'Vikings' Season 3: 7 Things Jessalyn Gilsig Revealed About Siggy's 'Poetic And Emotional' Death In 'Scarred'

[Warning: This article contains spoilers from Thursday's episode of "Vikings," titled "Scarred." Read at your own risk.]

One of the original cast members of History's "Vikings" has gone Valhalla. Siggy, played by Jessalyn Gilsig, decided to end her life after rescuing Ubbe and Hvitser -- Ragnar (Travis Fimmel) and Aslaug's (Alyssa Sutherland) sons -- from drowning in a frozen lake in Kattegat.

Gilsig talked to several news outlets about her shocking yet poignant final moments on the historical drama series, and below are some of the most significant things she revealed about her swan song.

1. It was her decision to leave the show.

"I had some family issues, and living overseas in Ireland just wasn't conducive to me feeling like I could do what I needed to do on behalf of my family," the 43-year-old Canadian actress told Entertainment Weekly of why she left the series. "We're over there for at least six months at a time-and I think, going forward, they might be there for almost a year."

2. Series creator Michael Hirst was disappointed by her decision but understood her priorities.

"He was really marvelous," Gilsig told Zap2it of Hirst. "He's a parent as well and fully understood. So we talked about how we really wanted to make sure that there was closure. He did such a beautiful job, and I was incredibly moved by how it was done."

3. She was expecting a gruesome, punishing death for Siggy, but Hirst gave her a heroic resolution.

"It's so amazing as an actor, because you're so attached to a character and have a million ideas of what they should do and what they could do," she told Zap2it. "Then a writer steps in and makes you think, 'In a million years I couldn't dream this resolution for the character.' Yet, it seems as though it was the only appropriate way to take her out."

"It could have been a betrayal of Ragnar or a murder or blood eagle," she continued about her character's death. "[But] Instead, it honors the history of this character that's been built over three seasons... [Siggy] is not duplicitous! When confronted with the drowning of these children, she follows her instincts -- to save them."

In an interview with Toronto Star, she described Siggy's demise as "beautiful and poetic and emotional."

4. Siggy decided to give up the fight to be with her family.

While saving the two drowning boys, Siggy saw a vision of her late daughter Thyri (Elinor Crawley), and that's when she realized that she was caught between two worlds. "She can fight to pull herself out of the situation, or she can let the fates take her, and hopefully be reunited with her family," explained Gilsig to EW. "She's such a loner. She's such a solitary figure. She's lost so much. I think she makes that choice to give up the fight."

The "Heroes" alum also pointed out to The Hollywood Reporter, that Siggy, like most characters on "Vikings," is just a human being living in a challenging world.

"The one thing [Hirst] said to me is that there is a great universal truth that transcends all borders: we all love our children," she shared.

5. Siggy's death will be honored.

"There's a baby coming, and there's a way that Michael ensures that Siggy lives on through this child," she revealed to THR. "[Hirst] will continue to make Siggy's character a part of the narrative. Her death will help reveal who these characters are based on how they did or didn't respond to the events. I know that Ragnar owes Siggy a great debt, since she saves his children."

6. She was literally freezing while filming the icy lake scene.

"We actually filmed that in Luggala, Ireland. We filmed in two places actually," Gilsig told IGN. "The underwater stuff was filmed in an outdoor swimming pool in Ireland. Which is rare, just to be able to find one. And then when I was diving into the water they built a replica lake area and I was diving into a tank. But everything obviously was outside. And yes, I was freezing. It's part of being a viking."

7. She finds her exit from the show ironic.

"It's so ironic that I had to leave," she told Zap2it. "This show is such an illustration of why I became an actor. For 'Vikings,' you have to release ego and vanity and self, and you have to commit to the fight of your character. You have to fight on behalf of your character. That's why you become an actor, to take the audience on a journey to somewhere new and transforming. In a way, it rekindled my love for what I do."

"Vikings'" next episode, titled "The Usurper," airs on Thursday, March 19, at 10:00 p.m. on History.