Episode 15 of History’s Vikings Season 4 was a brutal one. However, it was the arrival of a mysterious new character at the very end that really got people talking. So, who is this one-eyed man and how will he affect the show moving forward into Season 5?
Spoiler alert: This article discusses Episode 15 of Season 4 of History Channel’s Vikings as well as the historical aspects of some characters. Please proceed with caution if you wish to avoid spoilers.
While most of Episode 15 of Vikings dealt with the fate of Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel), at the very end of the episode, History threw in a curve-ball by way of a mysterious new character.
As the Episode 15 wound up, a ship arrived. Over the top of it flew what appears to be a group of ravens. On the ship, a one-eyed man looks out across the water like he is searching for something — or someone.
So, who is this one-eyed man, and what does his arrival mean moving forward in Season 4 of Vikings ?
For those who have read the historical stories about the Vikings, the obvious assumption to make here is that the god Odin has just arrived in Kattegat. The Norse believed that the gods walked among them. In fact, Ragnar himself believed he was a direct descendant of Odin, making his arrival in Ragnar’s home, after his death, quite fitting.
Odin was a god who had a thirst for knowledge. According to Norse Mythology, his need was so great he once hung himself in order to discover the runes used commonly in Viking culture. Ragnar recently tried hanging himself in Season 4 of Vikings , and this could have been a nod to Odin’s story, especially considering he was surrounded by a flock of ravens, something else that is associated with Odin.
Another thing Odin did in his search for knowledge was gouge out his own eye at Mimir’s Well in order to drink its knowledge-laden water. This is how he came to be known as the one-eyed god.
Odin arriving in Kattegat at a time when Ragnar has died, Ivar (Alex Hogh) is seeking revenge and Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick) has taken over could be a portent for what will happen in Season 4 and further on into Season 5 of Vikings . If Ragnar really is a descendant of Odin, it is possible the god would show up after his death.
However, there is someone else in the history of the Vikings that was also one-eyed.
Hagen was a Germanic half-elf character who was also one-eyed. This character is sometimes associated with Aslaug’s (Alyssa Sutherland) father, Sigurd. Considering Aslaug has just been murdered by Lagertha, it is possible someone associated with her family could show up to seek retribution. However, in the Germanic saga Thidreks , Hagen is attributed with killing Aslaug’s father. So, perhaps he is showing up to congratulate Lagertha, rather than to side with Aslaug.
However, while Hagen was associated with Aslaug’s parents, he also lived hundreds of years earlier than the current events unfolding in History’s Vikings , so it doesn’t seem likely this is the one-eyed character seen at the end of Episode 15. However, considering Ragnar and Rollo (Clive Standen) were never brothers and lived many years apart according to the history books, it seems anything might be possible.
While it is still uncertain yet who the one-eyed man really is, we do have a name for this actor: Andre Eriksen. According to IMDb, he is credited as playing the “ Black Cloaked Figure ” in Episode 15 (entitled “All His Angels”) of Vikings Season 4.
Entertainment Weekly also hinted they would introduce a “ key new character ” next week. They did not mention who this character was or when they would be appearing in Vikings , so whether it is the one-eyed man or not is purely speculation at this point.
Who do you think the one-eyed man is in Episode 15 of Vikings ? You can let us know by voting in the poll below.
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Vikings returns to History Channel with Episode 16 on Wednesday, January 4 at 9 p.m. ET.
The synopsis for Episode 16 (titled “Crossing”) of Vikings Season 4, according to Carter Matt , is below.
“Bjorn’s fleet launches a surprise attack, while Lagertha’s quest for power continues in Kattegat.”
[Featured Image by History]