Vinland as the Christian Paradise: Considerations on the Ending of Makoto Yukimura's Masterpiece

Disclaimer: I've only watched the first two seasons of the anime, so my analysis may be incomplete. However, despite this limitation, I believe what I am about to present is worth reflecting on.

Although it is widely recognized that Vinland Saga features Buddhist influences and that the author himself identifies as non-religious, this doesn't hinder a deeply Christian interpretation from emerging within the narrative, as I intend to show.

Vinland, the land so desired by Thorfinn, and in some ways even by Canute, does not exist. There is no land where war and violence cannot reach... at least not on the material plane. And this is the painful truth that I believe Thorfinn will have to come to terms with in the final arcs: the paradise he so desperately wants to create is, in reality, an impossible utopia, and what he has been seeking all along can only be found in the afterlife.

This reflection makes sense both from a narrative and historical perspective: Thorfinn Karlsefni, the historical figure who lived between 980 and 1007, was likely Christian, and Vinland, the Nordic settlement he founded in North America, enjoyed a short existence, being abandoned around 1006, not only due to logistical issues but also because of internal conflicts among the settlers and external conflicts with Native Americans. Simply put, there is no place on Earth immune to violence. And, regarding the narrative perspective I mentioned, one only needs to look at the descriptions of Vinland made by the characters in the anime. It becomes impossible, after their repeated mentions in various contexts, not to associate them with the Paradise. A moving example of this is Thorfinn’s speech to Arnheid on her deathbed, when he describes Vinland as a transcendental place, as if he were speaking directly of the afterlife:

"To the far west, beyond the vast ocean, there is a land called Vinland. It is a warm and abundant land, where slavery and the cries of war do not reach. There, I believe you will not live in agony. Arnheid, we will all go there. We will go together to Vinland."

These words are not merely a description of a distant land, but a reassuring promise of salvation to those who have grown so accustomed to a world that offers only agony and violence. In this moment, Vinland ceases to be just a material pursuit; it becomes a metaphor for Paradise — a place that transcends earthly reality and reflects a Christian vision of redemption and eternal peace.

What do y'all think? Even though I am not religious, I'd consider this a fitting conclusion for such a peak work as Vinland Saga.