‘Vikings’ Season 6: Who Is Oleg The Prophet And How Will This Character Affect Upcoming Storylines?
With Season 6 of Vikings recently confirmed by History Channel, news is starting to filter in about what fans can expect. A brand new character has been announced, Oleg the Prophet, to be played by Russian actor Danila Kozlovsky. So, who is Oleg, and how will this character affect the storyline of Season 6 of Vikings?
According to Deadline, who broke the news, Oleg the Prophet will be a main character moving forward into Season 6 of Vikings.
Also known as Oleg of Novgorod, this character was a Rus’, or Russian Viking, who lived sometime in the ninth and 10th centuries. Historians place him as the supreme ruler of the Rus’ people from 882 to 912. The Rus’ were considered to be Norsemen who migrated to Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus according to Byzantine and Islamic sources. The term “Rus” is likely derived from Old Norse and translates to “the men who row.”
Novgorod is a place in Russia that is still important today, being situated between Moscow and St. Petersburg. During the 14th century, Novgorod was considered at its peak and was one of Europe’s largest cities at the time.
There is little to suggest Oleg was an actual prophet though. His name is likely an interpretation of a Norse word that means “priest.”
The Russian Primary Chronicle was written in Kiev from 1113 according to Encyclopedia Britannica and contains an interesting story about Oleg of Novgorod. According to this tale, Oleg was prophesied as dying as a result of his stallion. To prevent this from happening, Oleg of Novgorod banished his horse. Many years later, he heard that the stallion had died and requested to see its remains. Reaching forward, Oleg touched the horse’s skull and a snake slithered out and bit him. Oleg died from this and, thus, the prophecy was fulfilled.
But what does this all mean moving forward into Season 6 of Vikings?
While Bjorn Ironside (Alexander Ludwig) moves forward in his expansion in Season 5 of Vikings, and Floki (Gustaf Skarsgard) reaches Iceland, it seems other Norsemen will also branch out, one of them making it as far as Russia. Oleg is considered a descendant of the original Norse Viking that reached Russia. However, fans of the TV series may see Oleg introduced as the one who accomplishes this feat.
Entertainment Weekly also refers to Oleg the Prophet as a Varangian. This term was used by the Greeks and Slavs to describe the Vikings, so it is possible fans could see the Vikings travel through these lands as well in Season 6.
Are you looking forward to seeing this new character in Season 6 of Vikings? Let us know by commenting below.
Season 5 of Vikings will premiere on the History Channel on November 29 with a special two-hour premiere episode at 9 p.m. ET/PT followed by eight episodes airing every Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Season 6 will be broken up into two parts, like previous seasons of the show. The second half of Season 5 will air in 2018.
[Featured Image by Direktsiya Kino/Dago Productions]
