Who Was Ivar the Boneless?
Despite his physical limitations, Ivar the Boneless was the most terrifying Viking of his time — and he conquered England with a pagan army.
Ivar Ragnarsson, known as Ivar the Boneless, was one of the fiercest Viking warriors in history — although, according to legend, he couldn't even stand without someone supporting him. In Viking tradition, a child born with such weakness would usually be killed at birth, but Ivar was spared — because he was the son of a mighty warlord. His body was so fragile that he had to be carried into battle on a shield. Yet his mind was one of the sharpest of his age.
Ivar became a legendary figure by leading the Great Heathen Army in the conquest of England. By the late 9th century, under Ivar’s command, the Vikings terrorized vast parts of the island, seizing territory from Essex to Dublin. As the son of Ragnar Lothbrok, he sparked a Viking dominance over Britain that would endure even after his death. According to legend, Ivar had no bones in his body at all.
Did he suffer from a rare condition like osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle bone disease)? One preserved description reads:
"There was only cartilage where there should have been bone, yet he grew tall and handsome and was the wisest of Ragnar’s sons."
The truth is hard to pin down. The only sources we have are from the Anglo-Saxons, who feared and hated him, or the Vikings, who revered him. In Christian accounts, he was a hellish demon. In Viking sagas, a living god.
So what might Ivar have really been like?
Legends claim he had surprisingly strong arms, used a bow more powerful than any other, and fired heavier arrows than his companions. Some say “boneless” was a euphemism for impotence; others interpret it as a metaphor, perhaps comparing him to a snake — especially given that his brother Sigurd was called Snake-in-the-Eye.
The nickname might also refer to extreme flexibility. A skaldic poem called Httalykill inn forni describes him as a man “with no bones at all.” Interestingly, the medieval Danish chronicle Gesta Danorum doesn’t mention the condition at all. Another, less flattering explanation is that Ivar died childless and loveless — "boneless" in the metaphorical sense.
Or perhaps the Norse version holds true.
According to legend, Ivar's mother Aslaug was a seeress, and his father Ragnar Lothbrok — one of the most famous warlords of all time. Before they slept together, Aslaug warned Ragnar: wait three nights, or their child would be born deformed. Ragnar, overcome with desire, ignored her. Nine months later, Ivar was born… and the curse began.
After his birth, Ivar was exiled from Avalon. He settled near a stream in France, where he met the nobleman Raymondin, and—wait, no. That’s a different legend. Let's return to the battlefield.
Ivar remains one of the most mysterious figures of the Viking age. We don’t know what he looked like, though some legends claim he was over 9 feet tall — over 274 cm. For comparison, a standing grizzly bear reaches 2.2 meters. Ivar would have looked down on it.
Ivar in the Sagas vs. Ivar in the TV Series Vikings
You might remember Ivar from Vikings, but the real Ivar Ragnarsson never fought his brothers — and certainly didn’t kill them. He was deeply loyal to his family, and after their father’s death, his brothers looked to him for leadership.
Ragnar Lothbrok was captured by King Ælla of Northumbria and thrown into a pit of venomous snakes. When news of Ragnar’s death reached his sons, Ivar demanded to know every detail of how he died — he wanted to be surrounded by hatred before exacting revenge.
Ivar formed the Great Heathen Army and became its commander. Despite his youth, he was a tactical genius. One chronicle noted: “It is doubtful whether anyone was ever wiser than him.”
In one tale, Ivar made a strange peace with King Ælla. He agreed not to destroy everything — if he were given as much land as he could cover with a bull’s hide. Ælla agreed. But Ivar cut the hide into impossibly thin strips and encircled the entire fortress of York — then took it. The king had been tricked and humiliated.
According to The Saga of Ragnar’s Sons, Ivar later tortured Ælla to death using the infamous Blood Eagle — a brutal execution where ribs were cut and lungs pulled out to form “wings,” with salt poured into the wounds. Some scholars believe the blood eagle is Christian exaggeration. Others suggest it was a mistranslation of Norse myth.
How Did Ivar Die?
In Vikings, Ivar's death was quick and underwhelming. But according to real sources, Ivar ruled over parts of Britain from York to Dublin until his death around 873 AD. One of the few records of his end comes from the Annals of Ireland, which say:
“The Norwegian king… died of a sudden and horrible disease. So it pleased God.”
The Irish were clearly glad to see him go.
Legend says Ivar asked to be buried in a spot vulnerable to attack — promising his men that as long as his body remained there, no one would defeat them.
Centuries later, archaeologists may have found his grave — surrounded by the ritually killed remains of 248 people, likely sacrificed to accompany him to Valhalla. If true, Ivar’s death was anything but peaceful. Researchers say his body was likely disemboweled before burial.
Now that you know more about the legend of Ivar the Boneless, explore our collection inspired by this extraordinary Viking warlord.