Who Is Snake in ‘Vinland Saga’? Is He Based on a Real Person?

While there were a lot of characters introduced in the events of season 2 of Vinland Saga, one of the characters that caught the attention of fans was Snake because of his cool demeanor. Snake was also one of the stronger characters in the Slave arc of the storyline, making him intriguing regarding his backstory and overall background. He also played an important role in the development of the events in season 2. So, who is Snake in Vinland Saga?

Snake is the leader of the armed bodyguards that Ketil employed to protect his farm from invaders and to keep the slaves and the other workers in line. His real name is Roald, and he is one of the people Thorfinn and Einar befriended due to his relationship with the old master named Sverkel.

Even though Snake was someone that Thorfinn and Einar befriended while working as slaves on Ketil’s farm, he was also one of the people that they ended up clashing with due to the entire mess involving Arnheid and her husband, Gardar. Nevertheless, both Thorfinn and Einar respect Snake because he treats them properly and was never a bully to them. Now, let’s look at what we know about Snake.

Snake’s Background Explained

It was already clear that new characters would be introduced in the Slavery arc of the Vinland Saga storyline. This is the part of the story where Thorfinn was forced to work as a slave on Ketil’s farm after his attempt on Canute’s life. While on the farm, Thorfinn underwent a massive change in his character and perspective in life, especially after realizing the damage he caused when he was a vengeful teenager. As such, this was the first time in his life that he legitimately befriended many people, including Einar, with whom he became close due to their common goals.

However, one of the unlikeliest people that Thorfinn befriended was Snake. Introduced as the lazy leader of the mercenaries working on Ketil’s farm, Snake is a laidback person who often spends his days sleeping and eating. He first appeared during the time when Fox and the other mercenaries on Ketil’s farm were bullying Thorfinn and Einar, as Snake prevented Fox from killing Thorfinn.

Snake used to be a warrior that worked for Byzantium but ended up in the services of Ketil as he and his men were asked to work there as “guests.” However, they were glorified bodyguards that established a camp on Ketil’s massive farm and were asked to keep the peace there. Although there weren’t a lot of things going on, Snake and his men were the ones that guarded the perimeter of the farms and were responsible for policing the slaves.

During his free time, Snake spends his days in Sverkel’s house. Sverkel is the old master and is the father of Ketil. The stubborn old man had a close relationship with Snake, who was more of a son to him than Ketil was. It was through Sverkel that Thorfinn and Einar could befriend Snake as well.

Sverkel often asked Thorfinn and Einar to do some of his farm chores in exchange for allowing them to borrow his horse and his tools. Because of this relationship between the slaves and Sverkel, Thorfinn and Einar became acquainted with Snake as they often ate meals together in Sverkel’s home.

Despite his laidback personality, Snake is a force to be reckoned with and a fearsome man whenever he is serious. His men fear him so much that a single word from him would be enough to keep them in line. In fact, he is also such a strong warrior that he was able to take Gardar down with a few moves, even though Arnheid’s husband was strong enough to overwhelm several of Snake’s men.

Snake also knows and understands his role on Ketil’s farm, so he isn’t willing to let anyone mess with his job. That was how he clashed with Thorfinn and Einar when the pair of slaves tried to help Arnheid escape the farm with her husband. Still, Snake respects Thorfinn and Einar, as Thorfinn also shares the same respect for his character and strength. In fact, Thorfinn once said that Snake was just as strong as Askeladd but could keep up with his own speed.

Is Snake Based on a Real Person?

Most of the characters in Vinland Saga were taken straight out of the history books. The main characters were the ones that were chronicled in the Vinland Sagas, which are composed of Saga of the Greenlanders and The Saga of Erik the Red. So, does that mean that Snake is also based on a real person?

The tricky part about Snake is that his nickname often refers to him. But the truth is that, as mentioned, he is actually named Roald. And this is where we might see some connections between him and someone with a name close enough to his own.

Back in the 1940s, a Swedish author named Frans G. Bengtsson wrote a book entitled Röde Orm, which can be translated to Red Snake in English. The story book follows the journey of a young man who ended up on a Viking expedition after many Vikings tried to steal his family’s sheep. He chased after the Vikings but ended up getting captured by them after he killed one of them. Because he took a man from the Vikings, they told him he needed to replace him as one of their rowers.

The character in the book is named Orm, who went on to work with the Vikings as they traveled down to places in the south. He even worked as a bodyguard for the Caliph of Cordoba in Spain and was given a curved sword. And when he went back home, he became a legendary warrior with many stories to tell.

While Orm is a fictional character, it is possible that Snake was based on him because they have similar stories. They both worked as mercenaries that traveled south to work as a ruler. Snake also uses a curved sword given to him in the past. Of course, the fact that Röde Orm can be translated to “Red Snake” says a lot. “Röde” also sounds similar to Snake’s real name Roald.

As such, Orm may be a fictional character that became the basis for Snake’s character in Vinland Saga, even though there might be a few differences in their storylines. Nevertheless, the parallels are there, which means that it is quite possible that, while he isn’t based on a real-life historical character, Snake is still based on someone from Nordic literature.