Vikings: Valhalla ‘The Last Daughter of Uppsala’ – Freydis finds her destiny
- Cherish
- Jun 17
- 5 min read
Recapper's Note: Vikings: Valhalla had its three-season run whilst I was mostly away from the recapping world. Now that I'm back, I still want to write about it. Please join me in this look back as we wait for the next Viking show.
Season 1 Episode 6 Recap and Review
The push-pull of the old gods and the new Christian religion was portrayed in the will they or won’t they situationship between Harald and Freydis. More than just another deep believer in the old gods, Freydis’s trip to Uppsala and her experiences along the way only furthered her attachment and strengthened her determination to fight for the continued existence of her faith amongst her people. The Seer called her ‘the last’ and Jarl Haakon expanded on that; Freydis, according to her, was the woman in her vision who survived a tsunami, the last daughter of Uppsala.
Harald could be as good to Freydis as he was able, he could explain that not all Christians were like Kåre, but it did not change the feeling of rapid encirclement that Freydis, whose destiny was now connected to the old gods, must have been feeling. For Harald and his family, conversion to Christianity was just a pragmatic way to ensure that succession was as bloodless as possible. But, Freydis had no such royal destiny. Belief in the old gods was her guiding star. She resisted her attraction to Harald out of mistrust of the people who shared his faith. Freydis was on one end of a gnawing gap of faith; Harald was not exactly on the other end, but he was definitely over halfway down the line.
Still, the attraction held, and after Freydis successfully completed her test to become a shieldmaiden, she fell back into bed with Harald, their disagreements over their respective faiths on pause.
In London, Canute continued his empire building. With Godwin’s help, he was able to convince the Saxon Ealdormen to swear their loyalty to him. He also had by his side Emma, who was his advisor and later his lover.
Did Emma hop onto Canute’s bed as a matter of political survival? It was easier to understand Canute’s motivations. Emma was heart stoppingly beautiful. It was her battle plan that nearly defeated Canute, if not for Leif’s ingenuity and Streona’s treachery. As an advisor, she could help Canute with his vision of building a great northern empire that stretched across the top of Europe. Canute needed England’s wealth for that, and Emma quickly had a plan – a simple levy for every household, small, but with everyone paying the whole sum would be great enough to fund an empire. Canute fell in love with her on that bridge. He was willing to let her go, but it would have hurt.
Emma, with her wit and beauty, was also a noblewoman in a man’s world, and did not have many choices. Returning to Normandy would have meant giving up the freedom and power she had gained and exercised with care in England. And, Canute was not a bad king, nor was he a bad man. He wanted her, yes, but he also respected her. He cared for her in a way that perhaps she has not experienced in a long time.
In England, by Canute’s side, Emma could also protect the interests of her sons. Proximity to the king was power. There was no one closer than the one who shared his bed.
Did Emma know that Canute already had a wife? She might have known or assumed that he had, but she was not there in that wealthy kingdom that Canute now ruled. There was value in being Canute’s lover, even if he chose not to marry her.
Olaf had already begun his game with Canute. He sailed to Jelling in Denmark and poured poison in the ears of Queen Aelfgifu. He said that Canute had chosen to remain in England, that he had gotten very close to the beautiful Queen of England, that there were rumours of marriage. Aelfgifu was no fool, she knew Olaf wanted something, and he did. He wanted to become King of Norway. Canute would call upon his fleet to oppose him. Olaf wanted Aelfgifu to deny him that fleet.
As for Kåre? Freydis found Yrsa’s body hanging from the ceiling of the healer’s hut. Outside, the whole village had been slaughtered. The only one left living was the healer’s baby, whom Kåre held. Kåre ordered his men to attack Freydis, but when she brought out the sword with the red marks that a priestess gave her, Kåre let her go with a message for Jarl Haakon, that he was coming. Kåre later went to Uppsala and conducted another massacre.
‘The Last Daughter of Uppsala’ felt like a housekeeping episode, putting characters where they needed to be before the next big narrative push. It ended with a cliffhanger – a boat had arrived from Denmark, and a letter was handed to the King. Canute told his man to summon a priest and prepare his ship for departure, then told Emma he must ask her a question. Only a couple more episodes of the first season left. On we go!
Strays
⚔️Leo Suter is good at staring longingly from across the dock or the room, someone cast him in another prince role please.
⚔️Olaf’s friend Nori warned him that if Canute found out about his games, he would destroy him.
⚔️Canute to Godwin: ‘A man who asks for nothing is someone I cannot trust.’
⚔️Ealdorman Leofric of Northumbria brought up Godwin’s father, so Godwin picked him as an example for the English nobles; he was the only one who was hung. Cyneheard of Kent, Wulfhere of Sussex, and Oswick of East Anglia were all spared.
⚔️I love the subtle but biting humour in the writing of Canute. When Cyneheard of Kent was introduced to him, he said he met his wife; he could return to her, if she would take him. This was a reference to the fact that Cyneheard fled Kent when the Vikings arrived, and left his wife and his people there to fend for themselves.
⚔️Another small showcase of his humour was when he gave Harald an English coin and said that was King Aethelred's head. Harald was not amused but Canute assured him of his support.
⚔️Emma told Canute that even before the invasion, the kingdoms were already suffering. The earls were facing a threat of rebellion. The problem was the tax itself, which Emma solved with the simple levy for every household.
⚔️Canute told the English noblemen that he would restore their lands and titles, ensure that there were no more raids on their kingdoms, and build a bridge that was better and stronger. The great empire of the north that he meant to build would be a shield to give them peace and wealth. It was a good proposal, and the way the camera kept panning onto Emma gave the impression that she was part of the crafting of this offer.
⚔️Harald gave Jarl Haakon a large chest filled with treasure, which he said was a gift from Canute and himself. He declared that Canute promised that he would become the next King of Norway. Haakon knew this would be a problem with Olaf.
⚔️Arne was not happy with all the praise Leif had been getting, and wanted him to leave Kattegat. Arne was the son of Jarl Gorm, whom Leif killed on the boat on the way to England. Arne called Leif a Christian lover and thought he was probably a Christian himself. Freydis appeared bothered when she heard this; she did not yet know there was an element of truth there, for indeed Leif had been feeling the pull of Christianity.
⚔️Godwin propped up Edmund a bit and told him that with no army (half of Canute’s army had already sailed back home), he was dependent on Edmund to maintain the loyalty of the nobles.
⚔️The Seer to Kåre: ‘ Even Christians can’t resist picking my bones for a glimpse of their destiny.’
Writer: Vanessa Alexander
Director: Hannah Quinn
Original Air Date: February 25, 2022