whole, let alone the ancient Celt practice of Druids, would have been a non-factor in this area.
Still, therearethings the game gets right here, particularly when it comes to thesociopolitical scene and some environmental details.Examples include — the accuracy of the trade posts and the materials bartered in Dublin, the main territories (Ulster, Meath, Connacht), and the High Kings that ruled these segmented regions.
11The Campaign In Francia — And Its Importance
The somewhat divisiveSiege of Paris DLCkeeps up the tradition of bringing more “creative liberties” than authentic elements. But in a more general sense, this huge campaign, and its timeline in the overall story, is fairly accurate. The Vikingsdideventually focus their efforts on West Francia in 845, an invasion known as theSiege of Paris,clashing against Charles the Bald.
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The game also captures the particularly large forces and the great effort these invaders put into their attacks. With that said, the campaign in thegameis notably simpler than the largely-failed attacks the Vikings had waged on Francia — though theyweregiven several hundred pounds of silver as ransom after their “defeat.”
10Silver Currency - Penny For Your Troubles
Money inValhallais less crucial than it has been in previous installments in the franchise, generally only being used for an occasional top-up on resources (and gambling). This is a shame as the currency used inValhalla, silver, is an accurate representation of the coinage of the time.
Silver pennies were used widely as currency in England during this period, as well as in Viking settlements. This was a huge boon to the English economy as Viking money could easily be exchanged with Anglo-Saxon money for no lost value.
9Location of Viking Settlements - Calling The North Home
The story ofValhallasees the player venture around the regions of England to gain allies. Depending on whichlocations the player explores, they may find Anglo-Saxon settlements or Viking settlements to win over.
The spread of these settlements holds a lot of historical accuracy. While the Vikings conquered most of England at one point in time, during the time period ofValhalla, only the more northern regions of the country were under Viking rule, which is echoed in the game.
8No Horned Helmets - Fading Into Myth
One of the most well-known historical myths is that of Vikings wearing horned helmets. It’s become such a well-known myth that most people are fully aware that it has no basis in reality. Still, many portrayals of Vikings in fiction (particularly cartoonish ones) still show them with horned helmets. Especially consideringthe amount of mythological contentValhallafeatures.
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It would’ve been very easy forValhallato fall into the same trap, even if it were as a joke, to put a horned helmet into the game for players to wear. Thankfully, the developers strayed away from the joke, choosing to give onlyrealistic attire for Eivor to wear.
7Viking Weaponry - Swordless Combat
A detail players may not have noticed while playingValhallais the complete lack of swords available to wield in the game. There is a massive range of weapons. Axes, daggers, hammers, and flails are options for players, but these are far more prominent in the game than swords (particularly massive two-handed ones).
This is down to historical accuracy— at least when it comes toaxes, bows, lances, and spears.Swords were very expensive to make during this era in history due to the amount of metal they required. As such, most warriors used other weapons that required far less metal to make. Even when swords are seen inValhalla, they are normally decorative or status symbols, not tools of war.
6Terminology & Language - The Correct Dialect
While every character in the game speaking perfect English no matter where they’re from is a bit odd, the terminology and dialect they use are surprisingly accurate. The term “Viking” is rarely used in the game, as it’s a more modern phrase to refer to the Nordic invaders of this period.
In reality, “Danes” was the common name for the Vikings in England during this time, referring to the fact that the majority ofVikings were from Norwayor Denmark. The terms “Víkingr” and “Jomsviking” are used frequently by the Danes to refer to their mightiest warriors, which is where the modern term “Viking” comes from.
5Female Warriors - All Can Fight
Throughout history, there are plenty of examples of certain societies having more gender equality than one would expect from the time period. The Spartans ofAssassin’s Creed Odysseyput women in positions of great political power, and there weremany mighty female warriors.
The Vikings are similar. While Viking society was still, by and large, a patriarchy, there was minimal stigma against Viking women becoming warriors compared to most other cultures at the time.Many historians even notethat some Viking women may have been entrepreneurs. Compare this to the Anglo-Saxon philosophies, which more or less entirely prevented women from stepping onto battlefields, and the Vikings seem almost progressive.
