Ragnar performs the blóðǫrn (“blood eagle”) on Borg, a gruesome process of ritualized torture and execution allegedly carried out during the Viking Age (c. 750–1050).
The Ritual Behind The Blood Eagle
Halfdan, son of King Haraldr of Norway, King Maelgualai of Munster, and Archbishop Aelheah were all believed to victims of blood eagle torture because they were victims of Ivar the Boneless. There were two main reasons Vikings used the blood eagle on their victims.
Experts have long debated whether the blood eagle was a literary trope or an actual punishment. The sources are often vague, referencing legendary figures of dubious veracity or mixing up accepted historical chronology. Unless archaeologists find a corpse bearing clear evidence of the torture, we'll likely never know.
Ragnar meted out a horrible punishment called the blood eagle, a real ceremony from Viking history in which a man's back is sliced open, then his muscles and rib cage hacked apart with an ax. Finally, his lungs are pulled up and draped over his shoulders like the wings of an eagle.
The blood eagle ritual killing is recorded in Norse stories, but the procedure seen in this episode has probably nothing to do with reality. Jarl Borg doesn't let a single scream so that he can enter Valhalla.
Ragnar has never forgiven Jarl Borg for threatening his family. For Ragnar, his family, his sons are everything, and anyone who comes between him and his sons is going to suffer. So he pretended to go along with King Horik (Donal Logue), but he never was going to forgive Jarl Borg.
"It is clear that a victim undergoing a 'full' blood eagle would have died long before their ribs could have been formed into the shape of wings and their lungs externalized."
Sigurd Snake in the Eye Played by David Lindström. Son of Ragnar. Sigurd was born with astigmatism in one eye, in the shape of a snake or dragon.
After a long battle, Eysteinn dies and Eric and Agnar were avenged. Ragnar is not happy that his sons have taken revenge without his help, and decides to conquer England with only two knarrs, in order to show himself a better warrior than his sons.
He is captured by King Ælla of Northumbria and thrown into a snake-pit, where he dies, but is avenged by his sons who bring their might to England.
Erik the Red
Erik the Red's reputation is probably one of the most bloodthirsty among all of the Vikings. The son of Thorvald, Erik is chiefly remembered for being the Viking who founded the first settlement in Greenland.
In reality, it is likely that the fearsome Ragnar Lothbrok legend was indeed built upon the reputation of the Ragnar who successfully raided Britain, France and Ireland in the ninth century for extravagant quantities of treasure.
When Ivar the Boneless invaded England in 865 CE, his brothers Halfdan and Hubba were part of the invasion. While the brothers may have been adventurous, from what little evidence we have, it doesn't appear that they ever turned on each other to the extent of raising armies to fight.
Odin is seen traveling by boat towards Kattegat, surrounded by dozens of ravens, one of his symbols. He is bringing the news of Ragnar's death to his sons. He appears before each of Ragnar's sons to tell them of Ragnar's death and to repeat his last words.
On the road, Ragnar converses with the blind driver, who says that he can see Ragnar, fulfilling the Seer's (John Kavanagh) prophecy that "you will die on the day the blind man sees you".
Before Ragnar left for England the Seer told him he would not die until the blind man saw him. This seemed like a false prophecy at first when he discovered the driver of the carriage transporting him to his execution was blind, yet he did not die instantly.
Ivar The Boneless
He had to work harder than the rest of Ragnar's sons to become the powerful man he was but when he finally learned, he became the best.
It states that Björn was the son of Ragnar and Aslaug and that his brothers were Hvitserk, Ivar the Boneless, and Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye. The tale also tells of Björn's half-brothers Eric and Agnar.
Do not continue reading unless you really want to know. First off, two of Ragnar's sons end up surviving Season 6B. The others die.
Enlarge / Thorbjørn Harr played Jarl Borg of Götaland in the first two seasons of the History Channel series Vikings. Spoiler alert: He met with a gruesome death via the legendary "blood eagle" ritual.
Of all the Ragnarssons, Ivar the Boneless is easily the most dangerous. As strategic as he can be on and off the battlefield, his anger and violent rage have proven to blind him to reason at times. The final scene Ivar shares with Ragnar is credited as the true birth of Ivar the Boneless.
Early Life. The Seer's past is as obscure as his own character. His appearance is deformed, and it is unclear if this is congenital, a result of disease, or even the result of violence. His eyes were either sewn shut or skin grew over his eyes.
A better question to ask is: why did the Vikings stop raiding? The simple answer is that changes took place in European societies that made raiding less profitable and less desirable. Changes occurred not only in the Norse societies, but also throughout Europe where the raids took place.
Since Ivar's presence has been so prominent this season, fans are wondering, did Ivar The Boneless really exist? 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.