Björn Ironside, The Brave Hero Of Scandinavian Legend
History ChannelActor Alexaner Ludwig portrays Björn Ironside in the show Vikings.
Although he is remembered as one of the most celebrated warriors in Viking history, separating legends about Björn Ironside from reality is difficult.
In Scandinavian legend, Ironside was the son of Viking chieftain Ragnar Lothbrok, and was known for leading successful raids across Europe in the ninth century before becoming a ruler of Sweden and Norway and founding the royal Munsö Dynasty. He is most often described as a powerful and fearsome warrior with sides like iron, as his name suggests, and was known for expeditions he and his brothers — Ivar the Boneless, Hvitserk, and Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye — embarked upon during their lives.
The earliest mentions of Ironside appear in the Annales Bertiniani and Chronicon Fontanellense, which reference a Viking chieftain named “Berno” who emerged as a formidable force in West Francia during the mid-ninth century.
In 856, Berno and another Viking leader named Sigtrygg sailed up the Seine River launching raids, and their combined forces faced King Charles the Bald south of Paris. Berno established a stronghold on the island of Oissel near Rouen and launched a significant assault on Paris around 856 or 857.
Public DomainThe sons of Ragnar Lothbrok meeting with King Ælla’s messengers.
The 13th-century Gesta Danorum by Saxo Grammaticus provides more detail. According to this text, during combat between Ragnar Lothbrok and Swedish ruler Sörle, Björn Ironside inflicted great slaughter without injury to himself, gaining his name “Ironsides.” Ragnar presented Ironside with the lordship of Sweden for his bravery and later appointed him leader of Norway as well.
After Ragnar’s death in 865 at the hands of King Ælla of England, Ironside and his brothers launched an assault to avenge his murder, capturing Ælla and killing him using the blood eagle torture method.
Most of Ironside’s exploits were shared in The Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok and The Tale of Ragnar’s Sons, which chronicles the lives of Björn and his brothers after their father’s death. However, these sagas are widely believed to be fictitious based on various warriors from the ninth century, making the truth of Björn Ironside one of history’s elusive mysteries.
