Ragnar Lothbrok: History Behind the Legend

Was Ragnar Lothbrok real? This animated retelling follows the Viking legend of Ragnar Lodbrok, then separates the saga from what the historical record can establish. This animated retelling follows Ragnar's legend, then separates that tradition from what the historical record can establish. The serpent, protective shirt and snake-pit story belong to later saga tradition, not a verified biography. If you enjoyed the journey, like the video and subscribe to Figures & Fortunes for more stories behind history's unforgettable figures. Sources and historical context: The Saga of Ragnar Lodbrok and His Sons, particularly chapters II–VII and XV–XVII; English translation by Chris Van Dyke: https://www.germanicmythology.com/FOR... The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, entry for 867: https://avalon.law.yale.edu/medieval/... The Annals of Xanten, entry for 845, for contemporary context and the limits of identifying a historical Ragnar: https://deremilitari.org/2013/06/diso... Visuals and character performances are illustrated reconstructions, not authenticated likenesses or recordings. Music credits: "Crusade" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Source: https://incompetech.com/music/royalty... Edits: Excerpted, gain adjusted, faded, voice-keyed ducking applied, and mixed beneath narration. "At Rest" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Source: https://incompetech.com/music/royalty... Edits: Excerpted, gain adjusted, faded, voice-keyed ducking applied, and mixed beneath narration. Drums of the Deep by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-... Artist: http://incompetech.com/ Edits: Excerpted, gain adjusted, faded, voice-keyed ducking applied, and mixed beneath narration. Additional music from YouTube Audio Library: The New Order — Aaron Kenny Dark Alley Deals — Aaron Kenny Elegy — Wayne Jones Icelandic Arpeggios — DivKid Courtesy sound credit: "Fireplace Sound loop" by PagDev, CC0: https://opengameart.org/content/firep...