Genealogy Record for Ragnar "Lodbrog" Sigurdsson

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Legends and Myths about

Ragnar "Lodbrog" Sigurdsson

30 x Great-Grandfather of Wallace Joseph Jenkins

From "Children's Stories from the Northern Legends" by Dorothy Belgrave and Hilda Hart, 1916.

Thora

There was once a noble Earl of Gothland named Heraud, whose daughter Thora was famed throughout the land for her beauty and gentle disposition. Many suitors thronged her father's castle to ask for her hand, but Heraud did not wish his daughter to marry until a hero, worthy of her noble birth, should come to claim her.
Now the Earl used to set out every spring upon great Viking expeditions, and he was always terrified to leave Thora, in case some bold suitor should storm the castle and carry off the girl during his absence.
One day Heraud was about to leave Gothland upon one of these expeditions, when he called his daughter to take leave of her.
"Here, my Thora," he cried, handing her a golden casket. "In this box you will find a guardian to watch over you while I am away."
Thora raised the lid of the casket, and gave a cry of astonishment, for within the box lay a tiny Dragon.
"No man will dare to force his way into the castle when he hears that you are guarded by a Dragon, said the Earl triumphantly.
"But, my father, this tiny animal could frighten no one," Thora said with a doubtful air.
"It is a magic Dragon and will grow soon enough," answered the Earl, and he sailed away quite happily.
The Dragon grew rapidly, as Heraud had predicted, and soon it was too big for the casket, so Thora, who had no fear of the monster, allowed it to roam about in the castle.
Unfortunately, as time went on the Dragon grew not only enormous but extremely vicious as well, and one day it coiled itself right round the outside of the castle and refused to let anyone enter or leave the building.
You can imagine Earl Heraud's dismay when he returned from his voyage to find the venomous monster barring the way to his daughter.
There was only one thing to be done, of course - the Dragon must be slain, but there was no man in Gothland strong enough to perform such a feat.
Early Heraud realized sadly that he was too old to battle with the monster, so, in despair, he sent heralds to proclaim throughout the northern countries that if any man could kill his Dragon he should be rewarded with the hand of beautiful Thora.
This proclamation reached the ears of Ragnar, a brave young Swedish Prince, who delighted in stirring adventures.
He asked the herald many questions concerning the monster, and determined to rescue Thora or die in the attempt.
When he heard that the Dragon was as venemous as the terrible Fafnir whom Sigurd the Volsung slew, Ragnar knew that he would need special armour to protect himself from the monster's poisonous fangs.
He therefore ordered five woollen cloaks and five pairs of breeches to be boiled in pitch until they were harder than the toughest leather; then he put on all these strange garments, and as he rode away, people cried after him -
"May the gods be with you, Ragnar Lodbrog," and from that time he was always called Lodbrog as well as Ragnar, for Lodbrog means "leather breeches."
When he reached Earl Heraud's castle, there lay the Dragon couiled round the vast building, as the herald had described.
Ragnar strode boldly up to the monster, but he found his task harder than he had imagined, for the loathsome creature fought desperately and bit Ragnar many times with its poisonous fangs.
However, the thickness of his garments saved the hero from harm, and at last, with one mighty plunge, he buried his sword in the Dragon's back. When he tried to withdraw the weapon, the hilt broke off in his hand, but no second stroke was needed now, for the monster had received its deathblow.
Earl Heraud could hardly believe his own eyes when he saw the Dragon lying dead before him, and he led Ragnar into the castle, crying joyously - "Thora, come and greet your deliverer, who claims you as his bride."
Thora advanced timidly, but when she looked at Ragnar she loved him at first sight, and the hero felt that he was well rewarded for his deed.
Their marriage took place amidst great rejoicing, and then Ragnar returned to Sweden with his lovely bride.
They lived there very happily, but sad to relate, their joy did not last long, for Thora died after a few years, leaving Ragnar inconsolable at the loss of his beloved wife. He could not bear to remain in his castle, where everything reminded him so painfully of Thora, so he travelled to distant lands and sailed upon Viking expeditions, hoping to distract his sad thoughts.
When he had lived thus for some years, his friends urged him to take another bride, but Ragnar answered sorrowfully -
"There can be no other maiden on this earth so gentle and beautiful as my Thora."

Aslaug

Now when Ragnar praised the beauty and virtue of his lost wife, he little knew that in Norway there lived a maiden called Aslaug who was just as lovely and noble as Thora had been.
Aslaug's life since she was a child had been a strange, unhappy one. She was a descendant of the noble race of Volsungs, and her parents died when she was very young, leaving her in the charge of an uncle named Heimar. There were enemies in the land who wished to kill the innocent child, and Heimar, hearing of a plot to murder his little niece, determined to save her life. He caused a great golden harp to be made, in which he hid the child with all the treasure belonging to her; then, disguising himself as a harper, he fled away, hoping to find a place of safety for the little girl.
When Heimar was in quiet places on the journey, he released Aslaug from her strange dwelling, but if anyone chanced to draw near, he quickly hid the child within the harp and sounded the strings loudly to drown her frightened cries.
One cold, dreary night, Heimar reached a lonely place in Norway called Spangarhede, and as he felt too weary to journey onwards, he knocked at the door of a hut to ask for shelter.
An old man named Aki lived there with his wife Grima, and they allowed Heimar to enter, for they were very poor and covetous, and they hoped to be paid well for their services.
As Heimar sat by the fire with his precious harp, Grima noticed the end of a costly garment hanging out of the instrument, and she quickly called Aki aside.
"The harper has treasure hidden there," she whispered. "Husband, you must kill him to-night."
Aki weakly protested against such a deed, but Grima declared that if he were afraid, she would kill the harper with her own hands.
Unconscious of their evil plot, poor Heimar lay down to rest near his harp, and in the middle of the night, the wicked couple killed him in his sleep.
They dragged the body out of the hut and buried it quickly by the sea, then they hurried back to examine their ill-gotten treasure.
To their terror and amazement, as they took hold of the harp, the instrument burst open and revealed its burden - beautiful little Aslaug.
"Kill her, kill her," screamed the old woman, shrinking back from the look in Aslaug's blue eyes. "She will bring evil on us."
But Aki was too much frightened to commit another crime.
"Leave her," he said sullenly. "She is too young to understand what we have done. Besides, she may be useful to us."
They took the child out of the harp and asked her many questions, but Aslaug stared at them without saying a word.
"We have nothing to fear from her," said Grima at length. "She is dumb."
Aslaug was not dumb, however, she was only obeying the instructions her uncle had given her, for Heimar, fearing lest she would tell people of her parentage, had begged her never to speak unless she were alone with him.
Grima dressed the child in coarse garments and darkened her golden hair and white skin with juices, until Aslaug really looked like a peasant's daughter.
As no one knew her real name, they called her Krake, and as soon as she was a little older Grima made her tend the cattle.
In spite of her rough treatment and hard work, Aslaug grew tall and strong, and her skin kept its soft whiteness under the stain with which Grima still disguised her.
When she was alone, Aslaug sang to the birds and animals, but the people in Spangarhede still thought she was dumb, for they never heard the sound of her voice.

Ragnar and Aslaug

It happened that Ragnar Lodbrog was sailing by the coast of Norway one summer, and some of his sailors came ashore at Spangarhede to bake bread.
The men laid their dough in ovens of hot stones on the seashore, then they wandered on until they came to a pool by which Aslaug sat, combing her golden hair. She had been bathing so her white skin was free from disfiguring stain, and the sailors thought they had never seen such a beautiful maiden before.
They greeted her courteously, and Aslaug, feeling sure that they were friends answered them, and it was the first time she had spoken to a human being since the death of her Uncle Heimar.
The sailors told her that they belonged to the brave Ragnar Lodbrog's ship, and Aslaug's eyes shone with pleasure as she listened to their tales of adventure and their praises of their master.
Then she told them of her dreary life as a peasant girl, but said nothing of her noble birth, and the sailors marvelled at the beauty of her soft voice and the ready wit and charm of her conversation. They remained talking to her for a long time, and when they remembered their bread at last and returned to the ovens, the loaves were hard and black.
Ashamed of themselves, the sailors crept back to the ship, and when they were asked for the bread, they murmured -
"Alas! we forgot to look after the loaves," and one of the men cried as an excuse - "We met a peasant girl who was so beautiful and clever that we could think of nothing else but her charm."
When Ragnar heard why the men had spoilt the bread, he was quite interested in their account of the peasant girl, and he said that he would like to see her. "Beautiful, she may be," he added, "but I cannot believe that she is so clever as you say."
"She is the wisest maiden in the world," cried the sailors indignantly. "Let my lord ask her a difficult question and see how cleverly she will reply."
"Well, ask her this," said Ragnar. "Can she come to me on the ship, not alone nor yet in company, not clad nor yet without clothing, not fasting nor yet having eaten? If she can fulfil these conditions, I shall indeed consider her a wise maiden."
The sailors returned to find Aslaug, and when they told her what Ragnar desired, she laughed merrily.
"I can visit him thus without any difficulty," she said, "but your Prince must swear by Odin that he will not keep me on the ship against my desire."
Ragnar took a solemn vow to this effect when he heard what Aslaug had said, and he awaited her arrival with impatient curiousity.
At sunrise the next morning he saw a strange figure advancing with a little dog at its side. It was Aslaug covered with a fishing net, over which her golden hair was spread like a cloak, and she held an onion to her mouth and had set her teeth in it.
"Well, my lord," she cried as she drew near the ship, "have I fulfilled your conditions? See, I am without clothes, yet my hair and this fishing net clothe me; there is no person with me, yet I am not alone, for here is my little dog; I have eaten nothing, yet I am not fasting, for I have tasted this onion."
Ragnar laughed heartily at her cleverness, and led her aboard, where she remained talking to him for a long while. As Ragnar looked at her lovely face and listened to her sweet voice, he thought -
"This maiden is the most beautiful being I have seen since Thora died, and although she is only a peasant girl, her manners are as noble as those of any lady in the land." Then he took a magnificent robe from his treasure chest and said -
"See this garment, it belonged to beautiful Thora, whom I loved in my youth. Wear it, Krake, and become my wife."
But Aslaug shook her head.
"I am only a peasant girl," she replied. "How can I wed a noble Lord? Let me return to my cattle."
Ragnar begged her to remain, but although Aslaug listened to him with delight, she felt that she must have proof of his love.
"Let me go," she cried, "for you have sworn by Odin not to keep me here against my will. If in ten months' time you still wish to wed me, return to Spangarhede and I will become your wife."
Ragnar had to be content with this promise, and he sailed away, while Aslaug went back to her cattle with a joyful heart.
The time passed swiftly, and at the tenth month Ragnar's ship appeared by the shore. Then Aslaug rewarded him for his faithfulness and became his wife, and they sailed away to Sweden.
Ragnar only knew his bride as Krake the peasant girl, but he was very happy with her until a certain King Osten tried to separate the loving couple.
Osten had a daughter whom he had wanted Ragnar to marry, and the crafty King thought that if he could make Ragnar dissatisfied with his wife, he would put her away and marry the Princess instead. So Osten came to visit Ragnar and taunted him so much about his wife's humble birth that Ragnar grew quite dejected.
Aslaug saw that something was troubling her husband, but for a long time he would not tell her what was the matter, but one day when Osten's sneers had become unendurable, Ragnar confessed that his guest was mocking his marriage.
"Tell him this, then," cried Aslaug proudly. "Your wife is no peasant's daughter, but the noble blood of the Volsungs flows in her veins."
Then she related the secret of her birth, and Ragnar asked in astonishment -
"Why have you never told me this?"
"Because I was proud to think that I had won your love as Krake, the peasant girl," answered Aslaug. "But now the time has come for you to proclaim my noble birth."
When King Osten heard that Aslaug was a Volsung, a race far more exalted than his own, he went away discomfited, and Ragnar loved his beautiful wife more dearly than ever.

Ragnar's Death and the Vengeance of Ivar

Four sons were born to Ragnar and Aslaug and they all grew tall and strong with the exception of Ivar, the eldest. Ivar was a cripple, and as he could not walk at all, he had to be carried to battle on a litter of spears, but the power he lacked in physical strength was made up to him in his great wisdom.
Ragnar lived very happily with Aslaug, and he no longer set out upon Viking expeditions, but Aslaug was afraid that although he was growing old, he would grow tired of this quiet life and wish to seek adventures again. Therefore she made a magic shirt which would protect her husband from all harm and she put it away carefully until it should be needed.
The time came when Aslaug had to take this shirt out of her treasure chest, for Ragnar was obliged to wage war against the King of Northumbria in England.
Years ago Ragnar had conquered the Kingdom of Northumbria, and the reigning monarch had promised to pay yearly tribute to Ragnar. So long as this King was alive this tax was collected without any trouble, but now the old King was dead, and his son, Ella, who succeeded to the throne, refused to pa the tribute.
"Let Ragnar Lodbrog gather it himself at point of sword," he cried wrathfully to Ragnar's messenger.
A powerful fleet was made ready, and Ragnar took leave of Aslaug, who gave him the magic shirt, imploring him to wear it always. Ragnar sailed away to Northumbria, but a storm arose in mid-ocean and destroyed all his ships, and he drifted to the enemy's coast with but a handful of men. King Ella and his forces soon killed the invaders, but Ragnar remained untouched by their weapons, for he wore the shirt that Aslaug had given him.
At last Ella grew impatient that this man should be able to withstand death so long and he ordered him to be flung into a pit full of venomous serpents. The snakes shrank back from Ragnar's magic armour, and observing this strange fact, the onlookers took Ragnar out of the pit and drew off his shirt.
They flung him back again, and now the serpents did their fatal work and Ragnar was stung to death. But as he died he sang a death-song which has made him famous throughout the ages. He told of his battles, how he had slain a fierce dragon in his youth, and he called upon his sons to avenge his untimely death. When King Ella heard of this song, he was afraid, for he had heard much of the bravery of Ragnar's sons, and he feared their vengeance, so he began to prepare against invasion.
Meanwhile the news had reached Sweden of Ragnar Lodbrog's death, and Aslaug called upon her four sons to avenge King Ella's crime. Three of the sons made ready to invade Northumbria, but Ivar, the eldest, warned them to wait awhile.
We are not strong enough to attack Ella yet," he cried. "We shall be defeated unless we use strategem."
The brothers would not take his advice, however, and they set out, unaccompanied by Ivar, who knew in his heart that this expedition would fail.
He was right, for Ella met the avengers with such an overwhelming force that they were routed completely.
The brothers went back to Sweden disconsolately, but Ivar landed at Northumbria with a few men and boldly demanded compensation from King Ella for the death of Ragnar.
"I do not ask for gold or treasure," said Ivar, "but give me a small piece of land here. I swear by Odin that I will never raise my hand against you, and I only ask for as much land as I can enclose in the hide of an ox."
"That you can have," said Ella carelessly, and he added to himself, "This son is a fool - I shall have nothing to fear from him." But when the day came for Ivar to receive his land, Ella was furious, for what do you think Ivar had done?
He had caused an oxhide to be cut into narrow strips and these pieces had been joined together to make a line of very great length.
The King had to keep his word, but the land enclosed by Ivar's oxhide was a large region.
Ivar secretly sent a message to his brothers that they were to prepare great forces to be in readiness when he summoned them; then he began to build upon his land, and many people who were dissatisfied with Ella's rule came to join him there. Gradually Ivar obtained such a large number of followers that Ella had few people left on his side, and when Ivar sent word to the sons of Ragnar, they came with a mighty force, slew Ella and captured his kingdom, and in this manner was the death of Ragnar Lodbrog avenged.

Background Courtesy of Bradley W. Schenck




	Legends and Myths about Ragnar "Lodbrog" Sigurdsson 30 x Great-Grandfather of Wallace Joseph Jenkins From "Children's Stories from the Northern Legends" by Dorothy Belgrave and Hilda Hart, 1916.

	Thora There was once a noble Earl of Gothland named Heraud, whose daughter Thora was famed throughout the land for her beauty and gentle disposition. Many suitors thronged her father's castle to ask for her hand, but Heraud did not wish his daughter to marry until a hero, worthy of her noble birth, should come to claim her. Now the Earl used to set out every spring upon great Viking expeditions, and he was always terrified to leave Thora, in case some bold suitor should storm the castle and carry off the girl during his absence. One day Heraud was about to leave Gothland upon one of these expeditions, when he called his daughter to take leave of her. "Here, my Thora," he cried, handing her a golden casket. "In this box you will find a guardian to watch over you while I am away." Thora raised the lid of the casket, and gave a cry of astonishment, for within the box lay a tiny Dragon. "No man will dare to force his way into the castle when he hears that you are guarded by a Dragon, said the Earl triumphantly. "But, my father, this tiny animal could frighten no one," Thora said with a doubtful air. "It is a magic Dragon and will grow soon enough," answered the Earl, and he sailed away quite happily. The Dragon grew rapidly, as Heraud had predicted, and soon it was too big for the casket, so Thora, who had no fear of the monster, allowed it to roam about in the castle. Unfortunately, as time went on the Dragon grew not only enormous but extremely vicious as well, and one day it coiled itself right round the outside of the castle and refused to let anyone enter or leave the building. You can imagine Earl Heraud's dismay when he returned from his voyage to find the venomous monster barring the way to his daughter. There was only one thing to be done, of course - the Dragon must be slain, but there was no man in Gothland strong enough to perform such a feat. Early Heraud realized sadly that he was too old to battle with the monster, so, in despair, he sent heralds to proclaim throughout the northern countries that if any man could kill his Dragon he should be rewarded with the hand of beautiful Thora. This proclamation reached the ears of Ragnar, a brave young Swedish Prince, who delighted in stirring adventures. He asked the herald many questions concerning the monster, and determined to rescue Thora or die in the attempt. When he heard that the Dragon was as venemous as the terrible Fafnir whom Sigurd the Volsung slew, Ragnar knew that he would need special armour to protect himself from the monster's poisonous fangs. He therefore ordered five woollen cloaks and five pairs of breeches to be boiled in pitch until they were harder than the toughest leather; then he put on all these strange garments, and as he rode away, people cried after him - "May the gods be with you, Ragnar Lodbrog," and from that time he was always called Lodbrog as well as Ragnar, for Lodbrog means "leather breeches." When he reached Earl Heraud's castle, there lay the Dragon couiled round the vast building, as the herald had described. Ragnar strode boldly up to the monster, but he found his task harder than he had imagined, for the loathsome creature fought desperately and bit Ragnar many times with its poisonous fangs. However, the thickness of his garments saved the hero from harm, and at last, with one mighty plunge, he buried his sword in the Dragon's back. When he tried to withdraw the weapon, the hilt broke off in his hand, but no second stroke was needed now, for the monster had received its deathblow. Earl Heraud could hardly believe his own eyes when he saw the Dragon lying dead before him, and he led Ragnar into the castle, crying joyously - "Thora, come and greet your deliverer, who claims you as his bride." Thora advanced timidly, but when she looked at Ragnar she loved him at first sight, and the hero felt that he was well rewarded for his deed. Their marriage took place amidst great rejoicing, and then Ragnar returned to Sweden with his lovely bride. They lived there very happily, but sad to relate, their joy did not last long, for Thora died after a few years, leaving Ragnar inconsolable at the loss of his beloved wife. He could not bear to remain in his castle, where everything reminded him so painfully of Thora, so he travelled to distant lands and sailed upon Viking expeditions, hoping to distract his sad thoughts. When he had lived thus for some years, his friends urged him to take another bride, but Ragnar answered sorrowfully - "There can be no other maiden on this earth so gentle and beautiful as my Thora."

	Aslaug Now when Ragnar praised the beauty and virtue of his lost wife, he little knew that in Norway there lived a maiden called Aslaug who was just as lovely and noble as Thora had been. Aslaug's life since she was a child had been a strange, unhappy one. She was a descendant of the noble race of Volsungs, and her parents died when she was very young, leaving her in the charge of an uncle named Heimar. There were enemies in the land who wished to kill the innocent child, and Heimar, hearing of a plot to murder his little niece, determined to save her life. He caused a great golden harp to be made, in which he hid the child with all the treasure belonging to her; then, disguising himself as a harper, he fled away, hoping to find a place of safety for the little girl. When Heimar was in quiet places on the journey, he released Aslaug from her strange dwelling, but if anyone chanced to draw near, he quickly hid the child within the harp and sounded the strings loudly to drown her frightened cries. One cold, dreary night, Heimar reached a lonely place in Norway called Spangarhede, and as he felt too weary to journey onwards, he knocked at the door of a hut to ask for shelter. An old man named Aki lived there with his wife Grima, and they allowed Heimar to enter, for they were very poor and covetous, and they hoped to be paid well for their services. As Heimar sat by the fire with his precious harp, Grima noticed the end of a costly garment hanging out of the instrument, and she quickly called Aki aside. "The harper has treasure hidden there," she whispered. "Husband, you must kill him to-night." Aki weakly protested against such a deed, but Grima declared that if he were afraid, she would kill the harper with her own hands. Unconscious of their evil plot, poor Heimar lay down to rest near his harp, and in the middle of the night, the wicked couple killed him in his sleep. They dragged the body out of the hut and buried it quickly by the sea, then they hurried back to examine their ill-gotten treasure. To their terror and amazement, as they took hold of the harp, the instrument burst open and revealed its burden - beautiful little Aslaug. "Kill her, kill her," screamed the old woman, shrinking back from the look in Aslaug's blue eyes. "She will bring evil on us." But Aki was too much frightened to commit another crime. "Leave her," he said sullenly. "She is too young to understand what we have done. Besides, she may be useful to us." They took the child out of the harp and asked her many questions, but Aslaug stared at them without saying a word. "We have nothing to fear from her," said Grima at length. "She is dumb." Aslaug was not dumb, however, she was only obeying the instructions her uncle had given her, for Heimar, fearing lest she would tell people of her parentage, had begged her never to speak unless she were alone with him. Grima dressed the child in coarse garments and darkened her golden hair and white skin with juices, until Aslaug really looked like a peasant's daughter. As no one knew her real name, they called her Krake, and as soon as she was a little older Grima made her tend the cattle. In spite of her rough treatment and hard work, Aslaug grew tall and strong, and her skin kept its soft whiteness under the stain with which Grima still disguised her. When she was alone, Aslaug sang to the birds and animals, but the people in Spangarhede still thought she was dumb, for they never heard the sound of her voice.

	Ragnar and Aslaug It happened that Ragnar Lodbrog was sailing by the coast of Norway one summer, and some of his sailors came ashore at Spangarhede to bake bread. The men laid their dough in ovens of hot stones on the seashore, then they wandered on until they came to a pool by which Aslaug sat, combing her golden hair. She had been bathing so her white skin was free from disfiguring stain, and the sailors thought they had never seen such a beautiful maiden before. They greeted her courteously, and Aslaug, feeling sure that they were friends answered them, and it was the first time she had spoken to a human being since the death of her Uncle Heimar. The sailors told her that they belonged to the brave Ragnar Lodbrog's ship, and Aslaug's eyes shone with pleasure as she listened to their tales of adventure and their praises of their master. Then she told them of her dreary life as a peasant girl, but said nothing of her noble birth, and the sailors marvelled at the beauty of her soft voice and the ready wit and charm of her conversation. They remained talking to her for a long time, and when they remembered their bread at last and returned to the ovens, the loaves were hard and black. Ashamed of themselves, the sailors crept back to the ship, and when they were asked for the bread, they murmured - "Alas! we forgot to look after the loaves," and one of the men cried as an excuse - "We met a peasant girl who was so beautiful and clever that we could think of nothing else but her charm." When Ragnar heard why the men had spoilt the bread, he was quite interested in their account of the peasant girl, and he said that he would like to see her. "Beautiful, she may be," he added, "but I cannot believe that she is so clever as you say." "She is the wisest maiden in the world," cried the sailors indignantly. "Let my lord ask her a difficult question and see how cleverly she will reply." "Well, ask her this," said Ragnar. "Can she come to me on the ship, not alone nor yet in company, not clad nor yet without clothing, not fasting nor yet having eaten? If she can fulfil these conditions, I shall indeed consider her a wise maiden." The sailors returned to find Aslaug, and when they told her what Ragnar desired, she laughed merrily. "I can visit him thus without any difficulty," she said, "but your Prince must swear by Odin that he will not keep me on the ship against my desire." Ragnar took a solemn vow to this effect when he heard what Aslaug had said, and he awaited her arrival with impatient curiousity. At sunrise the next morning he saw a strange figure advancing with a little dog at its side. It was Aslaug covered with a fishing net, over which her golden hair was spread like a cloak, and she held an onion to her mouth and had set her teeth in it. "Well, my lord," she cried as she drew near the ship, "have I fulfilled your conditions? See, I am without clothes, yet my hair and this fishing net clothe me; there is no person with me, yet I am not alone, for here is my little dog; I have eaten nothing, yet I am not fasting, for I have tasted this onion." Ragnar laughed heartily at her cleverness, and led her aboard, where she remained talking to him for a long while. As Ragnar looked at her lovely face and listened to her sweet voice, he thought - "This maiden is the most beautiful being I have seen since Thora died, and although she is only a peasant girl, her manners are as noble as those of any lady in the land." Then he took a magnificent robe from his treasure chest and said - "See this garment, it belonged to beautiful Thora, whom I loved in my youth. Wear it, Krake, and become my wife." But Aslaug shook her head. "I am only a peasant girl," she replied. "How can I wed a noble Lord? Let me return to my cattle." Ragnar begged her to remain, but although Aslaug listened to him with delight, she felt that she must have proof of his love. "Let me go," she cried, "for you have sworn by Odin not to keep me here against my will. If in ten months' time you still wish to wed me, return to Spangarhede and I will become your wife." Ragnar had to be content with this promise, and he sailed away, while Aslaug went back to her cattle with a joyful heart. The time passed swiftly, and at the tenth month Ragnar's ship appeared by the shore. Then Aslaug rewarded him for his faithfulness and became his wife, and they sailed away to Sweden. Ragnar only knew his bride as Krake the peasant girl, but he was very happy with her until a certain King Osten tried to separate the loving couple. Osten had a daughter whom he had wanted Ragnar to marry, and the crafty King thought that if he could make Ragnar dissatisfied with his wife, he would put her away and marry the Princess instead. So Osten came to visit Ragnar and taunted him so much about his wife's humble birth that Ragnar grew quite dejected. Aslaug saw that something was troubling her husband, but for a long time he would not tell her what was the matter, but one day when Osten's sneers had become unendurable, Ragnar confessed that his guest was mocking his marriage. "Tell him this, then," cried Aslaug proudly. "Your wife is no peasant's daughter, but the noble blood of the Volsungs flows in her veins." Then she related the secret of her birth, and Ragnar asked in astonishment - "Why have you never told me this?" "Because I was proud to think that I had won your love as Krake, the peasant girl," answered Aslaug. "But now the time has come for you to proclaim my noble birth." When King Osten heard that Aslaug was a Volsung, a race far more exalted than his own, he went away discomfited, and Ragnar loved his beautiful wife more dearly than ever.



	Ragnar's Death and the Vengeance of Ivar Four sons were born to Ragnar and Aslaug and they all grew tall and strong with the exception of Ivar, the eldest. Ivar was a cripple, and as he could not walk at all, he had to be carried to battle on a litter of spears, but the power he lacked in physical strength was made up to him in his great wisdom. Ragnar lived very happily with Aslaug, and he no longer set out upon Viking expeditions, but Aslaug was afraid that although he was growing old, he would grow tired of this quiet life and wish to seek adventures again. Therefore she made a magic shirt which would protect her husband from all harm and she put it away carefully until it should be needed. The time came when Aslaug had to take this shirt out of her treasure chest, for Ragnar was obliged to wage war against the King of Northumbria in England. Years ago Ragnar had conquered the Kingdom of Northumbria, and the reigning monarch had promised to pay yearly tribute to Ragnar. So long as this King was alive this tax was collected without any trouble, but now the old King was dead, and his son, Ella, who succeeded to the throne, refused to pa the tribute. "Let Ragnar Lodbrog gather it himself at point of sword," he cried wrathfully to Ragnar's messenger. A powerful fleet was made ready, and Ragnar took leave of Aslaug, who gave him the magic shirt, imploring him to wear it always. Ragnar sailed away to Northumbria, but a storm arose in mid-ocean and destroyed all his ships, and he drifted to the enemy's coast with but a handful of men. King Ella and his forces soon killed the invaders, but Ragnar remained untouched by their weapons, for he wore the shirt that Aslaug had given him. At last Ella grew impatient that this man should be able to withstand death so long and he ordered him to be flung into a pit full of venomous serpents. The snakes shrank back from Ragnar's magic armour, and observing this strange fact, the onlookers took Ragnar out of the pit and drew off his shirt. They flung him back again, and now the serpents did their fatal work and Ragnar was stung to death. But as he died he sang a death-song which has made him famous throughout the ages. He told of his battles, how he had slain a fierce dragon in his youth, and he called upon his sons to avenge his untimely death. When King Ella heard of this song, he was afraid, for he had heard much of the bravery of Ragnar's sons, and he feared their vengeance, so he began to prepare against invasion. Meanwhile the news had reached Sweden of Ragnar Lodbrog's death, and Aslaug called upon her four sons to avenge King Ella's crime. Three of the sons made ready to invade Northumbria, but Ivar, the eldest, warned them to wait awhile. We are not strong enough to attack Ella yet," he cried. "We shall be defeated unless we use strategem." The brothers would not take his advice, however, and they set out, unaccompanied by Ivar, who knew in his heart that this expedition would fail. He was right, for Ella met the avengers with such an overwhelming force that they were routed completely. The brothers went back to Sweden disconsolately, but Ivar landed at Northumbria with a few men and boldly demanded compensation from King Ella for the death of Ragnar. "I do not ask for gold or treasure," said Ivar, "but give me a small piece of land here. I swear by Odin that I will never raise my hand against you, and I only ask for as much land as I can enclose in the hide of an ox." "That you can have," said Ella carelessly, and he added to himself, "This son is a fool - I shall have nothing to fear from him." But when the day came for Ivar to receive his land, Ella was furious, for what do you think Ivar had done? He had caused an oxhide to be cut into narrow strips and these pieces had been joined together to make a line of very great length. The King had to keep his word, but the land enclosed by Ivar's oxhide was a large region. Ivar secretly sent a message to his brothers that they were to prepare great forces to be in readiness when he summoned them; then he began to build upon his land, and many people who were dissatisfied with Ella's rule came to join him there. Gradually Ivar obtained such a large number of followers that Ella had few people left on his side, and when Ivar sent word to the sons of Ragnar, they came with a mighty force, slew Ella and captured his kingdom, and in this manner was the death of Ragnar Lodbrog avenged.