Ragnar Lothbrok

Lore & Background

According to Icelandic sagas including the Tale of Ragnar Lodbrok and Heimskringla, Ragnar was the son of Sigurd Ring, who ruled Sweden (and sometimes Denmark) after defeating his uncle Harald Wartooth at the Battle of Brávellir. Ragnar's life is marked by specific feats: he assembled a fleet to slay a giant snake guarding the Geatish jarl Herrauð's daughter Thora Borgarhjort, earning him the nickname Lodbrok for the protective clothes he wore. He first married Thora, fathering Erik and Agnar. After her death, he discovered Kráka (later revealed as Aslaug), a woman of outstanding beauty and wisdom living with a poor peasant couple in Norway. Their union produced sons Ivar the Boneless, Björn Ironside, Hvitserk, and Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye. (Ragnvald is not consistently listed as a son of Ragnar and Aslaug in the Icelandic sagas; some sources list him as a son by a different wife or omit him entirely.) In contrast to these saga accounts, the Danish historian Saxo Grammaticus presents Ragnar as a king of Denmark who married the shield-maiden Ladgerda before repudiating her for Thora, siring sons like Fridleif, Radbard, and Dunvat alongside his more famous children.

In Their Own Story

The sagas recount that as his sons grew into renowned warriors, Ragnar resolved to conquer England with merely two ships. This bold move ended in defeat against superior Northumbrian forces under King Ælla. Captured, he was thrown into a snake pit to die. The Tale of Ragnar's Sons and Heimskringla state that this execution triggered the Great Heathen Army, an invasion of England around 866 led by his sons to wreak revenge on Ælla. Danish sources like Saxo Grammaticus offer a different narrative: here, Ragnar leads successful expeditions across Europe, subjugating Norway, Scotland, and even reaching Kievan Rus' where he captures the prince Daxon. In Saxo's version, Ragnar is eventually captured by Ælla after learning of a massacre on Ireland, meeting his end in the snake pit—a fate also ascribed to the Burgundian king Gunnar in Icelandic tradition. Regardless of the source, all agree that his death was the catalyst for his sons' return.

Reader's Guide

To understand Ragnar Lodbrok in historical and literary context, one must distinguish between the conflicting sources. The Icelandic fornaldarsǫgur focus on his marriages to Thora and Aslaug (Kráka) and his lineage from Sigurd Ring and Randver. In these texts, he is described as "the biggest and fairest of men that human eyes have seen." Conversely, Saxo Grammaticus's Gesta Danorum mixes Norse legend with historical data from Adam of Bremen, portraying Ragnar as a Danish king who fought the Swedish king Frö and the historical Harald Klak. The Ragnarsdrápa, potentially composed by Bragi Boddason in the 9th century (though scholarship suggests c. 1000), mentions a Ragnar son of Sigurd receiving a shield depicting Thor's struggle with the Midgard Serpent.

Did You Know?

• Ragnar earned the nickname 'Lothbrok' or 'hairy-breeches' from the unusual protective clothes he wore while killing a giant snake.
• According to Sögubrot, Ragnar was described as 'the biggest and fairest of men that human eyes have seen,' taking after his mother's kin.
• His wife Kráka was later revealed to be Aslaug, the secret daughter of the hero Sigurd Fafnesbane.
• Saxo Grammaticus records Ragnar fathering three sons with a woman named Svanlaug: Ragnvald, Eric Weatherhat, and Hvitserk; however, in the Icelandic sagas, Hvitserk is listed as a son of Aslaug, not Svanlaug.
• The Great Heathen Army's invasion of England is traditionally linked to Ragnar's sons seeking vengeance for his death, but the army landed in 865, while Ælla was killed in 867, and the exact chain of events is debated.