The first season averaged more than one million viewers in Norway, a country with a population of a little over five million.
Was simultaneously recorded in both Norwegian and English language.
All scenes were first shot with Norwegian dialogue. Then in English. The Norwegian version is called "Vikingane," produced by NRK (Norwegian television). The English version can be seen on Netflix.
The Viking practice of ättestupa is effectively a myth. As depicted, the elderly were expected to sacrifice for the good of the village, maintaining efficiency. However the original source of the story is a 13th century Icelandic account in Gautreks saga and supposed ättestupas in Norway and Scandinavia have all been proven to have been only referred to as such by 18th and 19th century historians with no prior references to any such practices save Gautreks saga. Most serious historians consider the story a reflection of the Icelandic medieval tradition of depicting Swedes as barbarous on account of them converting to Christianity a century later than Iceland.
The New York Times billed Norsemen one of the 10 best international TV series in 2017.