‘Vikings’ Season 6: Here’s What The History Books Say About Prince Oleg’s Invasion Of Scandinavia

SPOILER ALERT: This article discusses History Channel’s Vikings. Please proceed with caution if you have not yet viewed all available episodes and wish to avoid spoilers.

As previously reported by The Inquisitr, History Channel has finally released a premiere date for Season 6 of their historical drama series, Vikings. This will be the last season but there is still plenty of action to be expected as the series ties up all of its loose ends. One of these will be what happened to Ivar the Boneless (Alex Hogh Andersen) after he escaped from Kattegat and the inclusion of Prince Oleg (Danila Kozlovsky).

Along with the news of the Season 6 premiere date for Vikings, History Channel also released a trailer. In it, Ivar’s fate is revealed. He manages to travel all the way to Russia, where he meets up with Prince Oleg. It is then revealed that Oleg wants to invade Scandinavia.

So, did this really happen?

According to the Daily Express, Prince Oleg was a real person whose life’s deeds were recorded in the Rus’ Chronicles, the East Slavic Chronicles, and the Primary Chronicle. He was considered a powerful leader who controlled — depending on the sources — many or all of the Rus people during the end of the 9th century and the beginning of the 10th century.

While Prince Oleg would have had contact with Scandinavian people who were traveling and trading with the Rus, the history books don’t accredit him with invading the region. Instead, he was much more interested in raiding Constantinople, which was the capital of the Byzantine Empire.

In addition, it is highly unlikely that Prince Oleg and Ivar the Boneless crossed paths at all during their lifetimes. Ivar the Boneless was associated with the Great Heathen Army and their attacks in England. It is also chronicled that he traveled to Ireland. However, there is little mention of him traveling as far afoot as Russia.

While these two characters likely did not cross paths in real life, History Channel has decided to throw them together as Ivar struggles to regain his hold in Norway after his rule of Kattegat was finally overthrown by Bjorn Ironside (Alexander Ludwig) in Season 5 of Vikings. As to whether Ivar will be successful remains to be seen, and viewers will have to tune into Season 6 in order to find out more.

You can watch the Season 6 trailer for Vikings below.

Season 6 of Vikings will premiere on the History Channel on Wednesday, December 4, at 9 p.m.