Ragnar Lothbrok

The hairy-breeches king whose sons returned to England with an army for vengeance.

Ragnar Lodbrok, or Ragnar Lothbrok (Old Norse: Ragnarr loðbrók), is a legendary Viking hero and king of the Swedes and Danes known from Old Norse poetry, Icelandic sagas, and near-contemporary chronicles. According to traditional literature, he distinguished himself by conducting many raids against the British Isles and the Carolingian Empire during the 9th century. While his existence blends history with myth, sources identify him as the son of King Sigurd Ring of Sweden. His life is detailed in texts like the Tale of Ragnar's Sons and Heimskringla, where he is depicted not only as a warrior who slew dragons but also as a figure whose death at the hands of King Ælla of Northumbria is traditionally said to have sparked a massive retaliatory invasion, though the exact timing and motivation remain debated among historians.

Quick Facts

Died: Traditional date: 865
Place of death: Kingdom of Northumbria
Father: Sigurd Ring (according to legend)
Mother: Åsa, daughter of King Harald of the Red Moustache (according to legend)
Successor: Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye (according to legend)
Known for: Legendary exploits and raids across Europe

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.

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?

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.