The True Story of Amleth | The Northman 

Amleth was a very patient genius. I love hearing stories of the patient to exact vengeance. Like the story of the 47 Ronin.

I was taken aback by Hermutrudes lies. Amleth had treachery, betrayal and lies all around him, even from the people he held most dear. That's the real tragedy!

I think Amleth was a real person, of the Jute tribe. But the events took place 8-900 years before they were written down by Saxo. Therefore the story is mostly myth. For instance the name Feng, Fenge just means prince, and can be found in the placename Fingleton. The reason I can date Amleth is because of Wiglek. His name can be found in a line of angelish kings handed down in Mercia: Withlæg, Wermund,Offa, (Angengeot), Eomer. Eomer led the Angel tribe's migration to Britain. So England in the story means the Angel tribe in South Jutland. The Jute tribe had an inner conflict, which maybe can be seen in the battle at Finsburg, where Garulf is chieftain of a jutish colony by Flevo Lake, which dissapeard by the time of the invasion of Britain.

Today is my birthday. My family are taking me out for dinner and to watch "The Northmen" tomorrow to celebrate. Can't wait!! ❤️

Amleth, is Hamlet with the letters rearranged. Shakespeare was clever

Saxo Grammaticus is one of the coolest names ever.

I have long been aware that Hamlet was the retelling of an older saga but had never been able to find the original or a translation of it. Thanks for this chance to hear it. Clearly Shakespeare was a brilliant writer for turning this litany of treachery and murder into a version palatable to an Elizabethan Christian audience

There is wisdom in the sagas. The Bard knew it. The lessons are still relevant. They resonate like well orchestrated music.

I do not think that I had ever heard of Amleth before, I am learning so much from this channel, brilliant, keep it up :)

I didn't know that Amleth was the inspiration behind Hamlet, just like Macbeth.

I still want to see the movie.

Northman was soooo good! go see it in the theater as it should be with great movies

Hi HP. Another great story. Learning about the rich legacy of the Vikings and Saxons. Great deduction of the tainted food and drink. His olfactory sense was extremely sharp.

Thank you for using Devin Castle in this video (at 12:20), a very important historical fortification in Slovakia, overlooking the river Danube, flatlands of Austria/Vienna and Moravia.

Outstanding work. I may not always comment but I'm always watching. Thanks HP.

Ill never forsake you in death. 10 minutes later: You've killed my husband. I offer myself to you.

Who cares if it be real or only legend? It's a great tale, and I loved hearing it! Thanks!

I love the documentaries you do so much , I get so much information from them . I'm infatuated with the 8th-10th century the viking age really . Accent Rome and I've watched all the movies many times. But love watching ones like this with facts or closest known facts anyway. Keep them coming ! Great job !

Great video. I'm a huge fan of viking age stories and pretty much anything to do with ancient Germanic tribes and cultures in general. I enjoy your style of video production and story telling so keep up the good work my friend. Can't wait to see The Northman! 🖤💀🏰⚔️🖤

Magnificent as your narration! Loved every detail on this epic history. Thank you for great videos!

Such a great channel always an interesting story every upload, thanks for your hard work

Absolute banger of a video. I appreciate your hard work.

This was fascinating! I believe it to be the stuff of legends but a superbly told story.

i mean considering what happened to him in the end to him what he achieved was amazing. awesome video man

I enjoyed this story very much. Please do more .

Great story! Good video dude. Keep up the great work.

Oh, luv this one w/ the *Shakespeare* connection you have included; very interesting. This section of history was not taught in any of the schools I attended. I only have a BA Degree so... 👍👍👍👍👍 *Thank You Ollie*

Amazing legend!!! Pretty sure there were many interepretations, but no wonder Shakespeare has remained the one to be studied and loved: he made the prince's madness ambiguous and turn everything into a tragedy (as vengance always is), mixing several genres (ghost story, vengeance, political thriller, meta theater, etc.).... Thanx!!!

thank You Sir. another great one

Love all The History Profiles!! If they used these in schools, i think children would want to listen & learn!! Thanks Ollie!! ⚔️

Wow that's a great video, and I didn't know all that.So thank you so much for sharing that with me!

Awesome as always and extremely interesting and informative and with your perfect invested narration... Unbelievable Ollie you surprise me every single time... Deeeeeeep respect for your work 💞😇💞😇💞😇💞😇💞😇💞

Amazing work!

Enjoyed your video. I hope one day you'll cover my favorite warrior king - Pyrrhus of Epirus. Remember that line from the movie Troy - "Imagine a king who fights his own battles. Wouldn't that be something?"? Pyrrhus was that type of king. He fought multiple duels against champions from the enemy side, the most famous one being the Mamertine champion. Plutarch wrote in his "Life of Pyrrhus" that Pyrrhus cut the Mamertine in half, longways, from head to groin.

12:07 Amleth was really smoking on that Feng pack. He really said, "Put him on a shield"

That was new to me, fascinating, thank you. 👏🏻

Wait the Queen said she die with him but in the end she gave herself to his enemy lol ....great story ! New sub!

Just SUBSCRIBED ❤ Love all of your Videos thank you for sharing ❤

A great video and breakdown as I preformed Hamlet in college when the film the Northman came out I was very familiar with this story so watching the film gave me the chance to see where Shakespeare ended and Viking saga began. Seeing the differences was great and quite enjoyable and hearing a more complete version of Amleth was very enjoyable and seeing many the videos is going to be fun. I will say while the Northman is loosely based on the story of Amleth I had to laugh as Feng loses the trone of his brother to King Harald which made me laugh the hardest as any fool with a sword can kill a king and take throne but only a true king can hold onto his kingdom something Feng knew very little of no matter the story.

Very clever retelling. Well done indeed.

I think real historical events preceding the foundation of the Dane Law color the animosity and distrust between the Danes and residents of England. Also, the burning of buildings with people in them is a widespread trope among Scandinavians. It also may reflect the mythology of the cauldron as told by the Celts. Hamlet and Hamnet were names used in England. We find a reference to Hamlet in the Irish Annals of the Four Masters. However, work on the Annals did not begin until circa 1632, long after the staging of Shakespeare's play. The name Gormflaith also is one of the names given to the Sovereignty Goddess. The historic Gormflaith is the mother of both the king of Dublin Sigtrygg Silkbeard, and, of Donnchad Mac Brian, king of Munster by Brian Born.

Such an interesting video, need to see the movie now

Awesome! Make more videos like that one

Way better than the movie. I don't understand why they can't stick to the original storyline.

Other than the obvious Hamlet parallels, there are hints of Siegfried Saga in the last bit.

17:17 - 17:36. It looks less than 19 seconds for Hermutrude to go from "I'll die by your side if I have to, my dear husband" to "take me for your wife, man who just killed my husband" LMAO

I just love the sound of this man voice 😍 I really enjoy listening to him tell stories about this legendary warriors. I bet he's a really handsome man ❤💖❤.

Fantastic video keep it up your doing amazing job..

I'm going to love this series

Great interpretation of maybe the best story ever written.

Well done!

Thoroughly enjoyed that

If someone could adapt this to cinema it had to be Robert Eggers

I wish I had heard that the movie was basically Hamlet before I saw it, it would have made a little more sense. I need to go see it again now.

Just opened at the box office on the 21.4.2022 here in the west coast of the land down under ! Will be adding this movie to my personal library with all the other good DVD's on the Vikingr......Heill !! The Norse mythology movie the "Curse of the Ring" is the story of the Nibelungenlied......the saga of Sigurd und Gudrun, otherwise known in modern times as the story of George and the dragon !! This saga of Sigurd is one of the major stories that set's up the background to J.R.R.Tolkein's work's such as "Lord of the Ring's" book's etc.

very good info that we need

this was an awesome vid Ollie loved it mate I think its real based on legendary warrior

Cool one of my most favourite medieval movies.

After watching this video, can't wait to see the movie now

You do phenomenal work bro. Sub'd

Great video, auto subbed!

Very cool!!! Thanks for the excellent work

Holy cow. Just find out the guy who killed Amelet was the grandfather of Offa of Mercia. And it turns out Wessex and Mercia had been good pals even before they settled in England.

There is so much history out there we don't know about. I never even heard of this historic figure.

Another amazing story from this age of worriors and raiders.

i like this film even more now

Very informative. This video is a must see before watching Northmen, which I have to watch…..right now. Thank you.

More please 🙏

WOW! What a tale! An army of the dead??!!! Pure fucking genius. You, my friend, have earned a new sub.

Death smiles at everyone a Viking will smile back

Its a wonderful story I could see it...

Excellent saga. I would say that it's probably 75% accurate if not more. Either way great story and movie. Thank you for another awesome video!

At 6:32 there is a pocket watch invented in 1510 when the Northman story is set in the 9th century.

I think I like this more than the movie.

this story is better than the story in the movie

Amelth is eventually turned into a vampire, changes his name to Eric and opens a vampire bar called Fangtasia.

I love this stuff.

I'm not sure what parts of the story I believe. But I saw the movie yesterday and loved it! Excellent movie

This is a pre-Hollywood embellishment. Based on some truth but intensified for dramatic effect with the Story Teller's license. Keep the story pipeline flowing, Ollie!

Thanks HP✅😊❤️

Amleth certainly was an interesting character, and fits very much into the way Kings in Scandinavia would fight for power and vengence...a great story for sure.

I knew it myst have had something to do with Shakespeare! From the getgo I was getting the Macbethian/Hamlethian vibe off the movie and the plot. It reminded me of "Macbeth" starring M. Fassbender as well in terms of its Norse/Saxon themes "Boewulf". I loved it so much! Funny, my mate dragged me to watch it thinking it was gonna be an action movie like 2007 "Pathfinder" movie.

I love your voice.....I love history....I love a damn good legend ❤ 👏

Where did you find the photo used at 1:14 that's an incredible work of art

This reminds me of two famous people who also feigned madness: Lucius Junius Brutus (not the Brutus that killed Julius Caesar), and Sun Bin (descendent of Mr Art of War Sun Zi). Lucius Junius Brutus was the ancestor of the famous Brutus that killed Julius Caesar. Indeed, the latter Brutus was actually named after him, and the former was famous for expelling the last king of Rome, Tarquinus Superbus, who behaved like a tyrant. He then turned Rome into a Republic instead of a monarchy. (That was the reason for the Romans' extremely dislike of kings and hence the reason why everyone feared Caesar was going to try to set himself up as one.) Anyway, the story goes that Tarquinus killed Brutus's father to sieze his wealth, and to save his own life, Brutus also feigned madness and acted as a simpleton. As an example, when Tarquinus sent Brutus along with his own two sons to consult the Oracle of Delphi on some strange occurance in the palace, the two sons gave costly gifts to the Oracle as was the custom, but Brutus simply gave a stick, which made everyone laugh at him and scorn him. Little did they know the stick was actually hollow and contained a rod of gold, which actually illustrates how intelligent Brutus secretly was. The Oracle answered their queries, but also gave them another additional prophecy that he who kissed his mother first upon their return would be first man in Rome. The twins immediately plotted to be the first to kiss their mother when they arrived home, but Brutus, guessing the meaning of the Oracle's words, deliberately tripped and kissed the earth instead, thus fulfilling the prophecy. Later on, Tarquin's son raped the noblewoman Lucretia out of lust, and Lucretia committed suicide but not before declaring that her body was defiled but not her integrity. Brutus then revealed his true colours, and led the movement to expell Tarquinus out of Rome. He then became one of the first consuls of Rome, and his name Brutus became a byword for one who expels tyrants. Sun Bin was a descendent of the famous Sun Zi who wrote the Art of War. At that point in time, China was divided into many warring states. As a young man, Sun Bin was recognized as a natural prodigy in the art of war while studying under his teacher. He had a close friend cum fellow student, Pang Juan, who became his sworn brother. Pang Juan left to serve the king of the Wei state, and he achieved some measure of fame and success in that capacity. Pang Juan then invited Sun Bin to come to Wei and enter their service, which he did. However, Pang Juan was secretly envious of Sun Bin's ability, and he framed Sun Bin for treason. As a result, Sun Bin was tortured, and his kneecaps were broken as an act of humiliation and to render him unable to serve in the military. Pang Juan pretended to be sympathetic towards Sun Bin, while trying to get him to write down his remaining knowledge in a book, after which he would kill Sun Bin when it was complete. Sun Bin realized Pang Juan's intent, and he feigned madness. Pang Juan suspected him, and decided to test him by locking him up in a pigsty and starving him. When he was hungry and on the verge of death, he ordered servants to lay out a sumptuous feast before him. If he ate the food, he would be clearly not insane. Knowing this, Sun Bin instead threw the food on the ground and ate pig feces instead, which convinced Pang Juan that he was truly mad. Later, Sun Bin escaped to Qi state. He convinced a powerful Qi general, Tian Ji of his military genius by telling him a strategem to beat the Qi king in horse racing betting. Both parties had three classes of horses, and they would pit their respective class of horse against each other in three seperate races. The winner would be the one who won the most out of three races. Tian Ji had weaker horses and slower horses than the king for all his classes. Sun Bin advised him to pit his weakest horse against the king's strongest horse. Then, by pitting his strongest against the king's 2nd strongest and his 2nd strongest against the king's weakest, he would win 2 out of 3 and thus be the winner. The king was shocked, and after finding out about Sun Bin, made Sun Bin his military advisor. Sun Bin proceeded to lead the Qi army to relieve the Han state, which was being besieged by the Wei army under the command of Pang Juan. He then later used strategem to crush the Wei army at the Battle of Maling, and lured Pang Juan into an ambush in a narrow valley at night. He inscribed the words "Pang Juan will die here" on a tree, and posted archers on the ridges. He instructed them to fire at the area around the tree when they saw torches being lit beneath the tree. Needless to say, Pang Juan saw the tree, and lit a torch to get a closer view of the words on it, and he perished beneath a hail of arrows in this manner. In this manner Sun Bin got his revenge on his sworn brother turned enemy.

I love it !!!

This alone would make for a great film especially seeing an army of the dead come to battle. Wow.

I’ll be honest and admit I didn’t know much about the story of Amleth. I also didn’t know that Hamlet was based on it, although now I can see Hamlet is an anagram of Amleth. My knowledge on the subject completely stems from the movie The Northman, One of the best movies I have seen in a while. But I know a movie is a poor substitute for the real story so I’m looking to learn more. If you haven’t seen The Northman yet and like your movies made for adults, Then you are in for a treat. All of the above I wrote before watching this presentation, not the right way to do it but the movie so impressed me that I wanted to give it a glowing review first. As usual the true story turns out a bit different to the movie, but still keeps some of the themes, but I am a little disappointed it couldn’t have been a bit more faithful to the source material. But then again maybe it would’ve seemed a bit too similar to the situation with Claudius and Caligula, which might have taken from its originality. I’ll learn more of the story of Amleth, as I will the story of Beowulf And any other stories from that time period because I am now quite interested. Thank you for this presentation, I enjoyed it and felt like I learn something new which is why I look on RU-vid for videos. Stay safe

Great story.

🤗💕thank you kindly!

The reason people couldn't understand his speaking was because he was speaking in iambic pentameter... As such, most were like, "bro why can't you just talk normal? Oh you're crazy... NVM."

Hmmm. I’m thinking the movie is going to be much much different. An action hero acting like Rainman for half a movie probably is going to be exciting enough for viewers.

Well, since you ask, it’s certainly a great story. A saga, really, with too many story beats for one movie, but the potential for a modern retelling in novel form, or perhaps a mini-series on TV? It’s fascinating to see what Shakespeare did with so many of those story beats, and explains some of the less penetrable elements of the plot of Hamlet, particularly the whole Rosencrants and Guildenstern side plot (I’ve probably misspelled their names, btw). That whole journey to England always seems like an odd subplot that never really fitted with the rest of Hamlet’s tale so well, like an insertion of another tale, whereas, now I see the Bard was probably merely keeping the opening part of an introduction, or prologue, to the second act of the saga, just to make the point that, whether we still doubt his uncle’s guilt as the murderer of his father by the end of the story, we cannot doubt his malign intent toward the Hamlet by the end of the play. It may make people think less of Shakespeare as a play write, but I hope not? As he still manages to cull some great scenes from the winding plot points, and his dialogue is still unrivalled. As to its veracity, who knows? In all likelihood, Amleth’s saga is probably like most of the other Norse sagas of it’s time, based on real people and amalgamated from several true heroes’ tales, embellished and passed down by a primarily verbal tradition. After all, stories of battles and war tend to suffer from gilding of the lilly as soon as the witnesses get off the battlefield and it’s not easy to get the straight goods today, let alone in an age without video and the internet. But that matters far less today than the telling of it. The, “truth,” of a tale is in the telling. What people want you to believe is what tells you more about them than anything in the tale itself. It tells you what their values are, who they admire, about their morality and their culture, its hierarchy and structure, so much more than they may intend. We don’t value Julius Caesar’s own telling of The Gallic Wars because we believe every word he wrote, but because his telling of the tale tells us so much about his society and what he wanted that society to think of him. Especially since we know he published the book as part of a propaganda campaign to make himself popular with the common Romans, and not the elites. Since he was so successful at this, we learn more about the average Roman from Caesar’s propaganda than we can from most other sources that seldom discuss the common man, let alone the common woman. So in that regard, all of the sagas have immense historic value. But we mustn’t forget, it’s just a cracking good story too. Thanks for the video. I really enjoyed that.

Just watched it last night. Such a power story. Glad it wasnt just all out battlefield mess over exaggerated. Film work was gorgeous yet dark and gloomy.

EPIC DAMN MOVIE!!!! I love the brutal honestly of Viking culture and religion.

Great!

Brilliant

That there's a grain of truth behind Saxo's chronicle is a possibility; at the same time, there seems to be considerable element of Norse mythology in it as well. As Sportin' Life says, "The things that you li'ble / to read in the bible, / it t'ain't necessarily so."

Now I don’t know whether the Northman is based on hamlet and the deeds of Danes. However they have some similarities, but the only thing is that theirs allot of scenes that would have been great to put in the movie however it would eventually end up as a tv show rather than a movie. At first I thought that the Northman was another Viking movie however instead I discovered something even better than Beowulf and King Arthur.

So in conclusion, the Northman is just a combination of historical and mythical stories from danish and Scandinavian. (Please correct me if I’m wrong)