The Vikings series begins with the journey of Ragnar Lothbrok. At the same time that his personal life becomes more detailed, the warrior from the north faces bloody battles and political conspiracies. With the death of the protagonist in the fourth season, it is up to his children to divide the public's attention between episodes until the conclusion of the series.
But to what extent does what was shown come to reality? Check out in this article the relationship between reality and fiction in the lives of Ragnar's children.
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The first thing that needs to be said is that the real Ragnar may not have existed in the way that the series portrayed him. He is a composite of several Vikings who performed great deeds and were later attributed to the same person.
Starting with Björn Ironside, a Norse Viking chief and ruler of Sweden. According to the sagas, he was the son of a Ragnar, and is credited with founding the Swedish Munsö dynasty. However, no one knows how he died, which suggests he died of old age or illness, in contrast to his tragic fate in Vikings.
Ubbe is based on the warrior Ubba. Invading Anglo-Saxon England in the year 860, he was one of the commanders of the Great Paid Army. His death records are incomplete, however, Ubba is believed to have died in 878 while leading a Viking army at the Battle of Cynwit.
The history of Hvitserkur becomes a bit more complicated as it is based on three different historical characters: Hvitserkur, Halfdan Ragnarsson and Guthrum. Hvitserkur is mentioned in the Tale of the Sons of Ragnar, implying that he could be a loan or a mix of other Vikings, including Halfdan Ragnarsson, although there are no records to support this theory.
Halfdan, on the other hand, was the first Viking king of Northmbria and may have ruled Denmark alongside Sigurd. He died at the Battle of Strangford Lough in the year 877. Finally, Guthrum was King of the East Indies and one of the leaders of the Great Army of Verus when he died in 890.
Sigurd is the character that comes closest to what was shown in Vikings. According to the sagas, he was a Danish king and the son of Ragnar and Aslaug. He died in 887, and although no one knows the cause, it is certain that he was not murdered by Ivar as depicted in the series.
