Ragnar's Raven


Book Description

Ragnar Lothbrok, the celebrated pioneer of the Viking Age, flew a war banner called the Raven. This Raven boasted his lineage from Odin, the one-eyed god of inspiration, battle, and discovery. According to legend, the Raven was woven in a single day by the three daughters of Ragnar and imbued with such magic that it would predict victory or defeat. If the Raven appeared to be in flight, with its wings animated by the wind, then the Vikings would be victorious. Men could force this victory by waving the banner, but whoever did so would forfeit his own life to the Norns of fate.Ragnar flew the Raven banner throughout Scandinavia, and then to Ireland, Scotland, and the walls of Paris. His sons, Ivar the Boneless, Ubba, and Bjorn Ironside carried it at the helm of their Great Heathen Army as they conquered the Saxon kingdoms of Britain. Alfred the Great captured the Raven, but some believe it returned to Viking hands through the Ui Imar kings of York and Dublin. The banner fell at Clontarf before the Irish forces of Brian Boru, but then made its way back to Orkney and then to Norway. There, at the Battle of Stiklestad, Saint Olaf passed it to his half-brother, the last Viking, Harald Hard-Ruler. Harald called the Raven "Land Waster" and credited it with his victories throughout Russia, the Baltic, the Mediterranean, and then back to Denmark. Finally, the banner fell for the last time in 1066, in England at Stamford Bridge, the Ragnarok of the Viking Age. Ragnar's Raven: A Legendary History of the Vikings tells the story of this incredible age through the lives of people. Each chapter is the biography of an extraordinary figure that defined his era. Rollo, Ivar, Erik the Red, Floki, Lagertha, Turgeis, Saint Patrick, Alfred, Rurik, Sviatoslav, William the Conqueror, and many other heroes and villains bring this pivotal period in world history to life in a way that facts and chronologies alone cannot. The work is meticulously researched from more than two dozen primary sources and more than fifty secondary sources, but it is not afraid to challenge convention and offer new perspectives. Ragnar's Raven is the perfect introduction for the casually-interested fan of Vikings in popular culture, and a new take for the well-read history enthusiast. From myths, legends, sagas, and stories to the most-recent archeology and DNA research, this book brings the Viking Age to life.




The Sagas of Ragnar Lodbrok


Book Description

Although based on historical persons from the 9th century, Ragnar Lodbrok and his sons are the subjects of compelling legends dating from the Viking era. Warriors, raiders, and rulers, Ragnar and his sons inspired unknown writers to set down their stories over seven centuries ago. This volume presents new and original translations of the three major Old Norse texts that tell Ragnar's story: the Saga of Ragnar Lodbrok, the Tale of Ragnar's Sons, and the Sogubrot. Ragnar's death song, the Krakumal, and a Latin fragment called the List of Swedish Kings, complete the story. Extensive notes and commentary are provided, helping the reader to enter the world of these timeless stories of Viking adventure.




Ragnar - The Legendary Viking


Book Description

Ragnar - The Legendary Viking: The Stories and Adventures of an Immortal Warrior of Norse Mythology Ragnar Lodbrok—a name immortalized in the sagas and myths of the Norse peoples. He was not only a fearless warrior and king but also a charismatic figure who blurred the lines between history and legend. This book takes you deep into the fascinating world of Ragnar Lodbrok and his unforgettable adventures. From his early heroic deeds and the famous dragon battles to his complex marriages and the birth of his legendary sons—this book tells the complete story of Ragnar. Experience how he outwitted his enemies with cunning and intelligence, how he relentlessly pursued glory, and how he ultimately faced the forces of England in one final, tragic act. The book offers a comprehensive narrative of Ragnar's life and legacy, illuminating his historical and mythological roots and showing how his story lives on in modern pop culture. Whether you're a longtime fan of Norse mythology or diving into the sagas for the first time, this tale will captivate and inspire you. Join Ragnar Lodbrok on his epic journey and discover the myths that shaped the North. This book is a must-read for anyone who wants to learn more about the fascinating world of the Vikings.




The Legend of Ragnar Lodbrok


Book Description

Millions love the hit television show Vikings—but how many fans know that its main character, Ragnar, is based on an actual Viking king whose ambitious and terrifying exploits have been legend since the ninth century AD? As fierce, cunning, and determined as the character he inspired, King Ragnar Lodbrok is perhaps most famous for his sacking of Paris in 845 AD. He is also widely regarded to be among the first Viking leaders to target the riches of the British Isles not simply for plunder, but also for Danish settlement. The Legend of Ragnar Lodbrok presents fascinating translations of ninth, twelfth, and thirteenth-century writings—including sagas, poems, and historical accounts—that describe, in vivid detail, the adventures of Ragnar, his sons, and his formidable wives, Lagertha the Shieldmaiden and Princess Aslaug. These absorbing convergences of fact and Norse mythology include a new translation of The Saga of Ragnar Lodbrok; a new translation of The Tale of Ragnar’s Sons; The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, the single most important source for English history during the early Middle ages; Krákumál, a famous twelfth-century poem thought to be Ragnar’s death song; and the Gesta Danorum, a patriotic work that describes the origin of Lagertha and her relationship with Ragnar. Whether Ragnar was a single man of a thousand deeds or an amalgam of heroes may never be proven, but The Legend of Ragnar Lodbrok offers thrilling insight into his brutal, unforgettable world.




The Ragnar Stormbringer Tales


Book Description

A compendium that contains the first three stand-alone novellas featuring the warrior Ragnar Stormbringer. Included in Volume I are Depths of Night, When the Cold Breathes, and Altar of Gods. With diverse settings, action-driven plots, and an array of fearsome adversaries, the Ragnar Stormbringer tales will satisfy any reader of Heroic Fantasy or Sword and Sorcery! Here is what readers can look forward to in this volume! Depths of Night After a harrowing end to a long sea journey, the famed northern warrior Ragnar Stormbringer and a force of warriors step ashore in the lands of the Petranni, a tribal people known for their workings in silver and gold. The search for plunder takes a sharp turn when homesteads, villages, and temple sites show signs of being recently abandoned. When it is discovered that the Petranni have all taken refuge within a massive stronghold, Ragnar and the others soon fall under the shadow of an ancient, deadly adversary. Wielding his legendary war axe Raven Caller, Ragnar finds his strength tested like never before. When the Cold Breathes There are times when the cold breathes. Settlers from Ragnar Stormbringer's homelands are forging a new world in the far north, building villages where the icy lash of the winds is a reminder of the dangers lurking within a harsh wilderness. A season of great peril has fallen upon them. A fearsome predator stalks and hunts the settlers in the deep snows. As the deaths mount and terror spreads among the populace, Ragnar's help is sought to confront the unknown menace. Taking up his legendary axe Raven Caller, Ragnar heads into the falling snows. He will soon find that the myths told in the region have more than a little truth dwelling within them. What lies in the cold embrace of death and darkness can awaken, breathe, and gaze through eyes of spectral light. When the Cold Breathes is a stand-alone novella that is part of the Ragnar Stormbringer tales! Altar of Gods Ragnar Stormbringer and a large band of warriors from his homelands find themselves stranded within a mysterious, dangerous land. Trapped, with no way home, and pitted against a fearsome chieftain's desire to see all of the northern warriors offered to bloodthirsty gods, Ragnar must call upon every bit of inner and outer strength that he possesses just to survive another day; much less seek a way back to his homelands. Altar of Gods is a stand-alone novella that is part of the Ragnar Stormbringer Tales.




The Sagas of Ragnar Lothbrok (Ragnarssögur Loðbrókar)


Book Description

The Sagas of Ragnar Lothbrok (Ragnarssögur Loðbrókar) include 'The Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok' (Ragnars Saga Loðbrókar) and 'The Tale of Ragnar's Sons' (Ragnarssona Þáttr). Also included is The Lay Of Kraka (Krákumál). The legend of Ragnar Lothbrok, one of the best known heroes of the Viking Age, has been told and re-told in an increasing variety of media. The story begins with the origins of Ragnar's second wife Aslaug (or Auslag). Then follows the heroic deed of Ragnar taking up the challenge laid down by King Herraud of Götaland, killing a giant serpent belonging to his daughter Thora Fortress-Hart, and winning her hand in marriage. Ragnar's later marriage to Aslaug is followed by the arrival of several sons, who one by one grow strong and plan raiding expeditions of their own. These stories survived by oral tradition over several centuries before being written down. They are preserved in the Hauksbók, and the manuscript NKS (1824b) 4to in Copenhagen, Denmark. This book is designed to be of use to anyone studying or with a keen interest in Old Norse or Old Icelandic, clearly showing how these languages work, and the influence of these languages on English. This edition is laid out in three columns, the original text, a literal word-for-word translation, and a modern translation. Also included is a word list with over 1,000 definitions.




The Raven (Illustrated)


Book Description

This Top Five Classics illustrated edition of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven includes: • All 25 illustrations by Gustave Doré for Harper & Brothers’ 1884 edition • An informative Introduction • A detailed Biography of Edgar Allan Poe • The illustrated version and text-only version of the full poem No poem has ever received the kind of immediate and overwhelming response that Poe’s “The Raven” did when it first appeared in the New York Evening Mirror on January 29, 1845. It made Poe an overnight sensation (though his great fame never brought him much wealth) and the poem, a powerfully haunting elegy to lost love, remains one of the most beloved and recognizable verses in the English language. The illustrations that accompany this Top Five Classics edition are reproductions of the renowned French artist Gustave Doré’s steel-plate engravings created for Harper & Brothers’ 1884 release of The Raven. It would be Doré’s last commission as he died shortly after completing the 25 illustrations in January 1883. His illustrations would become famous in their own right, evoking as they do the lyrical and mystical air of Poe’s masterpiece.




Vikings: Ragnar Lodbrok and the Women Who Loved Him


Book Description

The famous Viking, Ragnar Lodbrok, accomplished many great deeds according to the Viking Sagas associated with him. However, for many, it is his personal life, and the women who loved him that garners the most interest. So, who were these women and why did they love him? Find out: *Who the Vikings were *Who Ragnar was *How many wives he really had *Who his other lovers and mistresses were *Which of his famous sons were attributed to each woman *Which historical texts tell Ragnar's story




Vikings and the Vikings


Book Description

This essay collection is a wide-ranging exploration of Vikings, the television series that has successfully summoned the historical world of the Norse people for modern audiences to enjoy. From a range of critical viewpoints, these all fresh essays explore the ways in which past and present representations of the Vikings converge in the show's richly textured dramatization of the rise and fall of Ragnar Loobrok--and the exploits of his heirs--creating what many viewers label a "true" representation of the age. From the show's sources in both saga literature and Victorian revival, to its engagement with contemporary concerns regarding gender, race and identity, via setting, sex, society and more, this first book-length study of the History Channel series appeals to fans of the show, Viking enthusiasts, and anyone with an interest in medievalist representation in the 21st century.




The Sagas of Ragnar Lothbrok (Ragnarssögur Loðbrókar)


Book Description

The Sagas of Ragnar Lothbrok (Ragnarssögur Loðbrókar) include 'The Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok' (Ragnars Saga Loðbrókar) and 'The Tale of Ragnar's Sons' (Ragnarssona þáttr). Also included is The Lay Of Kraka (Krákumál). The legend of Ragnar Lothbrok, one of the best known heroes of the Viking Age, has been told and re-told in an increasing variety of media. The story begins with the origins of Ragnar's second wife Aslaug (or Auslag). Then follows the heroic deed of Ragnar taking up the challenge laid down by King Herraud of Götaland, killing a giant serpent belonging to his daughter Thora Fortress-Hart, and winning her hand in marriage. Ragnar's later marriage to Aslaug is followed by the arrival of several sons, who one by one grow strong and plan raiding expeditions of their own. These stories survived by oral tradition over several centuries before being written down. They are preserved in the Hauksbók, and the manuscript NKS (1824b) 4to in Copenhagen, Denmark. This book is designed to be of use to anyone studying or with a keen interest in Old Norse or Old Icelandic, clearly showing how these languages work, and the influence of these languages on English. This edition is laid out in three columns, the original text, a literal word-for-word translation, and a modern translation. Also included is a word list with over 1,000 definitions.