In the hit series Vikings, Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel) is a man full of promise when we first meet him. He’s extremely curious and intelligent, carving out his own path that stands the test of time. However, there is a prophecy Ragnar can’t seem to let go of until it comes true. We have the details.
Ragnar Lothbrok in ‘Vikings’
Ragnar is a farmer who is extremely curious with a promising future ahead of him. He’s married to his wife, Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick), who he is in love with. They have two children together, Bjorn (Nathan O’Toole) and Gyda (Ruby O’Leary) in season 1. Gyda unfortunately dies when a plague hits Kattegat.
When Ragnar sets his mind to something, he does it, and that goes for the first raid on England. The local Earl of Kattegat, Haraldson (Gabriel Byrne), doesn’t go for Ragnar’s dreams of going west, so Ragnar sets about going on his own. He pays for his friend Floki (Gustaf Skarsgård) to build him a ship, and with a few trusted warriors, he makes a name for himself by finding England. He becomes the Earl after Haraldson attacks him and burns his farm, and he challenges Haraldson and kills him.
Ragnar Lothbrok can’t let this 1 prophecy go
Ragnar believes in the Norse gods, and he takes what he thinks are signs from them whenever possible. He also visits with the Seer (John Kavanagh), a man who can supposedly see the future and talk to the gods. Off-screen before we meet Ragnar, the Seer promised him that he would have many sons, and it’s constantly mentioned throughout the series. Ragnar is focused on making this goal a reality at any cost.
When Lagertha gets pregnant, she is sure it’s a boy because of the prophecy. But when she has a miscarriage, Ragnar wonders who will have his sons for him, and he decides to go to Uppsala, which is a place of pilgrimage for the Vikings. He prays to Odin, asking if he will in fact have more sons and to accept his sacrifice, which he hopes will lead to an answer.
Ragnar was going to sacrifice his good friend Athelstan (George Blagden), a former monk that he abducted in the first raid on England. However, Athelstan can’t be sacrificed because he still believes in Christianity. Ragnar can’t let the prophecy go, even going so far as to be ready to sacrifice his friend for it. His mind is fixated on having more sons, and he’ll stop at nothing to achieve it.
Ragnar has the sons he was promised
Ragnar eventually has the sons he can’t get his mind off of. In season 1, episode 9, he’s on business for King Horik (Donal Logue) over some disputed land between Horik and Jarl Borg (Thorbjørn Harr) in Götaland. While on the way to visit the great ash tree while waiting for Horik’s response, he meets Aslaug (Alyssa Sutherland). She’s a princess of Götaland, and Ragnar is instantly taken with her.
Ragnar makes the prophecy told to him by the Seer come true at the first chance he gets. Probably hyped up over the prophecy, Ragnar sleeps with Aslaug, and she tells him that she’s pregnant shortly after. She even asks him if the Seer didn’t promise him more sons.
Aslaug comes calling in Kattegat months later while heavily pregnant. Ragnar refuses to turn her away, telling Lagertha that she must “accept” her. Of course, she can’t, and Lagertha divorces her husband. Her son, Bjorn goes with her, and Aslaug becomes Ragnar’s new wife. She has four sons by him – Ubbe, Hvitserk, Sigurd, and Ivar.
Ragnar eventually gets his wish of more sons as he was promised by the Seer, something he couldn’t get off his mind. His marriage to Aslaug isn’t happy for long though, despite the many children they have together.
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