Why ragnar

After Ragnar's flirtation with Christianity, he embraces Eastern philosophy during his time with Yidu — both while sober, and while tripping. Ragnar is willing to listen to people's beliefs, needs, and desires from all sides, and to try and understand the differences between them. There's no better example of this than his final encounter with Ecbert, during which Ragnar and one of his greatest enemies share drinks and deep conversation about the silliness of their beliefs.

In the end, they find more common ground than differences. Hopefully, we all have a little Ragnar in us — we just need to learn how to bring it out. Ragnar is at the end of his rope when he reemerges in Kattegat after abandoning his responsibilities. He's hated by everybody for having hidden the destruction of the first Wessex farm, and he hates himself for the failure in Paris, as well as his subsequent shirking of leadership. It's a vicious circle of self-hatred: He wants to die, but bears the weight of too much responsibility to just kill himself.

So, Ragnar launches one last voyage to England. No doubt this is in part to go on an adventure, but he goes knowing that he will finally receive the death he has long wanted in the process. In return, he will inspire his people to kill his two original rivals.

This is why he finally brings Ivar, even though Ivar will be a hindrance. Ragnar knows he will be allowed to leave and return home with the news. Ragnar's fate has long been tied to England, and he wants a final reckoning with the land and its kings. Ragnar also knows he will receive a punishment, which he feels he deserves.

But so too does Ragnar know that his people will finally and authoritatively best the English kings with whom he has fought for most of his grown life. Checkmate — from the grave. Ragnar is an interesting and dynamic Viking leader. But let's just be honest : Ragnar is also simply the man.

His desire to explore and his endless struggle for freedom is the whole reason for the series, for one thing. If there was no Ragnar, there would be no reason to follow the power struggles of Kattegat in Vikings, or, arguably, even much reason to fight over Kattegat at all. And if there was no historical possibly mythical Ragnar , there would be no Viking lineage to eventually conquer and unite England. Iceland and Greenland wouldn't have been colonized until centuries later.

The Vikings pioneered oversea travel for Europeans, leading to trading, exploration, and connectivity that has continued to this day. Ragnar inspires not only his kingdom, but all of Scandinavia.

He encourages everybody to think bigger, especially his children and friends. He single-handedly pushes his people, and eventually the world, forward. Ragnar is the central dynamo to everything that happens in Vikings. So, of course, he's the best part of it. Ragnar embraces technology. Ragnar is friends with weirdos. Ragnar is a fierce and legendary warrior. Ragnar lies to protect his wife after she kills Haraldson's spy.

Ragnar is a trendsetter. Ragnar loves strong women. Ragnar: The first cunning Viking? Ragnar loves getting weird with it. King Ragnar hates the pomp of leading. Ragnar is trusting and forgiving of his loved ones. Even in death, Ragnar's presence is still felt. Ragnar is open-minded. Ragnar orchestrates his own final reckoning. The warriors place Ragnar into a wooden coffin and escort it to the gates of Paris, where they meet the Bishop. The coffin is brought inside the Cathedral to be blessed, but Ragnar suddenly jumps out of the coffin alive.

He takes Princess Gisla as a hostage and forces the guards to open the gates, allowing the Vikings to enter the city. Most of the Vikings then set sail for home, but a small party, led by Rollo, remain. While sailing home Ragnar tells Floki that he knows he is Athelstan's killer. Ragnar decides to attack Paris again.

The real reason for him wanting to attack Paris is because he wants to kill his brother Rollo, who has betrayed everyone by turning to the Franks. Ragnar's forces are repulsed by Rollo who uses two forts and a chain to prevent the longships from reaching the city. Ragnar and Floki move the longships over to the other side of the river and attack Paris from behind, but Rollo manages to repulse this attempt with Paris's navy.

Ragnar, after being defeated in Paris, disappears from Kattegat for about ten years. When he returns, his people part the way for him but he feels unwelcome. He greets his sons then challenges each to put him out of his misery. He challenges anyone to fight him for the kingship. Ubbe steps forward but Ragnar embraces him. Ragnar meets with all of his sons alone and tells them he is going to return to England and asks if any of them want to join. Bjorn tells him of his other plans to go to the Mediterranean Sea.

None of them want to go, however, he does not extend the invitation to Ivar. Ragnar starts saying goodbye to people starting with a visit to Floki's. He stays with him. Then before departing, he asks Floki to watch over his family and tells Floki that he loves him. He then journeys to see Lagertha and expresses deep regret about the failure of the English settlement and of their marriage.

He kisses her goodbye with no regrets. On the trip home, he tries to hang himself but is unsuccessful. Back in Kattegat, he invites Ivar on a voyage to England and he is quick to accept the invitation. Bjorn gives them ships and they scrape together a crew. Lastly, Ragnar says goodbye to Aslaug. The sea is very treacherous on the journey to England.

Ragnar saves Ivar from drowning and they shipwreck on the shore of England. Only a handful of their crew survive and all of their ships were lost at sea.

They hardly have any weapons so Ragnar leads them into the wood to cook and camp. He tells Ivar that he never intended to make it home and they must get rid of the others. They slaughter their remaining countrymen in their sleep. Ragnar carries Ivar to King Ecbert's village. He tells Ivar that once they are inside they will be separated so Ivar must act like a good boy. As they approach the gate, Ragnar shows the guards that he is unarmed and tells them that he is a very good friend of King Ecbert's.

They escort Ragnar and carry Ivar into the courtyard where they are greeted by Prince Aethelwulf. As soon as he sees Ragnar, he orders him to be seized. They put Ragnar in a cage and Aethelwulf demands to know where the rest of his raiding party is. Ragnar tells him that he and his son killed them so it is only the two of them now.

Ecbert returns and eats with Ragnar while keeping him in the cage. Ecbert apologizes for killing the Viking farmers that had settled in England. Then he introduces Ragnar to his son, Magnus , by the deceased Queen Kwenthrith.

Ragnar tells the boy that he is truly a miracle as he never had sex with his mother. Ecbert lets Ragnar out of his cage and they drunkenly argue about Valhalla verses Heaven and how one is more ridiculous than the other. They discuss their mutual love of Athelstan. Ragnar is very emotional when he meets Alfred , Athelstan's son. Ragnar tells Ecbert that he must kill him but Ecbert says he cannot do it. Ragnar tells him that his sons know he has come to Wessex to see him and once they hear of his death they will seek vengeance on Ecbert for their father's death.

Ragnar convinces Ecbert to get Ivar home safely and Ivar will tell his brothers that Ragnar and King Ecbert were sworn friends. Ragnar asks to speak to Ivar alone, for the final time. The man driving the carriage is blind. The driver tells Ragnar, "I can see you, Ragnar Lothbrok.

I can see you. Ragnar struggles with many visions on his journey to death. He remembers Athelstan teaching him to pray. Ragnar does not utter a word when being tortured. When it is finally time for him to die, he roars a poem at the top of his lungs about Odin and Valhalla. He says he is not afraid and he welcomes the Valkyries. He is then thrown into a pit of venomous snakes. Ragnar is a complicated person. He is smart, curious, ambitious, and not without his flaws. He can have times of great despair, impulsivity, doubt, and being overly fascinated with his death.

Ragnar can struggle with the two sides of who he is, the man and the legend he becomes. He begins as a family man and often describes himself as a farmer even after he becomes a king. On the other hand, he is known throughout Scandinavia and England as a fearsome warrior and bloodthirsty conquer.

Ragnar intentionally plays up this conception of him as a form of psychological warfare. He has an extramarital affair that drives away his loving wife and partially alienates him from his eldest son. He can occasionally be selfish, prone to rage, and sometimes seems to have lost his mind. However, Ragnar also can be compassionate, understanding, and supportive.

He is protective of his people and his family. Ragnar always strives to embodies the ideals of Norse society. He claims kinship with the god Odin and takes him for his patron god. He attributes the twists and turns in life to the whims of the gods. He is often grimly fatalistic about the future. However, upon meeting Athelstan and befriending him, Ragnar learns about Christianity and this leads to him questioning the gods and fate.

You see I guided my fate, me not you, not the gods. His faith can be so strong at times that it rubs off on those around him. For example, Lagertha is originally skeptical about fate, but later embraces it as much as Ragnar when she witnesses the strength of his belief in it. Evidence of this includes him slaying the priest who baptized him without a thought. Although this is complicated by the instance when Ragnar is seemingly dying of his wounds and is visited by a vision of Athelstan.

As Ragnar reaches out toward him, Athelstan is transformed in Jesus. They are interrupted by Odin who leaves Ragnar lying in a pool of blood. Like all Norse warriors, Ragnar is brave in battle and respects worthy adversaries, such as Earl Haraldson and King Ecbert.

However, he still commands sufficient respect in the north that most people still outwardly treat him with honor. And his legend was still so strong that his sons forbade the election of another king in his ten-year absence. Of course, he later orchestrates his death in Britain in such a way that it completes the rehabilitation of his reputation and incites a massive invasion of thousands of Norse warriors to destroy the kingdoms of Wessex and Northumbria. Lagertha and Ragnar had a very loving relationship.

Ragnar seems to value her opinions and was proud of her accomplishments as a shield-maiden. Lagertha fell madly in love with Ragnar after she watched as he killed a bear with his spear and strangled a hound to death with his bare hands in the same fight. However, when Ragnar becomes obsessed with the Seer's prophecy that he would have many sons Lagertha miscarries and has become barren, due to this revelation, Ragnar becomes increasingly distant towards her.

Bjorn tells Lagertha about the affair and she confronts Ragnar about it. Ragnar's temper then flared and then turned his eyes on his son asking him what he told her. Lagertha then angrily warns Ragnar to never do it again. All things seemingly go well until Aslaug arrives in Kattegat pregnant, much to Lagertha's shock and dismay. When Ragnar suggests that he take Aslaug as a second wife, her feelings of betrayal are deepened and she resolved to divorce him and leave Kattegat completely heartbroken.

But even after leaving Ragnar, she knew in her heart that she still loves and admires Ragnar. This was when her second husband who was simultaneously abusive and pathetic, questioned her actions supporting Ragnar's retaking of his earldom and no relationships she engages with before and after his death rivaled the relationship the young couple shared.

They were also willing to work together to co-parent Bjorn, and were on the same wavelength about safely retrieving Athelstan from Wessex as she knew him for years, she is openly affectionate with Ragnar's younger sons.

While Lagertha isn't quite as forward thinking as Ragnar is, she supports his decisions almost instantaneously, clearly trusting and respecting his decisions inside and outside of battle.

Lagertha greatly mourns Ragnar after his death, and it is hinted that she joins him in Valhalla. Aslaug and Ragnar have a relationship that quickly fizzles out and lacks any sort of foundation.

On their first meeting they sleep together once. Then she turns up several months later in Kattegat, heavily pregnant and indeed bears his son. Ragnar marries her mainly because he suspects she is the one the gods have fated to bear his many sons after he suspects that Lagertha is barren which forced a heartbroken Lagertha to leave him along with her son much to Ragnar's dismay.

By Season 4 , they openly loathed each other. Ragnar and Aslaug's marriage has now fallen apart. With Aslaug not appreciating being treated like a brood mare instead of a wife as Ragnar no longer cares for or even respects her in the slightest due to her actions and personality. Ragnar slaps her across the face for it before walking away in shame and anger.

Which intensified the already broken marriage between Ragnar and Aslaug. She complains to Ragnar about his lack of attention and affection to her which led to her having an affair. This brings Aslaug to tears, but she is killed shortly after by Lagertha who wanted revenge for stealing away her ex-husband with whom she recently reconciled with before his death. Rollo is Ragnar's brother and rival. As young men they both pursued a romantic relationship with Lagertha.

Lagertha even going as far to have a sexual relationship with Rollo. Ragnar doesn't trust Rollo and this is not without merit. Rollo betrays Ragnar multiple times. Ragnar ultimately forgave his brother but the two men would never fully regain their trust of each other which eventually resulted in Rollo betraying Ragnar for the second and final time resulting in the Second Invasion of Paris.

The second Ragnar and Athelstan meet, they have a connection. Though Athelstan's ability to speak Old Norse helps him avoid being killed, there is something that draws the two together over and over again. When Ragnar meets Athelstan, he is immediately curious about him because of the knowledge Athelstan can provide him with. Their relationship is never romantic, but they still always choose each other over just about anyone else.

Their friendship supersedes cultures, religions, and wars. In a way, they are soulmates. Ragnar knows someone needs to carry on the story, and Ivar is perfect for that. He holds his own and does what his father wants him to. Ivar is easily spared and taken home to Kattegat to tell his brothers and the people what has happened to his father. Ragnar knows this will be enough to get his sons to seek revenge in his name, ensuring his story will live on.

Walking home from happy hour on a Friday night. Vikings tbt pic. After that, Ragnar leaves Kattegat and disappears for a number of years, leaving behind his family and everything he ever knew.

After many years pass, Ragnar returns to find all his children grown and no one seems very inclined to welcome him back. They hit a storm and only a few of the already slim crew survive. Ragnar reveals to Ivar that he has no intention of returning and together they kill the men they came to England with. Walking home from happy hour on a Friday night.