10 Vikings Fates Worse Than Death

Valhalla definitely seems preferable to this!

By Michael John-Day /

It's widely known that life as a Viking wasn't the best lot. So, when it came to bringing these historically notorious maniacs to screen, the series Vikings did not stray away from the brutality of their situation.

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Vikings is a show that genuinely exceeded everyone's expectations. As a programme airing on the History Channel, it seemed that it would be doomed to mediocrity. But, in a surprising turn of events, the series grew a large following and was gifted with an incredibly long and well-received run. There's even a Netflix sequel series on the horizon, so now is a great time to be a Vikings fan.

Part of what made the show so compelling was its unabashed grittiness and violence. It painted a disturbing yet accurate picture of life in the 9th century and did so with malicious glee. But, one of its most terrifying elements were the barbaric fates that befell its characters.

The coming ten entries will discuss the worst of the worst, as these awful states of being would make you hunger for the sweet release of death.

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Major spoilers ahead!

10. Chained Up Like A Dog

In Vikings, torture is par for the course. Watching people get whipped, strewn up or even treated to a blood eagle always left your stomach feeling queasy. Still, with most of those, death would follow suit. But, unfortunately for Prince Dir, he wasn't so lucky.

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This Prince of Rus found himself in hot water after his brother (Oleg) decided to torture him. How did he do this? Well, he brutally beat him, then fashioned a chain into his cheek and kept him locked up outside in a kennel. There, he was left to rot in the cold as nothing more than a dog.

To add insult to injury, his own nephew barked in his face. Also, don't forget, this took place in Russia, a country where blistering colds are the norm. In this situation, you'd probably be thinking you'd rather die and go to hell because at least it's warm down there.

Thankfully for Prince Dir, he ended up escaping from this dreaded fate after being released by Ivar. Despite that, you'd hesitate to call him a lucky man.

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