Ragnar Lodbrok

There are no reliable sources confirming the existence of Ragnar. Basically, the details of his life and work are known from the Scandinavian sagas , narrating how Ragnar traded with raids and sea robbery. It is believed that historical Ragnar (if there was one) operated in the first half of the 9th century and was one of Denmark 's most influential military leaders. He was probably the son of Sigurd Ring . The nickname is related to the legend that Ragnar wore special leather pants sewn by his wife Lagerta and acting as an amulet. According to another version, in childhood, accidentally landed in a serpentine den, he survived thanks to tight leather pants.

Saxon the Grammar , describing the campaign of Ragnar to Biarmia , writes about the use of magical art by the bjarmas:

“Then the Biarmians changed the power of their weapons to the art of their magic, they filled the vault of heaven with wild songs, and in a moment in a clear, until then sunny sky, clouds gathered and poured heavy rain, giving the sad appearance of a more recently radiant neighborhood”

After that, Lodbrok stepped back and found shelter at the Kurets ( Curonian ) and Semb (Prussians). Having received reinforcements from them, Ragnar again invaded the land of biarms, after which their ruler was forced to flee to the Duke Matullus in Finnmarkia. The army of Ragnar, left over to winter in Bjarmia, was attacked by archers of the king of Biarmia ^[2] .

The most important events attributed to Ragnar are the attack on the territory of modern France and the capture of Paris in 845 , as well as the attack on Northumbria in 865 . During a trip to Paris, he allegedly led a squadron of 120 ships with 5,000 soldiers who climbed up the Seine River. The city was captured by the Vikings, and the West Frankish king Charles II Lysy , to save Paris from destruction, paid a huge ransom of 7,000 pounds of silver. Although Ragnar kept his word and left Paris without significant destruction, on the way back through northern France, he plundered all the areas that he crossed. It is believed that the capture of Paris by Lodbrok took place on Easter (March 28), 845 ^[3] .

In 865 , during an expedition to Britain , the Ragnar ship ran aground in Northumbria, in northern England. His army was defeated, he himself was captured and, by order of King Ella II, was thrown into a pit with poisonous snakes, where he died a painful death.

According to the sagas, the numerous sons of Ragnar ( Ivar Beskostny , Bjorn Zheleznoboky and others) invaded England in 867, avenged the death of his father and laid the foundation for the Danish conquest of the island . The sons of Ragnar captured and then executed King Ella, who died in cruel torment . The kingdoms of Northumbria, Mercia, and East of England were looted. In the end, the descendants of Ragnar were stopped by Alfred of Wessex , defeating their army in 878 .

He was married three times, had many legitimate children and illegitimate, surviving from concubines:

• from the first marriage with Lagerta (Hlaðgerðr) ^[4] :
  • Fridlive son
  • two unknown by daughter's names
• from a second marriage with the Torah of Gotland (Þóra Borgarhjǫrtr Herrauðsdóttir) sons:
  • Eirik (sometimes identified with Eric Wederhatt )
  • Agnar
• from Aslaug (Áslaug Sigurðardóttir) sons ^[5] :
  • Ivar the Boneless (d. In 873)
  • Hvitserk
  • Björn the Iron-sided
  • Sigurd Serpent-Eye
• sons and a daughter from unnamed mothers:
  • Ubba (d. 878)
  • Harald
  • Halfdan (d. 877)
  • Ulv (s)
  • Ragnhild

Each of the sons was the owner of his own inheritance and bore the title of jarl.

In the literature

• Ragnar Lodbrok is one of the characters in Harry Harrison 's Hammer and the Cross ;
• Ragnar Lodbrok is one of the characters in Jack London 's Interstellar Wanderer ;
• Ragnar Lodbrok is one of the characters in Edison Marshall's Viking book;
• Ragnar Lodbrok - one of the characters in the story of Maria Semenova “Two Kings”, “Sign of the Falcon”; mentioned in the book "Swan Road";
• Ragnar Lodbrok is one of the characters in the Alexander Viking cycle of Alexander Mazin .

In the movie

• In the film “The Vikings ” ( 1958 ), the American actor Ernest Borgnine plays the role of King Ragnar.
• In the series “ Vikings ” ( 2013 - 2017 ), the Australian actor Travis Fimmel plays the role of Ragnar.

• TDKendrick A History of the Vikings. - Dover Publications, 2004 .-- 464 p. - ISBN 978-0486433967 .

• Story of the Sons of Ragnar