History's hit historical drama Vikings is currently in the final hiatus of its run.
Some time later this year, viewers will get to see the epic conclusion of Scandinavian
saga, and learn the fates of Ragnar's surviving sons...well, except for one of them, who was
unceremoniously left out of the series altogether.
If you've been following Vikings, you probably think that original protagonist Ragnar Lothbrok
sired enough bloodthirsty sons to satisfy any medieval Norweigian king. Interestingly,
his offspring are more than mere invention, as we actually have historical sources for
the existence of all the sons of Ragnar portrayed on the show. The historical Ragnar did indeed
have two wives, and those two wives actually bore him more sons than we get to see squabbling
on Vikings.
Aside from passing references in the late 9th-century Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, our best
contemporaneous information about the life of Ragnar Lothbrok and his sons comes from
the Sagas, an incomplete collection of Norse, Danish, Swedish and Icelandic mythology from
the Viking Age that only survives in partial form. While some scholars have argued that
the accounts of Ragnar and his progeny should be taken as folklore or mere myth, some of
the events chronicled in these stories line up well with the better-sourced English histories
of the so-called Great Heathen Invasion. According to this "historical" record, Vikings is missing
one of Ragnar's sons.
During the time period alluded to in the Sagas and explicitly covered by the show, a massive
Scandinavian army landed on the northern and eastern coasts of England, and very nearly
wiped out the dominant Anglo-Saxon civilization through successive waves of invasion. The
events of these Viking invasions were dramatized on the fourth and fifth seasons of Vikings,
in which the sons of Ragnar sailed to England to avenge the death of their father at the
hands of the Northumbrian King. Interestingly, Ragnar's death in a Northumbrian snake pit
also comes directly from the Sagas.
"How the little pigs will grunt, when they hear how the old boar suffered."
The historical record includes references to all the sons of Ragnar that fans of the
series have come to know, love and loathe. Ubbe and Ivar, in particular, play an outsized
role in the historical Heathen Invasion of England. The historical accounts also make
reference, however, to another Lothbrok of arguably greater import than many of the characters
who are included on the show. Halfdan Ragnarsson was supposedly a Viking warlord alongside
his brothers Ubbe and Ivar. He led men in the Great Heathen Army of the 860s, and nearly
wiped Wessex off the map. So, where is he on Vikings?
Halfdan is named in the Sagas, but also in Icelandic epic poetry. He is explicitly cited
as one of the many sons of Ragnar Lothbrok. According to these literary accounts, he is
believed to be the fifth son of Queen Aslaug, Ragnar's second wife. Since both Ragnar and
Aslaug have already been dispatched on Vikings, we know no additional son is forthcoming from
their union. Was this just an oversight? What gives?
Halfdan's exclusion wasn't for lack of source material. He lived an impactful life at least
on par with that of his siblings. The historical record places Halfdan in Wessex proper at
the time of the Great Heathen Invasion. He ultimately settled in Northumbria, a region
of England under extensive Danish control at the time. He died there some time around
877.
Even though Vikings played around with the timing of these events, Halfdan's historical
accomplishments certainly intersected substantially enough with the story creator Michael Hirst
was trying to tell to merit at least some consideration.
According to the Daily Express, Hirst actually had a rational historical reason for excluding
Halfdan from his series. Per Hirst's research prior to drafting the pilot, he discovered
that the Norse sagas he was mining for source material never mention Halfdan and Hvitserk,
one of Ragnar's other sons, in the same account. Hvitserk is the name favored in Norse stories,
whereas Halfdan is cited in the Anglo-Saxon accounts. As a result, some scholars have
reached the conclusion that Halfdan and Hvitserk may actually be the same person. Since the
whole Lothbrok saga is of dubious historical authenticity, it's entirely possible that
this would be the case.
Instead of bloating the cast with an additional Lothbrok son, Hirst opted to agree with the
scholars arguing that Halfdan and Hvitserk were one and the same. So, in some sense,
Halfdan is included in the popular series, just under a different name.
"So I understand."
The first half of Vikings Season 6 is currently streaming on Amazon Prime and History. Catch
up before the final raiding party launches by the end of 2020.
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