[foreboding music playing]
[sighs]
[grunts softly]
[people chattering indistinctly]
You lost the boat.
The waves came up.
We could barely save ourselves.
[man 1] The fish are too far out.
The water too deep for the boats we have left.
[man 2] Forgive my son, Erik.
His best friend, Trygve, was on the boat when we lost them.
It was all we could catch.
Please, take.
No.
Share with the others.
Thank you.
[people chattering indistinctly]
There is talk among women that when the traders come again,
a few will try and return to Norway.
There is always talk.
We have had hard times before.
Not like this.
No fish close to shore
and no wood to repair the boats so we can reach them.
They think the gods have forsaken them.
What do you think?
The gods like to taunt me.
They know I cannot return to Norway or Iceland.
And I cannot remain here alone.
They test me…
but they never abandon me.
When the traders come,
we will be ready.
[villagers, in Norse] Hail Ægir!
May our lost sea-farers
be welcomed to Your golden hall by your daughters…
[horn blowing in distance]
[man] Traders!
Is this your home?
It used to be.
[Freydis] Father!
It is Freydis!
Our daughter returns!
[villagers laughing and cheering]
Father! [laughs]
[exclaims and laughs]
Let me look at you.
Freydis!
-Mother! -[exclaims]
Oh!
I had given up hope of ever seeing you again.
Who are all these people?
[Freydis panting]
They are my people.
We have come from Jomsborg to find a new home. I am their leader.
[chuckles] My little girl…
is a leader.
My mother's not a little girl.
She is a great warrior and a shield-maiden.
And who says this, huh?
A ferocious bear cub?
No, I am Harald Haraldsson.
Your grandson.
So this is where all the red from my beard went, huh?
[villagers laughing]
I am pleased to meet you, Harald Haraldsson.
My name is Erik.
Is this the father?
No. My name is Stígr.
He is my partner. Harald's father is not with us.
Thank the gods you have returned.
Yes. Thank the gods.
People of Jomsborg, I am Erik the Red! Welcome to Greenland!
[all cheering, laughing]
[man 1] No boat today.
[people chattering indistinctly]
[woman] How am I to believe that?
[women giggling]
[men muttering indistinctly]
[indistinct chatter in Greek]
[in Greek] No, thanks.
[man 2] You are about to see something amazing…
[both exclaiming]
[man 3] You roll that again
and we will all believe you are in league with the devil.
Not me, Father! The Lord simply appreciates my style.
[all chuckling]
Welcome, stranger.
Can we help you?
I am looking for someone from this town.
A mapmaker.
[in English] That would be me. My name is Calinicus.
I'm Leif. I believe I have a map of yours.
I was hoping to speak to you about it.
You are mistaken. This is not one of mine.
-Are you sure? -I know my maps.
I am sorry. Where are my manners? Come.
You have traveled far.
Join me and my family for a meal. Yes?
Yes.
[woman speaking Greek]
You can leave your bags here.
We will be having one more.
[children speaking Greek]
[children continue speaking Greek]
[in English] You have been to all these places?
[Calinicus] No.
That headland,
that is the furthest from home I have been by boat.
But thankfully, I have a doorstep on which the entire world washes up.
A Viking who speaks Greek, who can operate an Arab astrolabe.
And now he's in my workshop.
[children speaking Greek]
Leif.
[in English] The children are not as dangerous as they look.
Oh.
Sorry.
[speaking Greek]
[continues speaking Greek]
[in English] Do you recognize it?
It is a cold water fish.
I'd catch it when I was young.
[Calinicus] Lionfish.
Deadly.
Now, let's have a look at my map.
I thought it wasn't yours.
I claim them when it is safe to do so and lie when it is not.
Yes. It is mine.
Or a part of it.
I gave it to a mariner many years ago. Where did you find it?
In Sicily, in The Book of the Unknown.
A fitting home for it.
So,
what do you want to know?
What it is a map of.
You tell me.
Well, I think…
this is the southern coast of Greenland.
This is a little settlement where I am from.
And this is a land I believe I saw when I was young.
I want to know if it exists.
I am sorry. I cannot answer that.
But you drew it.
I draw many things.
You must've heard of it from someone who saw it.
No.
Well, then what are your maps based on?
-[knocks on door] -[speaking Greek]
Come. We will eat.
[people chattering indistinctly]
Some food. Food and drink, please!
[man] Gentle with that.
Here.
There must have been a famine.
This is a hard place.
[woman] Thank you.
[locks door]
That is not necessary. Erik has asked us to watch it for you.
We would feel better with our lock.
[people murmuring indistinctly]
Leif brought down London Bridge?
[laughs] Yeah.
And a Viking is the King of England?
And you, a shield-maiden of Kattegat.
A warrior.
And where is Leif? Is he returning soon?
We parted ways…
seven years ago.
I have lost track of him.
You parted with your family?
Yes.
He sought his future in the Rus
with Prince Harald Sigurdsson, my Harald's father.
A prince of Norway.
And a Christian.
-You did not wish to accompany them? -No.
I met a seer in Uppsala and was given…
a vision and my destiny.
It took me to Jomsborg to be the keeper of the old faith.
What do you mean, "the old faith"?
Much has changed since you were last in Norway, Father.
It is a Christian world now.
No places left for believers in the gods.
That is why we are here, to find a new home.
Stígr saved our lives after a Christian poisoned us.
Ah, a healer.
And a great fighter.
So many stories, I cannot keep up.
But now that you're here,
we have plenty of time to catch up.
[Stígr] Did you tell him?
We need to leave before the summer ends.
Leave?
Yes.
Greenland is not our destination.
We are going further west
to the Golden Land Leif told us of as a child.
The "Golden Land"?
Yes.
And you have come a long way on a childhood story.
I am convinced it is the same place I saw in my vision.
It is my destiny and I'm going to find it.
Well, first, we must celebrate your return with a feast.
Oh, merciful and compassionate God,
we thank you for this meal and our many blessings,
and for gracing us with a guest to share it with.
Amen.
[all] Amen.
Amen.
[children speaking Greek]
[in English] Please. It is caught today, right outside our door.
Do you recognize it?
It tastes like a fish from Greenland.
The fish that is in your workshop.
Because it is the same fish.
Impossible.
It is native of the North.
Are you sure?
Mmm.
Perhaps it is a native of Greece and only likes to travel.
Well, let's say you're right. How would it get from here to Greenland?
Currents.
Great rivers in the sea that run from east to west.
Unfortunately, the currents in Greenland run from west to east.
Yet proof that one does is stuck in your beard.
[children giggle]
-Where is it? -[child speaks in Greek]
[all chuckling]
[bells tolling in the distance]
[Canute, in English] A piece of wood…
from the cross Our Lord, Jesus Christ, died on.
A most sacred relic indeed.
How did you secure such a blessed object, Your Highness?
I helped His Holiness with a private problem.
The King's visit to Rome
confirms England's importance in the Christian world.
And we're in your debt, Your Highness.
The Empire has never looked more secure.
[man] Your Highness,
I've taken the liberty of composing a charter for land.
To build a great church
so we may mark your visit to Rome.
A place where people can give thanks for the Pope's blessings.
An excellent idea.
And I will ensure the King reads it.
As my empire grows stronger,
I become weaker.
Before,
I could cut a man's head off with one swipe of my axe.
Now, I struggle to hold papers.
Anyone can hold an axe, my love.
But only the great can rule.
Your strength does not rest in your hands.
It encompasses your entire being.
When I took England and became King,
I promised that I would keep you safe.
That I would never leave you exposed as Æthelred did.
And you have.
But I will not be here much longer.
-Come. -Don't. Don't speak of it.
His Holiness was right.
I must think of my legacy.
My sons are each like their father,
quarrelsome,
strong,
and vicious.
I have decided to go to Kattegat,
and I want all of my sons and yours
to meet me there.
-[men speaking indistinctly] -[horse whinnies]
[man] Halt, whoa.
[man 2] Keep watch there.
Earl Godwin.
-I need your help. -Of course, Your Highness.
My men around Canute inform me that my son's health is failing.
It's my opinion that neither of his sons with Aelfgifu
will be the next King of England.
What are you talking about?
Canute wouldn't pass the crown to Emma's sons, if that's your concern.
No.
I agree.
You can't be suggesting that it goes to Harthacanute?
He's a child.
That's not what your grandfather's suggesting, Prince Harefoot.
He's saying that the next King of England is himself.
That is absurd.
Grandfather, you're a great Viking, but you are an old man.
[laughs heartily]
Tell him, Godwin. It is a joke.
I think it's an excellent idea, Your Highness.
How may I be of service?
What? You can't be serious.
I most certainly am.
You are too inexperienced to assume the crown,
as are Emma's sons and Harthacanute, and Svein will remain in Norway,
whereas your grandfather has ruled England in your father's absence
and the nobles there, they respect him.
You promised me your help.
I only promised that when your time comes,
I would offer you the same loyalty and council
that I offer your father and grandfather.
It's a question of timing.
[scoffs]
I knew I could count on you.
[children speaking Greek]
[in English] My family is really important to me.
I can see that.
Good.
There is something else I want to share with you.
While these maps feed my family,
this…
is what feeds my mind.
The known world.
[chuckles in disbelief]
[Calinicus] And a world not so well-known.
Why do you hide this?
Because much of what you see here is considered heresy by the Church.
There is no Garden of Eden, for instance, and you will notice its shape is round.
It is not heresy if it is true.
Truth can still make my children orphans.
[Leif] I traveled this river.
You were right. This is Greenland.
And the lines are currents.
Rivers in the sea.
But like I said,
the currents run west to east, past Greenland.
Yes, but you are assuming that those are two different currents.
What if it is not two, but the same one that carries our fish?
Only something large could turn a current that powerful.
Something, perhaps…
like this?
So, it is true.
I saw this.
I saw another world.
Maybe.
What do you mean? This is proof.
No, that is parchment.
For proof, someone must find it.
[bells tolling in the distance]
[distant thudding]
[Maniakes] All hail
the Viking Emperor.
You of all people know my desires lie elsewhere.
'Tis a good thing.
An emperor's reign can be all too fleeting.
Constantine barely lasted a year on that throne.
Romanos has held power for almost a decade.
It's an impressive achievement.
He's an impressive leader.
I've learned much from him
and have much still to learn.
That sounds like you are in no hurry to leave.
I will leave Constantinople when I'm ready.
Not before.
[sighs]
Everything feels so much smaller.
The beach, the long house.
Even my mother.
It is you that is different.
Since you left, you traveled, fought, became a leader.
Greenland's the same. It's you who has grown.
-[all clamoring] -Welcome. Welcome, Jomspeople,
exhausted after your journey and ordeal.
To have lost your home and loved ones.
The cruel sting of exile.
This, I know.
This, I understand.
But you are safe here, you're welcome in our community
built to provide shelter for those seeking freedom
from persecution.
And tonight, I command you…
to eat your fill and relax.
Tonight, what is mine is yours
and it would seem what is yours is mine.
[all chuckling]
[Erik] Thank you for sharing your provisions.
Tonight,
we also celebrate my daughter's return to her home!
[all cheering]
I have been thinking about this journey of yours.
This plan.
Look at your people.
Have they not been through enough?
That is why I wish to take them someplace they are safe.
Well, why not here?
There are farms standing empty, earth waiting to be tilled.
It has been a tough winter, but you know about those.
You have seed, supplies.
You could rebuild the entire Western settlement.
Call it Freydis-fjord.
Father, this isn't only for me. I'm doing this for my people.
Let me show you the farms tomorrow.
-Especially-- -Would you like some company tonight?
No.
You heard what our leader said,
what's yours is mine.
If you come any closer, I'll stab you in the heart.
You will find it hard to stab him when I'm holding you down.
[Hrefna grunts]
Go back to your own table.
-What was that you said? -You heard me.
Tell them to stop.
He's a grown man. He can look after himself.
I'm not worried about Stígr. I'm worried about your men.
Who do you think you are talking to?
You're drunk. I do not want to hurt you.
-[all grunting] -[people exclaiming]
[roaring] What is this?
You come to my home
and humiliate my men.
No. Wait.
And now I know why my daughter likes you so much!
-[laughs heartily] -[all laughing]
You are disappointed.
I came here looking for answers.
You have given me questions.
I saw you pray today.
Do you believe in God?
There are times that I have doubted Him.
But I have seen enough evidence of His power
to believe He exists.
It is the same with my maps.
They are an accumulation of evidence, of science
that point to the existence of something I believe to be real.
If you want physical proof, however, you will not find it here.
It is out there.
Beyond the headline.
It is waiting for someone with your skills to discover it.
[grunts]
-[grunts] -[rock clatters]
-[laughs] -Oh!
[Erik chuckles]
You answered many questions today,
but not an important one.
The one that sent you to Norway.
Did you kill him?
Yes.
And I carved a cross on his chest.
Of all your stories, that is my favorite.
It was a long time ago.
I have changed since then.
No matter what you say, I am the leader of these people.
That will not change.
Some things are hard to accept.
I know how proud you are to have built this place,
to have survived here beyond expectations, but--
Surviving is how we win.
But can you call this winning?
Much has changed since you've been gone, daughter.
First,
the fish moved far to the South and with them went the narwhal and walrus
whose ivory brought in the traders.
Without trees to repair our boats, we had no way to follow them.
And then winters began to take their toll.
The Golden Land can be good for both our people.
-It won't. -Why do you say that?
Because…
Because I spent years trying to find it and I couldn't.
I'm not blind, Freydis.
Do you think I cannot see what is happening to my people?
After you and Leif left,
I sailed again and again to where he thought he had seen it,
if it was out there, we would be there instead of here,
where the wind never stops and the gods laugh at me.
Leif's Golden Land
is a fantasy.
I trust my vision
and you cannot stop me.
Stubborn.
Where did I get that from?
[both laughing]
[Freydis sighs]
At least let us use one of your boats for fishing before you leave.
Of course.
Now, go get some sleep. I'm still your father.
[exclaims softly]
You don't have the courage to do it.
Godwin?
[exclaims]
[both grunting]
[Forkbeard straining]
[grunts]
-[straining weakens] -[grunts]
[both grunting]
[straining stops]
[exhales]
Good night, Your Highness.
[Kaysan and Dorn chuckling]
[Kaysan] We will meet you up at the house.
[Harald] I'll be there shortly.
[people laughing and chattering indistinctly]
[people chattering excitedly]
[soft festive music playing]
[performers exclaiming]
[all cheering]
[people cheering]
[festive music intensifies]
[people chattering indistinctly]
[men and women laughing]
Zoe, I need to talk with you.
[sighs]
[women chuckling]
Harald.
Is that you?
Emperor. I apologize.
I did not realize it was you who summoned me.
[chuckles] I did not summon you, but I am glad you are here.
I want to talk to you.
[panting] Over the years,
we've grown close.
You are like a brother to me.
And you to me, Emperor.
And as a brother, I know you well.
Your strengths
and your weaknesses.
-Emperor… -Shh, shh, shh.
You think I would not know if you were sleeping with my wife?
I knew if I asked you,
it would make things awkward between us.
So…
I let my wife seduce you.
Why?
Because I cannot give her a child.
So, who better to provide an heir
than my beloved brother?
No!
[gurgling]
Emperor! Stop her!
No, no! No!
No!
[man] He's killed the Emperor!
No! It was a trap!
[panicked murmuring]
Arrest him.
Hey!
[panicked murmuring continues]