Viking hero
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Also known as: Ragnar Lodbrog, Ragnar Lodbrok, Ragnarr Loðbrók, Regnar Lodbrog, Regnar Lodbrok, Regnar Lothbrok, Regner Lodbrog, Regner Lodbrok, Regner Lothbrok
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The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last Updated: •Article History
Ragnar Lothbrok
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Category:
- Ragnar also spelled:
- Regner or Regnar
- Lothbrok also spelled:
- Lodbrog or Lodbrok
- Old Norse:
- Ragnarr Loðbrók
- Flourished:
- 9th century
- Flourished:
- c.801 - c.900
- Notable Family Members:
- son Ivar the Boneless
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Top Questions
Who was Ragnar Lothbrok?
According to medieval sources, Ragnar Lothbrok was a Danish king and Viking warrior who flourished in the 9th century. There is much ambiguity in what is thought to be known about him, and it has its roots in the European literature created after his death.
How did Ragnar Lothbrok die?
According to the Gesta Danorum of Danish historian Saxo Grammaticus, Ragnar Lothbrok was captured by the Anglo-Saxon king Aella of Northumbria and thrown into a snake pit to die.
What is Ragnar Lothbrok remembered for?
According to medieval sources, Ragnar Lothbrok was a 9th-century Danish Viking kingand warrior known for his exploits, for his death in a snake pit at the hands of Aella of Northumbria, and for being the father of Halfdan, Ivar the Boneless, and Hubba, who led an invasion of East Anglia in 865.
Ragnar Lothbrok (flourished 9th century) was a Viking whose life passed into legend in medieval European literature.
Ragnar is said to have been the father of three sons—Halfdan, Inwaer (Ivar the Boneless), and Hubba (Ubbe)—who, according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and other medieval sources, led a Viking invasion of East Anglia in 865. They may have sought to avenge Ragnar’s death, which may or may not have been murder, or they may have been claiming land to which they believed they had a right as a result of a previous invasion by Ragnar that may or may not have actually happened. This sort of ambiguity pervades much that is thought to be known about Ragnar, and it has its roots in the European literature created after his death.
In the Gesta Danorum (c. 1185) of the Danish historian Saxo Grammaticus, for example, Ragnar was a 9th-century Danish king whose campaigns included a battle with the Holy Roman emperor Charlemagne. According to Saxo’s legendary history, Ragnar was eventually captured by the Anglo-Saxon king Aella of Northumbria and thrown into a snake pit to die. This story is also recounted in the later Icelandic works Ragnars saga loðbrókar and Þáttr af Ragnarssonum.
The 12th-century Icelandic poem Krákumál provides a romanticized description of Ragnar’s death and links him in marriage with a daughter of Sigurd (Siegfried) and Brynhild (Brunhild), figures from the heroic literature of the ancient Teutons. The actions of Ragnar and his sons are also recounted in the Orkney Islands poem Háttalykill.
Despite the lack of clarity regarding the historical Ragnar, he appeared as a character in various novels and films. In the early 21st century he was a central figure in the popular television series Vikings.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.
