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The other key characters were introduced in Season 1, such as Alfred. Uhtred is a fictional character, although historical characters with that name and from Bebbanburg are, in fact, known.
====How Accurate is the Story?====
Season 2, which focused more heavily on Uhtred's trials as he became a slave, got married to Guthrud's sister, and his assistance in taking London and rescuing the Lady Æthelflæd. As this was a period of relatively less conflict, in comparison to Season 1, the series did take more liberties in interpreting historical events. For instance, while Guthrud may have come from a famous Viking father and may have been a slave, relatively little is known about how he ruled.
In the series, he is shown as a weak and easily pliable king, acting to his own detriment and that of Uhtred's. Alfred marrying his daughter Æthelflæd is shown as an important move to unite Mercia and Wessex. This is historically accurate and it likely did cause tension between the two kingdoms as the former powerful kingdom of Mercia became more closely associated with Wessex. The taking of Lady Æthelflæd is, however, a likely fictional event. In effect, there are not a large number of historical events, but the places, such as Cookham, key events (e.g., taking of London), and some of the key characters (e.g., Guthrud and Osferth) are historical. Because relatively little is known about this period, such as how London was taken, the writers were able to add their own version of events to make it an interesting story.
====Summary====
Season 2 shows key historical events, the taking of London and the beginning of rulers who were Christian and Danish, possibly changing the character of the country even as it was ruled by Danes. The unity of Mercia and Wessex is also shown, including how that process developed. The series indicates how the attempt by the Norse, in this case, Siegfried and Erik, failed to take over England. The establishment of the boroughs, indicated in Series 2, were critical in thwarting Viking raids in England, which were indirectly shown and discussed in the series. Overall, however, as the years in which the events took place were relatively quiet, there was more liberty for the series to focus on character stories such as Uhtred and his brother Ragnar taking back Dunholm.
====References====
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====Related DailyHistory.org Articles====
*[[Is the movie Dunkirk historically accurate?]]
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