Vikings: 7 Surprising Facts About The Real Bjorn Ironside

Anyone who watched the show Vikings will tell you that Bjorn Ironside was the first and oldest son of the legendary Ragnar Lothbrok, my friend… I’m afraid you have been misled, as this isn’t even close to the truth. In the saga of Ragnar Lothbrok, Ragnar travels to Götaland and slays a dragon. I know, I know, dragons aren’t real, but lets assume that 9th century Scandinavians didn’t know that.

For killing this dragon Ragnar gains the hand in marriage of a princess named Thora, with whom he has two children - Eirek and Agnar, who become known as the first two sons of Ragnar Lothbrok. The sagas also often suggest that Ivar the Boneless was actually an older brother to Bjorn, depicting Ivar as the wise strategist, while Bjorn and Hvitserk as incredible warriors following Ivar’s lead.