History Teaching, Vol. 34 No. 1, 2023.
Review article
VIKINGS – SAVAGES OR HEROES? THE HISTORICITY OF CINEMATOGRAPHIC REPRESENTATIONS ON THE EXAMPLE OF THE DRAMA SERIES VIKINGS (2013)
Hrvoje Gračanin
; Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences University of Zagreb
Abstract
The paper offers an analysis of the historicity of cinematic depictions of the Scandinavian society and Vikings in the so-called Viking Age by using the example of the first season of the popular drama series Vikings (Vikings, 2013). Within the concept of medievalism, the research deals with two questions: the historical accuracy and historical authenticity, in the context of the ambivalent stereotypical depiction of Vikings as savages or as heroes, where these two representations do not mutually exclude one another. The aim is to determine whether and to what extent the film representation of history can be considered historical, assuming that there were certain artistic freedoms in the depiction of historical characters and/or events. The issue of the suitability of using film productions in history lessons as a means of visualizing historical content is also questioned in the paper.
Keywords
historical film; film medievalism; Vikings; the Viking Age; historical accuracy; historical authenticity
Hrčak ID:
315009
URI
Publication date:
31.12.2023.
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