Viewers of the History Channel's hit series "Vikings" know
Ragnar was a powerful Lord, under Danish King Horik II. Although the visual backgrounds of the TV series appears to place him in Norway, it is more likely that he was from Denmark or Sweden. All sources agree that Ragnar died in England, although the legends of the cause of his death vary.
Who was Ragnar Lothbrok? According to medieval sources, Ragnar Lothbrok was a Danish king and Viking warrior who flourished in the 9th century.
Real Kattegat is located in Denmark
Judging by History Channel, ruler Ragnar and his fearless wife, Lagertha, lived on the southern coast of Norway, in the small fishing village of Kattegat.
It is the second largest island of Denmark, with an area of 1,809 square miles (4,685 square km).
It serves as the domestic, Norse center of the tale. However, there is no actual village or city called Kattegat in Norway, and as far as anyone knows, there never was. This quintessential Nordic name was co-opted for the series, and the village itself was filmed on location in Wicklow County, Ireland.
It turns out that the physically fragile, yet brutal Vikings character is based on a real-life person. According to Britannica, Ivar the Boneless was a Viking chieftain who lived in Ireland in the 800's.
However, while Ragnar's relationship with King Aella is likely fabricated, his relationship with his sons may not have been. Of his sons, significantly more evidence exists as to their authenticity – Ivar the Boneless, Halfdan Ragnarsson and Bjorn Ironside are all genuine figures in history.
Bjorn's classic moniker was derived from the belief that he was rarely wounded in battle, in fact, it was thought that he was invulnerable to any wound. The largest mound on the island of Munsö located in lake Mälaren is said to be the final resting place of this legendary Viking.
Ragnar Lothbrok is not associated with any specific clan. What is generally known about him is that he was a Danish chieftain, who hailed from Jutland in the 9th century. Twelfth century Danish literature also describes Ragnar Lothbrok as a Danish king, who battled the Holy Roman Empire during Charlemagne's reign.
The Vikings originated in what is now Denmark, Norway and Sweden (although centuries before they became unified countries). Their homeland was overwhelmingly rural, with almost no towns.
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.
Burial. In the fall of 873, the Great Army arrived in Repton, where Ivar the Boneless was apparently buried. Repton, which was one of the ecclesiastical centers of England in the 9th century, was associated with the Mercian royal family. Several kings were buried here, including Aethelbald (757) and Saint Wystan (849).
Björn Ironside, according to Norse legends, was a Norse Viking chief and Swedish king. According to the 12th- and 13th-century Scandinavian histories, he was the son of notorious Viking king Ragnar Lodbrok and lived in the 9th century, between 855 and 858.
Ivar remains a local king in England for a long time after, ruling from York but having no children to succeed him, 'because of the way he was: with no lust or love' (4).
Emma of Normandy (Laura Berlin)
A Norman with Viking blood, Emma of Normandy is believed to be a descendent of Rollo, the brother of the legendary Ragnar Lothbrok.
Unlike other characters in the series, Bjorn is based on a real-life person, and he was a legendary Swedish king and the first ruler of the Munsö dynasty.
Ivar got his nickname “Boneless” as he was reputed to have had certain bones lacking or damaged in his leg. There are stories of him being carried on a shield at the head of his army. This defect however did not detract from the fact that he was a man of considerable intellect.
Answer and Explanation: As best the evidence exists, Ivar the Boneless was not defeated in battle. Upon his death in 873 CE he was living in Dublin after taking the title of 'King of the Norsemen of all Ireland and Britain.
The cruel and seemingly indestructible Ivar ultimately does make it past the Vikings series finale, unlike his brothers Ubbe (Jordan Patrick Smith) and Hvitserk (Marco Ilsø). Ivar dies in battle after seeing Hvitserk exhausted and injured and struggling to keep fighting.
Answer and Explanation: Ivar the Boneless was so ruthless that he put King Aelle of Northumbria to death by Blood Eagle torture (for killing his father, Ragnar Lothbrok) on March 21st, 867 AD. He even ruled over the English city of York with great cruelty, according to Anglo-Saxon Chronicles.
The events of 1066 in England effectively marked the end of the Viking Age. By that time, all of the Scandinavian kingdoms were Christian, and what remained of Viking “culture” was being absorbed into the culture of Christian Europe.
Is Floki from Vikings based on a real person? Yes - Floki is based on a real person named Hrafna-Flóki Vilgerðarson, who is believed to have been born around 830 AD. The real Floki was the first Norseman to deliberately sail to Iceland and settle there.
Our three main protagonists of Vikings: Valhalla are based on historical characters. But the thing is, their historical counterparts never actually met. Well, Leif and Freydís did, because they were indeed siblings, but they didn't know Harald, as they didn't even exist as the same time.