The sons claimed to be Lothbrok’s direct offspring, giving further historical context to Lodthbrok himself. Significantly more evidence exists about their authenticity than Lothbrok himself, with many living in the same places and times as the references made about them. While the fantastic stories about Lothbrok can be hard to verify, there is evidence to prove that his sons might have been real historical figures. He had several sons – many of whom have been verified as genuine historical figures This derives from Lothbrok allegedly boiling his cow-hide trousers in tar which he claimed protected him from the snake (or dragon, according to some sources) whilst winning his second wife Thora’s hand in marriage. His nickname was ‘Hairy Breeches’ or ‘Shaggy Breeches’ Danish history includes mention of a possible fourth wife, Swanloga. The tales of Ragnar’s wives may well have been the result of an attempt to combine three separate legends. Lothbrok asked her a riddle during their courtship, and proposed to her soon after, charmed by her clever response. His third wife, Aslaug, was said to be the daughter of legendary dragon slayer, Sigurd, and the shieldmaiden, Brynhildr. Viking legend says that Lothbrok had to slay a giant snake to win his second wife, Thora. Despite once allegedly attacking him with a hound and bear that guarded her home, she eventually became Lothbrok’s wife. His first wife, Lagertha, was a Nordic shield maiden who fought with Lothbrok as warriors in Norway when he was avenging the death of his grandfather, Fro. It is generally agreed Lothbrok married at least three women. Eleanor Barraclough to explore the sagas and sort out the facts from the fiction about the Vikings. The richest stories come from the Middle Ages in the form of sagas that were mainly written down in Iceland. This form of story-telling started orally, before stories were eventually written down to preserve and spread the tales. (Other sagas mentioning him include Heimskringla, Sögubrot, Tale of Ragnar’s Sons, and Hervarar Saga). The main source telling of Lothbrok’s life and heroic deeds in the Icelandic sagas is the 13th-century Icelandic ‘The Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok’. Whilst the evidence is scarce, with only a few references of Ragnar Lothbrok that exist in literature from the time, crucially it does exist. …though there is some evidence that he did exist It’s likely the Icelandic Sagas likely contain some truth regarding his life, but whilst it can be difficult to determine fact from fiction in these stories, some instances of fantasy are more obvious than others – such as tales of Lothbrok strangling a bear to death or fighting a giant snake, sometimes depicted as a dragon. Some argue that stories of Lothbrok may well have been based on a variety of historical figures that were tied together into one hero, built on the reputation of the Ragnar. Many of the Icelandic sagas were written several centuries after Ragnar Lothbrok’s time – causing debate and doubt amongst historians over his true existence. However, the Vikings didn’t keep a written record of their history at the time. Legends claim Lothbrok was the son of a Swedish King (Sigurd Hring) and a Norwegian princess. So what is actually known about Ragnar Lothbrok, and how can we separate historical fact from fiction? 1. Lothbrok’s many 9th century raids on Francia, Anglo-Saxon England and Ireland earned him a prominent role in them. These were based on real people and events, yet also somewhat embellished and partly made up. Many, if not all, of his adventures are mythical, with Lothbrok’s life largely passing into legend in medieval European literature created long after his death through the ‘Icelandic sagas’. Arguably the most famous Viking warrior was the semi-legendary sea king, Ragnar Lothbrok ( Ragnarr Loðbrók in Old Norse), who supposedly led raids along England’s coast.Īmbiguity pervades much of what is thought to be known about Ragnar Lothbrok. The word Viking means “pirate raid” in Old Norse, and the age of the Vikings (between 700-1100 AD) is indeed famed for its warriors’ bloodthirsty aggression.
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