'Bloodaxe' Greenlit from 'Vikings' Creator Michael Hirst

English screenwriter Michael Hirst, the man behind the History Channel's Vikings and Netflix's Vikings: Valhalla, is set to return to the small screen for his third Norse historical drama, which once again will move house, making this the third streaming service to produce a piece of his interconnected universe. Prime Video has greenlit Bloodaxe, a drama that will tell the story of the Viking warrior Erik Haraldsson. (Go on, guess what his nickname was.) Hirst will write and executive produce the series alongside his son, Horatio Hirst, who is created as co-creator on the series.

While scant historical details are known about Erik Bloodaxe's life, he looms large in various Norse Sagas from the time, thanks to the legend that he killed his brothers (and earned the nickname Brother-Slayer) in his quest to claim the throne of Norway. His rule was short-lived, and he and his wife were supposedly overthrown and exiled. Bloodaxe will also dig into the story of Erik's marriage to a woman named Gunnhild, known as the Mother of Kings, because several of her sons ruled (or co-ruled) the kingdom after they were deposed. Gunnhild is a particularly fascinating figure in legend: It's not entirely clear that she even existed, and the sagas depict her in a largely negative light. She is supposedly cruel, power-hungry, sexually insatiable, and, unsurprisingly, also possibly a murderous witch.

“I feel blessed and deeply excited that Amazon has given me the opportunity to return to the fantastic world of the Norse Sagas and the men, women, and gods of the Viking world who have come to mean so much to me,” Hirst said. “Horatio and I intend to open your eyes to incredible new characters and unbelievable stories, all of which happen to be true and many of which changed the course of history.”