Page - 117 - in JRFM - Journal Religion Film Media, Volume 06/01

narrative. Ragnar’s comment – “Looks like your god finally came through for you” – is striking, for at this crucial point his god does not abandon Athelstan, which clearly Ragnar interprets as divine intervention by the Christian god. This reversal of the ex- pected is repeated throughout the series. Thus, for example, when Athelstan is taken hostage by King Ecbert of Wessex, he is treated as a Christian apostate and crucified by a local bishop (although in practice few crucifixions took place after the fourth cen- tury CE). The parallels with the crucifixion of Christ are emphasized, with the people screaming and shouting. But the camera also zooms in on Athelstan’s face, and as he calls out, in Latin, “Into your hands I commend my soul”, we see his one black eye, a reference to the one-eyed pagan god Odin. Christian and pagan narratives are thus connected, and boundaries between their rituals and metaphors crossed. Season 2 – Episode 9: Ragnar’s Idea of the Friendship of the Gods RAGNAR: So have you returned to your faith, renounced ours? ATHELSTAN: I wish it was so simple. In the gentle fall of rain from heaven I hear my God. But in the thunder I still hear Thor. That is my agony. RAGNAR: I hope that someday our gods can become friends.32 Context This very short dialogue between Athelstan and Ragnar comes from the episode titled “The Choice”. It is indicative of the friendship between the two men and serves as a reminder of how they learn from each other. The fragment recounts Athelstan’s confusion and different religious experiences, in this instance in rela- tion to natural phenomena, to rain and thunder. Competing gods occupy the stage throughout the series, but here they are embodied in two main characters. Interpretation Athelstan and Ragnar represent different religious worldviews, but their friendship is, for Ragnar, indicative of how the gods might be brought to mutual recognition. This possibility comes out even more strongly after Athelstan’s death, when Rag- nar reflects on their relationship (see below). The dialogue has strong traces of an 32 Cf. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XN05TfmdB4 [accessed 27 September 2019]. 116 | René Erwich www.jrfm.eu 2020, 6/1, 103–126