Chris Willman of the Los Angeles Times gave it a negative review, and called it "A stillborn comedy in which minutes sometimes mysteriously go by between even attempted gags, and in which virtually no comic scene works up to any kind of viable punch line or payoff." [4] Box office [ edit ] The exact ethnic composition of the Viking armies is unknown in particular cases, but the Vikings’ expansion in the Baltic lands and in Russia can reasonably be attributed to the Swedes. Elsewhere, the nonmilitary colonization of the Orkney Islands, the Faroe Islands, and Iceland was clearly accomplished by the Norwegians. England Jones, Terry (1989). Erik the Viking: the Screenplay. New York: Applause Theatre Book Publishers. ISBN 1-55783-054-1. Aud has warned the Vikings that should blood ever be shed upon Hy-Brasil, the entire island would sink beneath the waves. Erik and his crew defend Hy-Brasil against Halfdan's ship. Loki is found aboard the ship, and pretends to have sneaked aboard to sabotage it. In gratitude for Erik's having saved Hy-Brasil, King Arnulf presents him with the Horn Resounding, which is much larger than Erik had imagined. Loki steals the Horn's mouthpiece in the night, without which it cannot be sounded, and persuades Keitel to throw it in the sea. Snorri, one of Erik's men, catches them in the act and Loki kills him. A single drop of the man's blood falls from Loki's dagger and triggers an earthquake that causes the island to sink.

Erik learns from the wise woman Freya that Fenrir the wolf has swallowed the sun, plunging the world into the age of Ragnarök. Erik resolves to travel to Asgard to petition the gods to end Ragnarök. Freya informs him that to do so he must seek the Horn Resounding in the land of Hy-Brasil. The first note blown upon the Horn will take Erik and his crew to Asgard, the second will awaken the gods, and the third will bring the crew home. Erik sets out with a crew of all ages and professions from his village, including Harald, a Christian missionary who does not believe the myths. Erik the Viking is a 1989 British comedy- fantasy film written and directed by Terry Jones. The film was inspired by Jones's children's book The Saga of Erik the Viking (1983), but the plot is completely different. Jones also appears in the film as King Arnulf. [4] [5] Plot [ edit ]Variety magazine gave the film a positive review: "The idea of telling the story of a Viking warrior who thought there must be more to life than rape and pillage is an amusing one", and concluded that it was "an enjoyable film". [11] Vincent Canby of The New York Times gave it 3 out of 5 and wrote: "Doesn't measure up to the best of the Python films, but it consistently entertains through the occasional gags that do not work and dialogue that is sometimes obscured by sound effects." [12] Principal photography took place at Shepperton Studios in England. Some footage of Erik's village and environments was shot in Norway, while the Hy-Brasil sequence was filmed in Malta. Artwork was made by Tolkien artist Alan Lee. The music score was composed by Neil Innes.

This is the tale of a Viking warrior who lived hundreds and hundreds of years ago. His name was Erik. His ship was called Golden Dragon and its figurehead was a fierce monster carved out of wood and covered with gold leaf.’My daughter at 7 thrilled at playing chess with death and watching the vikings engage in a battle of wits with the old man of the sea. During the evenings we read this book together we both were sailing the seas as viking together. As such I highly recommend it for all ages over 6. Erik and the crew encounter old friends and enemies slain in battle. The gods are revealed to be petulant children who have no interest in answering mortal prayers. Harald the missionary sees neither hall, nor ghosts or gods, and passes intangibly through its walls due to his Christianity. Odin persuades Fenrir to spit out the sun, but tells Erik that the end of Ragnarök will not bring peace to the world. Odin then informs Erik that he and his crew cannot return home. Nor may they remain in Valhalla, since they were not slain in battle; instead they are to be cast into the fiery Pit of Hel. Some of the crew who died earlier in the adventure attempt to save them, but even as they are drawn into the Pit, they hear the Horn Resounding's third note, blown by Harald, who had returned to the ship, which flings them clear. It might be said as a mild criticism that Jones has not written a book for girls as well as for boys; the absence of strong female characters and/or a female perspective might be construed as disadvantageous. However this is not a grievous sin of omission or commission. With a legacy of two beloved surreal, satirical movies ( Monty Python and The Holy Grail and Monty Python's Life of Brian), director Terry Jones always had a lot to live up to with this solo project. And sadly, with Erik the Viking, he stumbles twice. For not only is it not an exciting fantasy adventure, it's also not a very funny comedy. Maybe in response to the serious, bronzed Adonis fantasy adventures popular in the 1980s, Jones' vehicle looks grimy, grubby, and often plain ugly. While a similar look worked for The Holy Grail, without the charm and alchemy of the familiar Python actors it's just unpleasant. VIKINGS - which means the book contains magical swords, long beards, the Golden Dragon (not a solid gold fire-breathing monster, but the name of a Viking ship), battles and trolls and dog-warriors and bags and bags of adventure.

Viking, member of the Scandinavian seafaring warriors who raided and colonized wide areas of Europe from the 9th to the 11th century and whose disruptive influence profoundly affected European history. These pagan Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish warriors were probably prompted to undertake their raids by a combination of factors ranging from overpopulation at home to the relative helplessness of victims abroad. Erik, a young Viking, discovers that he has no taste for rape and pillage, and suffers guilt over the death of an innocent woman, Helga. Amadeus star Tom Hulce was originally going to star as Erik, but he decided instead to pursue his stage career.

About Terry Jones

Canby, Vincent (28 October 1989). "Review/Film; A Viking Antihero Runs Amok With Idealism (Published 1989)". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 25 May 2015. The illustrations are interesting, if not exactly memorable, and they do what they are supposed to do. Jones's prose is highly readable and does evoke the motifs and style of Norse literature, or at least what we perhaps expect it to be. There are also some entertaining 'adult' moments (e.g. Erik playing chess with Death a la Bergmann's 'Seventh Seal').