Vikings: Valhalla aims to be sexy and like Game of Thrones, so it's not historically accurate

Slate

"The Vikings of Valhalla have a very particular look to them: scummy, as would befit people who sail across the ocean in an open boat for weeks at an end without stopping—but also, somehow, in the peak of health, stunning and vital, with shiny hair and strong teeth," says Rebecca Onion of the Netflix Vikings prequel series, adding: "Valhalla definitely takes place in a universe where Game of Thrones exists. Kings and local nobles fought amongst themselves for power in the historical England, Norway, and Denmark, so we get the excuse for writers to work in a bunch of Thrones-ish court intrigue. One king has married two queens, who then scheme to get one another out of the picture! A counselor fakes a king’s accidental death, to move court politics in his direction! And so on. That counselor, Godwin (played by David Oakes), is just like Petyr Baelish, a.k.a. Littlefinger; the Boy King, Edmund (played by Louis Davison) is (as a fan noted) a dead ringer for the annoying and super-evil Prince Joffrey."