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{{Short description|Legendary king of Denmark and Sweden}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Ragnar Lodbrok
| image              = Harley MS 2278, folio 39r excerpt.jpg
| caption            = Ragnar Lodbrok with sons [[Ivar the Boneless|Ivar]] and [[Ubba]], 15th-century miniature in ''[[Harleian Library|Harley]] MS 2278'' folio 39r
| birth_date         = 
| birth_place        = 
| death_date         = Traditional date: 865
| death_place        = Northumbria, England
| title              = Legendary Viking Hero and King
| spouse             = 
| father             = [[Sigurd Ring]] (according to legend)
| mother             = Åsa, daughter of King Harald of the Red Moustache (according to legend)
| predecessor        = [[Sigurd Ring]] (according to legend)
| successor          = [[Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye]] (according to legend)
| known_for          = Legendary exploits and raids across Europe
}}
'''Ragnar Lodbrok''' ([[Old Norse]]: ''Ragnarr loðbrók'', {{lit|Ragnar hairy-breeches}}),{{efn|name=epithet|"Ragnar" (meaning Raven) and "Lodbrok" (meaning "leather trousers" or "hairy breeches").<ref>{{Cite book|last=Hughes|first=David|title=The British Chronicles|publisher=Heritage|year=2007|volume= 1|isbn=978-0-7884-4490-6|page=274}}</ref>
* {{langx|non|Ragnarr Loðbrók}} {{IPA|non|ˈrɑɣnˌɑrː ˈloðˌbroːk|}}, "Ragnar shaggy breeches"
* [[Danish language|Modern Danish]]: {{lang|da|Regnar Lodbrok}}
* [[Modern Icelandic]]: {{lang|is|Ragnar Loðbrók}} {{IPA|is|ˈraknˌar ˈlɔðˌprouːk|}}
* [[Norwegian language|Modern Norwegian]]: {{lang|no|Ragnar Lodbrok}}
* [[Swedish language|Modern Swedish]]: {{lang|sv|Ragnar Lodbrok}}
}} according to [[legend]]s,{{sfn|Harrison|1993|p=16}} was a [[Viking]] hero and a [[Legendary Kings of Sweden|Swedish]] and [[Legendary kings of Denmark|Danish]] king.<ref name=duchaillu>{{cite book | last=Du Chaillu | first=Paul B. | title=The Viking Age Vol. 2 (of 2) (Illustrations): The early history, manners, and customs of the ancestors of the English-speaking nations | publisher=J.J. Little & Co | series=The Viking Age Series | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wsNTDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT291 | access-date=1 June 2020 | isbn=978-0599543584 | page=291 | date=2015 | archive-date=5 April 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405142035/https://books.google.com/books?id=wsNTDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT291 | url-status=live }} [https://www.gutenberg.org/files/56168/56168-h/56168-h.htm Gutenberg Project version] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200128022323/http://www.gutenberg.org/files/56168/56168-h/56168-h.htm |date=28 January 2020 }}, published 13 December 2017.</ref>

He is known from [[Old Norse poetry]] of the [[Viking Age]], Icelandic [[saga]]s, and near-contemporary chronicles. According to traditional literature, Ragnar distinguished himself by conducting many [[Raid (military)|raids]] against the [[British Isles]] and the [[Carolingian Empire]] during the 9th century. He also appears in [[Germanic heroic legend|Norse legends]], and according to the [[legendary sagas]] ''[[Tale of Ragnar's Sons]]'' and a ''[[Sögubrot af nokkrum fornkonungum|Saga about Certain Ancient Kings]]'',{{sfn|Sögubrot|1200}} Ragnar Lodbrok's father has been given as the legendary king of the [[Swedes (Germanic tribe)|Swedes]], [[Sigurd Ring]].<ref>{{Cite book|url = https://books.google.com/books?id=kucsDwAAQBAJ&q=sveakung+Sigurd+Ring&pg=PT170|title = Nordisk mytologi: Från a till Ö|isbn = 978-9175453705|last1 = Lindbergh|first1 = Katarina Harrison|date = 2017| publisher=Svenska Historiska Media Förlag |access-date = 20 October 2020|archive-date = 5 April 2023|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230405152025/https://books.google.com/books?id=kucsDwAAQBAJ&q=sveakung+Sigurd+Ring&pg=PT170|url-status = live}}</ref><ref>Butler, Josh [https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/Ragnar-Lothbrok/ "The Real Ragnar Lothbrok."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200220164051/https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/Ragnar-Lothbrok/ |date=20 February 2020 }}  ''Historic UK''.  Retrieved 21 April 2020.</ref>

== Accounts ==
=== Icelandic sagas ===
[[File:Bronsplåt 4 fr Torslunda sn, Öland (Stjerna, Hjälmar och svärd i Beovulf (1903) sid 103).jpg|thumb|200px|A warrior with shaggy breeches, killing a beast, on one of the [[Torslunda plates]]. The man has been identified with Ragnar Lodbrok in an early Swedish version of the legend ([[Henrik Schück|Schück]]). More recently, it has been interpreted as showing a Germanic initiation ritual in which shaggy trousers played a role and which may subsequently have contributed to the legend of Ragnar Lodbrok.<ref>McTurk (1991) ''Studies in 'Ragnar's Saga Lodbrokar' and Its Major Scandinavian Analogues''. Society for the Study of Mediaeval Languages Lit. p. 10, 15, 36, 37</ref>]]
According to the ''[[Tale of Ragnar Lodbrok]]'', ''[[Tale of Ragnar's Sons]]'', ''[[Heimskringla]]'', ''[[Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks]]'', ''[[Sögubrot af nokkrum fornkonungum]]'', and many other Icelandic sources, Ragnar was the son of the king of Sweden [[Sigurd Ring]]. Nearly all of the [[Sagas of Icelanders|sagas]] agree that the Danish king [[Randver]] was Sigurd's father, with the ''Hervarar saga'' citing his wife as Åsa, the daughter of King [[Harald Granraude|Harald of the Red Moustache]] from Norway. The accounts further tell that Randver was a grandson of the legendary Scandinavian king [[Ivar Vidfamne]] by his daughter Aud (whom the ''[[Hervarar saga]]'' calls Alfhild).<ref>{{cite journal|editor1=Tolkien, Christopher|editor2=Turville-Petre, G.|date=1956|title=Hervarar Saga ok Heidreks|location=London|journal=Viking Society for Northern Research|pages=68–9|url=http://www.vsnrweb-publications.org.uk/Text%20Series/Hervarar%20saga%20ok%20heidreks.pdf|access-date=20 October 2019|archive-date=1 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190801054322/http://www.vsnrweb-publications.org.uk/Text%20Series/Hervarar%20saga%20ok%20heidreks.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> After the death of King Ivar Vidfamne, Aud's eldest son by the Danish king [[Hrœrekr Ringslinger]], Harald, conquered all of his grandfather's territory and became known as [[Harald Wartooth]]. Harald's nephew Sigurd Ring became the chief king of Sweden after Randver's death (Denmark according to the ''Hervarar saga''), presumably as the subking of Harald. Sigurd and Harald fought the [[Battle of the Brávellir]] ([[Bråvalla]]) on the plains of [[Östergötland]], where Harald and many of his men died. Sigurd then ruled Sweden and Denmark (being sometimes identified with a Danish king [[Sigfred]] who ruled from about 770 until his death prior to 804). He sired a son with the princess Alfhild of the petty kingdom of [[Álfheimr (region)|Álfheimr]], Ragnar Lodbrok, who succeeded him.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.oe.eclipse.co.uk/nom/Fragment.htm| title = ''Sögubrot'', Chapter 10| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100908081803/http://www.oe.eclipse.co.uk/nom/Fragment.htm| archive-date = 8 September 2010}}</ref> [[Eysteinn Beli]], who according to the ''Hervarar Saga'' was Harald Wartooth's son, ruled Sweden sometime after Sigurd until he was slain by the sons of Ragnar and [[Aslaug]].<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.germanicmythology.com/FORNALDARSAGAS/ThattrRagnarsSonar.html| title = ''The Tale of Ragnar's Sons'', Chapter 2| website = Germanicmythology.com| access-date = 20 October 2019| archive-date = 22 September 2013| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130922060849/http://www.germanicmythology.com/FORNALDARSAGAS/ThattrRagnarsSonar.html| url-status = live}}</ref>

In their accounts of his reign, the ''[[fornaldarsǫgur]]'' (Legendary sagas, or sagas of Scandinavian prehistory),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://fasnl.ku.dk/|title=Stories for all time: The Icelandic fornaldarsögur|website=Fasnl.ku.dk|access-date=28 February 2022|archive-date=23 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220223230833/https://fasnl.ku.dk/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.researchgate.net/publication/312033326| title = ''fornaldarsögur'', chapter 25|website=Researchgate.net}}</ref> tell more about Ragnar's marriages than about feats of warfare. In the [https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/lmu/detail.action?docID=4939445 Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok],<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Crawford |first=Jackson |title=The Saga of the Volsungs: With the Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok |date=2017 |publisher=Hackett Publishing Company, Incorporated |isbn=978-1-62466-635-3 |location=Cambridge}}</ref> Ragnar is introduced by introducing his alleged father who was Sigurd Ring that according to the Saga, ruled over Denmark. In the Saga, Ragnar is Introduced as a big man, handsome and well-provided with wisdom. He was good to his men and cruel to his enemies. Ragnar's first account in the saga was to assemble an army, a fleet of ships, becoming a great warrior and slaying a dragon in the Norse lands of Götaland.

According to the ''Sögubrot'', "he was the biggest and fairest of men that human eyes have seen, and he was like his mother in appearance and took after her kin".<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.oe.eclipse.co.uk/nom/Fragment.htm| title = '' Sögubrot'', Chapter 10| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100908081803/http://www.oe.eclipse.co.uk/nom/Fragment.htm| archive-date = 8 September 2010}}</ref> He first killed a giant snake that guarded the abode of the [[Geats|Geatish]] jarl [[Herrauðr|Herrauð]]'s daughter [[Thora Borgarhjort]], thereby winning her as his wife. The unusual protective clothes that Ragnar wore when attacking the serpent earned him the nickname Lodbrok.{{efn|name=epithet}} His sons with Thora were [[Erik Weatherhat|Erik]] and Agnar. After Thora died, he discovered [[Aslaug|Kráka]], a woman of outstanding beauty and wisdom living with a poor peasant couple in Norway, and married her. This marriage resulted in the sons [[Ivar the Boneless]], [[Björn Ironside]], [[Hvitserk]], [[Ragnvald Heidumhære|Ragnvald]], and [[Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye]].<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.snerpa.is/net/forn/ragnar.htm| title = ''Ragnars Saga Lodbrokar'', Chapters 4 and 7| access-date = 25 October 2019| archive-date = 25 October 2019| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191025164341/https://www.snerpa.is/net/forn/ragnar.htm| url-status = live}}</ref> Kráka was later revealed to actually be Aslaug, a secret daughter of the renowned hero [[Sigurd|Sigurd Fafnesbane]]. As the sons grew up to become renowned warriors, Ragnar, not wishing to be outdone, resolved to conquer England with merely two ships. He was, however, defeated by superior [[Northumbria]]n forces and was thrown into a [[snake pit]] to die.<ref>{{cite journal | last=Frank | first=Roberta | title=Viking atrocity and Skaldic verse: The Rite of the Blood-Eagle | journal=The English Historical Review | volume=XCIX | issue=CCCXCI | date=1 April 1984 | issn=0013-8266 | doi=10.1093/ehr/XCIX.CCCXCI.332 | pages=332–343 | url=https://academic.oup.com/ehr/article/XCIX/CCCXCI/332/389819 | access-date=16 September 2019| doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.snerpa.is/net/forn/ragnar.htm| title = ''Ragnars Saga Lodbrokar'', Chapter 15| access-date = 25 October 2019| archive-date = 25 October 2019| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191025164341/https://www.snerpa.is/net/forn/ragnar.htm| url-status = live}}</ref> The ''Saga of Ragnar Lodbrok'', ''Tale of Ragnar's Sons'', and ''Heimskringla'' all tell of the [[Great Heathen Army]] that invaded England at around 866, led by the sons of Ragnar Lodbrok to wreak revenge against King [[Ælla of Northumbria]] who is told to have captured and executed Ragnar.

=== Danish sources ===
The {{Lang|la|[[Chronicon Roskildense]]}} ({{Circa|1138}}) mentions Lodbrok (Lothpardus) as a father to the utterly cruel Norse King Ywar (rex crudelissimus Normannorum Ywar) and his brothers, Inguar (a double of Ywar), Ubbi, Byorn and Ulf, who rule the northern peoples. They call on the various Danish petty kings to help them ruin the realm of the [[Franks]]. Ywar successfully attacks the kingdoms of Britain, though not as an act of revenge as in the Icelandic sagas.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://archive.org/stream/scriptoresminore112gert#page/16/mode/2up| title = ''Chronicon Roskildense'', p. 16| year = 1917}}</ref> The chronicle of [[Sven Aggesen]] ({{Circa|1190}}) is the first Danish text that mentions the full name, Regnerus Lothbrogh. His son Sigurd invades Denmark and kills its king, whose daughter he marries as he takes over the throne. Their son in turn is [[Hardeknud I|Knut]], ancestor of the later Danish kings.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://archive.org/stream/scriptoresminore112gert#page/106/mode/2up| title = Sven Aggeson, p. 106| year = 1917}}</ref>

Neither of these sources mentions Ragnar Lodbrok as a Danish ruler. The first to do so is [[Saxo Grammaticus]] in his work {{Lang|la|[[Gesta Danorum]]}} ({{Circa|1200}}). This work mixes Norse legend with data about Danish history derived from the chronicle of [[Adam of Bremen]] ({{Circa|1075}}).<ref>{{cite web| url = https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044105191639&view=1up&seq=399| title = Storm (1877), p. 387-9| year = 1871| access-date = 30 October 2019| archive-date = 4 November 2020| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201104181424/https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044105191639&view=1up&seq=399| url-status = live}}</ref> Here Ragnar's father Sigurd Ring is a Norwegian prince married to a Danish princess, and different from the victor of Brávellir (who had flourished about thirteen generations earlier). Sigurd Ring and his cousin and rival Ring (that is, Sigfred and [[Anulo]] of recorded history, d. 812) are both killed in battle, whereupon Ragnar is elevated to the Danish kingship (identified by Saxo with [[Reginfrid|Ragnfred]], d. 814<ref>{{cite journal| url = https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044105191639&view=1up&seq=411| title = Storm (1877), p. 399| year = 1871| journal = Historisk Tidskrift| access-date = 30 October 2019| archive-date = 26 October 2020| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201026203132/https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044105191639&view=1up&seq=411| url-status = live}}</ref>).<ref>{{cite web| url = https://archive.org/details/ninebooksofdanis02saxouoft/page/541| title = Saxo Grammaticus, Book 9, p. 539–41| year = 1905}}</ref>  His first deed is the defeat of the Swedish king Frö, who has killed Ragnar's grandfather. Ragnar is assisted in this by a ferocious [[shield-maiden]] named [[Ladgerda]] (Lagertha), whom Ragnar forces to marry him after killing a bear and a great hound to win her hand. In this marriage, he sires the son Fridleif and two daughters.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://archive.org/details/ninebooksofdanis02saxouoft/page/543| title = Saxo Grammaticus, Book 9, p. 542-3| year = 1905}}</ref>  Ragnar later repudiates his marriage to Ladgerda and marries [[Thora Borgarhjort]], a daughter of the Swedish king Herrauðr, after killing two venomous giant snakes that guard Thora's residence. His sons with Thora are Radbard, Dunvat, [[Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye]], Björn Ironside, Agnar and Ivar the Boneless. From a non-marital relationship with an unnamed woman (described only as the daughter of a man named Esbjørn), Ragnar fathered [[Ubba|Ubbe]]. Another, final marriage to Svanlaug (possibly another name for Aslaug) produces another three sons: Ragnvald, [[Eric Weatherhat]] and [[Hvitserk]].<ref>{{cite web| url = https://archive.org/details/ninebooksofdanis02saxouoft/page/550| title = Saxo Grammaticus, Book 9, p. 545, 550| year = 1905}}</ref>

The sons were installed as sub-kings in various conquered territories. Ragnar led a Viking expedition to England and killed its king, Hama, before killing the earls of Scotland and installing Sigurd Snake-in-the Eye and Radbard as governors. Norway was also subjugated, and Fridleif was made ruler there and in [[Orkney]]. Later on, Ragnar with three sons invaded Sweden where a new king called Sörle had appeared and withheld the heritage of Thora's sons. Sörle and his army were massacred, and Björn Ironside was installed on the throne.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://archive.org/details/ninebooksofdanis02saxouoft/page/551| title = Saxo Grammaticus, Book 9, p. 551| year = 1905}}</ref>  Sometime later Björn was put in charge of Norway, while Ragnar appointed another son, Eric Weatherhat, as ruler in Sweden; he was subsequently killed by a certain [[Eysteinn Beli|Eysteinn]]. One of the sons, Ubbe, revolted against his father at the instigation of his maternal grandfather Esbjørn, and could only be defeated and captured with utmost effort.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://archive.org/details/ninebooksofdanis02saxouoft/page/557| title = Saxo Grammaticus, Book 9, p. 557| year = 1905}}</ref> Saxo moreover tells of repeated expeditions to the [[British Isles]], one of which cost the lives of Dunvat and Radbard. Ælla, son of Hama, with the help of allies known collectively as the ''Galli'' – possibly a group of [[Norse–Gaels|Norse-Gael]]s (who were known in Old Irish as ''Gall-Goídil''),<ref name="auto">Smyth (1977).</ref> expelled Ragnar's sub-ruler Ivar the Boneless from England and remained a persistent enemy.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://archive.org/details/ninebooksofdanis02saxouoft/page/560| title = Saxo Grammaticus, Book 9, p. 560-1| year = 1905}}</ref> Finally, the [[Scythians]] were forced to accept Hvitserk as their ruler. In the end, Hvitserk was treacherously captured by the [[Hellespontus (province)|Hellespontian]] prince Daxon and burnt alive with his own admission. Hearing this, Ragnar led an expedition to [[Kievan Rus']] and captured Daxon who was spared and exiled.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://archive.org/details/ninebooksofdanis02saxouoft/page/558| title = Saxo Grammaticus, Book 9, p. 558-9| year = 1905}}</ref>

Unlike the Icelandic sources, Saxo's account of Ragnar Lodbrok's reign is largely a catalog of successful Viking invasions over an enormous geographical area. Among the seaborne expeditions was one against the [[Bjarmians]] and [[Finns]] ([[Sami people|Saami]]) in the Arctic north. The Bjarmian use of magic spells caused foul weather and the sudden death of many Danish invaders, and the Finnish archers on skis turned out to be a formidable foe. Eventually, these two tribes were put to flight, and the Bjarmian king was slain.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://archive.org/details/ninebooksofdanis02saxouoft/page/554| title = Saxo Grammaticus, Book 9, p. 558-9| year = 1905}}</ref> The historical king [[Harald Klak]] is by Saxo (based on a passage in Adam's chronicle) made into another persistent enemy of Ragnar, who several times incited the [[Jutes]] and [[Skåne|Scanians]] to rebel, but was regularly defeated. After the last victory over Harald, Ragnar learned that King Ælla had massacred Ragnar's men on [[Ireland]]. Incensed, he attacked the English king with his fleet but was captured and thrown to his death in the snake pit – the fate ascribed by tradition to the early [[Kingdom of the Burgundians|Burgundian]] king [[Gunther|Gunnar]], as recounted in the Icelandic sagas. In spite of all his praise for Ragnar Lodbrok, Saxo also considers his fate as God's rightful vengeance for the contempt he had shown the Christian religion.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://archive.org/details/ninebooksofdanis02saxouoft/page/563| title = Saxo Grammaticus, Book 9, p. 562-3| year = 1905}}</ref>

=== Poetic and epigraphic sources ===
While the narrative Norse sources date from the 12th and 13th centuries, there are also many older poems that mention him and his kin. The ''[[Ragnarsdrápa]]'', ostensibly composed by [[Bragi Boddason]] in the 9th century, praises a Ragnar, son of Sigurd, for a richly decorated shield that the poet has received. The shield depicts the assault on [[Ermanaric|Jörmunrek]], the [[Hjaðningavíg]] tale, the ploughing of [[Gefjon]], and [[Thor]]'s struggle with the [[Midgard Serpent]]. Recent scholarship has suggested that the poem is in fact from c. 1000 and celebrates the Norse reconquest of England. The four tales depicted on the shield would then symbolize four aspects of the Lodbrok saga (the initial defeat of the sons of Lodbrok in England due to recklessness, Ivar the Boneless's deceitful approach to King Ælla, Ivar's cunning snatching of land from Ælla, Ragnar's struggle against the giant serpent in order to win Thora).<ref>"Ragnarsdrápa", ''Reallexikon der germanischen Altertumskunde'', Vol. 24, p. 115.</ref> The ''Knutsdrapa'' of [[Sigvat Thordarson]] (c. 1038) mentions the death of Ælla at the hands of Ivar in [[York]], who "carved the eagle on Ælla's back".<ref>Smyth (1977), p. 193–4.</ref> From this, the story of the atrocious revenge of Lodbrok's sons already seems to be present. The reference to a "[[blood eagle]]" punishment has, however, been much debated by modern scholars.<ref name="auto2">{{cite web|url=http://www.dur.ac.uk/medieval.www/sagaconf/mcturk.htm|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080926171200/http://www.dur.ac.uk/medieval.www/sagaconf/mcturk.htm|archivedate=26 September 2008|title=Kings and kingship in Viking Northumbria|date=26 September 2008|access-date=28 February 2022}}</ref> Another lay, ''[[Krakumal]]'', put in the mouth of the dying Ragnar in the snake pit, recounts the exploits of Ragnar and mentions battles over a wide geographical area, several relating to the British Isles. The poem's name, "Kráka's lay", alludes to Ragnar's wife's [[Aslaug|Kráka]],<ref>"Krákumál", ''Reallexikon der germanischen Altertumskunde'', Vol. 17 (2001), p. 299-300.</ref> though modern philologists commonly date it to the 12th century in its present form.<ref>Smyth (1977), p. 73-80.</ref>

The poem the ''Lay of Kraka'' or ''[[Krákumál|Krakumal]]''<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Marius |date=24 July 2024 |title=Krákumál {{!}} The Lay of Kraka - A Tale of Slaughter |url=https://vikingr.org/old-norse-texts/krakumal?srsltid=AfmBOooEwf_gA_JIfOfzxDk1gxg4RuGGXVzlQntnwPQut3YeuIQz_DGt |access-date=12 December 2024 |website=Vikingr |language=en-US}}</ref> tells the last words of Ragnar Lothbrok during his execution by King Aellla of the Kingdom of Northumbria. In the poem Ragnar makes its usual mentions of different Norse divinities and magical elements such as Valhalla as in the end of the poem Ragnar says:

{{poem quote|We hewed with the brand!
Full gladly do I go! See the Valkyrjar fresh from Odin's halls!
High-seated among heroes shall I quaff the yellow-mead.
The Aesir welcome me. Laughing gladly do I die!}}

There is one runic inscription mentioning Lodbrok, carved on the prehistorical tumulus of [[Maeshowe]] on Orkney in the early 12th century. It reads: "This howe was built a long time before Lodbrok's. Her sons, they were bold; scarcely ever were there such tall men of their hands".<ref>Smyth (1977), p. 81.</ref> The expression "her sons" has given rise to the theory that Lodbrok was originally thought of as a woman,<ref>{{cite journal|author=Gustav Storm|date=1877|title=Ragnar Lodbrok og Lodbrokssønnerne; studie i dansk oldhistorie og nordisk sagnhistorie|journal=Historisk Tidskrift|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044105191639;view=1up;seq=419|access-date=25 October 2019|archive-date=27 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027052454/https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044105191639;view=1up;seq=419|url-status=live}}</ref> mother of the historically known sons.<ref name="auto2"/>

=== Frankish accounts of a 9th-century Viking leader ===
The [[Siege of Paris (845)|Siege of Paris]] and the Sack of Paris of 845 were the culmination of a Viking invasion of the kingdom of the West Franks. The Viking forces were led by a Norse chieftain named "Reginherus", or Ragnar.{{Sfn | Kohn | 2006 | p = 588}}  This Ragnar has often been tentatively identified with the legendary saga figure Ragnar Lodbrok,<ref>''Reallexikon der germanischen Altertumskunde'', Vol. 24, p. 111, 113, 116.</ref> but the accuracy of this is disputed by historians.{{Sfn | Jones | 2001 | p = 212}}{{Sfn | Sprague | 2007 | p = 225}} Ragnar Lodbrok is also sometimes identified with a Ragnar who was awarded land in [[Torhout]], [[Flanders]], by [[Charles the Bald]] in about 841 but eventually lost the land as well as the favour of the King.{{Sfn | Sawyer | 2001 | p = 40}}  Ragnar's Vikings raided [[Rouen]] on their way up the Seine in 845 and in response to the invasion, determined not to let the royal [[Basilica of St Denis|Abbey of Saint-Denis]] (near Paris) be destroyed, Charles assembled an army which he divided into two parts, one for each side of the river.{{Sfn | Duckett | 1988 | p = 181}}{{Sfn | Jones | 2001 |  p = 212}} Ragnar attacked and defeated one of the divisions of the smaller Frankish army, took 111 of their men as prisoners and hanged them on an island on the Seine to honour the [[Norse religion|Norse god]] [[Odin]], as well as to incite terror in the remaining Frankish forces.{{Sfn | Kohn | 2006 | p = 588}}{{Sfn | Jones | 2001 | p = 212}} Ragnar's fleet made it back to his overlord, the Danish King [[Horik I]], but Ragnar soon died from a violent illness that also spread in Denmark.<ref>{{cite journal| url = https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044105191639&view=1up&seq=450| title = Storm (1877), p. 438| year = 1871| journal = Historisk Tidskrift| access-date = 30 October 2019| archive-date = 14 June 2020| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200614195411/https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044105191639&view=1up&seq=450| url-status = live}}</ref>

=== Later continental accounts ===
Among the oldest texts to mention the name Lodbrok is the Norman history of [[William of Jumièges]] from c. 1070. According to William, the Danish kings of old had the custom to expel the younger sons from the kingdom to have them out of the way. It was during the time this practice was in fashion that King Lodbrok succeeded his unnamed father on the Danish throne. After gaining power, he honoured the said custom and ordered his junior son Björn Ironside to leave his realm. Björn thus left Denmark with a considerable fleet and started to ravage in West Francia and later the [[Mediterranean]].<ref>{{cite book| url = https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015013753564;view=1up;seq=23| title = Guillaume de Jumièges, ''Histoire des ducs de Normandie'', p. 11-3| year = 1826| publisher = Chez Mancel| access-date = 20 October 2019| archive-date = 27 October 2020| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201027042105/https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015013753564;view=1up;seq=23| url-status = live}}</ref> Roughly contemporary with William is [[Adam of Bremen]] whose history of the [[Archbishopric of Hamburg|Archbishopric of Hamburg-Bremen]] contains many traditions about Viking Age Scandinavia. In a passage referring to the Viking raids of the late 9th century, he mentions the Danish or Norse pirates Horich, Orwig, Gotafrid, Rudolf, and Inguar (Ivar). This Ivar is, in particular, seen as a cruel persecutor of Christians, and a son of Lodbrok (Inguar, filius Lodparchi).<ref>{{cite web| url = https://archive.org/stream/adamvonbremenham00adam#page/40/mode/2up| title = Adam von Bremen, ''Hamburgische Kirchengeschichte'', p. 39-40| year = 1917| publisher = Hannover, Hahn}}</ref>

=== Anglo-Saxon and Irish accounts of the father of Ivar and Halfdan ===
According to the contemporary ''[[Anglo-Saxon Chronicle]]'' and [[Asser]]'s ''Life of Alfred'', in 878 the "brother of Hingwar and Healfden", with a naval fleet, a contingent of the Great Heathen Army invaded [[Devon]] in England and fought the [[Battle of Cynwit]]. There the Vikings lost, their king slain and many dead, with few escaping to their ships. After the battle the [[Saxons]] took great plunder, and among other things the banner called "Raven".<ref>Garmonsway, G.N. (1972), ''The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle''. London: Dent, p. 75-7.</ref> The early 12th century ''[[Annals of St Neots]]'' further state that "they say that the three sisters of Hingwar and Hubba, daughters of Lodebroch (Lodbrok), wove that flag and got it ready in one day. They say, moreover, that in every battle, wherever the flag went before them, if they were to gain the victory, a live crow would appear flying on the middle of the flag; but if they were doomed to be defeated, it would hang down motionless, and this was often proved to be so."<ref>Garmonsway, G.N. (1972), ''The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle''. London: Dent, p. 77.</ref> This is among the earlier references to the legendary hero Ragnar Lodbrok.

The Irish {{lang|ga|[[Cogad Gáedel re Gallaib]]}} from the 12th century, with information deriving from earlier annals, mentions king Halfdan (d. 877) under the name "mac Ragnaill".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archive.org/details/cogadhgaedhelreg00todd|title=Cogadh Gaedhel re Gallaibh = The war of the Gaedhil with the Gaill, or, The invasions of Ireland by the Danes and other Norsemen : the original Irish text, edited, with translation and introduction|first=James Henthorn|last=Todd|date=28 February 1867|publisher=London : Longmans, Green, Reader, and Dyer|access-date=28 February 2022|via=Internet Archive}}</ref> The form Ragnall may refer to either Ragnvald or Ragnar and the entry is a strong indication that the name of Ivar's and Halfdan's father was really Ragnar or a similar name.<ref>Smyth, Alfred P. (1977) ''Scandinavian kings in the British Isles 850–880''. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 263 & 279</ref> The early 11th century ''[[Three Fragments]]'' contains a passage that gives a semi-legendary background to the capture of York by the Vikings in 866. The two younger sons of Halfdan, King of [[Lochlann]], expelled the eldest son, Ragnall, who sailed to the [[Orkney islands]] with his three sons and settled there. Two of the sons later raided the English and [[Franks]], proceeding to plunder in the Mediterranean. One of them learned from a vision that Ragnall had fought a battle where the third son had been slain and in which he himself had most likely perished. The two Viking sons then returned home with a lot of dark-skinned captives.<ref>Smyth, Alfred P. (1977) ''Scandinavian kings in the British Isles 850–880''. Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 62</ref> It has been hypothesized that this is an Irish version of ''Ragnar Lodbrok's saga'', the Mediterranean expedition being a historical event taking place in 859-61.<ref>Smyth, Alfred P. (1977) ''Scandinavian kings in the British Isles 850–880''. Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 64-5.</ref>

== Mythical accounts of Ragnar ==

=== ''The Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok'' ===
In the [[Tale of Ragnar Lodbrok|''Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok'']]<ref name=":0" /> ({{langx|non|Ragnars saga loðbrókar}}) This Icelandic saga, composed in the 13th century, is one of the most detailed sources about Ragnar's life and exploits. It describes Ragnar's rise to fame, his marriages (including to the shieldmaiden Lagertha and the noblewoman Thora Borgarhjort), and his legendary deeds.

The saga highlights Ragnar's divine connections, particularly his descent from Odin, framing him as a semi-mythical hero blessed with the qualities associated with the Allfather, such as wisdom, courage, and poetic speech. The first account of Ragnar in the saga is the tale of Ragnar killing a dragon, showing the close relation between Ragnar and legendary/magical deeds.

When the Saga accounts Ragnar's death the story also tells "So Ragnar was let down into a serpent-pit, and he sat there a long time while none of the snakes would bite him. And some people said, 'This is a great man; no weapons would bite him today, and now the serpents will not bite him.{{'"}}

=== ''Tale of Ragnar's Sons'' ===
The ''[[Tale of Ragnar's Sons]]'' ({{langx|non|Ragnarssona þáttr}}) is a short tale that complements the ''Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok''<ref name=":0" /> and focuses on the exploits of Ragnar's sons most notably [[Ivar the Boneless]], [[Björn Ironside|Bjorn Ironside]], [[Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye]], and Hvitserk.

The sons are portrayed as avenging their father's death and continuing his legacy. Their divine lineage through Ragnar and their heroic deeds further enhance Ragnar's legendary status.

=== ''Gesta Danorum'' by Saxo Grammaticus ===
The ''[[Gesta Danorum]]'',<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Saxo Grammaticus |title=Gesta Danorum: the history of the Danes |last2=Friis-Jensen |first2=Karsten |date=2015 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-820523-4 |series=Oxford medieval texts |location=Oxford}}</ref> written in Latin in the 12th century, this work by the Danish historian [[Saxo Grammaticus]] provides one of the earliest accounts of Ragnar and his feats. Saxo portrays Ragnar as a Danish king and warrior, blending historical and mythical elements. While Saxo does not explicitly emphasize Ragnar's descent from [[Odin]], the narrative incorporates divine and heroic motifs that align with Norse tradition.

=== Norse skaldic poetry ===
Poetic references to Ragnar or figures resembling him appear in Norse skaldic poetry and eddic poems, often linking heroes to divine ancestry as a way of enhancing their heroic status. In the "Krákumál,"<ref>{{Cite web |last=Harridsleff |first=Marius |date=24 July 2024 |title=Krákumál {{!}} The Lay of Kraka - A Tale of Slaughter |url=https://vikingr.org/old-norse-texts/krakumal?srsltid=AfmBOooEwf_gA_JIfOfzxDk1gxg4RuGGXVzlQntnwPQut3YeuIQz_DGt |access-date=17 December 2024 |website=Vikingr |language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> many of the poem's stanzas have Ragnar making claims about [[Valhalla]], [[Odin]] and the [[Valkyrie|Valkyrs]], showing how Ragnar was closely related with [[Norse mythology|Norse Mythology]].

== Ragnar's sons ==
[[File:Rayner Lothbroc Saga by Norstedts 1880.jpg|thumb|upright|The saga as published by [[Norstedts]] in a large-size illustrated version (1880).]]
The [[Great Heathen Army]] is said to have been led by the sons of Ragnar Lodbrok, to wreak revenge against King Ælla of Northumbria who had previously executed Ragnar by casting him into a pit full of venomous snakes.<ref>''Sagan om Ragnar Lodbrok och hans söner'' [[Norstedts]], Stockholm 1880 pp. 82 ff</ref> Among the organizers were at least some of the brothers: [[Ivar the Boneless]], [[Ubba]], [[Halfdan Ragnarsson|Halfdan]], [[Björn Ironside]], [[Hvitserk]], and [[Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye]], all of whom are known as historical figures, save the slightly more dubious Hvitserk.{{sfn|Holman|2003|p=220}} Ivar the Boneless was the leader of the Great Heathen Army from 865 to 870, but he disappears from English historical accounts after 870.<ref>Forte, Angelo; Oram, Richard; Pedersen, Frederik (2005). Viking Empires (First ed.). Cambridge University Press. {{ISBN|978-0521829922}}</ref> The Anglo-Saxon chronicler [[Æthelweard (historian)|Æthelweard]] records Ivar's death as 870.<ref>Giles, J. A., ed. (2010). ''Six Old English Chronicles: Ethelwerd's Chronicle, Asser's Life Of Alfred, Geoffrey Of Monmouth's British History, Gildas, Nennius And Richard Of Cirencester''. Kessinger Publishing, LLC. {{ISBN|978-1163125991}}</ref> [[Halfdan Ragnarsson]] became the leader of the Great Heathen Army in about 870 and he led it in an invasion of Wessex.<ref>Forte, A; Oram, RD; Pedersen, F (2005). ''Viking Empires''. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. {{ISBN|978-0-521-82992-2}}. p. 72</ref> A great number of Viking warriors arrived from Scandinavia, as part of the Great Summer Army, led by King [[Bagsecg]] of Denmark, bolstering the ranks of Halfdan's army.<ref>Hooper, Nicholas Hooper; Bennett, Matthew (1996). The Cambridge Illustrated Atlas of Warfare: the Middle Ages. Cambridge University Press. {{ISBN|0-521-44049-1}}. p. 22</ref>

According to the ''[[Anglo-Saxon Chronicle]]'', the Danes battled the West Saxons nine times, including the [[Battle of Ashdown]] on 8 January 871, where Bagsecg was killed.<ref>Costambeys, M (2004). "Hálfdan (d. 877)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. {{doi|10.1093/ref:odnb/49260}}</ref> Halfdan accepted a truce from the future [[Alfred the Great]], newly crowned king of Wessex.<ref>Forte, A; Oram, RD; Pedersen, F (2005). ''Viking Empires''. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. {{ISBN|978-0-521-82992-2}}. pp. 72–73</ref> After Bagsecg's death, Halfdan was the only remaining king of the invading host. He may also have been a King of part of Denmark ([[Jutland]]?), since a co-ruler [[Sigfred and Halfdan|Halfdan]] is mentioned in Frankish sources in 873.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.digitale-sammlungen.de/de/view/bsb10015821?page=76| title = ''Die Jahrbücher von Fulda und Xanten'', p. 62| access-date = 17 January 2023| archive-date = 19 March 2023| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230319201259/https://www.digitale-sammlungen.de/de/view/bsb10015821?page=76| url-status = live}}</ref> According to late sagas Björn Ironside became King of Sweden and Uppsala, although this presents chronological inconsistencies.<ref>Carl Bernadotte et al. (1956), ''Sveriges hundra konungar''. Stockholm: Biblioteksböcker, p. 81.</ref> Björn had two sons, [[Erik Björnsson|Erik]] and [[Refil Björnsson]]. His son Erik became the next king of Sweden, and was succeeded in turn by [[Erik Refilsson]], the son of Refil.<ref>{{cite journal|editor1=Tolkien, Christopher|editor2=Turville-Petre, G.|date=1956|title=Hervarar Saga ok Heidreks|location=London|journal=Viking Society for Northern Research|page=69|url=http://www.vsnrweb-publications.org.uk/Text%20Series/Hervarar%20saga%20ok%20heidreks.pdf|access-date=20 October 2019|archive-date=1 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190801054322/http://www.vsnrweb-publications.org.uk/Text%20Series/Hervarar%20saga%20ok%20heidreks.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye is perhaps the same person as [[Sigfred and Halfdan|Sigfred]], brother of Halfdan, who was king in Denmark together with Halfdan in 873.<ref name="autogenerated1">[http://www.dur.ac.uk/medieval.www/sagaconf/mcturk.htm ''Kings and kingship in Viking Northumbria'', by] [[Rory McTurk]] (University of Leeds) {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080926171200/http://www.dur.ac.uk/medieval.www/sagaconf/mcturk.htm |date=26 September 2008 }}</ref> According to the sagas Sigurd became King of [[Zealand]], [[Skåne]] and the lesser Danish Isles.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.germanicmythology.com/FORNALDARSAGAS/ThattrRagnarsSonar.html| title = ''The Tale of Ragnar's Sons'', Chapter 3| access-date = 20 October 2019| archive-date = 22 September 2013| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130922060849/http://www.germanicmythology.com/FORNALDARSAGAS/ThattrRagnarsSonar.html| url-status = live}}</ref> Sigfred-Sigurd possibly succeeded his brother Halfdan as King of entire Denmark in about 877, and may be the Viking king Sigfred who was killed in West Francia in 887.<ref>P.A. Munch (1852), ''Det norske Folks Historie'', Vol. I: 1. Christiania: Tonsberg, pp. 642–48.</ref>

== Ragnar's historical relevance ==

=== Conquest and raids ===
Ragnar Lodbrok is famously associated with several daring raids, including the [[Siege of Paris (845)|Siege of Paris]] in 845 CE and expeditions in England. These raids encapsulate the Viking era's maritime prowess and opportunistic expansion. In the ''[https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/lmu/detail.action?docID=4939445 Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok]''<ref name=":0" /> the saga tells the different exploits and raids made by Ragnar as well as in the [[Annals of St. Bertin]]<ref>{{Cite book |last=Nelson |first=Janet |title=The Annals of St. Bertin |date=21 November 1991 |publisher=Manchester University Press |isbn=0719034264}}</ref> the author talks about the chieftain Reginherus or Ragnar's exploits and raiding in medieval Frankia.

=== Symbol of Viking ambition ===
The legends of Ragnar Lodbrok emphasize the Norse pursuit of glory, honor, and wealth. The stories of Ragnar's courage and cunning, including his use of a fleet of ships to breach Paris, reflect the strategic brilliance attributed to Viking leaders.

=== Connection to historical figures ===
Ragnar is linked to historically attested figures such as his supposed sons [[Ivar the Boneless]], [[Björn Ironside]], and [[Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye]]. These sons are known for their roles in Viking invasions of England, as explained in both the ''[https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/lmu/detail.action?docID=4939445 Saga of Ragnar Lodbrok]''<ref name=":0" /> and the ''[[Tale of Ragnar's Sons]],'' including the establishment of the [[Danelaw]].

=== Mythical origins and death ===
The Sagas portray Ragnar as descended from [[Odin]], tying him to the divine and emphasizing his extraordinary qualities. His death, allegedly in a pit of venomous snakes ordered by King Ella of Northumbria, is portrayed as a moment of stoic heroism, enhancing his mythic status.

=== Literary influence ===
Ragnar's story is preserved in medieval texts such as ''[https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/lmu/detail.action?docID=4939445 The Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok]''<ref name=":0" /> and Saxo Grammaticus's ''[[Gesta Danorum]]''.<ref name=":2" /> These works helped to shape and form the myth and the legends of the Viking hero and inspired later historical and literary traditions.

=== Inspiration for national identity ===
In Scandinavian history, Ragnar Lodbrok and similar legendary figures have served as symbols of national pride and resilience, particularly during periods of cultural revival.

== Ragnar's role on warrior aristocracy ==
Ragnar Lodbrok's legendary status as a Viking chieftain and hero exemplifies the warrior aristocracy that defined Viking society during the early medieval period. The warrior aristocracy was a class of elite warriors who wielded political power, wealth, and influence based on their martial prowess, leadership, and ability to secure loyalty through plunder and patronage. In the poem ''[[Hávamál]]'', many different rules are highlighted to show what a good Norse warrior ought to be. Ragnar's life is easily comparable to the different rules highlighted in the ''Hávamál''.<ref name=":3">{{Cite book |last=Terry |first=Patricia |title=Poems of the Vikings: The elder edda |date=1 January 1969 |publisher=Macmillan |isbn=0672603322 |edition=1st |location=New York |publication-date=1 January 1969 |pages=13–39}}</ref> Ragnar's role within this societal structure highlights the values and dynamics of Viking leadership.

=== Warlord and chieftain ===
Ragnar is depicted as a charismatic and strategic leader who led numerous successful raids across Europe, including England and Francia. These exploits elevated his status as a powerful chieftain and warlord within the Viking hierarchy. His ability to gather and command loyal warriors was central to his influence, as a successful Viking leader depended on retaining a retinue of well-armed and motivated followers.

=== Pursuit of wealth and glory ===
In Viking society, wealth and fame were essential to a leader's prestige. In the Norse poem ''[[Hávamál]]''<ref name=":3" /> many of the stanzas tell about the relevance of wealth, fame and glory. In one of the stanzas from the ''Hávamál'',<ref name=":3" /> the poem says:

{{poem quote|Kinsmen die,
You yourself die,
gods and gold die;
an honourable name will never die,
one which was won
by your own work<ref name=":3" />}}

Ragnar's legendary exploits, such as his [[Siege of Paris (845)|siege of Paris in 845 CE]], illustrate his role in securing riches and reputation for himself and his men. The warrior aristocracy was sustained through the acquisition of plunder and tribute, and Ragnar's reputed success in these endeavors exemplify the ideals of Viking leadership.

=== Kinship and legacy ===
Ragnar's role as a progenitor of a line of prominent Viking leaders, such as his legendary sons [[Ivar the Boneless]], [[Björn Ironside|Bjorn Ironside]], and [[Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye]], help explain the importance of kinship ties in maintaining aristocratic power. His sons' significant roles in Viking conquests and the establishment of the [[Danelaw]] reflect how Ragnar's legacy reinforced the continuity of aristocratic dominance.

=== Role in Viking expansion ===
Ragnar's exploits exemplify the broader ambitions of the Viking warrior aristocracy, which sought to expand their influence through exploration, trade, and conquest. His legendary journeys to England and beyond reflect the aristocracy's role in driving Viking expansion and shaping early medieval Europe.

== Sources and historical accuracy ==
[[File:Rayner Lothbroc & Kraka by August Malmström c 1880.jpg|upright|thumb|left|Ragnar receives [[Aslaug|Kráka]] (Aslaug), as imagined by [[August Malmström]].]]
[[File:Ragnar Lodbroks död by Hugo Hamilton.jpg|thumb|right|19th-century artist's impression of Ælla of Northumbria's execution of Ragnar Lodbrok]]
Whereas Ragnar's sons Ivar the Boneless, Halfdan Ragnarsson, Björn Ironside, Ubba and Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye are historical figures, opinion regarding their father is divided. Contemporary academia regards most of the stories about him to be fiction. According to [[Hilda Ellis Davidson]], writing in 1979, "Certain scholars in recent years have come to accept at least part of Ragnar's story as based on historical fact."<ref name="auto1">Davidson p. 277</ref><!-- A generation later, however, Katherine Holman wrote in 2003: <blockquote>Although his sons are historical figures, there is no evidence that Ragnar himself ever lived and he seems to be an amalgam of historical figures and literary invention.<ref name="Z">Holman 2003 p. 220</ref></blockquote> First of all, this does not contradict what Ellis Davidson writes, and the claim of any change in scholarly views is not covered by the reference-->

The most significant medieval sources that mention Ragnar include:
* Book IX of the {{Lang|la|[[Gesta Danorum]]}}, a 12th-century work by the Christian Danish chronicler {{lang|la|[[Saxo Grammaticus]]|italic=no}}
* the ''[[Tale of Ragnar's Sons|Tale of Ragnar's sons]]'' ({{lang|non|Ragnarssona þáttr}}), a [[legendary saga]]
* the ''[[Tale of Ragnar Lodbrok]]'', another saga, a sequel to the {{lang|non|[[Völsunga saga]]}}
* the {{lang|non|[[Ragnarsdrápa]]}}, a [[skaldic poem]] of which only fragments remain, attributed to the 9th-century poet [[Bragi Boddason]]
* the {{lang|non|[[Krákumál]]}}, Ragnar's death-song, an old and mysterious skaldic poem

In her commentary on Saxo's {{Lang|la|[[Gesta Danorum]]}}, Davidson notes that Saxo's coverage of Ragnar's legend in book IX of the {{Lang|la|Gesta}} appears to be an attempt to consolidate many of the confusing and contradictory events and stories known to the chronicler into the reign of one king, Ragnar. That is why many acts ascribed to Ragnar in the {{Lang|la|Gesta}} can be associated, through other sources, with various figures, some of whom are more historically tenable.<ref name="auto1"/>

The candidates scholars like to associate with the "historical Ragnar" include:
* the ''Reginherus'' or ''Ragnar'' who [[Siege of Paris (845)|besieged Paris]] in 845
* the Danish King [[Horik I]] (d. 854)
* King [[Reginfrid]] (d. 814), a king who ruled part of Denmark in tandem with his brother [[Harald Klak]], but was expelled by Horik I and his brothers and later fell in a battle against them
* possibly the [[Rognvald Eysteinsson|Ragnall]] (Ragnvald or Ragnar) of the [[Irish Annals]]{{sfn|Davidson|1980|p=277}}

Attempts to reliably associate the legendary Ragnar with one or several of those men have failed because of the difficulty in reconciling the various accounts and their chronology. But the tradition of a Viking hero named Ragnar (or similar) who wreaked havoc in mid-9th-century Europe and who fathered many famous sons is remarkably persistent, and some aspects of it are strengthened by relatively reliable sources, such as Irish historical tradition and, indirectly, the ''Anglo-Saxon Chronicle''.<ref name="auto"/>

== In literature and media ==
Ragnar Lodbrok features prominently in the following works:
* [[Edwin Atherstone]]'s 1830 novel ''Sea-Kings in England''.
* [[Edison Marshall]]'s 1951 novel ''The Viking''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.historicalnovels.info/Viking.html|title=Viking|website=Historicalnovels.info|access-date=28 February 2022|archive-date=17 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220117224444/http://www.historicalnovels.info/Viking.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
* {{ill|Ragnar le Viking|fr|Ragnar le Viking|italic=yes}}, a 1955 comic book feature written by {{ill|Jean Ollivier|fr|Jean Ollivier}} with art by [[Eduardo Teixeira Coelho]], that ran in the French ''[[Pif Gadget|Vaillant]]'' magazine up to 1969.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bdoubliees.com/vaillantpif/series5/ragnar.htm|title=Ragnar dans Vaillant/Pif|website=Bdoubliees.com|access-date=28 February 2022|archive-date=12 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220412010045/https://www.bdoubliees.com/vaillantpif/series5/ragnar.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>
* Richard Parker's 1957 historical novel ''The Sword of [[Ganelon]]'' explores the character of Ragnar, his sons, and Viking raiding culture.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/a/richard-parker-4/the-sword-of-ganelon/|title=Book Reviews, Sites, Romance, Fantasy, Fiction|website=Kirkus Reviews|access-date=28 February 2022|archive-date=28 February 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220228211729/https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/a/richard-parker-4/the-sword-of-ganelon/|url-status=live}}</ref>
* The 1958 film ''[[The Vikings (1958 film)|The Vikings]]'' based on Marshall's novel, in which Ragnar, played by [[Ernest Borgnine]], is captured by King Ælla and cast into a pit of wolves; a son named Einar {{sic}}, played by [[Kirk Douglas]], vows revenge and conquers [[Northumbria]] with help from half-brother (and sworn enemy) Eric (played by [[Tony Curtis]]), who also had much to avenge upon King Aella.
* [[Harry Harrison (writer)|Harry Harrison]]'s 1993 alternative history novel ''[[The Hammer and the Cross]]'' depicts Ragnar being shipwrecked, captured and executed, as well as his sons' revenge.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-312-85439-3|title=Fiction Book Review: The Hammer and the Cross by Harry Harrison, Author Tor Books $23.95 (415p) ISBN 978-0-312-85439-3|website=Publishersweekly.com|date=September 1993|access-date=28 February 2022|archive-date=12 April 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220412010052/https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-312-85439-3|url-status=live}}</ref>
* {{anchor|Vikings TV-show}}[[History (Canadian TV network)|History]]'s 2013 TV series ''[[Vikings (2013 TV series)|Vikings]]'' features Australian actor [[Travis Fimmel]] playing Ragnar Lodbrok.<ref name="j485">{{cite web | last=Tyler | first=Adrienne | title=Vikings: The Character Travis Fimmel Wanted To Play (It Wasn't Ragnar) | website=ScreenRant | date=1 March 2020 | url=https://screenrant.com/vikings-show-travis-fimmel-cast-floki-not-ragnar-reason/ | access-date=17 June 2024}}</ref>
*The 2020 release of [[Ubisoft]]'s ''[[Assassin's Creed Valhalla]]'' features Ragnar's children continuing to reign, plunder, and settle eastern England during the 9th century. Ragnar himself is briefly seen in a flashback of his execution.<ref name="IGN 2020">{{cite web | title=The Lost Drengir of Ragnar Lothbrok – Assassin's Creed Valhalla Wiki Guide | website=IGN | date=30 April 2020 | url=https://www.ign.com/wikis/assassins-creed-valhalla/The_Lost_Drengir_of_Ragnar_Lothbrok | access-date=25 October 2022 | archive-date=25 October 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221025022542/https://www.ign.com/wikis/assassins-creed-valhalla/The_Lost_Drengir_of_Ragnar_Lothbrok | url-status=live }}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Uí Ímair]]
* [[List of legendary kings of Denmark]]
* [[List of legendary kings of Sweden]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==Citations==
<references>
<!--unused<ref name="Saxo9">{{cite web |title=The Danish History, Book Nine |url=http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/saxo/saxo09.htm |website=www.sacred-texts.com}}</ref>-->
</references>

==References==
{{refbegin|30em}}
* {{citation|last=Duckett|first=Eleanor S|title=Carolingian Portraits: A Study in the Ninth Century|year=1988|publisher=University of Michigan|isbn=978-0-472-06157-0|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pQkkYygCpbUC|mode=cs1|access-date=16 July 2019|archive-date=14 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230414022333/https://books.google.com/books?id=pQkkYygCpbUC|url-status=live}}
* {{cite book |last=Harrison |first=Mark |year=1993 |title=Viking Hersir 793–1066 AD |publisher=[[Osprey Publishing]] |isbn=978-1-85532-318-6}}
* {{cite book |last=Holman |first=Katherine |title=Historical dictionary of the Vikings |year=2003 |publisher=[[Scarecrow Press]] |location=[[Lanham, Maryland]] |isbn=978-0-8108-4859-7 }}
* {{citation | last = Jones | first = Gwyn | title = A History of the Vikings | year = 2001 | publisher = Oxford University | isbn = 978-0-19-280134-0 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=lD74bDG3O5oC | mode = cs1 | access-date = 16 July 2019 | archive-date = 14 April 2023 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230414022334/https://books.google.com/books?id=lD74bDG3O5oC | url-status = live }}
* {{cite book |last=Kohn |first=George C. |year=2006 |title=Dictionary of Wars |publisher=Infobase |isbn=978-1-4381-2916-7 }}
* {{citation|last=Sawyer|first=PH|title=Illustrated History of the Vikings|year=2001|publisher=Oxford University|isbn=978-0-19-285434-6|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nJqf8e1vHFgC|mode=cs1|access-date=16 July 2019|archive-date=23 January 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230123074125/https://books.google.com/books?id=nJqf8e1vHFgC|url-status=live}}
* {{cite book |ref={{harvid|Davidson|1980}}
|author=Saxo Grammaticus |author-link1=Saxo Grammaticus |editor1-first=Hilda Roderick Ellis |editor1-last=Davidson |editor1-link=Hilda Ellis Davidson |others=Translated by Peter Fisher |title=[[Gesta Danorum]] |trans-title=Saxo Grammaticus: The history of the Danes: books I–IX |volume=1 & 2 |orig-year=1979|year=1980 |publisher=[[D. S. Brewer]] |location=[[Cambridge]] |at=Chapter introduction commentaries |isbn=978-0-85991-502-1}}
* {{cite book |year=c. 1200 |title=[[Sögubrot af nokkrum fornkonungum]] |ref={{harvid|Sögubrot|1200}}}}
* {{cite book |last=Sprague |first=Martina |title=Norse Warfare: the Unconventional Battle Strategies of the Ancient Vikings |publisher=Hippocrene Books |year=2007 |location=New York |url=https://archive.org/details/norsewarfareunco0000spra |url-access=registration |isbn=978-0-7818-1176-7 }}
{{refend}}

==Further reading==
{{refbegin|30em}}
* Forte, Angelo, Richard Oram, and Frederik Pedersen (2005). ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=_vEd859jvk0C Viking Empires] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405152116/https://books.google.com/books?id=_vEd859jvk0C |date=5 April 2023 }}''. Cambridge University Press, {{ISBN|0-521-82992-5}}.
* "Krákumál", ''Reallexikon der germanischen Altertumskunde'', Vol. 17 (2001), p.&nbsp;299–302.
* {{cite book |first=Rory |last=McTurk |author-link=Rory McTurk |title=Studies in Ragnars saga loðbrókar and Its Major Scandinavian Analogues |year=1991 |series=Medium Aevum Monographs |volume=15 |isbn=0-907570-08-9}}
* {{cite book |last=Magnusson |first=Magnus |year=2008 |title=The Vikings: Voyagers of Discovery and Plunder |publisher=Osprey Publishing |isbn=978-1-84603-340-7 }}
* "Ragnarsdrápa", ''Reallexikon der germanischen Altertumskunde'', Vol. 24 (2003), p.&nbsp;112-117.
* "Ragnars saga Loðbrókar", ''Reallexikon der germanischen Altertumskunde'', Vol. 24 (2003), p.&nbsp;108-112.
* [[Margaret Schlauch|Schlauch, Margaret]] (transl.) (1964). ''The Saga of the Volsungs: the Saga of Ragnar Lodbrok Together with the Lay of Kraka.'' New York: American Scandinavian Foundation.
* Smyth, Alfred P. (1977). ''Scandinavian kings in the British Isles 850–880''. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
* Storm, Gustav (1877), "Ragnar Lodbrok og Lodbrokssønnerne; studie i dansk oldhistorie og nordisk sagnhistorie", ''Historisk Tidskrift'' II:1 [https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044105191639;view=1up;seq=419 Historisk tidsskrift: udgivet af den Norske historiske forening.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027052454/https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044105191639;view=1up;seq=419 |date=27 October 2020 }}
* Strerath-Bolz, Ulrike (1993). [http://userpage.fu-berlin.de/~alvismal/2rory.pdf Review] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605001524/http://userpage.fu-berlin.de/~alvismal/2rory.pdf |date=5 June 2011 }} of [[Rory McTurk]], ''Studies in "Ragnars saga loðbrókar" and Its Major Scandinavian Analogues''], ''Alvíssmál'' 2: 118–19.
* Todd, James H. (1867), ''Coghad Gaedhel re Gallaibh'', London: Longman [https://archive.org/details/cogadhgaedhelreg00todd/page/26/mode/2up Cogadh Gaedhel re Gallaibh = The war of the Gaedhil with the Gaill, or, The invasions of Ireland by the Danes and other Norsemen : the original Irish text, edited, with translation and introduction]
* {{cite book |first=Ben |last=Waggoner |title=The Sagas of Ragnar Lodbrok |publisher=The Troth |year=2009 |isbn=978-0-578-02138-6}}
{{refend}}
{{s-start}}

{{s-reg | leg }}

{{s-bef | before = [[Sigurd Ring]] }}

{{s-ttl | title  = [[List of legendary kings of Sweden|King of Sweden]] | years = in West Norse tradition }}

{{s-aft | after  = [[Eysteinn Beli]] }}

{{s-bef | before = [[Sigurd Ring]] }}

{{s-ttl | title  = [[List of legendary kings of Denmark|King of Denmark]] }}

{{s-aft | after  = [[Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye]] }}

{{s-bef | before = [[Sigurd Ring|Siwardus Ring]] }}

{{s-ttl | title  = [[List of legendary kings of Denmark|King of Denmark]] | years = in ''[[Gesta Danorum]]'' }}

{{s-aft | after  = [[Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye|Siwardus III]] }}

{{s-end}}
{{Norse mythology}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ragnar Lodbrok}}
[[Category:Ragnar Lodbrok| ]]
[[Category:Legendary Danish people]]
[[Category:English heroic legends]]
[[Category:Heroes in Norse myths and legends]]
[[Category:Legendary kings of Denmark]]
[[Category:Semi-legendary kings of Sweden]]
[[Category:Norse monarchs]]
[[Category:Völsung cycle]]
[[Category:Deaths due to snake bites]]
[[Category:9th-century Vikings]]