In real life as in the Vikings series, Aslaug is the daughter of the legendary warrior Brynnhildur, and Sigurd, Norse hero.
The one who quickly becomes an orphan will not really have the chance to know her parents. And yet, she follows in her father's and mother's footsteps brilliantly, and becomes a strong woman herself.
Who is Aslaug?
His first name marks the history of the Viking civilization. First because she becomes the wife of the semi-legendary warrior Ragnar Lothbrok . Then because she gave birth to four well-known sons from Norse mythology too: Björn I , Hvitserk Ragnarsson , Sigurd Serpent's Eye and Ivar the Boneless .
Aslaug, who becomes Queen of Kattegat , in Sweden, is of incomparable beauty.
In Norse mythology as well as in the Viking series, Aslaug is depicted as a lovely, intelligent woman . She has long, strawberry blond and slightly wavy hair that makes all men dream.
The character of Aslaug in the Viking series
From the first season of the Viking series, Aslaug is one of the main characters . And this until the fourth season, where she loses her life. Throughout the episodes, Aslaug is not really represented in a way that is faithful to reality, or at least to the historical texts.
On screen, his character is detached and cold . However, in the mythological texts, Aslaug is benevolent and comes to the aid of her husband thanks to her premonitions. But, of course, the point of a series is always to complement and romanticize the story with some thrilling elements.
Season 1: the meeting between Aslaug and Ragnar
The character of Aslaug appears for the very first time in episode 9 of the first season . She is bathing naked in a stream when she accidentally meets Ragnar's men, installed for the night in a camp in the middle of the forest.
When the Viking chief learns of the existence of this magnificent woman, he announces his invitation to her to join him and his men, and says: “Let her come neither dressed nor undressed. Let her not come hungry or full. She should not come accompanied or alone. An enigma well deciphered by the young woman, which perfectly proves that in addition to being sublime, Aslaug was a brilliant woman.
In the evening, she comes dressed in a net, with an onion for her only meal and accompanied by a dog. Aslaug and Ragnar have not left each other, and she quickly becomes pregnant.
Season 2: Aslaug and his four sons
When season 2 begins, four years have passed since the end of the first.
Aslaug bore Ragnar two sons , Ubbe and Hvitserk, and bears him two more in later episodes. Sigurd, first, who comes into the world with a snake's eye And Ivar, handicapped in both legs from birth. Aslaug had however warned Ragnar.
If he slept with her within three days of her return, their unborn child would be a monster ...
Season 3: a lover and a tragedy for Aslaug
Aslaug is at its worst in the fourth season of the series.
As Ragnar and Ivar have gone to Wessex , she sees in vision the death of the two men she loves. Throughout the episodes, Aslaug languishes over her past, and spends her time regretting what she has lost.
It is in this season that Ragnar's wife loses her life . During Lagertha 's attack in the village, she kills her husband's new wife, out of revenge and lack of trust. Ragnar's former wife then proclaims herself Queen of Kattegat.
What do fans of the Viking series think of the character of Aslaug?
Aslaug is not always well received by the show's audience , though often seen as evil by most.
Over the episodes and seasons, she leaves her children aside and wishes to govern alone, without Ragnar. This is what some blame him for. Others blame him for ruining everything between Lagertha and Ragnar , one of the show's greatest couples.
However, many fans remain disappointed with his death in season 4. If they did not particularly like him, according to them, Aslaug still did not deserve to be killed by Lagertha after having surrendered peacefully.
Who plays Aslaug in the Viking series?
The character of Aslaug is portrayed by Alyssa Sutherland . The model and actress was born in 1982 in Brisbane, Australia.
She first participated in beauty contests, and her dream physique attracted the biggest magazines. Already at the age of 15, Alyssa Sutherland made the cover of Marie Claire UK, Elle, Glamor Italy. Then scrolls for Ralph Lauren, Chanel or Hugo Boss.
It was in 2006, when she was still only a teenager, that the young woman took her first steps on the big screen. Alongside Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway, Alyssa Sutherland gets a role in The Devil Wears Prada.
She then went on to make small appearances in the cinema, then landed the role of Aslaug in 2013, for the Vikings series . In 2017, she decided to stop to devote herself to her role in The Mist, a television adaptation of Stephen King's novel.
You can learn more about him in this article: https://ervald.com/blogs/personnages-vikings/acteurs-serie-vikings-vrai-vie
