Lo, There do I see my Father ...

So.  On a positive note, it's almost eleven in the morning and it's still four degrees below zero.  Fahrenheit!  And thinking of cold and ice invariably casts the mind towards the Northlands.  To the Vikings!

You may not give a shit about Vikings.  But take it from me, Geoffrey V. V. Raymond.  Speaking as somebody following in the footsteps of George R. R. Martin and Jay R. R. Tolkein, these people are important.  So imagine my delight when, lo and behold, I read today that Ragnar Lothbrok has returned.  Ragnar, for those of you not fully in the loop, is the character played by Travis Fimmel in "The Vikings."  Which can be found on the History Channel, starting tonight.

The Times writes ...

It’s a well-acted, relatively lavish epic about Vikings, their lusts and their power struggles, a PG-13 “Game of Thrones” with a smattering of actual history. It focuses on Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel), who is on quite a personal journey. He started the series as a farmer whose interest in exploring put him at odds with the local leader, who preferred the tried-and-true routes for pillaging. Now, as Season 3 begins, Ragnar is a king.

Fimmel is one of those actors -- Timothy Olyphant also jumps to mind -- that makes you look at him.  Which is saying something, since his wife on the show (now ex-wife, although I'm not sure actual Vikings used that term) is excruciatingly hot.

Consider this ...



And this ...



And it wouldn't be a post about Vikings without a clip from The 13th Warrior ...



What a fucking movie.  When Beowulf (actually his name is Buliwyf, but nobody's fooled) appears dragging his sword, having risen from his deathbed to lead his men in battle, you know:  a) the Vikings are going to kick some ass, and b) some of these dudes will be drinking mead with their fathers in the Halls of Valhalla before the end of day.