Vikings

The women in the opening credits are supposed to be the 9 daughters of Rán, the personifications of the waves. The title sequence is supposed to show the separation of a viking from the living, with the ornaments of his life (gold and weapons) floating down around him. During the shot of the rolling thunder there is a single frame showing Hel Lokisdottir: the goddess of death.

Rollo's tattoo depicts a scene from Norse Mythology: The wolves Hatí and Sköll (the sons of Fenrir) chase the sun and the moon.

Rollo was originally written to be Ragnar's cousin.