Prejudice and Lost knowledge

  

In the Series, the Vikings Season 2 Episode 6 Unforgiven, Athelstan, an English Christian Monk who lived with Viking Pagans as a captive in Kattegat, Norway, expresses to King Ecbert of Wessex that Pagans don’t have any arts like painting and similar art forms. Athelstan believed that pagans were savages and intellectually inferior to Christians.

After hearing this statement from Athelstan, King Ecbert of Wessex takes him to a secret chamber and shows him the indescribably beautiful pagan paintings crafted by Roman pagans. King Ecbert praises Roman pagans for their incredible work and says, “These Romans knew things that we will never know”. He also tells Athelstan that we have lost more knowledge than we ever had.

Deep, Thought-provoking conversations between characters are among my favourite scenes in any movie or Series. As mentioned, this one is one of my favourite scenes in the Vikings series. This scene explored the prejudices and misconceptions held by different civilisations about each other. King Ecbert’s revelation of Roman pagan arts to Athelstan remains a robust reminder to every person in this world that “Intellectual advancements and cultural achievements are not confined to any particular belief system or civilisation.”

King Ecbert of Wessex is literally the Tywin Lannister of Vikings. Though he is an antagonist, he is respected for his wisdom. As the Series portrays, people had an inferiority complex and prejudice towards other belief systems and civilisations at that time. King Ecbert admired, appreciated, and was inspired by the Intellectual advancements and cultural achievements of different belief systems and civilisations.

King Ecbert’s statement about the Lost Knowledge of Romans reflects that many invaluable works and wisdom have been destroyed by war, cultural cleansing, and natural disasters. It reminds us that wisdom and knowledge often transcend religious and cultural boundaries.

This dialogue between King Ecbert and Athelstan underscores the vital role of an open mind and the eagerness to learn from diverse cultures and belief systems.