![]() ![]() He eventually left his home and went raiding the North Sea coast, and up the Rheine as far as Paris. After this, it’s told that Rollo sought revenge by killing all the Saxons he could find. Rollo was the son of a Viking chieftain, who was apparently killed in battle. As a testament to this, his exploits are still remembered more than 1,000 years later, and his descendants still “rule” over England to this day. He was without a doubt one of the Vikings who left the strongest legacy, and who paved the way for so many others that are etched in the halls of history. Rollo (Hrólfr), possibly also known as Rollo the Walker (Göngu-Hrólfr) due to his size preventing him from riding most horses, was a Viking who became the first Duke of Normandy, founding father of the Normans, and whose descendants would sit on the thrones of England, Ireland, Sicily, and Antioch for many centuries after his death. Ragnar also fathered several famous Viking kings and warriors, including Halfdan Ragnarsson, Ivar the Boneless, Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye, and Björn Ironside (most of whom would invade England with the Great Heathen Army, to avenge their father’s death). He was likely a fierce warrior and skilled navigator who is credited with having raided England, France, and other parts of Europe during the 9th century. Nonetheless, Ragnar was a legendary Viking hero whose legacy has been immortalized in numerous sagas ( The Saga of Ragnar Lodbrok, The Tale of Ragnar’s Sons, and Ragnarsdrápa) passed down through oral tradition from generation to generation, as well as more modern takes such as the wildly popular (but not entirely historical) Vikings tv series.Īccording to the Sagas, Ragnar was born in the late 8th century and became King of Sweden in the early 9th century after succeeding his father, King Sigurd Ring (who by the way serves as the inspiration behind Lord of the Rings, among many other tales). ![]() Ragnar Lodbrok is without a doubt one of the most famous Vikings of all time, and would’ve likely ended up as #1 if it wasn’t for the fact that he did not succeed in taking England (as Knud did). Somehow ( ahem) Knud emerged from the meeting as the only living King, and was confirmed as King of all of England by the council of bishops, earls, and ealdormen - who all feared a destabilized England as the other alternative.Īfter his brother Harald died and Knud later invaded Norway, he could call himself King of England, Denmark, and Norway, ruler of a North Sea empire the world had not seen before or since.Įarly 800s – Late 800s. The English King Ethelred died during the siege of London in 1016, and after his son Edmund managed to repel the Viking army, the two Kings decided to negotiate. This invasion materialized in 1015 when he was joined by Erik the Earl and Thorkell the Tall, and slowly took over England, piece by piece. ![]() Upon returning Knud found his brother Harald had swooped in on the throne, which he allowed in exchange for Harald building him a fleet to invade England and avenge their father’s death. Basically, a handy guide for those who want to get more acquainted with Scandinavians and the Nordic countries in general. Scandinavia & the Nordics: A Guide to the Nordic CountriesĪre you a bit curious about those weird Northern European lands filled with weird, blond, blue-eyed, people and with crosses on their flags? Here’s everything you need to know about the Scandinavian and Nordic countries where and who we are, what the culture is like here, and how we look and behave. ![]()
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