The much-awaited Vikings: Valhalla Season 2 was released on Netflix on January 12, 2023, and the sequel of the historical drama does not disappoint the fans at all. Vikings: Valhalla Season 2 has made its comeback with a nastier and more violent storyline. As expected Vikings: Valhalla Season 2 introduced many new characters and new challenges for Leif and Harald Sigurdsson. To brush up on your memory, in Vikings: Valhalla 2, Sam Corlett plays Leif Eriksson, Frida Gustavsson plays Freydis Eriksdotter, Leo Suter plays Harald Sigurdsson, Johannes Johnansson plays Olaf the Stout, Bradley Freegard plays King Canute, Laura Berlin plays Emma of Normandy, David Oakes plays Godwin, Pollyanna McIntosh plays Queen Ælfgifu, Soren Pilmark plays Sweyn Forkbeard. Fans will also witness new characters i.e. new kings, warriors, and more in Vikings: Valhalla 2. Since you are reading this write-up, True Scoop assumes you have already watched Vikings: Valhalla Season 2 and you want to know about the real Pechenegs. To know about the Pechenegs of Vikings: Valhalla 2 continue reading below-
Created by Jeb Stuart, Vikings: Valhalla season 2 starts with Leif Eriksson in search of his sister Freydis Eriksdotter and wants to kill Olaf the Stout for killing his love in season 1. On the other hand, Harald Sigurdsson and Freydis are absconding after their fall to take Kattegat. While Harald Sigurdsson separately wants to take revenge for his brother Olaf's betrayal and take the throne of King of Norway as promised by King Canute, Olaf at the start of the series remains in the custody of Forkbeard. Keeping long things short, Harald Sigurdsson and Leif Eriksson reunite while Freydis heads to Jomsborg after 'The Seer' talks about her destiny.
Harald Sigurdsson along with Leif heads to Nóvgorod to ask Harald’s uncle, Yaroslav the Wise, for help to claim the throne of Norway. However, Yaroslav the Wise refuse to give his army to defeat to take the throne of Norway. Instead, he gives Harald the advice to reinvent himself. Harald takes his uncle's advise, however, does not give up on his dream to be the ruler of Norway. Harald decides to go to Constantinople and sell fur there and return as a wealthy with a large army to take what is rightfully his. However, Harald and Leif's journey to Constantinople wasn’t going to be easy. In addition to forming a crew that included a treacherous enslaver, they were at risk of coming across the Pechenegs, who were known for their brutal ways. The Pechenegs were a real group, but did Vikings: Valhalla do a historically accurate portrayal of them? The answer is yes and no at the same time. Interestingly, Harald hires a guide named Kurya as he promises to take him to Constantinople and even guide them to escape from the Pechenegs.
Who were the Pechenegs shown in Vikings: Valhalla season 2?
For the unversed, the Pechenegs were seminomadic ethnic people from Central Asia. The Pechenegs spoke the now-extinct Pecheneg language, and according to historian Omeljan Pritsak, their homeland was located between the Aral Sea (an endorheic lake between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan that is now almost completely dry) and the middle course of the Syr Darya. The Pechenegs migrated constantly and made regular raids against their neighbors wherever they settled, so it’s not surprising that they earned lots of enemies and fought many battles. The Pechenegs allied with the Byzantines in the 9th century, and the latter used them to fend off other, sometimes more dangerous tribes, as were the Kyivan Russ and the Magyars.
Real vs Reel: Is Netflix's Vikings: Valhalla season 2 based on a true story?
As per available information, during the 9th and 10th centuries, the control of the Pechenegs had expanded through much of the steppes of southeast Europe and the Crimean Peninsula, and during this time they also began wars against Kyivan Rus. The Pechenegs attacked and besieged Kyiv, and some of them joined the Prince of Kyiv, Sviatoslav I, in his Byzantine campaign, but they ended up ambushing and killing him. Pecheneg Khan, Kurya, is said to have made a chalice from Sviatoslav’s skull. Interestingly, in Vikings: Valhalla, the Pecheneg leader who took Harald prisoner had various skulls around him that he had turned into chalices and more. The Pechenegs were later defeated during the reign of Yaroslav I the Wise, and that was the start of their decline. The Pechenegs were annihilated as an independent force in 1091 at the Battle of Levounion, and were last mentioned as members of Turkic Tribes in 1168.
How Harald and his crew escaped from the clutches of the Pechenegs?
Coming to Vikings: Valhalla Season 2, Harald was taken captive by the Pechenegs and he was immensely tortured by them. Harald's torture scene will indeed terrorize and give goosebumps to viewers. However, Harald was freed by his crew led by Lief when he tried to barter Kurya who was actually Pecheneg's ruler Khan's brother on whom he had announced a hefty bounty. However, the abductors tried to kill them all, when Harald's other crew members (2 girls) rescued them miraculously.
During their escape, Khan was murdered by Kurya (Tolga Safer), who sacrificed himself to not only get revenge against his brother/the Khan but also so Harald and the group could escape. And that is how they escaped. Interestingly , it is expected that Pechenegs now have a real reason to go after Harald, Leif, and the rest. If Vikings: Valhalla continues the story of the Pechenegs, season 3 could set up or could see a battle between Harald and his army (supposing he does get one now that he’s in Constantinople) and the Pechenegs, who will want to avenge the Khan’s death. A group as important and dangerous as the Pechenegs makes way for more stories and conflicts for future seasons of Vikings: Valhalla, so hopefully, season 2 won’t be the last time they show up.