‘Vikings’: Who’s the man with one eye? We know the answer

Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel) is dead — and though the titular “Vikings” are separated, the news is bonding them together. While Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick) is making big changes as queen of Kattegat to make the region more powerful — even while the sons of Ragnar may be preparing to kill her — her own son Bjorn (Alexander Ludwig) and another of Ragnar’s boys are sailing for the Mediterranean, launching their own infamous legacies.

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But even with these events, there’s a single solitary question that has to be on the mind of every “Vikings” fan: Who is the one-eyed man cloaked in black (Andre Eriksen) that brought the news of his death to the sons of Ragnar Lothbrok? He appeared briefly in a previous episode, but was merely credited as “Black Cloaked Figure.”

Clearly though, he’s a higher power that is able to be in many places at once, coming to Ragnar’s sons when they need him most. So who is he? Luckily, creator Michael Hirst has shed a little light on that question.

During a Q&A on Facebook, Hirst revealed that the man in question is “Odin, the All-Father.” Typically depicted as only having one eye, Odin is the most prominent of the Norse gods worshiped by the Vikings.

Throughout the series, “Vikings” has dealt heavily with faith and religion. Harbard (Kevin Durand), for instance, claimed to be a god — and seemingly used that notion to seduce women. Meanwhile, Ragnar’s entire tale was wrapped up in his losing faith in his gods and learning more about Christianity.

Odin arriving in Kattegat and on the Mediterranean is a major spiritual moments for these young men, who believe in the gods with all that they have. Furthermore, it’s enough to make the viewers wonder where Ragnar ended up in the afterlife.

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Though Ragnar may have no longer believed in his gods, he still spoke of them in his dying moments for his boys. He died bravely, which is a prerequisite for entering Valhalla. And so as Hirst previously told Screener, “Whether he likes it or not, Ragnar has gone to Valhalla. I kind of like that. When he gets to Valhalla he’ll be saying, ‘But I don’t believe in you guys!’”

While his sons may believe he’s entered Valhalla, it’s doubtful we’ll get answers — other than the fact that Ragnar is finally at peace. But at the very least, getting the news from Odin himself should bring them some peace of their own.

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