Vikings: Valhalla season 1 saw Leif Erikson coming up with the plan that destroyed the London Bridge, but did it really happen like that?
Vikings: Valhalla introduces more characters and events from the Viking Age, and while it’s based on historical events and real-life people, it’s not historically accurate all the time – so, did Leif Erikson’s London Bridge plan really happen? Historical dramas continue to be quite popular with the audience, and one of the most successful TV shows from that branch in recent years is Vikings. Created by Michael Hirst, Vikings premiered on the History Channel in 2013 and lived on for a total of six seasons, coming to an end in 2020 after lots of battles, betrayals, and surprises.
However, six seasons weren’t enough to tell the most exciting stories from the Viking Age and explore its most notable characters, so a sequel series, titled Vikings: Valhalla, was announced in 2019. Vikings was the end of the stories of Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel) and his sons, so Vikings: Valhalla takes a major time jump and focuses on new warriors and enemies. Set over a century after the events of Vikings, Valhalla follows Leif Erikson (Sam Corlett), Freydís Eiríksdóttir (Frida Gustavsson), and Harald Sigurdsson (Leo Suter), who embark on a journey that takes them across oceans and battlefields – from Kattegat to England, to the Pagan temple in Uppsala and more, all this with the conflict between Vikings and English royals as the backdrop.
As mentioned above, Vikings: Valhalla is based on historical events, so season 1 features some key events from Viking history, such as the St. Brice’s Day massacre and the fall of the London Bridge, but that doesn’t mean all of these are historically accurate. The St. Brice’s Day massacre is what kicks off the events of Valhalla, leading Harald, Canute (Bradley Freegard), and Olaf Haraldsson (Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson) to plan a revenge mission on the English and invade England in the process. The fall of the London Bridge secured their invasion of England, all thanks to a plan by Leif Erikson – but in real life, it didn’t happen that way.
Leif Erikson was a Norse explorer believed to have been the first European to have set foot on continental North America, but there’s no record of him being involved in the Viking invasion of England, let alone being the one who planned how to destroy the London Bridge to secure their success. The London Bridge had been destroyed many times before, and it may have been rebuilt by Alfred the Great or by king Æthelred the Unready (Edmund’s father) around 990 with the purpose of having the upper hand against Sweyn Forkbeard (Canute’s father). A skaldic tradition tells the destruction of the London Bridge in 1014 by Olaf, who by then was Æthelred’s ally, with the purpose of dividing the Danish forces that held the walled City of London and Southwark.
Leif Erikson coming up with the plan that destroyed the London Bridge and allowed the Vikings to take over England is one of many additions of Vikings: Valhalla to historical events. What’s true is that Olaf was involved in the battle that destroyed the bridge, but even his intentions were changed in the series. Of course, this doesn’t mean that the stories in Vikings: Valhalla aren’t interesting and enjoyable, and Leif coming up with the plan was even necessary for his arc as thanks to it he was finally considered a Viking.
Next: Vikings: Valhalla True Story - Every Major Change To Real Life History
