Editing Vikings (section)

=== In modern popular culture ===
{{main|Norse mythology in popular culture}}
[[File:Jomvikings Winkinger Kampftraining.webm|thumb|Viking reenactment training (Jomsvikings group)]]

Led by the operas of German composer [[Richard Wagner]], such as ''[[Der Ring des Nibelungen]]'', Vikings and the Romanticist Viking Revival have inspired many creative works. These have included novels directly based on historical events, such as [[Frans Gunnar Bengtsson]]'s ''[[The Long Ships]]'' (which was also released as a [[The Long Ships (1963 film)|1963 film]]), and historical fantasies such as the film ''[[The Vikings (1958 film)|The Vikings]]'', [[Michael Crichton]]'s ''[[Eaters of the Dead]]'' (movie version called ''[[The 13th Warrior]]''), and the comedy film ''[[Erik the Viking]]''. The vampire [[Eric Northman]], in the HBO TV series ''[[True Blood]]'', was a Viking prince before being turned into a vampire. Vikings appear in several books by the [[Danish American]] writer [[Poul Anderson]], while British explorer, historian, and writer [[Tim Severin]] authored a trilogy of novels in 2005 about a young Viking adventurer Thorgils Leifsson, who travels around the world.

In 1962, American comic book writer [[Stan Lee]] and his brother [[Larry Lieber]], together with [[Jack Kirby]], created the [[Marvel Comics]] [[superhero]] [[Thor (Marvel Comics)|Thor]], which they based on the Norse god of the same name. The character is featured in the 2011 [[Marvel Studios]] film [[Thor (film)|''Thor'']] and its sequels. The character also appears in the 2012 film ''[[The Avengers (2012 film)|The Avengers]]'' and its associated [[Marvel's Avengers Assemble (TV series)|animated series]].

The appearance of Vikings within popular media and television has seen a resurgence in recent decades, especially with the [[History Channel]]'s series ''[[Vikings (2013 TV series)|Vikings]]'' (2013), directed by [[Michael Hirst (writer)|Michael Hirst]]. The show has a loose grounding in historical facts and sources, but bases itself more so on literary sources, such as [[Tale of Ragnar Lodbrok|fornaldarsaga Ragnars saga loðbrókar]], itself more legend than fact, and Old Norse Eddic and Skaldic poetry.<ref>Gareth Lloyd Evans, "Michael Hirst's Vikings and Old Norse Poetry", ''Translating Early Medieval Poetry: Transformation, Reception, Interpretation''. Edited by Tom Birkett and Kirsty March-Lyons. Boydell and Brewer (2017), p. 200.</ref> The events of the show frequently make references to the ''[[Völuspá]]'', an Eddic poem describing the creation of the world, often directly referencing specific lines of the poem in the dialogue.<ref>Ibid, pp. 201202.</ref> The show portrays some of the social realities of the medieval Scandinavian world, such as slavery<ref>Clare Downham, "The Viking Slave Trade: Entrepreneurs or Heathen Slavers?" ''History Ireland'', Vol. 17, No. 3 (May–June 2009), pp. 15–17. Wordwell Ltd.</ref> and the greater role of women within Viking society.<ref>Carol Clover, "Regardless of Sex: Men, Women, and Power in Early Northern Europe", Representations, No. 44, pp. 1–28. University of California Press</ref> The show also addresses the topics of gender equity in Viking society with the inclusion of shield maidens through the character [[Lagertha]], also based on a legendary figure.<ref>Carol Clover, "Maiden Warriors and Other Sons" ''The Journal of English and Germanic Philology'', Vol. 85, No. 1 (Jan. 1986), pp. 35–49. University of Illinois Press.</ref> Recent archaeological interpretations and osteological analyses of previous excavations of Viking burials have given support to the idea of the Viking woman warrior, namely the excavation and DNA study of the [[Birka female Viking warrior]], within recent years. However, the conclusions remain contentious.

Vikings have served as an inspiration for numerous [[video game]]s, such as ''[[The Lost Vikings]]'' (1993), ''[[Age of Mythology]]'' (2002), and ''[[For Honor]]'' (2017).<ref>{{Citation|title=Top 10 Glorious Viking Themed Video Games| date=11 August 2017 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_5W7yoMyV60| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211027/_5W7yoMyV60| archive-date=27 October 2021|language=en|access-date=14 December 2019}}{{cbignore}}</ref> All three Vikings from ''The Lost Vikings'' series—Erik the Swift, Baleog the Fierce, and Olaf the Stout—appeared as a [[Player character|playable hero]] in the crossover title ''[[Heroes of the Storm]]'' (2015).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://us.battle.net/heroes/en/heroes/the-lost-vikings/|title=The Lost Vikings – Heroes of the Storm|website=us.battle.net|language=en-us|access-date=14 December 2019|archive-date=7 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170607163113/http://us.battle.net/heroes/en/heroes/the-lost-vikings/|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim]]'' (2011) is an [[Action role-playing game|action role-playing]] video game heavily inspired by Viking culture.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.com/2011/11/skyrim-review/|title=Review: Boundless Skyrim Will Become Your Life|last=Schreier|first=Jason|date=10 November 2011|magazine=Wired|access-date=14 December 2019|language=en-US|issn=1059-1028|archive-date=14 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191214182259/https://www.wired.com/2011/11/skyrim-review/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.destructoid.com/how-historically-accurate-is-skyrim-part-2-284536.phtml|title=How historically accurate is Skyrim? Part 2|website=Destructoid|date=5 December 2014|language=en|access-date=14 December 2019|archive-date=7 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807215759/https://www.destructoid.com/how-historically-accurate-is-skyrim-part-2-284536.phtml|url-status=live}}</ref> Vikings are the lead focus of the 2020 video game ''[[Assassin's Creed Valhalla]]'', which is set in 873 AD, and recounts an alternative history of the Viking invasion of Britain.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Juba|first=Joe|title=Answers To Our Biggest Questions About Assassin's Creed Valhalla|url=https://www.gameinformer.com/2020/04/30/answers-to-our-biggest-questions-about-assassins-creed-valhalla|access-date=10 October 2020|magazine=Game Informer|language=en|archive-date=14 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210814142213/https://www.gameinformer.com/2020/04/30/answers-to-our-biggest-questions-about-assassins-creed-valhalla|url-status=live}}</ref>

Modern reconstructions of [[Viking mythology]] have shown a persistent influence in late 20th- and early 21st-century popular culture in some countries, inspiring comics, movies, television series, role-playing games, computer games, and music, including [[Viking metal]], a subgenre of [[heavy metal music]].

Since the 1960s, there has been rising enthusiasm for [[historical reenactment]]. While the earliest groups had little claim for historical accuracy, the seriousness and accuracy of reenactors has increased. The largest such groups include [[The Vikings (reenactment group)|The Vikings]] and [[Regia Anglorum]], though many smaller groups exist in Europe, North America, New Zealand, and Australia. Many reenactor groups participate in live-steel combat, and a few have Viking-style ships or boats.

The [[Minnesota Vikings]] of the [[National Football League]] are so-named owing to the large Scandinavian population in the US state of [[Minnesota]].

During the banking boom of the first decade of the twenty-first century, Icelandic financiers came to be styled as ''[[útrásarvíkingar]]'' (roughly 'raiding Vikings').<ref>Ann-Sofie Nielsen Gremaud, '[https://edoc.hu-berlin.de/handle/18452/8692 The Vikings are coming! A modern Icelandic self-image in the light of the economic crisis] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180508103503/https://edoc.hu-berlin.de/handle/18452/8692 |date=8 May 2018 }}', ''NORDEUROPAforum'' 20 (2010), pp. 87–106.</ref><ref>Katla Kjartansdóttir, 'The new Viking wave: Cultural heritage and capitalism', ''Iceland and images of the North'', ed. Sumarliði R. Ísleifsson (Québec, 2011), pp. 461–80.</ref><ref>Kristinn Schram, 'Banking on borealism: Eating, smelling, and performing the North', Iceland and images of the North, ed. Sumarliði R. Ísleifsson (Québec, 2011), pp. 305–27.</ref>