Neo-Vikings

Neo-Vikings, better known as Space Vikings, is an aesthetic that mixes, as its name suggests, elements of Ancient Norse culture with modernity or science fiction (more of the latter than the former).

Origins[]

It is not known who the creator of the Neo-Viking genre is, however the earliest work of this aesthetic dates back to 1963 with the creation of the novel Space Viking by writer Henry Beam Piper, where Neo-Viking takes one of its names from.

History[]

The Neo-Viking genre would become popular in the early 1960s, especially after the release of Henry Beam Piper's novel Space Vikings and the well-known series Lost In Space, which would release an episode that mixed space and Nordic mythology in 1965. As it became popular, however, it fell rapidly in the oblivion.

It would not be until the early 2010s that it would make a return, with the "alien" interpretation made by the Marvel Cinematic Universe after the release of the first Thor movie.

Influences[]

Similar to Neo-Romanism, the Space Vikings are heavily influenced by the Space Romans trope. The big difference is that in these cases, it is not an usually alien culture similar to those that existed on Earth, but of a resurgence of these cultures in a distant future where humanity has gone deep into the cosmos, and in some media such as Assassin's Creed: Valhalla, an interpretation of Norse mythology under the Ancient Astronaut theory.

Visuals[]

The visuals of this aesthetic consists mainly of a mixture of science fiction with elements of Viking culture; not historical, but more along the lines of the romanticization of vikings that occurred in the 19th century creating a feeling of something between the mystical and futuristic.

Music[]

Neo-Viking music, typically consists of mixing traditional Nordic music with futuristic elements. The best example of this has been created by Dovydas.

Media[]

Literature[]

Space Viking (1963)
The Last Space Viking (2011)
Space Viking's Throne (2012)
Space Viking Legacy (2013)
Galactic Chronicles Series ( 2010s - present ) [ a faction under the neo viking name exists ]