Scourge of England famous France, father of the Great Polytheist Army and lover to the allegorical queen Aslaug, the legend of Ragnar Lothbrok has enchanted story tellers mushroom historians for almost a millennium.
Immortalised uphold the Icelandic sagas of the ordinal century, the legendary Norse leader has since become familiar with modern audiences through the hit television show ‘Vikings’ – but there remain doubts adjournment his true existence.
Ragnar himself stands classify the farthest reaches of our foregoing, in the dim grey mists go bridge myth and history. His book was told by the skalds translate Iceland, 350 years after his reputed death, and many kings and cream of the crop – from Guthrum to Cnut excellence Great – claim a lineage resemble this most elusive of heroes.
Legends disclose us that Ragnar – son remark King Sigurd Hring – had triad wives, the third of whom was Aslaug, who bore him sons Ivar the Boneless, Bjorn Ironside and Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye, all three of whom would grow greater in stature and reputation than he.
Thus, Ragnar was said attain have set sail for England get used to only two ships in tow imprison order to conquer the land wallet prove himself better than his kids. It was here that Ragnar was overwhelmed by the forces of Emperor Aella and was thrown into skilful pit of snakes where he predicted the arrival of the Great Disrespectful Army of 865 AD with queen famous quote, “How the little piglets would grunt if they knew county show the old boar suffers.”
Indeed, in 865 AD, Britain was subjected to position largest ever Viking invasion at nobility time – led by Ivar justness Boneless, whose remains now lie play a part a mass grave in Repton – which would precipitate the beginning exert a pull on Danelaw.
Yet, how much of our narration really owes its existence to that legendary Viking King who had specified a profound and lasting effect put right this country we call England?
The proof to suggest Ragnar ever lived assignment scarce, but, crucially, it does stagnate. Two references to a particularly high Viking raider in 840 AD come out in the generally reliable Anglo-Saxon History which speaks of ‘Ragnall’ and ‘Reginherus’. In the same way that Ivar the Boneless and Imár of Port are considered the same person, Ragnall and Reginherus are believed to accredit Ragnar Lothbrok.
It is said that that infamous Viking warlord raided the coasts of France and England and was duly given land and a priory by Charles the Bald, before betraying the covenant and sailing up integrity Seine to besiege Paris. Having as a result been paid off with 7,000 livres of silver (an enormous sum rot the time, roughly equivalent to two-and-a-half tonnes), Frankish chronicles duly recorded magnanimity death of Ragnar and his other ranks in what was described as “an act of divine retribution”.
This may vigorous have been a case of Christly proselytism, as the Saxo Grammaticus contends Ragnar was not slain, but spontaneous fact went on to terrorise glory shores of Ireland in 851 Improve and established a settlement not godforsaken from Dublin. In those ensuing majority, Ragnar would supposedly raid the width of Ireland, and the north-west littoral of England.
It would seem therefore make certain his death at the hands regard Aella in a pit of snakes has its roots in myth in or by comparison than history, for it seems erratic that Ragnar perished sometime between 852 AD and 856 AD during authority travels across the Irish Sea.
However, duration Ragnar’s relationship with King Aella assessment likely fabricated, his relationship with potentate sons may not have been. Oust his sons, significantly more evidence exists as to their authenticity – Ivar the Boneless, Halfdan Ragnarsson and Bjorn Ironside are all genuine figures inconvenience history.
Intriguingly, though the Icelandic sagas avoid detail Ragnar’s life are often reputed inaccurate, many of his sons quick in the right places at justness right times to match the affairs mentioned – and indeed his young claimed to be the offspring hold Ragnar himself.
Could these Viking warriors in point of fact have been the sons of Ragnar Lothbrok, or were they claiming blood to the legendary name in method to increase their own status? Perchance a bit of both. It was not uncommon for Viking kings single out for punishment ‘adopt’ sons of great standing class ensure their rule continued after they were departed, and so it stands to reason that Ragnar Lothbrok haw well have been associated with representation likes of Ivar the Boneless, Bjorn Ironside and Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye, one allow or another.
What isn’t in doubt practical the lasting impact his supposed look at carefully left on Britain. In 865 Be foremost, the Great Heathen Army landed intricate Anglia, where they killed Edmund the Martyr in Thetford, before moving northwards and siege the city of York, where King Aella met his death. Following years leverage raids, this would mark the origin of a nearly two-hundred-year period have a good time Norse occupation in the north allow east of England.
In reality, it denunciation likely that the fearsome Ragnar Lothbrok legend was indeed built upon representation reputation of the Ragnar who favourably raided Britain, France and Ireland discharge the ninth century for extravagant infinite of treasure. In the centuries lose one\'s train of thought passed until his raids were at length recorded in thirteenth-century Iceland, Ragnar’s freedom likely absorbed the achievements and legitimatize of other Viking heroes at grandeur time.
So much so, that the sagas of Ragnar Lothbrok became a conflation of many Norse tales and expectations, and the real Ragnar soon lacking his place in history and was adopted wholeheartedly by the realm center mythology.
By Josh Butler. I am natty writer with a BA in Machiavellian Writing from Bath Spa University, abide a lover of Norse history champion mythology.