Ragnar Lothbrok, the son of the legendary king of the Swedes, Sigurd Ring, famous for conducting raids on the British Isles and Holy Roman Empire within the 9th century.
Icelandic sources dictate that Ragnar Lothbrok was the scourge of Britain and France in the Middle Ages. He had three wives and fathered the famous Ivar the Boneless, Bjorn Ironside and Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye.
Ragnar Lothbrok and Britain
In the 9th century Ragnar set sail for what we know today as England. Ragnar set out with only two ships in tow to conquer the land and prove himself better than his sons. During this raid King Aella’s forces overwhelmed Ragnar. King Aella’s forces captured Ragnar and threw him into a pit of snakes. Within this pit he foretold the arrival of the Great Heathen Army of 865AD with his famous quote, “How the little piglets would grunt if they knew how the old boar suffers.”
In contrast, Saxo Grammaticus contends that Ragnar was not slain, but in fact went on to terrorise the shores of Ireland in 851 AD and establish a settlement not far from Dublin. These two contradictory accounts further add to the mystery of the historical Ragnar. Although historians continue to discuss these accounts, it is agreed that in 865AD, the Great Heathen Army landed in Anglia, where they killed Edmund the Martyr in Thetford. They then moved northwards besieging the city of York, where King Aella met his death. Years of raids would follow which would result in a nearly two-hundred-year period of Norse occupation in the north and east of England.
One thing to consider, is that Vikings from the North were raiding Britain since late 700AD. However, Ragnar may have been the first to leave settlements and attempt to control areas of land, rather than simply plunder and leave. This would explain his significance in this respect.
Ragnar Lothbrok and the Holy Roman Empire
In 845, Ragnar sailed south with a large force said to include 120 ships and 5,000 men. He sailed up the Seine river, ravaged and plundered the western part of the Frankish Empire including Rouen. Rouen was the capital of Normandy. Therefore, the Normans who would go onto to conquer England in the Battle of Hastings were of Norse origin. As the Vikings advanced they laid siege to Paris. Ragnar and his men would defeat the army of the Frankish King Charles the Bald and withdrew only after a payment of 7,000 pounds of silver, which was an incredible amount of money at that time.
Ragnar Lothbrok’s Legacy
There is no doubt that King Ragnar changed the political and cultural landscape of Britain and Ireland. As the progenitor of the Viking age, Ragnar set in motion a series of events which would not only significantly impact Britain and Ireland, its effects would spread across Europe.
It is important in modernity to reflect upon the characteristics that Ragnar and his Norse companions possessed. A fearless curiosity, coupled with tactical efficacy can make what seems impossible, manifest into a world of new horizons and honour throughout the ages.
This essence is summarised with brevity in the famous “Hávamál”.
“A coward believes he will ever live if he keep him safe from strife:
but old age leaves him not long in peace though spears may spare his life.”