Ivar the Boneless
Viking leader who invaded England and Ireland.
Last updated
Ivar the Boneless was a Viking leader who led invasions into England and Ireland, dying around 873.[1] The reason for his nickname "boneless" is unclear, with sagas suggesting either a skeletal condition or impotence.[2] Ímar, who ruled as a Viking king in Dublin from 870 to 873, is occasionally identified with Ivar the Boneless.[1]
Last updated 2026-10-05 from the source article.
Quick Facts
- Nationality
- Norse (Viking)
Facts from the source article.
What happened
Ivar is carried on a stretcher or shield and shows a true talent for planning and strategy.[3] In one saga, Ivar's upper body has extraordinary strength despite his bonelessness.[3] Ivar leads his brothers in raiding and becomes ruler of York in England in the 9th century CE.[3] Ivar stretched a hide into thin strips to cover a larger territory, founding the city of York.[3]
He ruled from York for a long time, having no children because of his lack of lust or love.[3] Ivar is described as dying in England of old age.[3] The Tale of Ragnarr Loðbrók presents Ivar as a child of Aslaug and Ragnar Loðbrok.[1] In the 13th-century Icelandic work The Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok, Ivar enters the world without bones, having only gristle where his skeleton should be.[3]
According to The Tale of Ragnar's Sons, when his siblings sailed to England for vengeance, Ivar declined to participate in the fighting.[3]
What the cited sources add
The Groeneveld account explains that Ivar's epithet resulted from Ragnar's eagerness on his wedding night with Aslaug.[3] In the saga, Ivar is tossed at a magical cow named Sibilja by his men, crushing her completely.[3] Ivar's voice pierces across the whole battlefield, reaching each warrior as if standing next to them.[3] The Gesta Danorum by Saxo omits Aslaug and implies Ivar is the son of Ragnar and Thora.[3]
Saxo states Ragnar begot two sons, Radbard and Dunwat, with Thora.[3]
References
- Wikipedia, "Ivar the Boneless" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Costambeys, "Ívarr [Ívarr inn Beinlausi, Ingwaer, Imhar] (d. 873)", Oxford University Press, 2004 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Ivar the Boneless" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Groeneveld, "Ivar the Boneless", 12 November 2018 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Groeneveld, "Ivar the Boneless", 12 November 2018. facts only, no text reused. worldhistory.org
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Ivar the Boneless (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.
More in The Viking Age
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: Ivar the Boneless (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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