Vikings on History Channel

I have always been drawn to stories from history, but more to those stories about my ancestors. I can't cite many specific stories beyond knowing that my family came from here or from there (along with knowing some of who they were) through tracing my genealogy, but getting stories of what their lives might have been like is always fascinating.

My recent fascination has been with History Channel's show Vikings. I not only love the mythology (more than Greek or Roman), but I love the chance to get a glimpse at a culture we rarely get to see. While the story is largely fictionalized (they need to tell a story still), that story is based on as much real history as they could possibly add in.

What do I love? The story pulls no punches and yet makes you both root for and cringe over the harsh realities of how they lived and the choices they had to make. The cinematography is compelling and beautiful and the acting is spot on. If you haven't seen the trailer for it, you may want to give it a gander.

Here is the stunningly haunting trailer for the show:

Who were the real Vikings?

And if you're wondering what song that is in the opening sequence, it's "If I Had a Heart" by Fever Ray.