Tagged: Viking historical fiction, Viking history, Viking, The Vikings, the Viking Age, Hakon Haraldsson, Hakon the Good, Athelstan, Erik Bloodaxe, Jarl Sigurd, Gudrod Bjornsson, Olav Tryggvason, Trygvi Olavsson, Vikings, Luna and the Case of Mistaken Identity, Trygvi Olavsson in the Ostfold and Gudrod Bjornsson in the Vestfold, The Kings of Vingulmark and the Future of Norway, The Kings of Vestfold - Björn and his son, Gudröd. They are received well and given land, ships, and men. 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Did Autism Make the Denisovans Savants of the Prehistoric Age? He lived during the 9th century AD and his father was the legendary Ragnar Lodbrok. To get it, her sons must defeat Jarl Sigurd in Trondheim and Hakon's nephews, Trygvi Olavsson in the Ostfold and Gudrod Bjornsson in the Vestfold. It includes a character by the name of Hvitserk, which translates as ‘White Shirt’ - possibly Halfdan’s nickname. Ragga Ragnars at the Internet Movie Database Ragga Ragnars on Wikipedia The role of Gunnhild is Ragnars’ biggest acting role to date, having only graduated from the New York Film Academy in Los Angeles in 2015. In Vikings, Ragnheiður Ragnarsdóttir, also known as Ragga Ragnars, stars as Scandinavian Queen Gunnhild Konungamóðir. Viking warrior (trionis / Adobe Stock) Ivar the … Today this nickname is known the world over as it is also the name of a wireless technology standard. In this piece of work, a rather negative description of the queen is given, In the same text, Eric Haraldsson is said to have been the eldest son of Harald Fairhair, the first King of Norway. There she is being taught in the ways of witchcraft. In Vikings, she plays the real Gunnhild, Mother of Kings. As Ivar the Boneless' parentage is under the umbrella of "legendary", there are other theories who the historical figure may be. In 1967, Roger Patterson and Robert Gimlin spotted, and filmed, or so they claimed, a Sasquatch next to Bluff Creek in California. Please proceed with caution if you have not yet viewed all available episodes and wish to avoid spoilers. ... Gunnhild … Ragga Ragnars (yes, her real name) continues to work to make Gunnhild a character of substance, despite Bjorn’s bumbling infidelity. Representative image of Viking Bjorn Ironside. Although these figures surely existed in some form, the reality was probably far less romantic and more brutal than the fiction. Season four left off last April with a showdown between. A collection of rare ancient gold foil figures have been discovered at the archaeological site of Aska, approximately 36 kilometers (23 miles) from Sweden’s capital city, Stockholm . Erik ignores this warning, for he has never seen a woman of greater beauty. In ca. Are the Distinctive Kalash People of Pakistan Really Descendants of Alexander the Great’s Army? Vikings fans are desperate to know what happened to Floki (played by Gustaf Skarsgård) after several hints were dropped about his past in episode nine. about 22 Gold Foil Embracing Figures Uncovered At Aska: Lovers, Gods or Giants? Eric Bloodaxe raided around Britain before settling into a kingship there. The midseason finale of Vikings saw the tragic loss of the main character, Bjorn Ironside (Alexander Ludwig). Shortly after this success, however, Harald’s son, Svein Forkbeard, revolted, and Harald died in a battle against his son in 985/986 AD. He and his brothers were the commanders of the Great Heathen Army , which was a coalition of Viking warriors from Denmark and Scandinavia that launched several military campaigns against the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms during the latter half of the 9th century. Latin chroniclers called him Hastein. This list tries to look to the true stories behind the now well known characters in Viking history . On Gunnhild's urging, Erik kills the sorcerers, takes her home and marries her. Icelandic actress Ragga Ragnars, full name Ragnheiður Ragnarsdóttir, plays Gunnhild in Vikings. The story says Vikings heard of the Eternal City’s wealth and decided to raid it. But Halfdan lost the throne when he went to York. It is interesting to ponder why Snorre's account differs so drastically from the account written a mere generation or two before. Bjorn and another Viking leader, Hastein, launched an expedition into the Mediterranean. Erik drove Olaf from the land, only to be driven away in 948 by Eadred of Wessex. Two of her sons (Guthorm and Gamle) fall in these battles, but Gunnhild pushes on. I own nothing. She is an actress and writer, known for Vikings (2013). The real name of Eric Bloodaxe is Eric Haraldsson, and he was one of the many sons of the Norwegian king Harald Finehair. In my latest novel, I have the pleasure of bringing my readers into the world and life of Olaf Tryggvason. It is here that we see Gunnhild's ambition in full light. Our open community is dedicated to digging into the origins of our species on planet earth, and question wherever the discoveries might take us. However, as with the legendary King Arthur , Ragnar appears as an amalgamation of a number of historical personages and minor characters of legend. The Greek island of Kea has been a popular location since ancient times, given that it is the closest Cycladic Island to Athens . Stories say Lothbrok’s sons captured King Ælla and performed the blood-eagle on him. Finally, the saga mentions that “Bjorn Ironside got Uppsala and central Sweden and all the lands that belong to that,” During the 18th century, a barrow was discovered on the island of Munsö and antiquarians claimed that it belonged to Bjorn, thus naming his dynasty after this island. 1160 and 1175 AD) describes Gunnhild as the daughter of Gorm the Old, King of Denmark. SPOILER ALERT: This article discusses Episode 10 (titled "The Best Laid Plans") of History Channel's Vikings Season 6. Ragnar is believed to have been the scourge of both early Medieval England and France, raiding the Anglian kingdoms of Northumbria and Wessex on many occasions, along with the Kingdom of West Francia , concluding in the siege of Paris in 845. Hastein called for aid, got it, and then asked Alfred the Great to release his family. Read on to find out more. History paints him as a durable, determined Viking warrior . In England, the name has a particularly wide geographical distribution that extends beyond the Danelaw and beyond the Viking Age. Gunnhild, Mother of Kings. King Herlaug’s burial mound is larger than most other Viking Age graves found in Norway and it is presumed that it also contains one or more longships. Time and again, Gunnhild pushes her sons to battle Hakon the Good for supremacy of Norway. 946 AD, the youngest son and bastard child of Harald Fairhair -- a teenager known as Hakon (or Haakon) -- drives Erik Bloodaxe from Norway. Ragnheiður Ragnarsdóttir, also known as Ragga Ragnars, plays Gunnhild in Vikings. German. ‘Bluetooth’ as he had a dead tooth that looked blue, or dark. From there they returned to Mersea Island and towed their ships up the Thames to a new fort on the River Lea. Bjorn Ironside was a famous Viking leader who legends say ruled Sweden as the first king from the House of Munsö. 1) Gunhilda of Wenden was a semi-legendary Slavic or Polish princess and Danish Viking age queen consort, the supposed spouse of 10th-century King Sweyn I of Denmark (986–1014). 1000 (just after Gunnhild’s death), it states that Cathróe "was led to king Erichius in the town of York, because this king had as wife a relative of the godly Cathróe." Last but definitely not least, we have the stunning Gaia Weiss, who is a 25-year-old French model and actress who plays… But many scholars doubt the story, suggesting Ragnar died somewhere along the Irish Sea between 852 and 856. 22 Gold Foil Embracing Figures Uncovered At Aska: Lovers, Gods or Giants? Season four left off last April with a showdown between. 'Vikings' drifts into some old bad habits in Wednesday night's episode 'Resurrection' and I remain confused why the Rus storyline has to leave the history behind. Ragnars is an Icelandic actress, from Reykjavík, Iceland. Who is Gunnhild? The founders felt that Harald Bluetooth’s ability to unite people in peaceful negotiations would be appropriate for a telecommunications technology. This week we look at another influential character in the life and times of Hakon the Good: Jarl Tore Ragnvaldsson or Jarl Tore "the Silent" of More. At Luni, Bjorn (or Hastein) sent messengers to the bishop to inform him of their leader’s death. Gender of Gunnhild. 971 AD, King Harald Bluetooth of Denmark and Norway's Jarl Haakon (the son of Jarl Sigurd) kill Gunnhild's most powerful son, Harald Greycloak, who rules in Norway. Herlaug’s brother King Rollaug chose instead to obey King Harald as the sole ruler of Norway and he was appointed Earl of the Namdalen district. At the end of the 1700’s, three tunnels were dug into King Herlaug’s burial mound . Well, this isn’t surprising, as in the minds of many people the Vikings were nothing but a... An extensive survey using ground penetrating radar in northern Norway has revealed the presence of 15 gigantic Viking burial mounds , along with other measurable remains of ongoing human activity... By ThorNews According to Rolf Warming, an archaeologist and researcher at the University of Copenhagen, the Vikings did not use shield walls in combat. 2) Gunnhild konungamóðir (mother of kings) or Gunnhild Gormsdóttir (~ 910–980) is a character who appears in the Icelandic Sagas, according to which she was the wife of Eric Bloodaxe. 10 Everyday English Words with Old Norse Origins, about Ground-Penetrating Radar Locates Massive Viking Burial Mounds in Norway, about Dissolving Myths: Vikings Did NOT Hide Behind Shield Walls, about Birka: The Mysterious Demise of a Majestic Viking Trading Center, The Female Siberian Ice Maiden Whose Legends Lives On, Medieval Soldier’s Remains Found in a Lithuanian Lake, Ruins of Malden Island and The Mysterious Roads that Lead into the Sea, Great Chain of The Golden Horn: Constantinople’s Impenetrable Barrier, After 300: The Posthumous Vengeance of King Leonidas of Sparta, The Protector of Kea Island: The Lion of Kea, Väinämöinen: The Finnish Deity and Hero Who Inspired Tolkien to Create Gandalf and Tom Bombadil, Cossack-Sorcerers: The Secretive and Magical Warrior Society of Ukraine, Five Female Olympians of Ancient Greece: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, The Sacred Sex and Death Rites of the Ancient Mystery Groves, The hydraulic telegraph of Aeneas – long-distance communication of antiquity, They’re Alive! Erik was the son of Harald Fairhair a great Viking leader of Norway. She was been desired by Harald, but she met Bjorn and they both fall deeply in love. Ragga Ragnars is an Icelandic freestyle swimmer and an actress who portrays the role of Gunnhild on the History show Vikings. Soon after, Hastein launched another series of attacks, with some success. I know all about that. An alternative explanation from the Fagrskinna suggests Eric gained the nickname for his Viking raids . Although an excellent series in many ways, Vikings brought with it a pretty romanticized portrait of some of the key names found in the Norse Sagas and the lives they might have lived. Ragnar’s sons invaded England to avenge their father’s murder at the hands of King Ælla of Northumbria, who, according to legend, sentenced him to death by casting him into a pit full of snakes. This post describes the background story of Olaf’s lineage, his birthplace, his early life, and the circumstances that defined his upbringing. Erik kills Gunnhild’s captors. This union makes more sense, for there was much strife between the two lands at the time. He was responsible for the unification of Denmark. By bringing together top experts and authors, this archaeology website explores lost civilizations, examines sacred writings, tours ancient places, investigates ancient discoveries and questions mysterious happenings. In autumn of 893, Hastein’s army left Chester, and devastated the kingdoms along their way down to the south of Wales. Although both monarchs are generally regarded to be the same person, there are some doubts because the Norse and Anglo-Saxon sources do not always match up. A union between the two realms through a prince and princess might help improve trade between the nascent kingdoms, have a calming effect on the raids that were commonplace at the time and give Gorm more muscle in dealing with both the Germans to the south and the petty kings on the islands to the east. Representative image of a Viking King. Gunnhild is a shield-maiden, Bjorn's wife and the Queen of Kattegat. It lies behind the English surnames Gunnell and Cunnell. In today's post, we are taking a deeper dive into a character I personally find fascinating: Gunnhild (aka Gunnhild, Mother of Kings, or in Old Norse, Gunnhildr). According to the Jómsvíkinga saga, Gunnhild is lured to Denmark in ca. In 895, Alfred caught up with them. And it seems as though this has got the cast all excited, as the 34-year-old actress, whose real name is Ragnheiður Ragnarsdóttir, shared a snap of her character Gunnhild. count of main first name only &: count of both main and additional first names Name counts are approximate as statistics normally is not published for names given to less than 3 … Once they entered Luni, Bjorn jumped out of his coffin, fought his way to the town’s gates, and allowed the rest of the Vikings in. Source: Heimkringla. This post takes a deeper dive into the fascinating Norse character Gunnhild, Mother of Kings and wife to Erik Bloodaxe. We do know that she was the wife of Erik Haraldsson (aka Erik Bloodaxe), who is the son of the infamous Harald Fairhair and the man who at one time or another, ruled in Viking Age Norway, the Orkneys and eventually, Northumbria. “After ruling for a year, and pleasing no one on account of the excessive arrogance of his wife, Eiríkr was deprived of the kingdom by his brother Hákon, foster-son of Æthelstan, king of England, with the agreement of the chief men of Norway.". The Goryeo dynasty was a Korean dynasty that existed between the 10th and 14th centuries. Vikings is a historical drama television series written and created by Michael Hirst for the … Ivar’s "strange state" was unusual enough that its origins were tacked on to his mythological bio: his bone deficiency was attributed to Ragnar succumbing to his overwhelming lust for Ivar's mother, Aslaug, before the agreed upon time. This means that she was of "Cumbrian" or Scottish descent, which makes little sense when compared to later writings. Ivar the Boneless is another of Ragnar Lodbrok’s sons. Last Word, 7. she was been desired by harald, but she met bjorn and they both fall deeply in love. The character Hvitserk, probably a nickname for Halfdan Ragnarsson, in the series Vikings. Telling off Erik (who dared compliment her seeming lack of jealously at Bjorn taking Ingrid as second wife), the queen says evenly, “You don’t know me well enough to pretend to know my feelings. Snorre Sturlason's Heimskringla (written ca. Eric’s rule was so brutal and unpopular the Norwegian nobles replaced him with Haakon. Though we will never truly know what Gunnhild was really like, she is a character that conjures so many thoughts and interesting storylines. It is written that the furthest that the brothers got to was Luni, an Italian town on the border of Liguria and Tuscany. If Ivar and Ímar were the same individual with alternate names, giving Ímar/Ivar Ragnar Lodbrok as a father would have made his role in various battles and settlements far more pertinent mythologically as well as historically. Ivar the Boneless: Viking Warrior, Ruler, and Raider. While the Harald we meet in Vikings was childless, the real Harald Finehair is said to have had many sons, ... his wife Gunnhild commissioned a Skaldic poem honoring the fallen Eric and describing his arrival in Valhalla. About a decade later, the Germans were militarily occupied in Italy and Harald seized the opportunity to attack them, expelling them from Denmark. Artist’s depiction of Ragnar Lothbrok (Nejron Photo / Adobe Stock). The sixth and final season of the historical drama television series Vikings premiered on December 4, 2019, on History in Canada. Gunnhild's true identity and personality are shrouded in mystery. about Rare Treasure Hoard Unearthed On Viking Island, about Talk Like a Viking! She had joined King Harald "Finehair" and her late husband Jarl Olavsonn in the Raid on Wessex. New research using ancient DNA is rewriting the genetic history of two ancient peoples; the Hindus and the Jews - and it shows that their two religious civilizations are the result of multiple ancient ethnic migrations; into the Land of India in the case of the Hindus, and into diaspora Jewish communities in the case of the Jewish people. Ragnars is an Icelandic actress, from Reykjavík, Iceland. The Norse saga The Tale of Ragnar’s Sons suggests a different story. Together, th… Written in ca. He is most famous for sacking Luni with Björn Ironside. Eric fled to England and was welcomed by King Athelstan, who made him sub-king of Northumbria. Megalithic Sites Are More than Just Stone. Ragnheiður Ragnarsdóttir, also known as Ragga Ragnars, plays Gunnhild in Vikings. This latest Viking treasure hoard was buried around 950 AD and discovered in... Did you know that many words we use today such as “husband,” “happy,” and “egg” are of Old Norse origin? Gunnhild scolds her sons. The name has been in common use since the Viking period. Ancient Origins © 2013 - 2021Disclaimer - Terms of Publication - Privacy Policy & Cookies - Advertising Policy - Submissions - We Give Back - Contact us. View Resume | Official Photos » Elizabeth Moynihan is an actress and writer, known for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016), Black Mirror (2011) and Vikings (2013). Hastein was a Viking chieftain in the late 9th century. Three battles the men fight against each other until finally, her sons succeed in defeating Hakon. In 871 AD, King Herlaug of the Namdalen district in Central Norway fulfilled his last wish: instead of surrendering to King Harald Fairhair, he and 11 of his men chose to be buried alive inside a large burial mound on the island of Leka. Generally speaking, Halfdan is considered to have been a historical figure, though he is known by different names depending on the source consulted. He is mentioned in several sagas, most significantly The Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok  and the Gesta Danorum . At Ancient Origins we believe that one of... Read More, Ivar despite being born cursed and possibly having a bone disease that weakened his body over time became a legend among his people, with stories that are repeated even today. In ca. But perhaps it is true…. We seek to retell the story of our beginnings. How about a "Books and Literature" forum? Common Tools or Ancient Advanced Technology? 10 Everyday English Words with Old Norse Origins, Ground-Penetrating Radar Locates Massive Viking Burial Mounds in Norway, Dissolving Myths: Vikings Did NOT Hide Behind Shield Walls, Birka: The Mysterious Demise of a Majestic Viking Trading Center. Rare Treasure Hoard Unearthed On Viking Island, Talk Like a Viking! When the Germans were successful in their campaign against the Danes, Harald was forced to accept baptism and to spread Christianity in Norway . Survey Shows About Half of Brits Wish They Were Descended from Vikings…and Many Probably Are! Some say that soon after their arrival in the Orkneys, King Athelstan of England offers the seat of Northumbrian to Erik and Gunnhild. In other words, it was a curse. Historia Norwegiæ (written ca. Still, Gunnhild’s self-sacrifice in the harbor of Kattegat is at least a striking end for a woman whose far-sighted loyalty to her husband and … Royal Families of Medieval … The Goryeo dynasty was established following the unification of Korea’s Later Three Kingdoms and ended when it was overthrown by the Joseon dynasty. Marrying her daughter to the jarl (earl) of the Orkneys, Gunnhild and her sons return to Scandinavia. Source: Heimskringla. This week’s people of interest are Harald Fairhair’s son, Olav, and grandson, Trygvi, both kings of Vingulmark (and later, Vestfold), which is the area around present-day Oslo, and whose name means impenetrable forest. How Pyramids Are Pointing to Former Geo Poles. In reality, Gunnhild was thought to be the wife of Eric Bloodaxe, who does not appear in Vikings. In theory, this political marriage should unify the territory under one control and everyone … We do know that she was the wife of Erik Haraldsson (aka Erik Bloodaxe), who is the son of the infamous Harald Fairhair and the man who at one time or another, ruled in Viking Age Norway, the … The Saga of Ragnar Lodbrok and His Sons states that Bjorn and his brothers continued their father’s raiding activities and terrorized the areas of England, Normandy, France, and Lombardy. The series broadly follows the exploits of the legendary Viking chieftain Ragnar Lothbrok and his crew, and later those of his sons. https://www.looper.com/76182/cast-vikings-looks-like-real-life 977 AD and is killed at the orders of King Harald Bluetooth by being drowned in a bog. Scandinavian: from an Old Norse female personal name composed of the nearly synonymous elements gunnr strife + hildr battle. The goal of Ancient Origins is to highlight recent archaeological discoveries, peer-reviewed academic research and evidence, as well as offering alternative viewpoints and explanations of science, archaeology, mythology, religion and history around the globe. With a showdown between in full light late 9th century perhaps he is mentioned several. Lothbrok ( Nejron Photo / Adobe Stock ) Christianity and his father was the of. Bluetooth ’ s sons suggests a different story and is killed at the start of the Prehistoric Age inform. 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