Together Aslaug and Ragnar had four sons, the oldest being Ivar the Boneless, followed by Bjorn Ironside, Hvitser Ragnarsson and Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye. She was said to have the power of future sight, just as she displays in the show. She is said to have been the daughter of the hero Sigurd and the Valkyrie Byrnhildr, but they died when she was very young, and her parentage was hidden. The Aslaug depicted in the show strongly resembles the Aslaug of legend. Together they had two sons, Erik and Agnar, that do not appear in the show. When Ragnar divorced Lagertha, he married Thora, a daughter of the Earl of Gotland. But there are a lot of problems with how they are depicted on the show.įirst, while Ragnar and Lagertha had two daughters and a son together, he wasn’t Bjorn Ironside. One thing that is accurate about the show is that, according to the saga, Ragnar had several sons, all of whom were warriors in their own right and had their own fame that almost eclipsed that of their father. Historically, women like Lagertha would have been exceptional. If they did appear on the battlefield, it would have been as back up forces, rather than in positions of power. While Viking women were taught to fight, this was to protect their homes while the men were off at war. But this would have been the exception rather than the rule for Viking women. What seems to be accurate about Lagertha’s depiction on the show is that she was a fierce warrior in her own right. The two did divorce, like on the show, but this was so that Ragnar could marry the princess Thora, rather than Aslaug, who he only married later. Together the two had three children, but none of the was Bjorn Ironside the king of Sweden, who was a son of Ragnar and Aslaug (more on her later). She is said to have been one of Ragnar’s wives, being a warrior in her own right that married Ragnar after helping him win a battle.
Lagertha is one of the show’s most popular and important characters, but she is far less prominent in the surviving records of Ragnar’s life, where she features as only a minor character. The story of him slaying a dragon is a bit of a red flag. While the character of Ragnar in the saga is probably based on a real chieftain that was active between 830 and 860, his life is surely embellished and probably includes events that belong to many other famous Vikings.
#ASTERIX AND THE VIKINGS BLOGSPOT FULL#
See full article on Ragnar Lothbrok and his story. Ragnar is known from the 13 th century Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok, which is probably a record of earlier oral histories. The show centers on Ragnar Lothbrok and his descendants, but Ragnar is more legend than historic figure. So, where exactly did the creators of Vikings get the ideas and stimuli for their stories? If you haven’t seen the show, or you aren’t up to date with the latest episodes, beware. Warning! This article contains a few spoilers. Read on to find out as we look at eight things that are fabricated, as well as what the show gets right.
Centering on the Viking chieftain Ragnar Lothbrok and his family, the show lifts the veil on the Viking world of the 9 th and 10 th centuries.īut, while the History Channel always endeavors to make their shows accurate, how much of what is depicted is true, and how much is fiction introduced for good entertainment? Which of our favorite characters really existed, and which of the most memorable events are fabricated?
#ASTERIX AND THE VIKINGS BLOGSPOT TV#
The History Channel’s TV show Vikings has been largely responsible for a significant increase in popular interest in our Norse ancestors.