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‘Vikings: Valhalla’: Will Olaf Haraldsson Die? Why Does He Hate The Pagans & Freydis?

Vikings: Valhalla Season 2 is now available to stream on Netflix. Creator Jeb Stuart never hid away from the fact that, though this show requires a huge amount of research (with the help of Vikings history specialists working on the show), it was also his job, as a storyteller, to fill in the gaps, to mix up the dates and the characters' relationships in order to deliver a comprehensible and entertaining story to the audience.
Now we learn about Olaf “the holy” Haraldsson in the first season of “Vikings: Valhalla,” when he had arrived at Kattegat with his brother Gunnar. King Canute was aware that both brothers knew about the defenses of the English empire, as they had helped King Aethelred build them. They knew every secret passageway, every natural and manmade barrier, and every architectural strength and weakness of the fortress in London, and that is why Canute knew that the united forces of Vikings could greatly benefit from their presence. Though Olaf wanted to be King of Norway someday, his life had another mission that he gave priority to above all else. People question why does Olaf hate The Pagans & Freydis? Will Olaf Haraldsson die?

Olaf Haraldsson die in Vikings ValhallaSource: Looper

Olaf wished to ethnically homogenize the entire country of Norway, and his contempt for the pagans was unparalleled. He stated unequivocally that he would only fight for the cause of the Vikings if Canute agreed to a mass conversion. Canute was not an extremist like Olaf, and he denied ever being one. Canute might have given it some thought if the circumstances had been normal, but since they were fighting for such a great cause, these minor issues didn't matter to him. However, this was not the case with Olaf, who was willing to lose the war but would not compromise his firm religious beliefs.
Though Olaf was adamant about portraying himself to the world as a man of principles and ethics, in reality, he was nothing close to it. Ironically, he believed that doing mass conversions would help his religion prosper, but not even once did it occur to him that real prosperity only came if one walked on a righteous path. Olaf had the potential to deceive anybody in this world, and it didn’t matter to him if the person was a friend or foe. Olaf knew that to take Kattegat from Ejarl Estrid Haakon, he would need Kare’s help, and he very unabashedly went there to ask for it. When the deal was to be made, Olaf was agreeing to all the terms and conditions being laid out by Kare, but deep down, he had no intention of fulfilling them. Olaf had a treacherous game plan in his mind that Kare was not aware of. Olaf knew very well that Kare bore extreme hatred for the pagans, probably more than he did himself, and that is why he wanted to take complete advantage of that. We realized how hypocritical and conniving Olaf could be when he sent Kare’s army to fight against the army of Kattegat without any intention of going and helping his ally in battle. We saw Olaf’s sanctimonious beliefs peeling off and giving way to a deceitful core that breathed betrayal and disloyalty. He let Kare die on the battlefield for his selfish interests, but he still wasn’t able to succeed as Sweyn Forkbeard arrived at the shores of Kattegat with his Danish fleet.

Olaf Haraldsson die in Vikings ValhallaSource: Daily Express

Olaf was apprehended, and the people of Kattegat expected him to be brutally tortured, but Forkbeard had other plans. Forkbeard had years of experience dealing with state matters, and he also understood human behavior. He knew he could only choose someone over whom he had some control to be his grandson's protector. Olaf was deceitful, and he had given plenty of reasons for others to believe so, but he loved his son, Magnus, more than anything else in the world. Forkbeard struck a deal with Olaf and told him that his son would be safe in his custody until the time he promised to protect his grandson and raise him up to be a Viking warrior. Olaf had no choice but to agree to the terms and conditions because it gave him hope that one day Magnus would sit on the throne of Norway.
Olaf began stalking Freydis and Harald like a predator stalking its prey. In the second season of "Vikings: Valhalla," Olaf learned that Freydis had made Jomsborg her base, and it was critical for the success of his plan that he reach and destroy that location. Jomsborg was probably the last place pagans could call home, and the clan hoped to turn it into a pilgrimage site like Uppsala.

Olaf Haraldsson die in Vikings ValhallaSource: Somag News

When Olaf was leaving Novgorod, a priest blessed him, and it was then that we realized how delusional he was. He truly believed that he was a divine messenger sent to earth to fight for the cause of Christianity. Olaf's cause, beliefs, and point of view were not only radical, but also deeply flawed. No religion ever instructs its followers to take such drastic measures, and if they do, it is entirely on their own choice. People like Olaf are afraid and insecure, and in order to hide their fears from the rest of the world, they justify their actions by relying on a larger-than-life philosophy that no one can question.
Because Olaf, like many others in our real world, couldn't comprehend the idea that two people can disagree on matters of opinion, culture, beliefs, or way of life without both being incorrect, his acts were always pretextual and had a retaliatory intent. When Olaf arrived in Jomsborg, he thought he was being led by a supernatural force, but Freydis exposed the truth to him, shattering his illusions. Olaf was convinced, even up until the very last, that even if he died on the battlefield, he would be remembered as a martyr, but Freydis made sure that didn't happen. She made sure that history would remember him as a treacherous zealot who was not fit to sit on the throne of Norway. In the third season of “Vikings: Valhalla,” we will get to know if Olaf’s son, Magnus, decides to carry the torch and become an extremist bigot or if he chooses to walk on his own path and create his own legacy.
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