elvensorceress replied to your post: elvensorceress asked:I HAD A THOU...
pssshhh don’t spare me! I love your metas :D TALK ABOUT ALL THE THINGS PLEASE AND THANK YOU, FRIEND
azryal00 replied to your post:I HAD A THOUGHT and I figured...
Totally would read your Ragnar/Ecbert meta. I have feels re: those 2 myself…
okay so I’m just gonna go ahead and dump my thoughts here then :P
There’s been lots of talk about the similarities between Ragnar and Ecbert, and while those are obviously there (they are both very ambitious, they are both constantly seeking out new knowledge, are fascinated by other religions, they are both queer as hell and in love with a certain tiny priest), what strikes me the most is the differences that exist within these similarities.
For example, their ambitions are very different. Ecbert seeks power above all else, to be the king of kings, while Ragnar only came into power due to a series of unfortunate events for the most part. He never sought out power directly in the beginning, but instead wished to explore and discover new places and acquire new knowledge. He is, above all else, still a farmer in his heart. Ecbert uses knowledge as a means to acquire more power in many ways, whereas Ragnar seeks knowledge for the sake of being knowledgable alone.
Also, I think the ways they love Athelstan are very different. They both saved his life for a multitude of reasons, but I can never get it out of my mind that Ecbert literally threatened to have Athelstan crucified again if he spoke of their conversations and the knowledge they shared with anyone. While I think both Ecbert and Ragnar wanted knowledge from Athelstan from the start (especially Ecbert, I would have to go back and re-watch but I got the feeling the only reason he saved him is because he suspected he would be useful), Ragnar never sought to control him in the way Ecbert did. The thirst on Ecbert’s part was undeniable, but I think in the end Athelstan was just another pawn in his quest for power. At a certain point for Ragnar, having Athelstan around was no longer about what he could teach him, but rather because he loved him genuinely.
While Ragnar can be very selfish in his quests, he also has a big squishy heart of gold. Ecbert is power hungry in a way that Ragnar has never been, and I think that’s where the biggest differences lie. Ecbert wants lands to rule over, Ragnar wants land for his people to farm... on the surface the quests seem the same, but the motivating factors behind them are complete opposites.