![]() The HISTORY Channel (Copyright, fair use)Īfter founding York, Ivar avenges his father's death by killing King Ælla through the mysterious torture known as the blood-eagle and then rules Northumbria from York. This story, of course, is borrowed from the much older tale concerning Dido of Carthage who does the same thing with an ox-hide to found her city in North Africa. Ivar cuts the bull's hide into strips and encircles the area which will become the city of York. Afterwards he makes a deal with the king for land but Ælla stipulates he can only have as much ground as he can cover with a bull's hide. In the Tale of Ragnar's Sons, he sails to Britain with his brothers to avenge their father's death but refuses to fight with them against King Ælla. Whether Ivar existed one-on-one as he is depicted in the sagas is still debated in the present day, however. He is also often equated with one of the leaders of the Great Heathen Army (named 'Hingwar' in the Anglo- Saxon Chronicle) that invaded Britain in 865 CE and it is conceivable that the legendary Ivar may have indeed been inspired by this Hingwar. Ivar is allegedly the son of Ragnar Lothbrok and is best known from the Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok, the Tale of Ragnar's Sons, and the Gesta Danorum by Saxo Grammaticus (c. 867 CE), and executed by being thrown into a pit of snakes. ![]() ![]() He ignored her warning, was captured by King Ælla of Northumbria (d. According to The Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok, Ragnar was warned by his psychic wife Aslaug against using only two ships to conquer Britain. ![]()
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