Askeladd does actually understand this concept, because at one point he says “A man, slave to gold, holds a whip... And beats the slave he bought with that gold as if to claim HE is the master. He just doesn't see it for himself. Every living human being is a slave to something.“
I love this. I simplified Askeladd’s character for the sake of the video, but he absolutely does! His duality as a person will leave a lasting impact on the rest of the show.
My favorite thing about Thorkell, is that he or his underlings never pillage or rape, they are really just in it for the battle. You can see every other Viking in the story do those things, be it Askeladd's band or just a handful of vikings who appear very briefly. This separates Thorkell from the rest, he has a sort of code where he loves battle, but will not fight those who are unarmed or in no condition to fight, shown when even his men refused to kill Askeladd's men unless they picked up their weapons and fought like warriors, and when he accidentally broke Torgrim's spirit and let him live. He may be a crude and incredibly violent entity, but he is truly just trying to become a true warrior like Thors did
You took the words right out of my mouth. Thorkell is what many envision a “true warrior” to be. But in the end, Thors ultimately followed the right path
yeah this proves when thorkell and his gang just straight switch side before jomsborg battle just because someone veryy resemble him stole his prey. He doesn't need cause to fight. He just need to fight lol. Too bad he had no interest in going to vinland
He believes in Norse mythology with the fervor of a zealot. In his mind there is no pursuit higher, no path nobler or more rewarding than that of the Valhalla bound warrior. He seems like a pretty iconically Norse mfker.
If Thorfinn listened to his father's words at the end of the first season he would've been on his way to Vinland. I love how the story revolves around this one line and challenges every main amd supporting character with it.
It is my favorite quote out of any series. It really took me on a life lesson, especially after reading the Slave Arc. But that quote... it is special.
I don't think I've been impacted by any other manga or anime the way I have been by VS, any media for that matter. I don't think I've ever cried for someone's character development before but for Thorfinn it got me there. I know Yukimura had intentions of making the reader feel like if you feel like you're incapable of gaining redemption, just know that Thorfinn through all the horrible things he did... through immense hard work and determination you can change... and so can you, and so can I, we're all capable of being kinder gentler people :) Vinland Saga holds a special place in my heart, my biggest regret is that I didn't start this masterpiece sooner.
This is one my greatest realizations in my 20's and I'm gald this anime portrayed it perfecty. I first realized it after watching aot ending where after many years the cycle starts again - many people hated that ending but for me... I came to a realization that there will always be problems and thus there will always be stress and worries. What we can do is change the way we perceive things. Also I have a bad habit of listeting to what others day about me. In the end, I realized that there will always be people who will hate me because they have different values and beliefs and I respect that. For them their beliefs are correct. for me my beliefs are correct. My point is that there's no right or wrong approach to solving life (except for the obvious wrong ones) because life is always unpredictable and to not let other people's opinions influence my life.
When Thors said " you have no enemies" I knew exactly what he meant. We have no enemies except for the ones we chose to create. Equally profound is when the priest tells them (I can't remember exactly who atm) no man knows true unconditional love. alcohol, women, pretending to be god, family, the king, dreams, children, power… They all had something they were drunk on. They were all slaves to something… -Kenny Ackerman
I think a good way to understand how this philosophy can apply to everyday life, despite other's having conflicting goals where we'll naturally confront them, is: "Never mistake your opponent for an enemy".
Your script was well written, but something I can't quite place my finger on is off. I think it's a combination of your mic, and execution of the lines.
My take on this is more like: People make enemies out of each other but who is real enemy? is it ourselves or someone/enity pulling strings in the background to influence us fight each other? I think its both.
A few years back when I was 17 there was a man I wanted to kill. He'd physically assaulted someone in my family and we were as close as brothers prior to this happening. I knew his address and how I wanted to kill him and his wife too. Those close to me kept me from moving forward with my intent, but the hatred I felt was in my veins by that point. I felt like a pig not doing anything, and it was around that same time I'd caught up to about a little bit past the farming arc in Vinland Saga. Thorfinn had connected with me so much. It was on a drive with my Dad that the line clicked with me. "I have no enemies" that line to me tells me that I can't really hate anyone. I created an image of a person to target my hate towards. I was angry at the injustice and cruelty of the events that took place, but in my heart I couldn't kill or hate another human being. If I were to see that man again getting up in the morning, greeting his wife, going to work, eating food, hating mondays and going to bed I would see a human being with a heart just like mine. To truly hate him would be to reduce him to a target. In the end I want to be like Thorfinn and move past my anger and hatred. Even to follow my Christian faith more deeply and learn to have love fill my heart instead. I'm still working on bettering myself and the man had a son a few months ago. I am glad for that child's sake that I never went through with what I wanted to do. He's an adorable lil guy.
@@user-zu1ix3yq2w Eh, maybe. The justice system didn't do nothing and no one else was doing anything, so I was thinking that I'd make things fair. I don't think I was wrong with my line of thought, but it definitely wasn't the right thing to do. I was thinking in terms of protecting my family I guess.
vinland saga started off so profound and intriguing but then it got too idealistic...a wiseman knows when to kill and when not to kill, a fool always kills or never kills regardless of the circumstances
imo the idealism is the whole reason why vinland's story is so powerful. tirelessly choosing nonviolence, even in an extreme world in which you constantly get into situations where violence seems to be the only solution is just so inspiring to me, idk
everything you said in this video is applicable to real life. i wish there was some way to live with this fact or overcome it but frankly I've lost faith.
I hate the idea of “evil” Vikings mentioned in the video. I think the idea of good and evil cannot exist and should not be applied when looking at this series, as they do what makes them survive to be happy. Murdering those villagers is instrumental in their survival, taking their food is, and that is exactly what they were doing in need to survive. They were “predators” hunting for “prey” (weaker people with food). Wouldn’t it be the same as the predators in the animal kingdom who eat other animals as a source of food and sustenance. I mean can you really call an animal who rips apart animals alive cruel? Can you call Cuckoos despicable? I mean they basically do the same thing the Vikings did. Of course not, you would called them fantastic adaptations, evolutions into becoming a more efficient and prolific animal in the world. And of course nowadays if someone did that that would be quite horrific, as we have the means of survival and a higher sense of empathy and what not, but that is the exact reason you cannot apply our morality and our way of looking at things into their world. Furthermore, there are scenes that truly show that the Viking are good, especially in the scene when the priest tells the Vikings about church and they relate to some aspect of softness around who they care about. While this essay does make a good point, by making characters or a group of people purely black and white, is that you diminish their multifaceted personality and your applying a sense of Christian morality to a group of people who didn’t abide by the rules, making it seemingly lack some sense of depth.
NO ONE in this world is your enemy. Vinland saga changed my life and inspired me to practice radical pacifism as much as I possibly can. Vinland is my favorite story of all time
There are more terrible and evil things in life to battle against than the men and women we are born to live and die with. You might enjoy the book of Ecclesiasties. It's a story about an old Greek philosopher giving a lecture to his students about his life and his findings about wisdom in living.
Thorfinn got to see his father die "unfairly". Prince Canute lost his father figure. Askeladd killed his father. So Askeladd killed the father of all three main characters
The quote really got me thinking the past couple of weeks and I think i can finally verbalize what i have conclude to with it. At its barest form, enemy is just a word. With it ever changing from person to person, it can take any form thus it can take no form at all. You are born with no enemies, life does not assign you enemies, God does not assign you enemies, you are not forced or paired with an enemy. So where do they come from? The person you envision as your enemy is the reflection you put up to bear the weight of your hate, but take away the mirror, and all that is left is you. You yourself is your only enemy, and they are your enemy only if you see them as such
@@networknomad5600 I had my fair of troubles man. We all had someone we hated and considered enemies. But it doesn't do any good to keep hating someone. It has done me more harm then good to get back at the person and it's not worth it. Not saying to forgive them or such , more like don't make it your priority. You can try leave them out of your life and forget they exist. But this can't come true for everyone, I understand that. This is not an ideal world. Even if u let the hate go, who's to say the other party will, they may be out to get at all times. But I made my comment thinking of if everyone did hold that way of thinking, but that can be applied for a lot of things, if only things were ideal and everybody thought this way, but unfortunately not.
I think this analysis really does get to the heart of what Vinland Saga is about. in the very beginning, when Thors dies, the seeds of hate begin to grow in Thorfin, and we see the fundamental problem with the way the mind operates in this state. from that point on, Thorfin considers his hate for Askeladd to be indicative of the depth of his love for his father. in this case, love is expressed through loss, in the form of grief... and all of that frustration, anger, and pain is lumped onto one person. Thorfin's enemy. on a broader scale, this is how conflicts between countries are perpetuated. you have distant authority figures at the tops of various hierarchies, who have detatched tactical interests in resource-rich land, or robust expansion... but the thing that convinces the everyman to join an army and fight, is this more personal sense of duty. for the sake of their country... for the preservation of threatened lives... for love. probably one of the more interesting conversations in Vinland Saga is between the priest and Canute after the death of Ragnar. by any normal definition, Ragnar loved Canute more than anything... but the priest says that such a selfish love is more aptly defined as discrimination. Ragnar watched 62 villagers lose their lives for the sake of protecting Canute. he had to put his own priorities first, and out of love for his chosen person, he let them die without a single word of protest. interestingly, almost every major character contains a grain of this hypocrisy. they've all done horrible things... but they all have some specific sticking point. something they care, or cared, about. Askeladd cared for his mother. Thorfin cared for Thors. Ragnar cared for Canute. and in them, we see the way that violence twists love. how do you prove that you love someone? do you slay whoever hurt them? Thorfin and Askeladd are a direct display of how this becomes cyclical. Askeladd actually killed his dad for doing harm to his mother... and now the damage that Askeladd has done is what motivates Thorfin to destroy him. and on the path toward that goal, Thorfin has been a part of the very same rampant destruction that caused his own grief. this is a selfish type of love... discrimination, as the priest put it. the kind where you place your own priorities higher than the wellbeing of anyone else. what is the remedy to this? what stops this? to me, Thorkell leans hard in one direction, while Thors leans hard in the other. Thorkell ceases to be a hypocrite by thriving in violence. there is nothing in Thorkell's existence that he'd begrudge a warrior for taking from him. even his own life... if a warrior managed to take that, they would've earned it and deserved to have it. you'd think this would make Thorkell free... but in reality, the way he prefers living is completely unsustainable. the destruction can't continue... it's eating away everything the world has to offer, slowly but surely. Thorkell is running fresh out of fights to be had. and at the end of the day, the one thing he doesn't possess, is a truth that a lot of the major characters already hold within their hearts: a vision of what it would be like to live in peace. for Askeladd, it's his mother's tales of Avalon. for Thorfin, it's his father's stories of Vinland. for Canute, it's the Eden-like cocoon that Ragnar created for him in his childhood. this is the missing ingredient that makes a true warrior. not just a vision of peace, but the wisdom to recognize which fights are necessary, just, or worthy of having for the protection of peace, vs. which fights are pointless if peace is your real aim. it's why Thorkell could recognize the look of a true warrior in Thors, as he was leaving the battlefield in order to go raise his daughter. it's the restraint not to fight an unnecessary battle. the ability to know peace, to identify it as your goal, and to only act in service of that pursuit. a battle with Thors would mean something, much more than a battle with most other warriors, because Thors has to be convinced to fight. the fight has to be worth it. he will avoid killing to the absolute best of his abilities. he will try as hard as possible to avoid a violent outcome. death on the battlefield is cause for grief. you don't have enemies. nobody has enemies. if we could, we should all end up standing shoulder to shoulder in Vinland. if that is not possible, then we've all failed as one.
@@fubukishirou5023 first of all, thank you! and in terms of your question, I think when it comes to the philosophy of Vinland Saga, the priest's perspective here is... maybe not quite complete? it's a piece of the puzzle. it's meant to point out the hypocrisy of putting someone who is important to you ahead of others, as though others don't have the exact same capacity for love as yourself. and I think the warning that goes with that, is that if you do act as though your interests are more profound than anyone else's, you'll eventually, inevitably be confronted with the reality of the situation... which is that another person's love for those who matter to them is equally monumental from their perspective. so like, when Askeladd chose to kill Thors... it was a job. and if Thorfinn hadn't been there, he might've just meandered on his way, and would've never had to think much of it again. instead, Thorfinn stows away with him, and Askeladd is confronted with the results of his actions every single day for the rest of his life. and it wouldn't have mattered _less_ to Thorfinn if he'd been safely at home when his father died. but now, Askeladd has a reason to think back to when he was a child, and consider the hatred he felt toward his father before killing him. Askeladd has cared for someone before... he cared for his mother. and it's motivated him to violence before... he understands how that feels. and so, in the eyes of a child like Thorfinn, what does that make him? what has that made him, his entire life? I would say about 98% of the time, Askeladd brushes off all of this, but that other 2% might've been what kept him from just killing Thorfinn and moving on. in some ways, he might deserve to be haunted by his mistakes like this... it's really Thorfinn who doesn't deserve to have to live that role. but then Thorfinn goes on to slaughter how many people? all in pursuit of Askeladd, who killed just one man that happened to be important to Thorfinn. eventually, Thorfinn has to confront the fact that, for however much pain he felt when Thors died, he's caused that in another person's life for every person he's hurt. Thors would never have wanted to be in that position. Thors was actively trying to choose pacifism until his dying breath, and Thorfinn has used him as the motivation behind countless murders on the battlefield. they were all cause for grief. and in his own grief, Thorfinn has given in to frustration and rage, but he's failed to consider the actual thoughts and perspective of the person that he loved. and how can he now demand that nobody else react the same way he did, towards him? this is how the cycle of violence occurs. someone has to _choose_ to stop it. I think this is what a lack of discrimination entails. "you have no enemies" isn't a statement of fact... it's a statement of intent. "I will not give anyone a reason to be my enemy." that is something you have to choose, on purpose, especially when it is the most difficult. this is what it means to de-escalate conflict, and work toward peace as a goal. pulling from the most recent episode in season 2... (spoilers ahead if you haven't seen it) Einar cared deeply about Arnheid. it makes sense that, upon seeing Ketil, his rage would flare. but Thorfinn didn't want Einar to kill him... not only because Ketil is a complex person who deserves a chance to learn and live better... but because Einar doesn't deserve to live inside of the hell that comes from killing out of rage. and on top of that, Ketil has two sons, both of whom would then hate Einar with the same burning passion. this has to stop. it cannot continue. everyone has suffered enough already, and Ketil's death wouldn't bring Arnheid back. it wouldn't do anything good for anyone. sometimes peace is the hardest thing to choose, but when you consider the effect that Thorfinn has had on someone like Einar, who he really cares about... it's the most worthy thing to fight for.
@@kamuyking551Nice 'It's a statement of intent' I like that. I feel like love wouldn't be possible without discrimination tho. However I think the biblical narrative would answer this. We humans can't fully understand and comprehend true 'love' like God can. Even canute says that one can only love truly after death. True 'love' would be to die on the cross for the sins of everyone without discrimination.
This was a beautiful commentary on the themes of Vinland Saga. You made some great points about the complexities of war & "peace", and our own nature when faced with those choices in the context of our lives & whatever era we live in. It makes me want to examine my own more fully. I enjoyed every minute of this essay. And I hope to see more, particularly for season 2. Well done!
All men want is peace, ‘and a piece of land for themselves’. Thats the problem. Peace truly prospers where there is no personal possessions. That slave girl knew that the only possession one should own is their soul, all else is vanity and a striving after wind.
Seconds in and I've got goosebumps, what a beautiful story. Having read what's coming, the arcs the characters go through, makes it a masterpiece of a tale. Though there are many that don't, a lot of us now in the world live in Vinland, or the idea of it. A place without slavers, lands of peace. How lucky we are. There isn't a LOT of media that makes me cry, but some of the latest chapters, when Thorfin *spoilers!* becomes a true warrior, had me in messy tears.
I saw a video on a channel that does interviews on the street asking Russians various questions. And they did one around the New Year time asking what they wished for in the New Year, and along with the normal wishes of health and happiness nearly every one of them wished for Peace. We are still at the mercy of great dictators, mad tyrants and kings but it's important to remember that a lot of the people they are fighting who were and are their friends and families. As you Francois Fenelon said, "All wars are civil wars, because we are all brothers". All I know is there is going to be some deep scars for generations to come from these wars, but we should not come at those who had no say in it with division and hate. And ultimately even to come at those who wielded the power in these wars with love, that is not to overlook these crimes against humanity, nor not to enact justice, but try to come to understand why in their hearts they chose to inflict cruelty on others, and ultimately to their own souls.
I enjoyed this very much, also love Vinland saga very much already. I watched it about 3 years ago on TH-cam and just rewatched it with a friend so I have a companion to go through the emotions of what’s to come with. Certain moments hit me so much harder than before surprisingly, especially the big ending and Askeladds heartfelt message to Thorfinn as he bled out. After all the bullshit it was like damn he really cares, “go far away son of Thor’s, learn to be a true warrior” makes me wanna cry thinkin about it. Shit I love that asshole
I find vinland saga as a reflection of myself, every ex I’ve had every friend that betrayed me, I’ve never hated them or considered them as enemies but lately I’ve been feeling so much devoured by hatred I thought, if everyone will treat me in a bad way I should too I was about to lose myself but then I started reading Vinland and now I understand I was right, I have no enemies nobody does. We all just consider them our enemies for nothing.
Vinland saga and the current arc taught me something, enemies is a useful way for the system to control you. Notice how we are taught people who are VASTLY different from us are our "enemies", how there's winners and loser in any type of conflict? Truth is while we all want peace, we all got different ideas of how it would look. Maybe to some, peace is no "enemies", maybe for others, it's having nothing but free time to relax, maybe to someone, peace is having no one to best you in combat. No matter how you slice it, all the three main characters in vinland saga got reason to survive, yet they don't know any better options
"you have no enemies" -thors "If you're friends to everybody, then you're an enemy to yourself" -mike Tyson. I love how both these quotes graples the ideas of having enemies or not having enemies in the most non violent way.
“In order to find the sense of good we have to find a villain, if there is none we will create one.” When Thor’s said that no one has enemies, It feels like he was saying that you ought to stop looking for an enemy. If you do, eventually down the road you will create one, either by influencing someone to be the enemy or yourself becoming the enemy.
@5:30 in the manga, thorfinn talked about getting revenge to the people who killed your love one as a vikings right of passage he argue that its your duty (victim) to keep the peace of the world to not let people like those to roam earth without vindication.
I really wanna internalize the message of this video but it doesn't really translate to our world in my opinion. Not all men want peace, in the last year alone there were two major shootings in the US that specifically targeted minorities along with hundreds of other smaller scale events. I've got interactions at both. So I most definitely have enemies, and while I do not seek them out, there's most certainly a chance they'll find me.
Radical pacifists always seem to think that people being ruthlessly exploited, beaten, abused and dispossessed should never pick up a weapon to fight against their aggressors. It is true that killing your "enemies" in that scenario wont have much lasting effect, but it is an important and necessary step. Destroying the systems of oppression that keep people from self-actualization, self-determination and freedom will not go over well with most of the people directly or indirectly profiting from those systems, they will most likely retaliate.
Love from Buffalo brother, we need to come to change people's conditions, as conditions determine their nature. Had their conditions been changed, say they weren't born into racist families, do you think they still would've done those shootings? People aren't inherently evil, they are made that way, conditioned that way because it benefits a small group of privileged people. Like how almost all US institutions were founded in the roots of racism for the benefit of white landowners and that racism still perpetuates from those institutions to this day.
@@Clawb0 And if those conditions are family members that have had their entire lives to think critically and interact with others? In the case of racism, they likely lived through the civil rights era. If racism could have been eradicated through only education we would have been rid of it the moment all those 70s era books about systemic racism were published. We shouldnt baby people who have had the opportunities to change their minds. They made their decisions, if they seek redemption they are always welcome to, but we need projects and societies that protect the racialized and the victimized first and physical force/killing will be necessary when the next proud boys and klan come around. Its not pretty and it shouldnt be worshipped as the tactic of all tactics cause it isnt.
@@db1416 The education system is also a problem, it reinforces those same ideas that allow those institutions to stay in place, again, conditioned to think a certain way, the news is the same as well. Racism cannot be eradicated through OUR education system but can be eradicated through a different system. The Black Panthers are in many ways proof of this. Also I’m not babying these people, I’m providing nuance. They are horrible people who deserve all the worst, but putting them in prison only addresses the symptom, it’s like putting a bandaid on an arm that was just cut off. I also understand that we will come at an odds with the already existing, already educated (and too far deep) fascists that exist. Education obviously isnt the tactic for dealing with them and I never implied it to be, again I’m talking about how we fix it.
This idea is basically just learning to see the world the way God does. A famous idea is that God loved even Hitler, and the notion usually upsets people. From his persprctive though, WW2, like any war, would have just been his children killing each other.
I learned this a few years ago after watching a documentary where a man who was a former member of ISIS was interviewed. He was set for execution. He spoke about a movie he really liked as a boy, the only movie his home had. Where a man meets a woman and forms a family, he said he always wanted to dance with a wife like they did in that movie. But clearly he lost his way and devoted his life to another cause. He became a slave to it. I wonder about him from time to time, if he would have been a good father and a loving husband given that opportunity in life. I had hate for men, especially men like him. I wanted to join the military and go fight. I was contemplating killing men like that and tried to justify my feelings with “they’re the bad guys”. But I realized I was wrong. I also want what that man wanted. How could I ever kill a man that as boy desired this in his purest heart. So I renounced everything, I refused to be a part of any religion, country, or political status. I became solely concerned with the full understanding of mankind. Ironically… this path has lead me to Christ. Not to be religious or anything. But I’m just putting this out there, that is where I ended up. I did not plan it. Someone else probably did.
9:19 Doesn't Canute become a slave to his own ideals (which he can't uphold anyway)? He forsakes God because he doesn't trust "God's plan" and that everything will be okay in the end. Yes, the pillaging scene of the Christian village seemed horrible, but we have to remember that life doesn't end after death. It was quite brutal, but if Jesus' promise is true, then they all were comforted and received their place in heaven. What Canute is pursuing is his own justice system. You could call it vigilantism and it's similar to what Light does in Death Note. He isn't satisfied with God's justice, so he ends up taking matters into his own hands. Many people think like this in real life too and I think it can be quite dangerous and short-sighted. Remember guys, we're born without enemies.
I still think "you have no enemies" is a wrong mentality to some extent. Or at least different from how I interpret it. Making an enemy is something you cant really control even with kindness. I think the real take here is to accept your enemies and fight their hostility, not them themselves. Peace is achieved through hardship mental and physical. For exame..The desire to change/oppose something that is actively working against your needs and desires is an enemy. Your enemy. It is hostile toward you and you want to fight back against it. Like Talking to someone who wants war and trying to convince them to stop is a fight in itself. Your enemy is war... You don't want war. The person who wants war is your enemy. Because You have to fight back against it as you fought your past self to change... With the intention to make no enemies; You hated yourself for what you did but you accept it and make it a friend that guide you onwards. Again..As you said we are all slave for desires and social norms and so to resolve this.. you must identify the person that carries the wrongs and fight it pacifically in a way that doesnt bring out your hatred toward it.. to make no enemy. At least that's my take..
Masking the person as enemy will cloud our view and take us away from coming to understanding. We only beat war with love and understanding which comes with empathy and listening to our "enemy" which we won't do if we think of em' as Enemy. Though their can be many other takes on this, It's just my pov and knowledge. Like - Great thoughts by a child is neglected by the "all knowing & experienced" old people because they are afterall "children" a mask.
I love Vinland Saga, but there's only one little thing everyone overlooks, in order to have the strengths to not k@ll your (not) enemies, You first need to be m@rdering machine, the best k@ller there is, only then, You might be able to stop them without ending them.
no not really, you do need to be strong, in many ways not just physically, but you don't need to be a murderer, you might only think that because the characters (so far in the anime) we've seen try to take the much harder path were killers before but that doesn't at all mean that you must be a murderer in order to take the more difficult path of love and compassion for all
I completely disagree with this take as I know thorfinn would. He could only see his burdens after becoming a slave but I know he'd prefer everyone to be able to perceive their burdens without having to be a warrior
I actually derived a different meaning from “you have no enemies”. I more so felt like his dad was saying that a true warrior has no equals and therefore fighting to destroy an enemy is, in a way, acknowledging them as your equal
That's a very idealist interpretation of what the story focuses on. I disagree with your thesis that people just want peace. Even if that were true, there are those who will kill and exterminate anything they see as an affront to their idea of peace. In my eyes, they are still the enemy, whether they genuinely believe that they're virtuous of not
The real message the anime is trying to pass on is about the follwing quote: “It is better to be a warrior in a garden, than a gardener in a war.” ― Miyamoto Musashi, The Book of Five Rings -- The point here is very simple, you must not choose violence, but at the same time be ready for it. This is not a 100% pacifist bullshit, because not choosing violence is only 50% of it, the other 50% is about being prepared if it comes to it... and you do that by being capable of violence, by training and etc... not just being a defenseless piece of potato.
Vinland's writing was straight up perfection until the absolute retardation of "no weapons allowed". Thorfinn should be the FIRST one to understand that regardless of how well intentioned you are, people will try to pillage your town, Sooo, what's his plan when 50 men with swords show up to take over vinland? Given that people in the west KNOW that it's doing well and its a great hospitable fertile land? I'm sure thorffin can manage just fine without a weapon, but what about the villagers? It's not even naivety at play, it's straight up bad writing that makes the protagonist have the intellect of a literal snail. Even if it's a set up for character development where people attack then thorfinn realizes that self-defence measures are a necessary evil. It is still bad writing to have any sane person to think it's a good idea, let alone the main protagonist. Honestly the manga went from straight 10/10 to an unreadable mess. The only way to salvage this mess it is to make a point that "no weapons allowed" is retarded and have some shmucks raid vinland and kill everyone including thorfinn and start colonizing the land. But my guess it will become the most shouneny ending where thorfinn wins over people with the power of friendship/love/peace retconning everything we know about the world of vinland saga.
I seek to enlighten others, that violence is never an answer. Peace achieved by violence is not peace at all. What about those who suffered? Have they experienced peace after a war? Or will they be more engulfed by hate and to exact revenge? It's true that everything cannot be solved without violence, but is it worth it to resort to it just for the problem to be solved? I believe that I have no enemies or am in need of one. But I still support self-defense to defend the innocent and the abused and, if possible, to not kill the wrongdoer. Thors sacrificing himself wasn't a mistake. He was cornered by his belief brought upon by Askeladd. The fact that he was not powerful enough to avoid his son being a hostage was his blunder. He was left with no choice. To kill Askeladd, his son will also be killed. To sacrifice himself, his son will be saved from death. For me, Thors' pacifism wasn't wrong because Askeladd was just fortunate enough to overpower Thors in that single encounter. Askeladd won using tricks, and Thors lost because of those tricks. In Thors' perspective, will you become a hypocrite just to save the life of your love ones? will you go back on your promise because this is happening?... if you kill every time this happens, would you even call yourself a person that believes violence is not the answer or are you just a delusional hypocrite? If Thors killed Askeladd, would he be no different than him? Who also uses tricks, via tricking himself into thinking that violence is not the answer. Thors wasn't weak because he didn't choose violence, he was weak because he didn't have the power to save everyone. Have strength, to not kill or to cause unnecessary pain, but to save and defend everyone, for you have no enemies.
The prophet(pbuh) said: "Your slaves are your brethren, upon whom Allah has given you authority. So, if one has one's brethren under one's control, one should feed them with the like of what one eats and clothe them with the like of what one wears. You should not overburden them with what they cannot bear, and if you do so, help them (in their hard job)." Sahih al-Bukhari 2545
Could you please speak more clearly and "outside"? I wanted to watch the video and gave up because I had a hard time understanding you, it seems like you're speaking to yourself more than to me. Maybe that's just me
vinland sagas creator seems to have a deep religious connection. seems he doesnt like the people who practice christianity because there seems to be hypocricy between some people, but he seems to understand what jesus wanted to teach the world througg his teachings.
Okay we have no enemies if we think about but that doesn't change that we have to be strong so when someone wants to hurt us or loved ones we can kill them back
Great video, at first i didnt notice the wiew and like count and after i seen them after watching the video i was shocked to see so few. Keep up the good work!!
I still have no clue what vinland saga is actually about (I watched the first season). I read some of the wikis too, the narrative is untraditional. Is the plot not really as important as the overall message the writer's trying to convey? I'll give season 2 a go forsure but it's one of those stories where I don't really know what's happening. The plot makes sense but it seems more of a device to explore thorfinns inner journey... Idk. Can someone tell me what makes it so compelling? I liked the first season, it seemed ike there's no build up to anything outside of thorfinns character change. I don't get it.
Yeah I'd say the focus in vinland saga is very much on thorfinn's character development and how the world around him impacts him as a human being, like you already said. And I think he also mostly serves as a device to bring across the bigger message the story wants to convey and the questions it asks. How do we respond to injustice and violence? How will that response of ours impact others? Asking these types of questions is one of vinland's biggest strengths and trying to answer them in different ways but using the same character, thorfinn, for it is definitely an interesting choice.
@@blattsee111 Ahh, that makes sense. Thanks. I would probably be more into it if I read it. I got annoyed in the anime because it seemed like there was alot of buildups and then I get plot blue balls. Like characters would just go on there ways when it seemed thorfinn would be more invested in an event. (basically the escort mission of the prince) Also thorfinns family and the guy (I think he was a merchant) who was looking for him.
@@QuasiKnobby You're right, there's definitely some things that aren't resolved very thoroughly in the anime until now. In that case I'd always recommend reading the manga!
Askeladd does actually understand this concept, because at one point he says
“A man, slave to gold, holds a whip... And beats the slave he bought with that gold as if to claim HE is the master. He just doesn't see it for himself. Every living human being is a slave to something.“
I love this. I simplified Askeladd’s character for the sake of the video, but he absolutely does! His duality as a person will leave a lasting impact on the rest of the show.
@@designingcrib askelladd is one of the most fascinating fictional characters I've ever had the pleasure of reading
Reminds me of Kenny's speech from AOT
@@seddd I believe it may have even inspired it
Then it’s best to be a slave to truth, for then life is the chain that binds you to reality.
My favorite thing about Thorkell, is that he or his underlings never pillage or rape, they are really just in it for the battle.
You can see every other Viking in the story do those things, be it Askeladd's band or just a handful of vikings who appear very briefly. This separates Thorkell from the rest, he has a sort of code where he loves battle, but will not fight those who are unarmed or in no condition to fight, shown when even his men refused to kill Askeladd's men unless they picked up their weapons and fought like warriors, and when he accidentally broke Torgrim's spirit and let him live. He may be a crude and incredibly violent entity, but he is truly just trying to become a true warrior like Thors did
You took the words right out of my mouth. Thorkell is what many envision a “true warrior” to be. But in the end, Thors ultimately followed the right path
yeah this proves when thorkell and his gang just straight switch side before jomsborg battle just because someone veryy resemble him stole his prey. He doesn't need cause to fight. He just need to fight lol. Too bad he had no interest in going to vinland
He believes in Norse mythology with the fervor of a zealot. In his mind there is no pursuit higher, no path nobler or more rewarding than that of the Valhalla bound warrior. He seems like a pretty iconically Norse mfker.
If Thorfinn listened to his father's words at the end of the first season he would've been on his way to Vinland. I love how the story revolves around this one line and challenges every main amd supporting character with it.
What were his words ?
"remembering the path i have walked in the past can shed light into who I will become"
It is my favorite quote out of any series. It really took me on a life lesson, especially after reading the Slave Arc.
But that quote... it is special.
Special indeed.
I don't think I've been impacted by any other manga or anime the way I have been by VS, any media for that matter. I don't think I've ever cried for someone's character development before but for Thorfinn it got me there. I know Yukimura had intentions of making the reader feel like if you feel like you're incapable of gaining redemption, just know that Thorfinn through all the horrible things he did... through immense hard work and determination you can change... and so can you, and so can I, we're all capable of being kinder gentler people :)
Vinland Saga holds a special place in my heart, my biggest regret is that I didn't start this masterpiece sooner.
This is one my greatest realizations in my 20's and I'm gald this anime portrayed it perfecty. I first realized it after watching aot ending where after many years the cycle starts again - many people hated that ending but for me... I came to a realization that there will always be problems and thus there will always be stress and worries. What we can do is change the way we perceive things.
Also I have a bad habit of listeting to what others day about me. In the end, I realized that there will always be people who will hate me because they have different values and beliefs and I respect that. For them their beliefs are correct. for me my beliefs are correct. My point is that there's no right or wrong approach to solving life (except for the obvious wrong ones) because life is always unpredictable and to not let other people's opinions influence my life.
Great video, at 9:58 it reminds me of Kenny Ackerman saying “everyone’s a slave to something”
When Thors said " you have no enemies" I knew exactly what he meant. We have no enemies except for the ones we chose to create. Equally profound is when the priest tells them (I can't remember exactly who atm) no man knows true unconditional love.
alcohol, women, pretending to be god, family, the king, dreams, children, power… They all had something they were drunk on. They were all slaves to something… -Kenny Ackerman
What a powerful thesis. Fantastically done my mans!
The only enemy you have is your ego..
I think a good way to understand how this philosophy can apply to everyday life, despite other's having conflicting goals where we'll naturally confront them, is:
"Never mistake your opponent for an enemy".
Your script was well written, but something I can't quite place my finger on is off. I think it's a combination of your mic, and execution of the lines.
Bro this sounds like some deep mubo jumbo. “Everyone has a face till they get punched in the plan” Mike Tyson
Your videos are well made, you deserve a lot more subscriber 🔥🔥🔥
This is what Christ was talking about when he said, "Love thy enemy."
You have no enemies only obstacles
The world of Vinland Saga isn't all that different than the world today
Damn you have a really way of pacing your videos
My take on this is more like: People make enemies out of each other but who is real enemy? is it ourselves or someone/enity pulling strings in the background to influence us fight each other?
I think its both.
A few years back when I was 17 there was a man I wanted to kill. He'd physically assaulted someone in my family and we were as close as brothers prior to this happening. I knew his address and how I wanted to kill him and his wife too. Those close to me kept me from moving forward with my intent, but the hatred I felt was in my veins by that point. I felt like a pig not doing anything, and it was around that same time I'd caught up to about a little bit past the farming arc in Vinland Saga. Thorfinn had connected with me so much. It was on a drive with my Dad that the line clicked with me. "I have no enemies" that line to me tells me that I can't really hate anyone. I created an image of a person to target my hate towards. I was angry at the injustice and cruelty of the events that took place, but in my heart I couldn't kill or hate another human being. If I were to see that man again getting up in the morning, greeting his wife, going to work, eating food, hating mondays and going to bed I would see a human being with a heart just like mine. To truly hate him would be to reduce him to a target. In the end I want to be like Thorfinn and move past my anger and hatred. Even to follow my Christian faith more deeply and learn to have love fill my heart instead. I'm still working on bettering myself and the man had a son a few months ago. I am glad for that child's sake that I never went through with what I wanted to do. He's an adorable lil guy.
Honestly, you sound like you were an idiot.
@@user-zu1ix3yq2w Eh, maybe. The justice system didn't do nothing and no one else was doing anything, so I was thinking that I'd make things fair. I don't think I was wrong with my line of thought, but it definitely wasn't the right thing to do. I was thinking in terms of protecting my family I guess.
vinland saga started off so profound and intriguing but then it got too idealistic...a wiseman knows when to kill and when not to kill, a fool always kills or never kills regardless of the circumstances
imo the idealism is the whole reason why vinland's story is so powerful. tirelessly choosing nonviolence, even in an extreme world in which you constantly get into situations where violence seems to be the only solution is just so inspiring to me, idk
If you really think that you didn't understand the point at all.
@@andrewacacia9851 fair enough, what is the point?
Wow dude what a great video
thank you man glad you liked it
Nice video!
Much appreciated!
I haven’t started the new season but fuck I’m excited, I won’t watch this cause I’m not sure if there’s spoilers but definitely on my watch later
Great video 👏
Great video. Music credits?
everything you said in this video is applicable to real life. i wish there was some way to live with this fact or overcome it but frankly I've lost faith.
wrong, everyone is an enemy, and if they dont want to be, you'll force them to become your enemy
Beautiful. Next time raise the volume of your voice, though.
Garcia Nancy Martinez Jason Moore Angela
Johnson Michael Hall Nancy Lewis Paul
W vid fr
nah is just for to be a king saga thats all is just for storry progtrssion not enemy hahaha
I hate the idea of “evil” Vikings mentioned in the video. I think the idea of good and evil cannot exist and should not be applied when looking at this series, as they do what makes them survive to be happy. Murdering those villagers is instrumental in their survival, taking their food is, and that is exactly what they were doing in need to survive. They were “predators” hunting for “prey” (weaker people with food). Wouldn’t it be the same as the predators in the animal kingdom who eat other animals as a source of food and sustenance. I mean can you really call an animal who rips apart animals alive cruel? Can you call Cuckoos despicable? I mean they basically do the same thing the Vikings did. Of course not, you would called them fantastic adaptations, evolutions into becoming a more efficient and prolific animal in the world.
And of course nowadays if someone did that that would be quite horrific, as we have the means of survival and a higher sense of empathy and what not, but that is the exact reason you cannot apply our morality and our way of looking at things into their world.
Furthermore, there are scenes that truly show that the Viking are good, especially in the scene when the priest tells the Vikings about church and they relate to some aspect of softness around who they care about.
While this essay does make a good point, by making characters or a group of people purely black and white, is that you diminish their multifaceted personality and your applying a sense of Christian morality to a group of people who didn’t abide by the rules, making it seemingly lack some sense of depth.
Deeeeeeeeeeep
you need pop filter
all men not women....
NO ONE in this world is your enemy. Vinland saga changed my life and inspired me to practice radical pacifism as much as I possibly can. Vinland is my favorite story of all time
Guy raped and killed my daughter last week, poor fella what has he gone through to do such an act, I'll try and advocate for a lighter sentence :(((
God is calling you
There are more terrible and evil things in life to battle against than the men and women we are born to live and die with.
You might enjoy the book of Ecclesiasties. It's a story about an old Greek philosopher giving a lecture to his students about his life and his findings about wisdom in living.
@@jllemin4 thanks for the suggestion
Couldn’t agree any more. The lessons taught from Vinland Saga need to be studied in a course.
you have no enemies
*kills hunedreds of people*
a real warrior doesnt need a sword
*learns to dual wield*
thorfinn is a wonderfull son
He will learn these lessons in due time.
@@sifter14 psst dont spoil the manga
@@Grilled-Cheese-Obama-Sandwich. he didn’t
@@appa9685 i did not finish it too soo sory
@@Grilled-Cheese-Obama-Sandwich. tbh, i'm not a manga reader but even I can tell that the story's going in that direction.
Each of three characters see their dad die. Arguably the morale compass is reset at that moment
Great point I never thought about it like that
Thorfinn got to see his father die "unfairly".
Prince Canute lost his father figure.
Askeladd killed his father.
So Askeladd killed the father of all three main characters
@@b.heaven9234 lmao, i didn't realise
@@b.heaven9234 that's why he is not only the GOAT, but THE KING OF WHALES BABYYY
The quote really got me thinking the past couple of weeks and I think i can finally verbalize what i have conclude to with it. At its barest form, enemy is just a word. With it ever changing from person to person, it can take any form thus it can take no form at all. You are born with no enemies, life does not assign you enemies, God does not assign you enemies, you are not forced or paired with an enemy. So where do they come from? The person you envision as your enemy is the reflection you put up to bear the weight of your hate, but take away the mirror, and all that is left is you. You yourself is your only enemy, and they are your enemy only if you see them as such
Beautifully said, I couldn’t agree more.
You need to save this and keep it somewhere safe these words have true meaning and youve gotten it across perfectly. Thank you for this
You'd have to be about the most sheltered person in the world to truly believe that "enemy" is just a word.
@@networknomad5600 I had my fair of troubles man. We all had someone we hated and considered enemies. But it doesn't do any good to keep hating someone. It has done me more harm then good to get back at the person and it's not worth it. Not saying to forgive them or such , more like don't make it your priority. You can try leave them out of your life and forget they exist. But this can't come true for everyone, I understand that. This is not an ideal world. Even if u let the hate go, who's to say the other party will, they may be out to get at all times. But I made my comment thinking of if everyone did hold that way of thinking, but that can be applied for a lot of things, if only things were ideal and everybody thought this way, but unfortunately not.
@@networknomad5600 well it most certainly is a word created by humans not the world. the world did not create enemies. We did
vinland saga has actually changed my outlook on life. i love vinland
Vinland loves you too
I think this analysis really does get to the heart of what Vinland Saga is about. in the very beginning, when Thors dies, the seeds of hate begin to grow in Thorfin, and we see the fundamental problem with the way the mind operates in this state. from that point on, Thorfin considers his hate for Askeladd to be indicative of the depth of his love for his father. in this case, love is expressed through loss, in the form of grief... and all of that frustration, anger, and pain is lumped onto one person. Thorfin's enemy.
on a broader scale, this is how conflicts between countries are perpetuated. you have distant authority figures at the tops of various hierarchies, who have detatched tactical interests in resource-rich land, or robust expansion... but the thing that convinces the everyman to join an army and fight, is this more personal sense of duty. for the sake of their country... for the preservation of threatened lives... for love.
probably one of the more interesting conversations in Vinland Saga is between the priest and Canute after the death of Ragnar. by any normal definition, Ragnar loved Canute more than anything... but the priest says that such a selfish love is more aptly defined as discrimination. Ragnar watched 62 villagers lose their lives for the sake of protecting Canute. he had to put his own priorities first, and out of love for his chosen person, he let them die without a single word of protest. interestingly, almost every major character contains a grain of this hypocrisy. they've all done horrible things... but they all have some specific sticking point. something they care, or cared, about. Askeladd cared for his mother. Thorfin cared for Thors. Ragnar cared for Canute. and in them, we see the way that violence twists love. how do you prove that you love someone? do you slay whoever hurt them?
Thorfin and Askeladd are a direct display of how this becomes cyclical. Askeladd actually killed his dad for doing harm to his mother... and now the damage that Askeladd has done is what motivates Thorfin to destroy him. and on the path toward that goal, Thorfin has been a part of the very same rampant destruction that caused his own grief. this is a selfish type of love... discrimination, as the priest put it. the kind where you place your own priorities higher than the wellbeing of anyone else. what is the remedy to this? what stops this?
to me, Thorkell leans hard in one direction, while Thors leans hard in the other. Thorkell ceases to be a hypocrite by thriving in violence. there is nothing in Thorkell's existence that he'd begrudge a warrior for taking from him. even his own life... if a warrior managed to take that, they would've earned it and deserved to have it. you'd think this would make Thorkell free... but in reality, the way he prefers living is completely unsustainable. the destruction can't continue... it's eating away everything the world has to offer, slowly but surely. Thorkell is running fresh out of fights to be had. and at the end of the day, the one thing he doesn't possess, is a truth that a lot of the major characters already hold within their hearts: a vision of what it would be like to live in peace.
for Askeladd, it's his mother's tales of Avalon. for Thorfin, it's his father's stories of Vinland. for Canute, it's the Eden-like cocoon that Ragnar created for him in his childhood. this is the missing ingredient that makes a true warrior. not just a vision of peace, but the wisdom to recognize which fights are necessary, just, or worthy of having for the protection of peace, vs. which fights are pointless if peace is your real aim. it's why Thorkell could recognize the look of a true warrior in Thors, as he was leaving the battlefield in order to go raise his daughter. it's the restraint not to fight an unnecessary battle. the ability to know peace, to identify it as your goal, and to only act in service of that pursuit.
a battle with Thors would mean something, much more than a battle with most other warriors, because Thors has to be convinced to fight. the fight has to be worth it. he will avoid killing to the absolute best of his abilities. he will try as hard as possible to avoid a violent outcome. death on the battlefield is cause for grief. you don't have enemies. nobody has enemies. if we could, we should all end up standing shoulder to shoulder in Vinland. if that is not possible, then we've all failed as one.
This is a really beautiful read
@@leemansuleiman5907 thank you ^_^
Very well written! I had a question, if the love we all have is just discrimination, what exactly does truly loving someone means
@@fubukishirou5023 first of all, thank you! and in terms of your question, I think when it comes to the philosophy of Vinland Saga, the priest's perspective here is... maybe not quite complete? it's a piece of the puzzle. it's meant to point out the hypocrisy of putting someone who is important to you ahead of others, as though others don't have the exact same capacity for love as yourself. and I think the warning that goes with that, is that if you do act as though your interests are more profound than anyone else's, you'll eventually, inevitably be confronted with the reality of the situation... which is that another person's love for those who matter to them is equally monumental from their perspective.
so like, when Askeladd chose to kill Thors... it was a job. and if Thorfinn hadn't been there, he might've just meandered on his way, and would've never had to think much of it again. instead, Thorfinn stows away with him, and Askeladd is confronted with the results of his actions every single day for the rest of his life. and it wouldn't have mattered _less_ to Thorfinn if he'd been safely at home when his father died. but now, Askeladd has a reason to think back to when he was a child, and consider the hatred he felt toward his father before killing him. Askeladd has cared for someone before... he cared for his mother. and it's motivated him to violence before... he understands how that feels. and so, in the eyes of a child like Thorfinn, what does that make him? what has that made him, his entire life?
I would say about 98% of the time, Askeladd brushes off all of this, but that other 2% might've been what kept him from just killing Thorfinn and moving on. in some ways, he might deserve to be haunted by his mistakes like this... it's really Thorfinn who doesn't deserve to have to live that role.
but then Thorfinn goes on to slaughter how many people? all in pursuit of Askeladd, who killed just one man that happened to be important to Thorfinn. eventually, Thorfinn has to confront the fact that, for however much pain he felt when Thors died, he's caused that in another person's life for every person he's hurt. Thors would never have wanted to be in that position. Thors was actively trying to choose pacifism until his dying breath, and Thorfinn has used him as the motivation behind countless murders on the battlefield. they were all cause for grief. and in his own grief, Thorfinn has given in to frustration and rage, but he's failed to consider the actual thoughts and perspective of the person that he loved. and how can he now demand that nobody else react the same way he did, towards him? this is how the cycle of violence occurs. someone has to _choose_ to stop it.
I think this is what a lack of discrimination entails. "you have no enemies" isn't a statement of fact... it's a statement of intent. "I will not give anyone a reason to be my enemy." that is something you have to choose, on purpose, especially when it is the most difficult. this is what it means to de-escalate conflict, and work toward peace as a goal.
pulling from the most recent episode in season 2... (spoilers ahead if you haven't seen it)
Einar cared deeply about Arnheid. it makes sense that, upon seeing Ketil, his rage would flare. but Thorfinn didn't want Einar to kill him... not only because Ketil is a complex person who deserves a chance to learn and live better... but because Einar doesn't deserve to live inside of the hell that comes from killing out of rage. and on top of that, Ketil has two sons, both of whom would then hate Einar with the same burning passion. this has to stop. it cannot continue. everyone has suffered enough already, and Ketil's death wouldn't bring Arnheid back. it wouldn't do anything good for anyone.
sometimes peace is the hardest thing to choose, but when you consider the effect that Thorfinn has had on someone like Einar, who he really cares about... it's the most worthy thing to fight for.
@@kamuyking551Nice 'It's a statement of intent' I like that. I feel like love wouldn't be possible without discrimination tho.
However I think the biblical narrative would answer this. We humans can't fully understand and comprehend true 'love' like God can. Even canute says that one can only love truly after death. True 'love' would be to die on the cross for the sins of everyone without discrimination.
The “You have no enemies” and “A true warrior doesn’t need a sword” go along each other really well.
This was a beautiful commentary on the themes of Vinland Saga. You made some great points about the complexities of war & "peace", and our own nature when faced with those choices in the context of our lives & whatever era we live in. It makes me want to examine my own more fully.
I enjoyed every minute of this essay. And I hope to see more, particularly for season 2.
Well done!
Thank you! This video took ages to make so i appreciate the support and yes I will definitely be doing one for season 2!
All men want is peace, ‘and a piece of land for themselves’. Thats the problem. Peace truly prospers where there is no personal possessions. That slave girl knew that the only possession one should own is their soul, all else is vanity and a striving after wind.
Seconds in and I've got goosebumps, what a beautiful story. Having read what's coming, the arcs the characters go through, makes it a masterpiece of a tale.
Though there are many that don't, a lot of us now in the world live in Vinland, or the idea of it. A place without slavers, lands of peace. How lucky we are.
There isn't a LOT of media that makes me cry, but some of the latest chapters, when Thorfin *spoilers!* becomes a true warrior, had me in messy tears.
I saw a video on a channel that does interviews on the street asking Russians various questions. And they did one around the New Year time asking what they wished for in the New Year, and along with the normal wishes of health and happiness nearly every one of them wished for Peace. We are still at the mercy of great dictators, mad tyrants and kings but it's important to remember that a lot of the people they are fighting who were and are their friends and families. As you Francois Fenelon said, "All wars are civil wars, because we are all brothers". All I know is there is going to be some deep scars for generations to come from these wars, but we should not come at those who had no say in it with division and hate. And ultimately even to come at those who wielded the power in these wars with love, that is not to overlook these crimes against humanity, nor not to enact justice, but try to come to understand why in their hearts they chose to inflict cruelty on others, and ultimately to their own souls.
enjoyed listening to your analysis very much! keep it up man.
Thank you so much! I love talking about anime I love so expect more of this soon 🙏🏾
You did not have to go this hard 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Only trying to keep up with THE Qlloudy
I enjoyed this very much, also love Vinland saga very much already. I watched it about 3 years ago on TH-cam and just rewatched it with a friend so I have a companion to go through the emotions of what’s to come with. Certain moments hit me so much harder than before surprisingly, especially the big ending and Askeladds heartfelt message to Thorfinn as he bled out. After all the bullshit it was like damn he really cares, “go far away son of Thor’s, learn to be a true warrior” makes me wanna cry thinkin about it. Shit I love that asshole
That quote hits every time. "From now on, after I die, what will you do with your life thorfinn?" That quote hit me so hard man
Thank you for kind words, I think I can speak for everyone when I say that Askeladd is everybody’s favorite asshole
Beautiful
I find vinland saga as a reflection of myself, every ex I’ve had every friend that betrayed me, I’ve never hated them or considered them as enemies but lately I’ve been feeling so much devoured by hatred I thought, if everyone will treat me in a bad way I should too I was about to lose myself but then I started reading Vinland and now I understand I was right, I have no enemies nobody does. We all just consider them our enemies for nothing.
Vinland saga and the current arc taught me something, enemies is a useful way for the system to control you. Notice how we are taught people who are VASTLY different from us are our "enemies", how there's winners and loser in any type of conflict? Truth is while we all want peace, we all got different ideas of how it would look. Maybe to some, peace is no "enemies", maybe for others, it's having nothing but free time to relax, maybe to someone, peace is having no one to best you in combat. No matter how you slice it, all the three main characters in vinland saga got reason to survive, yet they don't know any better options
"you have no enemies" -thors
"If you're friends to everybody, then you're an enemy to yourself" -mike Tyson.
I love how both these quotes graples the ideas of having enemies or not having enemies in the most non violent way.
What thors meant wasn't making everybody your friend, but understanding people, why they do what they do, understanding where they're coming from
you have no enemies doesn't equal to everyone is your friend
“In order to find the sense of good we have to find a villain, if there is none we will create one.”
When Thor’s said that no one has enemies, It feels like he was saying that you ought to stop looking for an enemy. If you do, eventually down the road you will create one, either by influencing someone to be the enemy or yourself becoming the enemy.
@5:30 in the manga, thorfinn talked about getting revenge to the people who killed your love one as a vikings right of passage he argue that its your duty (victim) to keep the peace of the world to not let people like those to roam earth without vindication.
I really wanna internalize the message of this video but it doesn't really translate to our world in my opinion. Not all men want peace, in the last year alone there were two major shootings in the US that specifically targeted minorities along with hundreds of other smaller scale events. I've got interactions at both. So I most definitely have enemies, and while I do not seek them out, there's most certainly a chance they'll find me.
Great video quality though seriously. I'm subbing
Radical pacifists always seem to think that people being ruthlessly exploited, beaten, abused and dispossessed should never pick up a weapon to fight against their aggressors. It is true that killing your "enemies" in that scenario wont have much lasting effect, but it is an important and necessary step. Destroying the systems of oppression that keep people from self-actualization, self-determination and freedom will not go over well with most of the people directly or indirectly profiting from those systems, they will most likely retaliate.
Love from Buffalo brother, we need to come to change people's conditions, as conditions determine their nature. Had their conditions been changed, say they weren't born into racist families, do you think they still would've done those shootings? People aren't inherently evil, they are made that way, conditioned that way because it benefits a small group of privileged people. Like how almost all US institutions were founded in the roots of racism for the benefit of white landowners and that racism still perpetuates from those institutions to this day.
@@Clawb0 And if those conditions are family members that have had their entire lives to think critically and interact with others? In the case of racism, they likely lived through the civil rights era. If racism could have been eradicated through only education we would have been rid of it the moment all those 70s era books about systemic racism were published. We shouldnt baby people who have had the opportunities to change their minds. They made their decisions, if they seek redemption they are always welcome to, but we need projects and societies that protect the racialized and the victimized first and physical force/killing will be necessary when the next proud boys and klan come around. Its not pretty and it shouldnt be worshipped as the tactic of all tactics cause it isnt.
@@db1416 The education system is also a problem, it reinforces those same ideas that allow those institutions to stay in place, again, conditioned to think a certain way, the news is the same as well. Racism cannot be eradicated through OUR education system but can be eradicated through a different system. The Black Panthers are in many ways proof of this.
Also I’m not babying these people, I’m providing nuance. They are horrible people who deserve all the worst, but putting them in prison only addresses the symptom, it’s like putting a bandaid on an arm that was just cut off.
I also understand that we will come at an odds with the already existing, already educated (and too far deep) fascists that exist. Education obviously isnt the tactic for dealing with them and I never implied it to be, again I’m talking about how we fix it.
This idea is basically just learning to see the world the way God does. A famous idea is that God loved even Hitler, and the notion usually upsets people. From his persprctive though, WW2, like any war, would have just been his children killing each other.
I learned this a few years ago after watching a documentary where a man who was a former member of ISIS was interviewed. He was set for execution. He spoke about a movie he really liked as a boy, the only movie his home had. Where a man meets a woman and forms a family, he said he always wanted to dance with a wife like they did in that movie. But clearly he lost his way and devoted his life to another cause. He became a slave to it. I wonder about him from time to time, if he would have been a good father and a loving husband given that opportunity in life. I had hate for men, especially men like him. I wanted to join the military and go fight. I was contemplating killing men like that and tried to justify my feelings with “they’re the bad guys”. But I realized I was wrong. I also want what that man wanted. How could I ever kill a man that as boy desired this in his purest heart. So I renounced everything, I refused to be a part of any religion, country, or political status. I became solely concerned with the full understanding of mankind.
Ironically… this path has lead me to Christ. Not to be religious or anything. But I’m just putting this out there, that is where I ended up. I did not plan it. Someone else probably did.
Wow this is was heartbreaking to read, rarely, if any, do we have a villain
Amazing video man. Inspired me to make my own video on Thorfinn’s philosophy
season 2 weeds out all the kids
I think my favorite moment in the Anime is when Askeladd asks Thorfinn what will he do with his life.
9:19 Doesn't Canute become a slave to his own ideals (which he can't uphold anyway)? He forsakes God because he doesn't trust "God's plan" and that everything will be okay in the end. Yes, the pillaging scene of the Christian village seemed horrible, but we have to remember that life doesn't end after death. It was quite brutal, but if Jesus' promise is true, then they all were comforted and received their place in heaven.
What Canute is pursuing is his own justice system. You could call it vigilantism and it's similar to what Light does in Death Note. He isn't satisfied with God's justice, so he ends up taking matters into his own hands. Many people think like this in real life too and I think it can be quite dangerous and short-sighted. Remember guys, we're born without enemies.
I still think "you have no enemies" is a wrong mentality to some extent. Or at least different from how I interpret it.
Making an enemy is something you cant really control even with kindness. I think the real take here is to accept your enemies and fight their hostility, not them themselves. Peace is achieved through hardship mental and physical.
For exame..The desire to change/oppose something that is actively working against your needs and desires is an enemy. Your enemy. It is hostile toward you and you want to fight back against it.
Like Talking to someone who wants war and trying to convince them to stop is a fight in itself. Your enemy is war... You don't want war. The person who wants war is your enemy. Because You have to fight back against it as you fought your past self to change... With the intention to make no enemies; You hated yourself for what you did but you accept it and make it a friend that guide you onwards.
Again..As you said we are all slave for desires and social norms and so to resolve this.. you must identify the person that carries the wrongs and fight it pacifically in a way that doesnt bring out your hatred toward it.. to make no enemy.
At least that's my take..
Masking the person as enemy will cloud our view and take us away from coming to understanding. We only beat war with love and understanding which comes with empathy and listening to our "enemy" which we won't do if we think of em' as Enemy.
Though their can be many other takes on this, It's just my pov and knowledge. Like - Great thoughts by a child is neglected by the "all knowing & experienced" old people because they are afterall "children" a mask.
I love Vinland Saga, but there's only one little thing everyone overlooks, in order to have the strengths to not k@ll your (not) enemies, You first need to be m@rdering machine, the best k@ller there is, only then, You might be able to stop them without ending them.
I never thought about it that way, makes sense why someone like Canute wasn't able to be as impactful as Thors with his ideology
no not really, you do need to be strong, in many ways not just physically, but you don't need to be a murderer, you might only think that because the characters (so far in the anime) we've seen try to take the much harder path were killers before but that doesn't at all mean that you must be a murderer in order to take the more difficult path of love and compassion for all
I completely disagree with this take as I know thorfinn would. He could only see his burdens after becoming a slave but I know he'd prefer everyone to be able to perceive their burdens without having to be a warrior
Why do u censor yourself lol?
I actually derived a different meaning from “you have no enemies”. I more so felt like his dad was saying that a true warrior has no equals and therefore fighting to destroy an enemy is, in a way, acknowledging them as your equal
Cómo me gustaría que este video esté disponible en español para poder apreciarlo como se merece.
Use captions
That's a very idealist interpretation of what the story focuses on. I disagree with your thesis that people just want peace. Even if that were true, there are those who will kill and exterminate anything they see as an affront to their idea of peace. In my eyes, they are still the enemy, whether they genuinely believe that they're virtuous of not
I know I'm late but just finished Vinland 1 and 2. I gotta say that Canutes awakening was one of the best in all Anime, story was a masterpiece. 💯⚔️
Not even 600 subs? I can't imagine that will be the case for long. Thank you for making this video. 🤝
This video essay on Vinland Saga’s “You Have No Enemies” was very well thought out! I really enjoyed this vid, keep it up ❤❤❤
Awesome video essay! Take my subscription and good luck on your future endavors.
Amazing video ,you should do a review for season 2
I did!! It’s my most recent video check it out
This analysis was great! Grear job man
great video bruh
Great analysis, Vinland Saga is one of my favorite series such a beautiful and human story
such a beautiful message, nice video homie
Everybody has enemies some just don't know them yet.
The real message the anime is trying to pass on is about the follwing quote: “It is better to be a warrior in a garden, than a gardener in a war.”
― Miyamoto Musashi, The Book of Five Rings -- The point here is very simple, you must not choose violence, but at the same time be ready for it. This is not a 100% pacifist bullshit, because not choosing violence is only 50% of it, the other 50% is about being prepared if it comes to it... and you do that by being capable of violence, by training and etc... not just being a defenseless piece of potato.
Vinland's writing was straight up perfection until the absolute retardation of "no weapons allowed". Thorfinn should be the FIRST one to understand that regardless of how well intentioned you are, people will try to pillage your town, Sooo, what's his plan when 50 men with swords show up to take over vinland? Given that people in the west KNOW that it's doing well and its a great hospitable fertile land?
I'm sure thorffin can manage just fine without a weapon, but what about the villagers? It's not even naivety at play, it's straight up bad writing that makes the protagonist have the intellect of a literal snail.
Even if it's a set up for character development where people attack then thorfinn realizes that self-defence measures are a necessary evil. It is still bad writing to have any sane person to think it's a good idea, let alone the main protagonist.
Honestly the manga went from straight 10/10 to an unreadable mess. The only way to salvage this mess it is to make a point that "no weapons allowed" is retarded and have some shmucks raid vinland and kill everyone including thorfinn and start colonizing the land. But my guess it will become the most shouneny ending where thorfinn wins over people with the power of friendship/love/peace retconning everything we know about the world of vinland saga.
I seek to enlighten others, that violence is never an answer. Peace achieved by violence is not peace at all. What about those who suffered? Have they experienced peace after a war? Or will they be more engulfed by hate and to exact revenge? It's true that everything cannot be solved without violence, but is it worth it to resort to it just for the problem to be solved?
I believe that I have no enemies or am in need of one. But I still support self-defense to defend the innocent and the abused and, if possible, to not kill the wrongdoer. Thors sacrificing himself wasn't a mistake. He was cornered by his belief brought upon by Askeladd. The fact that he was not powerful enough to avoid his son being a hostage was his blunder. He was left with no choice. To kill Askeladd, his son will also be killed. To sacrifice himself, his son will be saved from death. For me, Thors' pacifism wasn't wrong because Askeladd was just fortunate enough to overpower Thors in that single encounter. Askeladd won using tricks, and Thors lost because of those tricks. In Thors' perspective, will you become a hypocrite just to save the life of your love ones? will you go back on your promise because this is happening?... if you kill every time this happens, would you even call yourself a person that believes violence is not the answer or are you just a delusional hypocrite? If Thors killed Askeladd, would he be no different than him? Who also uses tricks, via tricking himself into thinking that violence is not the answer. Thors wasn't weak because he didn't choose violence, he was weak because he didn't have the power to save everyone. Have strength, to not kill or to cause unnecessary pain, but to save and defend everyone, for you have no enemies.
Great video man! Keep it up you’ll get hella subs:D
The prophet(pbuh) said: "Your slaves are your brethren, upon whom Allah has given you authority. So, if one has one's brethren under one's control, one should feed them with the like of what one eats and clothe them with the like of what one wears. You should not overburden them with what they cannot bear, and if you do so, help them (in their hard job)." Sahih al-Bukhari 2545
"Everyone is a slave to something." -
Askeladd
earned a subscriber, beautiful analysis man keep it up🙏
Thanks so much man expect more analysis videos soon 🖤
Could you please speak more clearly and "outside"? I wanted to watch the video and gave up because I had a hard time understanding you, it seems like you're speaking to yourself more than to me. Maybe that's just me
vinland sagas creator seems to have a deep religious connection. seems he doesnt like the people who practice christianity because there seems to be hypocricy between some people, but he seems to understand what jesus wanted to teach the world througg his teachings.
Above anything else my friend, do not become your own enemy.
can anyone explain that if anyone is doing a sevre crime which no one can forgive such as rape ,then also they would not be known as our enemies?
Okay we have no enemies if we think about but that doesn't change that we have to be strong so when someone wants to hurt us or loved ones we can kill them back
that's some good shit bro
Great video, at first i didnt notice the wiew and like count and after i seen them after watching the video i was shocked to see so few. Keep up the good work!!
I still have no clue what vinland saga is actually about (I watched the first season). I read some of the wikis too, the narrative is untraditional. Is the plot not really as important as the overall message the writer's trying to convey? I'll give season 2 a go forsure but it's one of those stories where I don't really know what's happening. The plot makes sense but it seems more of a device to explore thorfinns inner journey... Idk. Can someone tell me what makes it so compelling? I liked the first season, it seemed ike there's no build up to anything outside of thorfinns character change. I don't get it.
Yeah I'd say the focus in vinland saga is very much on thorfinn's character development and how the world around him impacts him as a human being, like you already said. And I think he also mostly serves as a device to bring across the bigger message the story wants to convey and the questions it asks. How do we respond to injustice and violence? How will that response of ours impact others? Asking these types of questions is one of vinland's biggest strengths and trying to answer them in different ways but using the same character, thorfinn, for it is definitely an interesting choice.
@@blattsee111 Ahh, that makes sense. Thanks. I would probably be more into it if I read it. I got annoyed in the anime because it seemed like there was alot of buildups and then I get plot blue balls. Like characters would just go on there ways when it seemed thorfinn would be more invested in an event. (basically the escort mission of the prince) Also thorfinns family and the guy (I think he was a merchant) who was looking for him.
@@QuasiKnobby You're right, there's definitely some things that aren't resolved very thoroughly in the anime until now. In that case I'd always recommend reading the manga!
Just found a new channel to fall in love with. Beautifully done mang. Keep it up brodie
"All men want is peace" This hit deep into my soul ngl
Amazing analysis my guy keep up the good work 🎉
man killer video dude i hope you keep making content
This vid is awesome, Great job!
nothing is more stoic like Vinland saga
Fantastic video, was very enjoyable to watch