Vic the Viking

Gilby challenges Vic: whoever can reach the highest point on the drakkar will accompany the Vikings on this year’s expedition. With his scrawny arms, Vic has no chance. But in fact, there are no restrictions about how to climb. Vic will build special shoes with crampons before realizing that, by making the drakkar list, the mast will become a nearly horizontal pole, much easier to climb!

The drakkar runs aground on a reef in the fog! When they call for help, the Vikings only draw the attention of Sven and his men, who steal their cargo. Vic manages to recover the goods by making it appear like the pirates have been cursed. To do this, he uses bamboo sticks (bartered with a Chinese merchant during their last stop) that are actually filled in with gunpowder.

In order to scare away tax collectors sent by Eric the Greedy, Vic invents a magic lantern (from flat pieces of translucent stones painted by Ulme and mirrors that focus the sun’s light). He uses this to project “monsters” at the entrance to a cave (where the villagers have hidden all their wealth), frightening the tax collectors away.

Halvar, his men and the drakkar are kidnapped by Sven! In order to catch up with them, Vic whips up some kitesurfing gear with a board and burlap bags. With Snorre and Tjure, he manages to get his father’s drakkar back. Since the sail is ripped, Vic has the idea of making it move by building two large paddle wheels built with the help of Tjure, the crew’s carpenter, and Snorre.

Drawn to a shooting star that has fallen on an ice field, Halvar and his men are convinced they have found a fabulous treasure. Sven the Terrible, who is also floating in the neighborhood, has the same thought. But the heavenly debris turns out to be nothing more than ugly, charred stones. Certainly not jewels worthy of taking home to Ylva! Only Vic understands the value of the meteorite stones.

An old shipwrecked sailor is the accomplice and bait for a group of pirates, who use the tempting prospect of a fabulous treasure to lure sailors in order to seize their riches more easily. Our Vikings fall into the trap, but Vic and Ulme use their talents as puppeteers to scare the brigands of the seas and send them packing.

A series of messages sent by a damsel in distress are floating wooden bottles. They are calls for help from a damsel in distress… a damsel who is offering a reward to anyone who will rescue her. The crew are reluctant to go, but Halvar, in an incredible show of strength, flattens a table with his bare hands. This settles the crew, and they set out for Bird Cherry Island.

The Vikings sail home after a successful voyage. They happily celebrate until night falls when talk of monsters generates fear amongst the Vikings. As a thunderstorm closes in, the ghostly light causes the Vikings to mistake a shipwreck for the hideous monster and they throw 'the monster' all of their food. As morning approaches, they are now starving and have nothing to eat.

Powerful winds coming from all directions, created by giant bellows, are keeping our Vikings from landing on the Celtic shores of the self proclaimed kingdom of « The Wind Queen». Only Vic is able to reach the shore, thanks to a kite. The natives believe that Vic is a messenger from Kirk, the Celtic god of the winds.

Vic and his friends are in the forest when Faxe finds a wolf cub. A couple of angry wolves attack them and force them into a cave: against Vic’s advice, Faxe has taken the wolf cub with him. Vic convinces Faxe to give the cub back to its mother. Meanwhile, Halvar, worried about his son's delay, tries to find him in the forest. When he sees Vic in danger, he gets ready to fight the wolves.

Our Vikings are captured because Faxe has stolen and eaten an Icelandic Viking clan’s sausage stash. The Icelanders, thinking the Vikings are bearing treasure from their expedition, hold them ransom. Vic convinces them they have Dagda’s Cauldron, a sort of cornucopia that contains an unending supply of food. But the Icelanders discover this trick.

On a trip to Britain HALVAR and his men are captured by fierce Celtic women warriors who accuse them of plundering their kingdom. For once, HALVAR is innocent but the Britons insist that he must prove his innocence by undergoing four trials by ordeal. Only after HALVAR has successfully passed through trials involving earth, wind, fire and water can he and the Vikings be freed.

When a runic shape appears on the side of Halvar’s face, Urobe convinces everyone that he has been visited by the Gods, and soon the whole village thinks that he has the power to take the shape of any animal or person. Halvar disappears, and a duck takes his place as captain of the ship. Vic has to pretend to be Halvar, and restore his father to his rightful position of captain.

Whilst playing with a set of dominoes, VIC accidentally discovers the ‘domino effect’ which he later uses to flatten a circle of standing stones driving away the Welsh druids who’re threatening to shave off HALVAR’S prized beard in order to appease their gods.

Halvar is convinced that he is cursed with bad luck. He can’t catch any fish, things fall on him, and he gets struck by lightning. It’s the wrong time to be suffering from a crisis of confidence, because three Viking warriors are travelling to Flake to challenge his leadership. Vic and the other villagers try to cheer him up but nothing works.

After a whale is rescued from beaching itself by Faxe, it starts to follow Faxe everywhere. When the whale’s infatuation and its taste for playing peekaboo start to be dangerous for the drakkar, Vic has the idea to lead the whale to a larger pod, with which it can make friends. On their way back, they see Sven and the Pirates on their way to kill the whales.

Tjure's eighth child is born. But this new baby has a lot trouble sleeping. Everyone tries something but Vic finds the solution by imitating his father's silly noises (like farts). Baltac is on his way to challenge Halvar. But the chief of Flake hasn't had enough sleep and Vic is worried. He then thinks Tjure's son can defeat Baltac with his awful screams.

As they storm a castle’s treasure room, the Vikings run into Sven and his Pirates. When the Treasure Guard (a Giant) comes back and find them, Sven and Halvar have to pair up to escape with some loot. As they’re sailing away with shallow waters ahead, the Vikings are trapped by Sven, who wants their share of the treasure. Halvar wants to fight but Vic has an idea.

It’s the big harvest celebration. And as most senior member of the village, it is Snorre’s mother Greta’s duty to host the festivities. But this year, Snorre, her son, smells even worse than usual! Greta refuses to host until he has washed up, which he obstinately refuses to do! Vic is has to use all of his talent in order to set up an encounter between Snorre and “Soap”.

While doing a contest of skipping stones, Snorre, Tjure and Vic are kinapped by Sven. As Halvar and the others try to deliver them, Vic, Tjure and Snorre set confusion on the Pirate ship as Snorre projects his voice and impersonates Sven.

With Halvar sick, Ylva takes charge of the Drakkar and goes to a trading market to bring back goods to Flake. When the Drakkar is attacked by Sven and his Pirates, Ylva humiliates him and gets the upper hand. Sven decides to get his revenge and catches up with the Drakkar as Ylva and Vic are on shore shopping.

A flamboyant magus arrives in Flake and makes Urobe looks like a cheap druid. Claiming to be a soothsayer and healer, he bluffs the villagers with conjuring tricks and a sly scheme. Vic and Ylvi aren’t taken in, even though they don’t understand how the charlatan cures Faxe, who goes insane, and how he knows all about the villagers, including the most personal of things.

When Ylvi is captured by Pox to become a maid on Sven’s ship, Vic and the Vikings rush to rescue her. While the drakkar catches up with the Pirates, Ylvi creates arguments aboard Sven’s ship (she’s way too young to be a maid!), and proves she can be a mischievous girl when needed. When the Vikings catch up, Sven thinks he’s got the upper hand as he threatens to throw Ylvi overboard.

Looking for a treasure, the Vikings enter a tunnel system full of traps. Even with Vic’s clever ideas, they soon get lost in the tunnel, right before escaping death when a large rock ball rolls towards them. Soon after, they think they found the way to the treasure room, only to be caught in a maze. But the biggest trap of all is the one protecting the treasure room itself.

The kids of Flake commandeer the drakkar under Gilby's lead and hoist the anchor. Vic tries to convince him to surrender the command to him, but Gilby won't listen, even though he doesn't know beans about navigation! The drakkar gets ever further from the coast. Overcome by sea-sickness, Gilby finally abandons the command to Vic under pressure from the other children.