The scene where Thord shoots an arrow from his bow at close range in Gest's chest without penetrating his armor is not a trick or any type of SFX. Helgi Skúlason (Thord) really did fire off a real arrow at close range, and Jakob Einarsson (Gest) really did not wear any other protection than the leather armor.
The line "thungur hnifur" (heavy knifer) became a popular buzzword in Sweden during the 80's after the film's premiere.
The film contains several nods to the Icelandic sagas, medieval prose narratives of heroes and family histories of the viking age. The vikings setting fire to the enemies' house in order to force them out and kill them is a common tactic in sagas like "The Story of Burnt Njáll", "Eyrbyggja Saga" and "Sturlunga saga". The stealing of a horse dedicated to a god and the religious angst that follows harkens to the fate of Hrafnkell Freysgoði, protagonist of "Hrafnkels saga". Thord's and Erik's exile to Iceland due as political refuges from king Harald Hairfair, the supposed first king of Norway, bring to mind the reason for Norse migration to Iceland presented in Landnámabók and the family of Egil in "Egil Skallagrímsson's Saga" and the family of Ketill Flatnose in "Laxdæla saga". "Landnámabók" is also brought to mind by the viking who refuses to kill Gestur as a child, much like Olaf the Childlover of "Landnámabók". A mysterious, hooded stranger named Gestur bent on revenge brings to mind the the character Gestr of the "Fóstbræðra saga". Erik's broken necklace, used as a sign between him and his father to ensure that a messenger carrying it is indeed their messenger is borrowed from a broken coin which serves a similar function in "The Saga of Gisli".
First in an unofficial Viking trilogy (remaining two being Shadow of the Raven (1988) & The White Viking (1991)).
Is the first Icelandic feature film to use post-produced sound and dialogue (in fact no on-set sound was used at all). All sound effects were created by Pétur Hjaltested. Similarly, all the weaponry was designed and created by one person.
Hrafn Gunnlaugsson: [color themes for opposing tribes/clans/families] Thord's house wears dark/black colors, their horses are black, the inside of the main cottage is dark as charcoal. The color for for Erik's house is rusty red, seen on Erik' clothes, his white-and-red horses, the warm red glow from the inside of his main cottage etc. Similar color themes can be seen in the sequel to this film, Shadow of the Raven (1988). Here the colors for the three houses are black, white and red.