Vikings season six is almost here, premiering on Wednesday, December 4 on History US and Thursday, December 5 on Amazon Prime. In the season five finale, Ivar the Boneless (played by Alex Høgh Andersen) had been overthrown by his older brother Bjorn Ironside (Alexander Ludwig). In the upcoming series, Ivar will travel East to the Kievan Rus’ but the fight for Kattegat looks far from over.
Who is Ivar the Boneless? Was he really Ragnar Lothbrok’s son?
Ivar the Boneless, also known as Ivar Ragnarsson was a real Viking leader from the ninth century.
He is credited with leading the Great Heathen Army, who first invaded Anglo-Saxon England in 865.
According to The Tale of Ragnar Lothbrok, at first, Ivar did not kill /-Ella of Northumbria (Ivan Kaye) and instead sought reconciliation, asking for land and peace.
The Great Heathen Army then invaded Northumbria, capturing /-Ella at York in 867.
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According to Viking legend, /-Ella was brutally executed by Ivar and his brothers using the blood eagle, successfully avenging their father Ragnar’s death.
After /-Ella’s death, Ivar led The Great Heathen Army south and they invaded the kingdom of Mercia, capturing Northumbria.
Ivar also invaded Dumbarton in Scotland, with the help of Olaf the White of Dublin.
From 870 onwards, Ivar is missing from historical records. The Anglo-Saxon chronicler /Æthelweard records his death as 870 and the Annals of Ulster place the death of Ívar in 873 in Dublin, Ireland.
According to the chronicle, The Tale of Ragnar Lothbrok, which the series Vikings is loosely based upon, Ivar is the youngest son of Ragnar Lothrbok (Travis Fimmel) and this third wife Asluag (Alyssa Sutherland).
Ivar is believed to have had five older half brothers and brothers: Bjorn Ironside (Alexander Ludwig), Halfdan Ragnarsson (Jasper Pääkkönen), Hvitserk (Marco Ilsø), Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye (David Lindström) and Ubba (Jordan Patrick Smith)
The Tale of Ragnar Lothbrok reveals that Ivar’s weak bones and the name ‘the Boneless’ were the results of a curse.
Aslaug had told her husband Ragnar that they must wait three nights before consummating their marriage but Ragnar was not willing to wait. As a result, Ivar was born with a physical disability.
What will happen to Ivar in Vikings season 6?
Season five of Vikings ended with an epic battle between Ivar and his brother Bjorn Ironside for Kattegat.
Ivar was defeated by Bjorn and his forces, with Bjorn being crowned the new king of Kattegat.
The trailer for the upcoming series confirms that Ivar the Boneless will travel to the Kievan Rus, where he will meet Prince Oleg of Novgorod (Danila Kozlovsky).
Oleg tells Ivar the Boneless that he wants to invade Scandinavia.
He says: “I have decided to treat your arrival here as a sign Ivar the Boneless. I have ordered the construction of a great fleet, for the invasion of Scandinavia. And you can help and be avenged upon your brothers. The Rus are coming.”
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However, there is no evidence to prove Oleg and Ivar the Boneless crossed paths during the Viking Age.
Speaking to Variety, show creator Michael Hirst said: “There have been some comments that Ivar is a little two-dimensional and that he hasn’t got any secrets left, or that he’s not as interesting as Ragnar was.
“The fact is that we’re going to learn a lot more about Ivar in season six. We’re going to see other aspects of his character and things we didn’t expect from him. I’m very pleased with the way his character deepens and changes.’
Vikings season 6 premieres Wednesday, December 4 on History US and Thursday, December 5 on Amazon Prime
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