The Vikings were certainly an interesting bunch. They organized democratic councils, had special rites to follow whenever they dueled, and they are even the precursors of what we previously thought is an entirely modern form of art: the rap battle. Well, it turns out that the Vikings used to practice Flyting, a custom in which two Vikings would hurl rhythmic insults at each other. Some of these insults have made their way to the annals of history, such as in the Icelandic Sagas. According to legend, Thor and Odin have performed Flyting, or Loki, and pretty much every other god in the Nordic pantheon, as nobody really liked him.
Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will actually contain Flyting, this form of rhythmic poetry. Eivor, the game’s protagonist, will regularly flyte with various NPCs. These events will essentially be boasting competitions, where Vikings will gather around the mead hall and jest with insults.
Ashraf Alsmail, the creative director of Assassin’s Creed, has tweeted something about the new feature of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. A video of him explaining the Viking rap battles put in place in the new game has been posted online.
The message is clear. It is time to work on the poetic license and rhythmic skills, so our technical skills are up to date for the rap we’re about to perform in Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla. There are going to be a lot of spicy rap battles involved. Who knows, we might even get some kennings out of this new feature.
Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla is the newest installment in the classic series. The game is set in 9th century England. The game deals with the Viking Invasions, when Scandinavians conquered a large chunk of the British Isles. The game’s new protagonist, Eivor, will keep it quite classic in Assassin’s Creed style.