Erik the Viking 1989

Erik rejects raiding

Erik, a young Viking, discovers he has no taste for rape and pillage. He feels deep guilt over the death of an innocent woman, Helga. This moral awakening sets the course for his future choices and outlook on violence.

Prophecy and Ragnarök

Freya the wise woman warns that Fenrir has swallowed the sun, plunging the world into Ragnarök. She declares that only the Horn Resounding can avert it. The first note must reach Asgard, the second will wake the gods, and the third will carry them home.

Horn Resounding quest

Erik resolves to travel to Asgard to plead for an end to Ragnarök. To reach the gods, he must obtain the Horn Resounding from Hy-Brasil. The quest binds the crew to a perilous journey beyond their world.

Assemble the voyage crew

Erik gathers a diverse crew of all ages and professions from his village, sharing his newfound resolve. Harald, a Christian missionary, joins the voyage despite skepticism about the myths. They prepare for a voyage that will test them all.

Loki's manipulation

Keitel the Blacksmith is secretly swayed by Loki to oppose Erik's plan and agrees to sabotage the voyage. Loki slips away to inform Halfdan the Black, a warlord who fears peace will end his reign. The plot tightens as treachery lurks beneath the surface.

Halfdan's pursuit begins

Halfdan the Black's warband sets sail in pursuit, hoping to thwart Erik's quest. The threat of conflict shadows the voyage from the outset. The chase pushes the crew toward Hy-Brasil.

Arrival at Hy-Brasil

Erik and his crew reach Hy-Brasil, a sunlit island where the inhabitants dress like ancient Greeks and greet visitors warmly. Erik falls in love with Princess Aud, while his disguise is aided by Aud's cloak of invisibility. The island’s hospitality masks the peril that lies ahead.

Royal gift and theft

King Arnulf awards Erik the Horn Resounding, which is far larger than expected. Loki steals the horn’s mouthpiece and persuades Keitel to throw it into the sea. Snorri confronts the theft and Loki kills him in the act.

Sinking with treachery

A single drop of Snorri's blood on Loki's dagger triggers an earthquake that causes Hy-Brasil to sink beneath the waves. Arnulf refuses to acknowledge the danger until it is almost too late, swallowing the fate of the island with the others. The treachery seals the island's doom.

The first note and ascent

Aud sounds the first note on the Horn, and the ship is propelled over the edge of the flat Earth into space. The crew hurtles toward an alien reach of reality and lands on a plane that seems to be Asgard. They prepare to begin a perilous ascent toward the great halls of the gods.

Second note and Valhalla

Erik sounds the second note to awaken the gods, and he and his crew climb a path made of stars toward the great Hall of Valhalla. Inside, they meet old friends and enemies slain in battle, a surreal gathering that tests their destinies. Harald's Christian faith makes him an observer rather than a participant.

Valhalla revelations

Odin persuades Fenrir to spit out the sun but warns that the end of Ragnarök will not bring peace. Odin then informs Erik that they cannot return home, and they cannot stay in Valhalla since they were not slain in battle. Some of Erik's crew who died earlier attempt to intervene, but the fate of mortals remains unresolved.

Third note and rescue

As some dead crew members strive to save the living, they are drawn toward the Pit of Hel. Harald returns to the ship and blows the Horn’s third note, which launches a desperate rescue and flings the survivors clear of danger. The third note seals their unexpected release and fatefully shifts their course home.

Return and final reckoning

Erik's crew, including the formerly dead, returns to their home village to find Halfdan's men holding the villagers captive. Their ship crashes from the sky, crushing Halfdan's forces with Harald aboard. The villagers celebrate Erik's return and his victory over Halfdan.