If there is a manga that has left their mark in recent years, that is “Vinland Saga“ The history of Vikings written by Makoto Yukimura has been recognized worldwide and was recently honored at the Angoulême Festival. During the event, the author shared details about the work, his creative process and what this trip of more than 20 years means for him.
The idea of ”Vinland Saga” comes from when Yukimura was a teenager and learned about the Icelandic explorers who came to America before Christopher Columbus. From the beginning I wanted to tell a story about slavery and redemption, but its editor recommended starting with the most striking: Vikings fights.
To create the world of Thorfinn, the author thoroughly investigated and traveled to Norway, Denmark, Iceland and Canada. He was wanting to visit Greenland, but because of logistics issues he could not do it. He was also surprised to discover that in Viking meetings violence could explode at any time, even for rejecting a toast.
One of Vinland Saga's great songs is his pacifist message, but ironically the manga is full of bloody battles. Yukimura explained that showing violence at its utmost crudeness is key to understanding why Thorfinn chooses to move away from her. Although he admits that the action has its attractiveness in fiction, its intention has always been for the reader to reflect on the consequences.
Forgiveness is also key in history. An example is Hild's conflict, which does not know whether or not to forgive Thorfinn for killing his father. Yukimura confessed that this issue is very interested because it grew with references from the Bible, which plays a lot of emphasis on the idea of loving and forgiving, something that believes that the world needs more than ever.
After so long working in the series, the author is already clear about his next step: rest. He does not rule out returning to the manga, but he feels that he already explored enough the historical genre and, if he returns, he may seek to tell other types of stories. With its end increasingly, “Vinland Saga” says goodbye by leaving an indelible mark on its readers, consolidating itself as one of the most shocking works of modern manga.
Fountain: Figaro
© 幸村誠・講談社／ヴィンランド・サガ製作委員会
(Tagstotranslate) Vinland-Saga
