Ivar the Boneless

A mind sharper than any blade, housed in a fragile frame.

Ivar the Boneless (Old Norse: Ívarr hinn Beinlausi) was a Viking leader who commanded the Great Heathen Army during its invasions of England and Ireland. Died around 873, he is also known as Ivar Ragnarsson. According to the Tale of Ragnarr Loðbrók, his mother Aslaug suggested waiting three nights before consummating their marriage after a long separation, but Ragnar did not heed her words. As a result, Ivar was born with weak bones. While some sagas claim this condition left him unable to walk, others suggest he was merely impotent. Despite these physical limitations, the sources emphasize his wisdom, cunning, and mastery of strategy in battle.

Quick Facts

Role: Viking leader; King of Dublin (Ímar)
Affiliation: Great Heathen Army
First appears: 865 (Invasion of England)
Portrayed by: Alex Høgh Andersen

Lore & Background

The origin of Ivar's nickname remains unclear. Some sagas attribute it to a curse resulting from Ragnar ignoring Aslaug's warning about waiting three nights, leading to his birth with weak bones. Another hypothesis suggests he was actually known as "the Hated" (Latin: exosus), which a medieval scribe might have misinterpreted as "without bone." In 865, Ivar led the Great Heathen Army into the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. The invasion was organized by Ragnar's sons to avenge their father's supposed execution by Ælla of Northumbria in a snake pit, though this explanation's historicity is unknown. According to saga legend, Ivar initially sought reconciliation with Ælla, asking for only as much land as he could cover with an ox's hide. He then cut the hide into fine strands to envelop a large fortress, which in older sagas was York and in younger ones London.

Reader's Guide

Ivar is often considered identical to Ímar, a Viking king of Dublin who ruled between 870 and 873 and founded the Uí Ímair dynasty. This dynasty later ruled Northumbria from York and dominated the Irish Sea region as the Kingdom of Dublin. The Anglo-Saxon chronicler Æthelweard records Ivar's death in 870, while the Annals of Ulster and Fragmentary Annals of Ireland record the death of Ímar in 873. A theory suggests a sudden, horrible disease caused his death, possibly explaining the "boneless" nickname as referring to crippling effects rather than birth defects. In 1686, Thomas Walker discovered a Scandinavian burial mound at Repton with over 250 partial skeletons surrounding a high-status body, leading some to suggest this is Ivar's last resting place. Saga tradition claims he ordered his burial in an exposed place to protect the land from foes until William I broke his mound and burned his body.