SPOILER ALERT: This article discusses Episode 6 (titled “Death and the Serpent”) of History Channel’s Vikings . Please proceed with caution if you have not yet viewed this episode and wish to avoid spoilers.
As previously reported by The Inquisitr , Netflix has acquired the rights to the Vikings spinoff series, Vikings: Valhalla . Already, there has been some talk at the possibility of crossover character. However, considering it has already been stated that the spinoff series will occur some 100 years after the events currently unfolding in Season 6 of Vikings , it seems unlikely this will occur.
However, Episode 6 of Vikings may have just revealed a possible way in which a crossover could occur.
As TV Guide points out, it has already been confirmed that Vikings: Valhalla will feature some famous Vikings. Most notably, Leif Erikson, his sister, Freydis, and King Harald Harada, will be present in the new series. While these characters are not yet linked to any in History Channel’s series (Freydis is a character in Vikings , but not based on the one to feature in the new series), a potential familial crossover tie may have just occurred in Episode 6.
In Episode 6, Bjorn, who was expected to be voted in as the King of all Norway, suffered an unexpected defeat as Harald Finehair (Peter Franzen) won instead. While Harald tells Kjetill (Adam Copeland) that he has no plans for Bjorn, Kjetill warns Bjorn that Harald will attack — which he promptly does. A battle ensues in which Kjetill is badly injured. However, a man called Erik (Eric Johnson) steps in and assists Bjorn, offering a boat by way of escape. Having no other choice, Bjorn accepts Erik’s offer and the pair flee.
While it has not yet been officially confirmed by History Channel, the possibility is that this Erik is Erik Thorvaldsson, also known as Eric the Red, and the father of Leif Erikson.
Erik the Red was considered the man who finally settled in Greenland. His son, Leif, is believed to have set down in Vinland, making him the first Viking to set foot on continental North America. While Greenland is a part of North America, it is generally associated more often with Europe.
While it is not officially confirmed yet that this Erik is the same one who went on to father Lief, there were some clues dropped in the episode suggesting they could be the same person. Erik told Bjorn that he was an outcast and described a situation that lines up closely with a story told in the Viking sagas about Erik’s father, Thorvald Asvaldsson. However, viewers will have to tune into future episodes of Vikings in order to find out more.
You can rewatch the battle as Bjorn tries to escape and first meets Eric below.
Season 6 of Vikings returns to the History Channel on Wednesday, January 15, at 10 p.m.
