Ragnar Lothbrok: The Viking Legend

Known as a legendary Viking warrior, Ragnar Lothbrok was the man who basically embodies the spirit of the stereotypical Viking; he sailed the seas with his crew and pillaged foreign lands (like England) to win great wealth and power. By winning a lot of battles and having many successful raids, Ragnar grew to be a respected leader.

What is the legend of Ragnar Lothbrok?

The legend of Ragnar Lothbrok is one of the most famous sagas in Norse mythology. It’s based on the real life of a Viking leader who lived from around 850-930 AD.

Ragnar Lothbrok was a real person, but his deeds were greatly embellished upon by later chroniclers. The stories about him were passed down orally for hundreds of years before being written down in the 13th century. They reached their final form in the 15th century and have been told and retold ever since.

The story of Ragnar Lothbrok begins when he is born to a nobleman named Sigurd Hring (a king who ruled over Sweden) and his wife Aslaug (a Valkyrie). The couple also had three other sons: named Björn Ironside, Halfdan Long-Legs and Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye.

Aslaug foretold that her sons would become great warriors, so she sent them away from their father’s kingdom when they were young boys to protect them from harm’s way. She did this so they could grow up without worrying about ruling over any kingdoms or fighting battles on behalf of others.

Is the Vikings Ragnar a true story?

The answer to this question is a little bit complicated, because there are two different stories about Ragnar Lothbrok. One is the real story about Vikings, and the other is the legend that has been made up by historians and writers.

The real story is that Ragnar Lothbrok was a Viking who lived in Norway around 800 AD. He was a great warrior leader and he led his people to many victories. He was born in Denmark, but he spent most of his life in Norway and Sweden.

The legend says that he was a very strong man with magical powers and he could do anything he wanted with them. In this story, Ragnar Lothbrok was also called Ragnar Lodbrok or Ragnarr Loðbrók (which means Hairy breeches).

Some people say that these two stories are true: they believe that there were two men called Ragnar who lived at the same time but they didn't know each other! Other people say that these stories are just made up by historians and writers because it makes a good story!

Why is Ragnar the most famous Viking?

What makes Ragnar so special? How did he become such an influential figure in European history? Here are five reasons why Ragnar is the most famous Viking:

He was a great leader.

Ragnar was a skilled military commander who led an army across Europe and conquered many cities along the way. He had a keen sense of strategy and tactics that allowed him to defeat enemies much larger than his own forces. He also knew how to motivate his men by offering them rewards if they followed him on his adventures into foreign lands.

He was courageous and ambitious — two traits that were essential for survival during this period in history when every man had to be ready to fight at any time if attacked by outsiders or even by other members of their own tribe or clan. Without courage or ambition

Did Ragnar conquer Paris?

The answer is yes. According to the sagas, Ragnar Lothbrok and his men attacked Paris in 845 CE. They sailed up the Seine River and crossed the river at night by boat. Ragnar then led his men through the streets of Paris, where they battled with local Frankish forces before retiring to their ships and sailing back to Denmark.

The reason for this attack is unclear, but it was probably motivated by two factors: revenge for the death of Ragnar's brother (the result of a previous Viking raid on Paris) and wealth from plundering the city.

Ragnar's conquest of Paris is not mentioned in any historical sources other than the Norse sagas, so it's hard to know how much truth there is in this story. But there is some evidence that Vikings were active along France's Atlantic coast during this period, so it isn't impossible that Ragnar made a trip to Paris at some point during his long career as a warrior king.

Where is the real Ragnar Lothbrok buried?

The location of Ragnar Lothbrok's grave remains a mystery. According to the Norse sagas, Ragnar was killed during an attack on Wessex in 865 AD. He was reportedly buried on a burial ship, or "Ravnklo", but where it lies is not known.

Some believe that the real Ragnar Lothbrok was buried in Lund in Scania, Sweden, but this has never been proven. Archaeologists have been searching for years for his burial site and some even claim to have found the remains of his ship near Hedeby, Denmark.

The location of the true grave of Ragnar Lothbrok is still unknown today.

Was Ragnar a genius?

The answer is yes, but not in the way you might think.

Ragnar was a genius at winning battles, at out-thinking his opponents and knowing when to fight and when not to fight. He wasn't a genius at tactics (although he did know how to use them). He wasn't a genius at logistics or supply lines. He wasn't a genius at politics, he just knew how to manipulate it to his own ends.

Ragnar's real genius was in seeing opportunity where others didn't see it; in knowing what needed to be done and then doing it; in never giving up; and in knowing that winning battles is only half the battle — you also have to win wars by making sure your enemies don't come back for more after they lose one or two battles.

How many sons did the real Ragnar Lothbrok have?

The real Ragnar Lothbrok had three sons: Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye, Bjorn Ironside and Halfdan Ragnarsson.

In fact, there are a number of different theories about the number of sons that Ragnar had, but it seems that he fathered only three with his wife Aslaug.

There is no mention in the sagas of any other children, so we can conclude that these were his only legitimate offspring.

According to legend, he was also the father of Ulfhedinn by Skuld (and possibly also Ivar the Boneless). However, this is not mentioned in any source material and so we cannot be sure if this is true or not.

Who was the greatest son of Ragnar?

The best son of Ragnar is Bjorn Ironside. He was the only one who stayed on the Viking path and never left his homeland.

Bjorn Ironside is the only son of Ragnar who stayed in Kattegat and never went off with his father on his travels. He remained loyal to his mother and took over leadership of the family after Lagertha's death. He even chose to stay behind when his father wanted him to join him on his last journey.

Going against your father is not an easy thing to do, but Bjorn did it for Kattegat and for his people. He also showed he loved them by protecting them from invaders, like when he fought off an army from England led by Aelle (Ivan Kaye).

Bjorn is a great leader who cares about his people and always tries to do what's best for them (even if it means going against his own father).

What we can learn from Ragnar Lothbrok?

He was a leader, a trader, a warrior and a farmer. He believed in fairness and justice for all people. He had a sense of loyalty towards his family as well as to his country men.

Ragnar had many qualities which made him great.

1) Courage: he would never give up until his mission was accomplished.

2) Passion: he always had passion for whatever he did.

3) Leadership: he led by example.

4) Discipline: he always kept discipline among his men.

5) Honesty: he never lied even when it would be in his best interest to do so.

6) Loyalty: he was loyal to his countrymen, family and friends.

What does the word Ragnar mean?

Ragnar is a Scandinavian word, derived from the Old Norse Ragnarr Ragnarsson, meaning "Ragnar's son". The Old Norse ragnar means "advice" or "counsel", while Ragnarr is a compound of rögn, meaning "to give counsel", and arr, meaning "warrior".

Conclusion

Ragnar Lothbrok is an interesting character. Though he may have some less than positive tendencies (which are sometimes taken to an extreme by Ragnar) his basic personality traits clearly define what it means to be a Viking. His energy, determination, passion and self-confidence shaped how Vikings were as a whole. Without him and the other great Vikings we may not have had Vikings at all; they were merely raiders and fishermen.