Great Heathen Army
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The Great Heathen Army, also known as the Viking Great Army, was a coalition of Scandinavian warriors who invaded England in AD 865. Since the late 8th century, the Vikings had been engaging in raids
A reconstruction of a Viking from Repton in Mercia. This model is now in Derby Museum.
A sword of a Viking buried at Repton in Mercia. This sword is now in Derby Museum.
Ragnar Lodbrok
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Ragnar Lodbrok or Ragnar Lothbrok, according to legends, was a Viking hero and a Swedish and Danish king.
Great Heathen Army
…and Wessex. The name Great Heathen Army is derived from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. The force was led by three of the five sons of the semi-legendary Ragnar Lodbrok, including Halfdan Ragnarsson, Ivar the Boneless and Ubba. The campaign of invasion and conquest against the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms lasted 14 years…
Ragnar Lodbrok with sons Ivar and Ubba, 15th-century miniature in Harley MS 2278 folio 39r
A warrior with shaggy breeches, killing a beast, on one of the Torslunda plates. The man has been identified with Ragnar Lodbrok in an early Swedish version of the legend (Schück). More recently, it has been interpreted as showing a Germanic initiation ritual in which shaggy trousers played a role and which may subsequently have contributed to the legend of Ragnar Lodbrok.
Ragnar Lodbrog meets Kraka by 19th century artist Mårten Eskil Winge
The saga as published by Norstedts in a large-size illustrated version (1880).