I've also come to enjoy this show more than GoT, and the season 3 finale was pretty amazing.
Like you guys, I am put off by the increasingly pervasive role of shieldmaidens, especially considering the fact that there is very little historical evidence to support such nonsense. The few accounts that do exist point to the fact that women taking up arms in battle was far from the norm, and perhaps only happened a handful of times during extreme circumstances. They certainly didn't play important roles in viking warfare on a regular basis. Thus, some of the recent battle scenes have been pretty cringeworthy. Unfortunately it will probably just get worse moving forward.
Still, I'm enjoying it very much for what it is...an entertaining show with excellent casting and filming/editing, plus a compelling story line. Can't wait for season 4 to start!
Like you guys, I am put off by the increasingly pervasive role of shieldmaidens, especially considering the fact that there is very little historical evidence to support such nonsense. The few accounts that do exist point to the fact that women taking up arms in battle was far from the norm, and perhaps only happened a handful of times during extreme circumstances. They certainly didn't play important roles in viking warfare on a regular basis. Thus, some of the recent battle scenes have been pretty cringeworthy. Unfortunately it will probably just get worse moving forward.
Still, I'm enjoying it very much for what it is...an entertaining show with excellent casting and filming/editing, plus a compelling story line. Can't wait for season 4 to start!