Vicky the Viking facts for kids

Vicky the Viking is a fun animated TV show from Germany, Austria, and Japan. In Germany and Austria, it's known as ''''', and in Japan, it's called Chiisana Viking Bikke (小さなバイキング ビッケ).

The series follows the exciting adventures of Vicky, a young Viking boy. Unlike most Vikings, Vicky is not very strong. Instead, he uses his clever mind to help his friends and family. The show is based on a book called Vicke Viking (1963) by Swedish writer Runer Jonsson. It first aired in Germany on January 31, 1974, and became popular in many countries. Later, in 2013–2014, new episodes were made using 3D animation.

What is the Story About?

The main character is Vicky, who is the son of Halvar, the chief of the Viking village of Flake. Vicky is different from other Vikings, including boys his age. He has a very smart and creative mind. This helps his Viking friends get out of many tricky situations. He even outsmarts a mean Viking leader named Sven the Terrible!

For example, Vicky once built a simple catapult to win a stone-carrying contest against his dad. He also used kites to make their longship fly through the air. Another time, he used a small sawfish to cut a hole in a wooden door to escape.

Who are the Characters?

Here are some of the main characters you'll meet in Vicky the Viking:

• Vicky: He's about 9 years old and the main character. Vicky isn't strong and is scared of wolves. But his amazing brain always helps him solve problems.
• Halvar: Vicky's father and the chief of Flake. He's a bit boastful and likes to use his strength. However, he has learned to trust Vicky's smart ideas.
• Tjure and Snorre: Two Vikings in Halvar's crew who are always arguing.
• Urobe: The oldest Viking in Halvar's crew and the village druid. He's wise and knows a lot about old stories and legends. People respect him for being fair.
• Faxe: The biggest and strongest Viking in Flake. He's also the slowest. He has a close, big-brother relationship with Vicky.
• Gorm: An excited Viking from Flake. He works as the lookout on Halvar's ship.
• Ulme: The village bard, who loves poetry and plays a harp. He often plays music during happy times, even if the other Vikings don't always appreciate it.
• Ylva: Vicky's mother. She supports Vicky's intelligence much more than his father does.
• Gilby: The strongest boy in Flake and Vicky's main rival. He's a bit of a troublemaker and not as smart as Vicky.
• Sven the Terrible: A cruel Viking pirate captain. He often steals from other Vikings.
• Ylvie (also known as "Ticky" in the U.K.): A young girl from Flake who lives near Vicky. She is his biggest supporter. In the German movie, it shows she has a childhood crush on him.
• Pokka: Sven's sneaky second-in-command.

How the Show Was Made

Vickyland at Plopsaland

The show was created from the children's book Vicke Viking (1963) by Swedish author Runer Jonsson. He even won an award for it in Germany in 1965.

The Japanese animation studio Zuiyo Enterprise Company (now Nippon Animation) made the original version of the show between 1972 and 1974. They also created an 85-minute movie and the TV series with 78 episodes, each about 25 minutes long. The show's style and character designs clearly show its Japanese origins. For many people, this was their first time seeing Japanese animation!

For the German version, Eberhard Storeck was in charge of the dubbing (changing the voices to German). He even voiced one of the characters, Snorre. The music for the German show was composed by Christian Bruhn and Karel Svoboda. The famous title song ("Hey, hey, Wickie! Hey, Wickie, hey! ...") was written by Andrea Wagner.

The series was made for the German TV network ZDF and the Austrian TV network ORF. In the United Kingdom, it was shown on ITV.

Other Vicky the Viking Shows and Movies

TV Remake

A newer TV show called Vic the Viking is a modern version of the original series.

Film Adaptations

German director Michael "Bully" Herbig made a live-action movie based on the series. It was called Wickie The Mighty Viking and came out in 2009. Jonas Hämmerle played Vicky, and Günther Kaufmann played Sven, the bad guy. The movie was very successful, selling almost 5 million tickets in Germany!

Because the first movie was so popular, a sequel was released on September 29, 2011, called Wickie auf Großer Fahrt.

There was also a computer-animated film, Vic the Viking: The Magic Sword, which came out on December 8, 2019.

Fun Facts

• Christian Lorenz, the keyboard player for the band Rammstein, got his nickname "Flake" from the village in Vicky the Viking. He watched the show when he was a child.
• Japanese manga artist Eiichiro Oda was greatly inspired by the show. This led him to create his famous manga series One Piece, which started in 1997.

VHS Release in the UK

In the United Kingdom, on May 14, 1990, a video cassette of Vicky The Viking was released. It included the first two episodes, "The Contest" and "The Trap." It was re-released on July 22, 1991.

Images for kids

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  Vickyland at Plopsaland

See also

In Spanish: Vickie el vikingo para niños