Vikings season 5B 'The New God' review: Why Ivar's godhood is dangerous for Kattegat
What do you do when you need to prove your power to people? Start your own religion and proclaim yourself god, as Ivar demonstrated in this week's episode of 'Vikings,' titled 'A New God.' Ivar, abiding to do something drastic and baffling in order to convince his people of his power and strength as their king, escalated himself to the pedestal above the title of a king, which obviously meant proclaiming himself as a new Norse god and came up with his own religion.
Note Scandinavian kings did not retain power if perceived as weak leaders, so, Ivar the Boneless had a dire need to prove his worth and rule with fear, even more so than his father, Ragnar, did. With the belief he can do no wrong, Ivar comes to the conclusion he is a god when he contemplates why the gods initially cursed him and tells his brother Hvitserk that though they are the descendants of Odin, the gods particularly hated Ivar because he himself is, in fact, a god. With this exchange, he declares “Ivar the Boneless is a god,” and how being different is a blessing and not a curse.