Vikings: Every Character Based On Real Historical Figures
9. King Ælle
King Ælle (also spelled Aelle or Ælla) reigned over Northumbria during the mid 9th century. The stories say that he captured Ragnar Lothbrok and tortured him before dropping him into a snake pit to die, as seen in the show.
Ragnar's sons then gathered the Great Heathen Army and attacked, killing King Ælle in 867 AD. In the show Bjorn kills him using the blood eagle, which is one of the historical stories on how he died. Other sources say that he died during a battle against the sons' armies at York.