The Real Ragnar Lothbrok: Reginheri and the Siege of Paris 845

We've explored the legends of Ragnar Lothbrok and his sons across dozens of episodes. But did a historical Ragnar actually exist? This episode digs into the strongest candidate: a Viking chieftain the Franks called Reginheri, who led the dramatic siege of Paris in 845. Drawing from the Annales Bertiniani, we examine Reginheri's fleet of 120 ships, the payment of Danegeld by Charles the Bald, and how this historical figure may have been transformed into the legendary Ragnar of the Icelandic sagas. We compare the accounts of Saxo Grammaticus and the Ragnars saga loðbrókar with contemporary Frankish chronicles, discuss the etymology of the name, and weigh the scholarly debate over whether Reginheri and Ragnar are the same person. Plus, we consider how the lack of contemporary Scandinavian sources complicates the search, and what this tells us about the process of mythmaking in medieval Europe.

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