Viking Guy With Two Battle Axes Jumping Off a Snowy Cliff — Split image of a bearded shirtless viking-styled man holding two battle axes and leaping off a

Viking Guy With Two Battle Axes Jumping Off a Snowy Cliff

2023viral videosemi-active

Published October 20, 2026

Norwegian fitness influencer Ken Stornes posted a video on February 5th, 2023, showing himself in underwear leaping off a snowy cliff into icy water while gripping two battle axes1. X user @drewdyck turned the clip into the first known meme three days later2, and by September 2023 a sped-up GIF edit was circulating widely with absurd personal captions on X7.

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Overview

Captions pair the clip with scenes of someone losing self-control, charging into chaos or making an unhinged entrance2. The format casts Stornes as a stand-in for anyone whose instincts overwhelm their judgment, like an infant left unsupervised at the changing table or a grandfather with dementia escaping the house5. His bare physique, battle axes and primal scream earned comparisons to Kratos from God of War and a generic Viking archetype4.

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Many variations spin the clip into geopolitical or historical jokes. A March 2023 post reworked the video as a response to Russian claims about a cold Scandinavian winter3. A June 2023 edit showed the man leaping into Hyperborea as a sendoff to Ted Kaczynski after his death6.

Origin & Background

Platform
Instagram (source) / X (viral spread)
Creator
Ken Stornes
Date
2023

On February 5th, 2023, Ken Stornes posted the original Reel to his Instagram account @kenstornes, where it eventually reached about 4.6 million plays and 247,000 likes1. Stornes, a Norwegian fitness influencer, shot the video in just his underwear, screaming as he leapt off a snowy cliff into the water below while clutching two battle axes.

@drewdyck posted the first known meme adaptation three days later on X, captioning the clip 'Here's my entrance the next time I speak at a men's conference,' which collected roughly 6,200 likes in seven months2.

How It Spread

iFunny picked up the format within the week. User @yeshmesh1 posted it on February 11th, 2023 with a caption about a grandfather with dementia escaping supervision at the Grand Canyon4. On March 13th, iFunnier @Reijozen captioned the clip 'My infant son, as soon as I step away from the changing table,' which collected roughly 12,000 smiles over six months5.

X user @visegrad24 drove the biggest early mainstream post on March 12th, 2023, reposting the video with a jab at Russia for predicting a freezing Scandinavian winter and drawing more than 199,000 likes3. Reposts also hit TikTok and YouTube, where @brongulus later shared a re-edit on June 10th showing the man leaping into Hyperborea as a goodbye to Ted Kaczynski6.

A second viral peak hit in late September 2023. On September 22nd, X user @imgamingrn1 shared a sped-up GIF with the caption 'this gif is so fucking funny,' earning roughly 44,000 likes in four days7. Two days later, @FunnyTerro quote-posted it asking what search terms would surface the clip, collecting roughly 99,300 likes in 48 hours8.

Timeline

2023-02-05

Ken Stornes posts the original Reel to Instagram, where it eventually reaches about 4.6 million plays.

2023-02-08

X user @drewdyck posts the first known meme caption, 'Here's my entrance the next time I speak at a men's conference.'

2023-02-11

IFunny user @yeshmesh1 posts the format with a Grand Canyon dementia caption, kicking off iFunny's version of the trend.

2023-03-12

@visegrad24 reposts the clip on X with a jab at Russia about Scandinavian winter, drawing 199,000+ likes.

2023-06-10

IFunnier @brongulus shares a re-edit showing the Viking leaping into Hyperborea as a tribute to Ted Kaczynski.

2023-09-22

X user @imgamingrn1 shares a sped-up GIF edit with the caption 'this gif is so fucking funny,' hitting 44,000 likes in four days.

2023-09-24

@FunnyTerro's quote-post asking how to find the GIF collects roughly 99,300 likes in two days.

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How to Use This Meme

Pair the video or the sped-up GIF with a caption describing someone acting without regard for safety or supervision. Common conventions include dramatic entrance jokes, infants or elders escaping caretakers, and overblown reactions to small inconveniences5.

Frequently Asked Questions