IVAR THE BONELESS: BIOGRAPHY AND HISTORY IN VIKINGS - ARTE - 2025

Ivar Ragnarsson (783-873) was a Viking warrior. His nickname "the Boneless" or the "boneless" may come from a disease, osteogenesis imperfecta, although in "The Tale of the Sons of Ragnar" it was said that it was because he was impotent. He was the powerful leader of the so-called Great Pagan Army, which invaded England and Ireland in 865.

Ivar Ragnarsson was quite tactical in fights and could with his mental acuity track the enemy more easily than other warriors. In it, the charismatic was combined with the lethal. Although he showed great affection for his father, he was also ruthless towards his brother Sigurd, whom he killed. He was very skilled in all battles, which is why his brothers admired him.

Ivar Ragnarsson in the Vikings series. Source:

Biography

Family

He was the son of Ragnar Lodbrok and his third wife, Aslaug. He was the brother of Sigurd, Hvitserk and Ubbe; Björn and Gyda were his middle brothers. He had a son with Freydis named Baldur Ivarsson. Even with his physical weaknesses from a young age, he demonstrated his great intelligence, even greater than that of his brothers and he also left more ruthless.

Conquests

Ivar was in charge of leading his brothers in invasions of territories such as Zealand, Oländ and Reigotaland. He is also known because he was the leader of the Sheppey expedition, carried out in 855.

Together with Olaf the White they led his army to various battles and ruled Dublin in company. His father Ragnar distrusted him because he began to have a lot of fame.

Invasion of Great Britain

Ivar was in command of the Great Heathen Army, named for fearful Christians. The Viking arrived in Great Britain together with his brothers Halfdan and Ubba in 865 and invaded it.

What motivated Ivar was a thirst for revenge, as his father had died while trying to invade the city of Northumbria. King Aella captured Ragnar and threw him into a well that was full of poisonous snakes.

The landing of Ivar and his brothers took place in East Anglia, a place where they easily defeated and then went to the capital York, in 866. That year they failed to capture Aella or Osbert, the previous king, but in 867 they did. murder them both.

Aella was the main culprit of Ragnar's death, so before killing him they tortured him, applying the blood eagle to him.

The kingdom of Mercia

In Northumbria they finally put up a puppet ruler. After that Ivar led the Vikings to Notthingham, in the kingdom of Mercia. King Burgred saw the need to ask for help and called Alfred the Great and Aethelred I, who arrived and besieged the city.

The Danes withdrew to York without showing further opposition, but later returned to Mercia. Ivar was not involved in the taking of Wessex by the Vikings in 870.

He then decided to team up with Olaf the White and they took Dumbarton, the "stronghold of the British." The city withstood the onslaught for four months, but when the water supply was cut off and everyone was dying of thirst and hunger, they capitulated, and Ivar and Olaf looted and destroyed the city.

They then returned to Dublin laden with slaves and valuable loot. Ivar disappears from history around 870, but is known to have died, according to Irish records, in Dublin in 873; before dying they already called him “King of the Norsemen and of all Ireland and Great Britain”.

Ivar in the Vikings series

It was conjectured that Ivar the Boneless could be adopted, as it was common practice in Vikings, especially when the biological father died or to ensure control of the dynasty.

Apparently his weakness was due to a curse, as Ragnar had returned from England and Aslaug asked him to wait three days to have sex. Since there was no waiting, the child was born with weak bones.

In some sagas they define it as "the boneless". It is also possible that he had a disease that made his bones weak. In any case, it was not an impediment to show himself in the series as powerful and great, a very agile warrior and for many bloodthirsty.

Season 2

Ivar is conceived after his father Ragnar returns from England. However, Aslaug warns you of the risks that may exist if you don't wait three days; she knows about sorcery and witchcraft and is said to carry a curse.

Ragnar does not wait and then Ivar is born with a great weakness in his legs, hence the nickname of The Boneless. At birth, Ragnar and Siggy want to kill him for his deformities, so his father takes him to the forest, but does not have the courage to execute him and decides to abandon him in the middle of nowhere. Then Aslaug will rescue him and bring him back home.

Season 3

Ivar's pain increases and is excruciating at times. This situation does not worry Ragnar much. At this point Harbard makes his appearance, introducing himself as a tramp and telling stories. It is unknown how, but Harbard heals Ivar's pain, a matter that gains him the appreciation of Aslaug and Helga.

Season 4

Ivar is seen in the company of his brothers in Kattegat. They carry him on a cart while he tells them not to break his bones. Then the return of Björn is shown, who has been to Paris and meets Ivar.

Now they are in York and Ragnar will ask Ivar to hang a piece of mistletoe as an ornament, as they are celebrating. Ivar refuses and Aslaug takes him away from Ragnar, arguing that the son is not Ragnar's responsibility but hers.

Although Ragnar tells the girl that he loves his son above all things, she does not believe him and replies that his performance does not reflect that supposed love he feels. Then Aslaug takes his son Ivar to where Floki, to guide him along the path of the Vikings; his intention is for Ivar to hate Christians. It seems that Floki takes a liking to Ivar knowing her, since they share the fact of being marginal.

Ivar is learning from Floki. In one scene, Ivar sees other children playing and wants to enjoy with them, so Floki helps him and rides him on the car to take him to them. However, the others ignore him and do not throw the ball at him, although Ivar pleads.

Floki sees this confusing situation and decides to throw it at him himself. But things get complicated when another boy lunges at Ivar in order to take the ball from him. That's when Ivar takes an ax and hits the boy on the head, so hard that it leaves him mortally wounded.

The boy does not know what to do, he is paralyzed and full of horror, but Aslaug approaches to console him and tell him that he is not to blame for what has happened.

Some years later, in The Last Ship, Ivar defends his father Ragnar as his brothers criticize him for having abandoned them. Ivar even agrees with his father for secretly having the Wessex settlement destroyed; He argues that in any case the invasion of the city of Paris was the most relevant event.

His brothers then take Ivar to have sex with a slave. In the series it is about showing Ivar powerless, but later the same slave convinces her that there are other more important things in life.

Later he has a conversation with his father Ragnar, who invites him to go with him to England. All his brothers have refused, so Ivar accepts and decides to go on the journey with his father.

Aslaug warns him that he will be in danger if he leaves for England, as a storm looms. Ivar ignores this warning because he prefers to learn from his father. He buys a metal contraption from a blacksmith that will allow him to walk much better. His brothers are surprised and he goes with his father to England.

Ragnar bribes some subjects to enter England. On the way they take some boats that Björn lent them; storms are strong in the North Sea and a large wave capsizes your boat. Aslaug sees all this as a seer and feels very sad, because he believes he has lost his son.

However, both Ivar and Ragnar and some members of the group survive. They then meet in a cave to rethink a strategy. Ivar has lost his metallic limbs and his father tells him that he must crawl, although he also tells him that this, more than a defect, will be a great advantage.

Ragnar tells Ivar that they must go to the Royal Village and kill the Vikings while they sleep. They are then captured by Aethelwulf. Ecbert however promises not to harm Ivar; He hands Ragnar over, leaves him in Aelle's hands, and tries to give Ivar a free pass to return home.

Ragnar tells his son that they will hand him over to Aelle and be killed. Back in Kattegat, he discovers that Lagertha has murdered his mother. A man in a black cloak brings news of Ragnar.

Sigurd, Ivar and Ubbe decide to organize an army to go to England and avenge the death of their father. Ivar and Ubbe try to assassinate Lagertha, but Björn stops them and tells them that to kill her they must first annihilate him.

Upon reaching Northumbria, they discover that Aella's army is diminished, so it is very easy for them to capture and kill him by applying the eagle of death; Ivar will look into your eyes as they apply this torture to you.

Ivar convinces his brother Björn to attack the Saxons. They go out into the country and harass the Saxons with warriors hidden in the surrounding woods. The Saxons suffer heavy losses and then Aethelwulf orders a retreat.

Björn tells of his wishes to invade the Mediterranean, to which Ivar replies that his wish instead is to venture into England. At a time when they discuss what to do, Sigurd will mock Ivar for his impotence, to which his brother in a wild impulse will respond by throwing an ax and kill him.

Season 5

After Ivar's funeral, Björn and Halfdan leave the Great Pagan Army to go to the Mediterranean and Floki also leaves it. Ivar convinces his brothers to go to York City and attack it.

The Day of the Ascension arrives and Ivar shows in that incursion all his brutality torturing the bishop. Ivar recruits bodyguards and gets a giant snake tattooed on his back. In addition, he shows his siblings how he can walk with the help of braces.

This is followed by a fierce battle between the Saxons led by King Aethelwulf and Bishop Heahmund. The Danes fight the Saxons by pouring oil through the streets and burning them alive. Ivar then proclaims to the Saxons that they cannot kill him.

As the war rages through the city, Ubbe's army comes out to support the Saxons. Ivar wants to continue the war even though his brothers want to make peace. Hvitserk joins Ivar while the Saxons have the city blockaded. The brothers meet in a sewer ready to attack. Upon leaving, they win the battle against the Saxons and capture Bishop Heahmund. Ivar talks to him about religion and decides to go to King Harald.

Ivar promises Harald to become his heir and they make the decision to attack Kattegat. After two months, Ivar's army meets that of Lagherta and Ubbe. Björn tries to convince his brother about the inconvenience of a war, which only brings misfortunes, but they do not reach any agreement and again both armies face each other.

In the fight, Harald's forces falter. Ivar loses the site of Kattegat because he is betrayed by the people and by his wife. Then he goes into self-exile, although his trail is lost.

References

1. Danishnet.com (2019). Ivar the Boneless: 100% Real and Dangerous Viking Warrior. Recovered from danishnet.com
2. FANDOM (sf). Ivar. Recovered from vikings.fandom.com
3. Lewis, R. (sf). Ivar the Boneless. Recovered from britannica.com
4. Sons of Vikings (2017). Ivar the Boneless. Recovered from sonsofvikings.com
5. Stone, R. (2017). Boneless Ivar: a Viking warrior who turned his weakness into strength. Recovered from ancient-origins.es