Bjorn Ironside
Norse Viking chief and legendary son of Ragnar Lodbrok, attested in 855 and 858.
Last updated
via Wikipedia: Björn Ironside · see source
Björn Ironside was a Norse Viking chief and Swedish king according to Norse legend.[1] Erik Björnsson and Björn at Haugi are named as Björn's sons and grandsons in medieval sources.[2]
Last updated 2026-09-28 from the source article.
Quick Facts
- Field
- Viking chieftain
- naval commander
- Swedish king
- Nationality
- Norse (Danish/Swedish)
Facts from the source article.
What happened
In 855, Björn and a Viking named Sigtrygg sailed together up the Seine river.[3] Charles the Bald defeated the combined Viking force in Champagne that same year, though the victory was not complete.[4] In July 858, Charles laid siege to Björn's fortress on the island of Oissel.[5] A major Viking raid into the Mediterranean from 859 to 861, co-commanded by Hastein and Björn Ironside, is documented in Frankish, Norman, Arab, Scandinavian, and Irish sources.[6]
After raiding down the Iberian coast and passing through the Strait of Gibraltar, the Vikings plundered southern France and seized Pisa in Italy.[6]
What the cited sources add
Saxo Grammaticus writes that Björn gained the perpetual name "Ironsides" from the strength of his sides, which were like iron.[7] According to the same saga, Björn Ironside got Uppsala and central Sweden when the brothers divided the kingdom.[8]
References
- Wikipedia, "Björn Ironside" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Chronicon Fontanellense, Anno 855, 856 ; Annales de Saint Bertin, Anno 856, 858 [http://remacle.org/bloodwolf/historiens/anonyme/annales.htm (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Björn Ironside" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "The Saga of King Heidrik the Wise, p. 60"; Lagerquist 1997:24; Carl Bernadotte et al. (1956), Sveriges hundra konungar. Stockholm: Biblioteksböcker, p. 81. This work dates Björn's reign in Sweden in c. 785–800 on the assump (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Björn Ironside" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Guillaume de Jumièges, Histoire des ducs de Normandie, p. 11-3" (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Björn Ironside" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Chronicon Fontanellense, Anno 855" (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Björn Ironside" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Annales de Saint Bertin, Anno 858"; Die Jahrbücher von Fulda, Anno 858 , p. 29.; "Gustav Storm (1877), Historisk Tidskrift II:1, p. 407" (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Björn Ironside" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Annales de Saint Bertin, Anno 859, 860" (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- "Saxo Grammaticus, The Danish History, Book IX". facts only, no text reused. gutenberg.org
- "The Saga of Ragnar Lodrok and his Sons", 2005. facts only, no text reused. germanicmythology.com
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Björn Ironside (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Björn Ironside (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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