Vikings Season 1

Ragnar (Travis Fimmel) is a young Viking warrior who longs to discover civilizations across the seas. With his friend, the gifted craftsman Floki (Gustaf Skarsgård), he builds a new generation of faster longships and challenges the local ruler, Earl Haraldson (Gabriel Byrne), a man of little vision, to allow raids into unexplored North East England. He is supported by his brother Rollo (Clive Standen), who covets Ragnar's wife, the shieldmaiden Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick). Ragnar succeeds in carrying out the first Viking raids into the English kingdom of Northumbria, returning with rich loot and the monk Athelstan (George Blagden) as a slave. This not only earns him the enmity of King Aelle (Ivan Kaye), but triggers a series of increasingly violent confrontations at home with the autocratic Earl, ending with Ragnar killing and succeeding him. During an annual trip to the Temple of Uppsala where many Viking clans congregate in worship to the gods, Ragnar pledges fealty to King Horik (Donal Logue). Ragnar then represents Horik in negotiations about a land dispute with Jarl Borg, a Geat from Götaland (Thorbjørn Harr), in the course of which he is seduced by the princess Aslaug (Alyssa Sutherland). Back in Ragnar's homeland a mysterious plague ravages his village killing a portion of his people including his young daughter. During this time, envious and ambitious brother Rollo is manipulated by Jarl Borg to side with him against his brother and King Horik in order to forge his own glory.