What happens in A New God?
Spoilers for this episode and earlier events.
The conversion of Ubbe and Torvi becomes part of the political relationship between Alfred and his Norse allies. Magnus introduces a claim of kinship; the assertion should not be treated as settled biological fact simply because it is spoken confidently. Ivar turns belief into a performance of authority before the people of Kattegat.
- Season & episode
- Season 5, episode 13 of 20
- Series order
- 62 of 89
Story connections: Ivar the Boneless, Ubbe and Bjorn Ironside.
Identify a face in this episode.
Episode references: HISTORY season guide.
Key events and consequences
Baptism gives Ubbe and Torvi a public place in Alfred's alliance, while Ivar uses public religion to elevate his claim above ordinary rule. These are different uses of belief, not one shared conversion story. Magnus's assertion of kinship adds another possible claim to Ragnar's legacy without proving the genealogy he presents.
- The conversion of Ubbe and Torvi becomes part of the political relationship between Alfred and his Norse allies.
- Magnus introduces a claim of kinship; the assertion should not be treated as settled biological fact simply because it is spoken confidently.
- Ivar turns belief into a performance of authority before the people of Kattegat.
Key characters
Ivar the Boneless
Ivar turns belief into a performance of authority before the people of Kattegat.
Character story
Ubbe
The conversion of Ubbe and Torvi becomes part of the political relationship between Alfred and his Norse allies.
Character story
Bjorn Ironside
Character story
Torvi
The conversion of Ubbe and Torvi becomes part of the political relationship between Alfred and his Norse allies.
Character story
Alfred
The conversion of Ubbe and Torvi becomes part of the political relationship between Alfred and his Norse allies.
Character story
Magnus
Magnus introduces a claim of kinship; the assertion should not be treated as settled biological fact simply because it is spoken confidently.
Character story
Aethelred
Character storyLocations and story geography
Kattegat
Ivar's staged assertion of sacred authority asks the community to accept more than his military kingship.
Wessex
Baptism and conspiracy place Alfred's Norse alliance beside opposition within his own royal family.
These are places in the story. For the real landscapes used on screen, explore the filming-location guide.
The episode breakdown
The title applies to competing constructions of legitimacy. Baptism offers one language of belonging, Ivar’s spectacle offers another, and Magnus tries to establish a place through a family name. The episode invites comparison without requiring that all three gestures have the same sincerity or effect. Pay attention to who is permitted to recognize each claim. A private conviction becomes politically consequential when a king, a crowd or a potential brother agrees to organize life around it.
Themes to follow
- Belonging expressed through baptism, kinship and public spectacle
- Claims become powerful when other people recognize them