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Scandinavian legends and myths have been popular all over the world. People of all origins take after the legends and carefully watch every TV show or movie which is based on Scandinavian history or myths. The proof for that is the high rating of the Norwegian segment on Netflix. While there are many movies and shows posted on Netflix, some of them are way more popular than others. What determines the popularity of certain segments and why it is all around Norway and Scandinavia?
There are several rigid reasons for that. One of them is the flamboyant nature of the myths and legends. And the other is a variety of characters, which are all very interesting on their own. Many people all over the world find Norwegian movies and shows very exciting. In order to get a better idea of why the Netflix segment works this way, let’s talk about Norwegian themes shows overall.
The movies
First to mention is the Vikings. While we all know that Vikings come from Scandinavia, it is considered that Norway is the land for the first Vikings. Moreover, it is all about their myths and beliefs which united all Scandinavian countries. “The Vikings,” which is not produced by Netflix, yet is one of the most popular Nordic movies, has become the inspiration for many following shows. People all around the world would simply make everything related to Vikings. It is mostly because of the Vikings that many teenagers and youngsters, in general, became acknowledged with the Nordic culture and legends.
“The Vikings” was a great success, with Travis Fimmel, playing the main role of Ragnar Lothbroke, who is known to be one of the most popular Vikings of all time, making the very first discoveries and introducing different cultures to each other. The segment of Nordic gods was also well introduced and shown in the show, with gods like Odin and Loki being present throughout the whole show.
With Viking slowly becoming popular people all over the world watched the show. Kind started to study mythology and history with a part about Vikings. It is true that the actors contributed a lot to the popularity of the show, because of their great physical patterns, though in the end the show still made one of the best rated Nordic-themed shows.
Entertainment industry
Not only it is in the movies, but also in games and different entertainment industries. Some video games feature characters from Nordic mythology and it is becoming even more and more popular time by time. Norwegian online slot games are now even more popular than video games. While the online casino games are very popular in general, themes featuring strong Vikings and the incredible Nordic nature make them even more popular and even more engaged. Especially in Norway, where gambling is still very restricted and controlled by the government, myth and legend based games are very popular.
Some of the places and events have also been inspired by the Vikings and the Nordic mythology. As they feature a lot of nature and a lot of spiritual elements, back when the Nordic myths were still new to everyone, all of us wanted to at least dress up like the Vikings or host an event with the dress code, outlining the fact that the Nordic culture is something worth honoring.
The Netflix
The new show “Ragnarok” has aired on Netflix. While the show is overall mostly for the teenagers and the younger audience they still managed to engrain some of the mythological and legendary elements to the show. This is why the show is going for the second season. While the graphics and the effects are not top-notch it is still okay as the whole beauty of the local nature and the story about gods is told quite well.
The show is about a guy, who should most probably be introduced to the gods soon. The power and amazing abilities he has strangely possessed now will more likely be more vivid in the next episodes. Though, the actors, again and again, are quite similar to the Nordic feature people, all quite sympathetic and outstanding.
While talking about the Nordic culture and myths we can not skip one of the most important persons to mention, who is Thor. While he is definitely not a Netflix producer, but the Marvel son, Thor is the greatest of the gods ever known to the worldwide screens, together with Loki of course. Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston made the myths and legs come true by introducing us to their character of Nordic gods. The god of thunder and the god of lies and tricks are the best combinations and the best representation of the gods we would like to see. Both the plot, the actors as well as the graphics and effects are top-notch, the perfect combination.
Now, if you ask me why the Nordic segment is very popular, I will ask you why not? There is everything needed for a good show. The storylines, the plots, the myths, and the gods all represent one separate story which is very interesting to watch and to learn. Moreover, if the actors like Cathrin Winnick, Travis Fimmel, and Gustav Skarsgard, will leave us mesmerized with their acting skills, we should most probably have a will to learn some more about the Viking and the Nordic culture.
