‘Vikings’ season 5: Floki sets foot on Iceland; Harald takes over

Vikings - Gustaf Skarsgård as Floki — Gustaf Skarsgård as Floki on ‘Vikings’ season 4. History/Official Vikings Facebook Page

“Vikings” season 5 is going to be a crazy ride for the fans of the hit History series as it will be the first season without Ragnar (Travis Fimmel) or Ecbert (Linus Roache). New and old characters are set keep the drama and violence going, just as new and old locations are bound to be visited.

Spoiler alert: This article contains plot details about “Vikings” season 5. An official announcement has yet to be made regarding the air date of the season premiere. Episodes from the series’ previous seasons are available for Australian viewers to watch on SBS.

It didn’t take long for History to release a “Vikings” season 5 sneak peek following the conclusion of the fourth season, and a number of intriguing things can be certainly seen on the preview. One of them is the seemingly happy Harald (Peter Franzén) with a crown on his head, which is not a good sign, at least for Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick).

Harald is likely to be one of the main antagonists next season along with Heahmund (Jonathan Rhys Meyers). He has longed for Lothbrok blood for a while now and wants nothing more than to rule all of Norway. Harald and Lagertha are going at each other next season, that’s for sure, and it wouldn’t be surprising if the former comes out the victor.

Another interesting thing about the “Vikings” season 5 preview is the part where Floki (Gustaf Skarsgård) apparently discovers Iceland. Many fans believe that Skarsgård’s Floki is loosely based on a historical figure named Hrafna-Flóki Vilgerðarson, who is known for being the first Norseman to deliberately sail to Iceland. His voyage is documented in the "Landnámabók" manuscript, a medieval Icelandic book that substantially chronicles the settlement of the Norsemen in Iceland during the ninth and tenth centuries.

In the season 5 trailer, Floki seems to be washed up in the midst of a vicious storm. Fans should remember that following Helga’s death, Floki made it known that he was going wherever the gods would take him. “Vikings” creator Michael Hirst also previously confirmed that next season is set to feature Iceland.

As IBTimes Australia previously mentioned, “Vikings” season 5 episode 1 could have a November air date, taking into account the fact that the series averages nine months per break. Season 1 and season 2 had a 10-month intermission while season 3 started 9 months after the second season was done. Fans had to wait for another 10 months before the first part of the fourth season was underway while season 4B started airing 7 months after the conclusion of season 4A.