Uppsala is an important religious, economic, and political centre in Svealand. It is the location of the Temple at Uppsala, which is supervised by the Priest of Uppsala.
In Vikings[]
Ragnar and his family make the pilgrimage to Uppsala so Ragnar can discover what he has done to anger the gods after Lagertha has a miscarriage. Athelstan is brought along by Ragnar, who secretly plans to sacrifice him. When Athelstan is revealed to still believe in the Christian God, he is deemed unsuitable as a sacrifice. Leif volunteers to take his place. While at Uppsala, Ragnar meets with King Horik for the first time.
Notable Locations[]
- The Temple at Uppsala
Notable Inhabitants[]
In Vikings: Valhalla[]
Freydis Eriksdotter is sent on a pilgrimage to the temple at Uppsala by Jarl Haakon. It was destroyed by Jarl Kåre and his men to wiped out all paganism.
Notable Locations[]
- The Temple at Uppsala
Notable Inhabitants[]
In History[]
As early as the 3rd century AD, Uppsala was an important religious, economic, and political center. It was widely famous as the residence of Swedish kings of the legendary Yngling dynasty. During the Middle Ages, it was the largest village of Uppland, and the location of the Thing of all Swedes, also known as a general assembly. The Thing was held at the end of February or early March, in conjunction with a great fair called Disting and a Norse religious celebration called Dísablót. Today this location is known as Gamla Uppsala.
Trivia[]
- Traditionally, the King of the Svear would preside over the rituals and sacrifices carried out during the Blots at Uppsala, since the location was the political and religious center of Svealand. It could be interpreted from the presence of King Horik, who performs the human sacrifices, that he is the king over the Svear as well as the Danish people.
- The temple in the series is based on the design of the Uppåkra temple and Norwegian stave churches.
- Uppsala is shown as being in the mountains as opposed to the flat farmlands and woodlands in real life. There are no signs of the famous mounds of Uppsala. Also excluded is an impressive hall with hinges made from javelins and spears fitted onto the door. The areas around Uppsala and what is today the west coast of Sweden are generally portrayed as inhospitable wastelands, however these areas are actually among the most fertile agricultural lands in the region and were so during the Viking Age.
- The temple of Uppsala as seen in Vikings: Valhalla was first used as the great hall of Kattegat in Vikings.