General Notes

The celebrated and heroic warrior Ragnar, so called because he alwayswore in battle a pair of enchanted breeches, made of a bear skin with thehair outwards. King Ragnar Lodbrok having invaded England in 794, wastaken prisoner by Aella, King of Northumberland, who put him to death ina most cruel manner, he being thrown into a pit hole full of adders,which stung him to death. When news of his death reached Denmark his fivevaliant sons were furious. When being told that their father had said,"How the young cubs would rage when they learned of the old bear's fate,"they vowed instant revenge. An expedition led by eight crowned headsinvaded England. In a battle at York the Anglo-Saxons were entirelyrouted and King Aella was made prisoner and subjected to the mostbarbarous treatment. The sons of Lodbrok ordered an eagle to be cut onthe fleshy part of his back, the ribs were severed from the spine and theheart and lungs extracted. After this victory Northumbria appears nolonger as a Saxon kingdom. Ivor was made Earl of Dublin and Danishmerchants and people flocked to England. Bjorn, another brother, was madeKing of Sweden. Gotefrid became King of Jutland. Another son, Sigurd,called the Snake Eye, inherited the Danish crown.