'Vikings': The significance of Buddha in the era of the Scandinavian seafaring warriors
Episode 16 of 'Vikings' season 5B was titled 'The Buddha,' and it wasn't just a metaphor for Ragnar Lothbrok's sons contemplating their Norse religion. The Buddha was a literal revelation to the Vikings era, and the presence of the Nepal-born monk in the fragmented Scandinavian kingdoms gives us an insightful glimpse into the lesser-known details of the trade and lifestyle of the seafaring warriors.
In 1954, a bronze statue of the Buddha was discovered in the Swedish island of Helgo which turned out to date back to the 6th century AD. The excavated figurine is today known as the Viking Age Buddha, and while there are many questions as to how the statue reached there, the latest episode of History Channel's 'Vikings,' shows us the influence it had on the Norsemen; mainly, especially and most importantly Ragnar's son, Hvitserk.