Ivar the Boneless

Ivar the Boneless (Ívarr hinn Beinlausi in Old Norse) is known from Old Norse, medieval and Latin sources as the son of the legendary Viking king Ragnar Lothbrok, who, according to legend, raided with his father and brothers and became ruler of York in England in the 9th century AD. . His nickname is the unfortunate result of the impatience of Aslaug and Ragnar on their wedding night, who warned Ragnar to wait three nights before consummating their marriage and that the child they had made would not be born boneless.

Frankly, it's hard to predict why Ivar is boneless, one gets the feeling that he's weak, fragile, or has literally no bones, or at least no bones in his legs. But in any case, Ivar was carried everywhere on a stretcher or something to protect him. He is famous for his cleverness and strategic sense, and is often shown leading his brothers in their adventures. This trait is reflected in the popular television series Vikings, in which Ivar is played by Alex Høgh Andersen, and he is shown to be a clever tactician, also being transported in a car due to his disability, and the cruel, ruthless, spoiled and somewhat sociopathic who killed his brother Sigurd the Snake-Eyed in a fit of rage. He is portrayed as one (All of them are fictitious.).

 Apart from medieval legends such as Ragnar and Aslaug, parents of the famous legendary family, which vary depending on the source you are reading (in the 13th century Gesta Danorum), Ivar is often seen with his brothers Demirface Bjorn, Hvitserk, and Snake-Eyed Sigurd. Ivar is sometimes compared to a historical figure seen as one of the leaders of the Great Viking Army that landed in England in 865 AD, or to a Viking leader named Imar who was associated with Viking Dublin between 853 and 873. But there are many problems with such a direct diagnosis. As in the life of the legendary Ragnar Lothbrok, M.S. It is possible that the figures who marked Viking activities in the 9th century helped to inspire later (around 13th century) legends and were adapted for their own purposes by the authors.

With Ivar the Boneless appearing in the legend of Ragnar Lothbrok, the starting point for his actions may be the Icelandic Epic of Ragnar Lothbrok (Old Norse Ragnars saga loðbrókar), his best known and main source. It begins with the childhood of Aslaug, who will become Ragnar's second wife and Ivar's mother.

She is the daughter of Sigurd and Brynhild (who was also a Valkyrie, legendary dragon-slayer in Germanic mythology and was made more popular by Wagner), who died at the age of three. Thus, he was adopted by a poor family in Norway who named him Kráka (crow) and kept his parentage a secret. During this time, Ragnar, son of Danish king Sigurd Ring, meets his first wife, Thora, after saving his town in Götaland from dragon trouble.

 Ragnar has two children with Thora, Ivar's older half-brothers Eirek and Agnar. After Thora's premature death, Ragnar encounters Kráka while raiding Norway and marries her despite his seemingly impoverished background. Although Kráka tells her husband on the night of the wedding (rather than waiting three nights) that she is too impatient and is cursed to give birth to a boneless son, Ragnar is unable to control himself. As a result, nine months later, Ivar the Boneless is born

 The boy was boneless, as if he had cartilage instead of bones. He was so mature when he was little that no one was his equal. He was the most handsome of all men, and was so wise that it was uncertain whether there was a man wiser than him.

 So, despite Ivar's predicament, the situation could have been much worse. Ragnar and Kráka have several more sons, all of whom grow up to be great men and brave warriors: Ironface Bjorn, Hvitserk, Rognvald (and later Sigurd the Snake-Eyed). The brothers, who often raid together, are led by Ivar, carried on a stretcher or shield, displaying a great talent for planning and strategy. He is also adept at using bows.

 Indeed, in this epic, despite his bonelessness, he appears to have extraordinary strength in his upper body. Encountering the Swedish King Eystein, who has a magical cow named Sibilija with him and ravages his enemies, Ivar takes a step forward. He orders his men to build a huge bow from a large tree and pulls the bow from his shield like a rotten elm branch and shoots poor Sibilija right in the eye.

Later, Sibilija spirals out of control and Ivar is thrown at her by his men, shattering her. It is clear that Ivar has special powers. After Ivar was recaptured, his voice echoed throughout the battlefield, as if he was standing next to every warrior and motivating them. In the end, Ragnar's sons are victorious.

 At the end of the saga, Ragnar, who boasted that he would invade England with only two ships, was captured by King Ælla of Northumbria and was thrown into a snake pit and died there. Later, Ragnar's sons set sail for England and allegedly torture Ælla by making a blood eagle and avenge their father.

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