General Notes

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Information copied from Wayne Iverson, World Connect db=wiversrm, rootsweb.com
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He was a semi-legendary King.

He is said to possibly be the Ragnar who entered the Seine in 845 with 120 ships. Charles the Bald deployed his army on both sides of the river and Ragnar attacked and routed the smaller contingent and hung 111 prisoners on an island in full viewof the other Frankish force who offered no more resistance. Ragnar sailed into Paris and sacked it on Easter Sunday. Charles the Bald paid him 7000 pounds of silver to depart in peace and thus gained six years free of invasion.

Another story says in his old age he became jealous of his son's reknown as vikings and raided Northumberland and was captured by King Ella who threw him in a snake pit. As he was being bitten he sang his death song starting each stanza with "Downwe hewed them with our swords" and in his dying breath prophesized, "How piglets would grunt if they know the plight of the boar!"

His sons did avenge his death by capturing King Ella, carved a "blood eagle" on his back, hacked out his ribs and pulled his lungs out spreading them across his back like wings.