Ragnar Lothbrok's Legendary Snakes: Serpent Pit in Saga and Symbol

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the serpent pit story that defines Ragnar Lothbrok's legendary death. They examine the earliest written accounts in Saxo Grammaticus's Gesta Danorum and the later Ragnars saga loðbrókar, comparing details like the type of snakes, Ragnar's reported last words, and how the tale evolved as a Christian allegory. The conversation also looks at the historical King Ælla of Northumbria, the archaeological evidence (or lack thereof) for snake pits in Viking-age England, and how the serpent pit became a central symbol in later literature and pop culture, from the Volsunga saga to the TV show Vikings. The hosts also consider whether the story borrows from earlier Germanic and Roman myths, and what it tells us about Viking concepts of honor, fate, and posthumous fame.

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