Was Ivar The Boneless a Cripple?
A lot of you may know Ivar the boneless from the show Vikings where he is presented to us as a man who cannot walk. But is this the truth historically? Ivar was the son of Ragnar Lothbrok and Princess Aslaug, and was considered to be the wisest, and most skilful of warriors, Icelandic Sagas even said he was a famous beserker out of his brothers. (Ragnarssona_þáttr)
It seems pretty farfetched that a feared King of the Vikings who led men into battle didn’t have the use of his legs. Today I will be presenting accounts from different sources to determine whether Ivar was a hulking warrior of if indeed he was a man who was a cripple.
Credit for picture of Ivar goes to: www.artstation.com/artwork/xGYZr
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
00:50 Chapter 1 - The Gesta Danorum
04:03 Chapter 2 - The Tale of Ragnar Lothbrok
07:36 Chapter 3 - Ivar & The Great Heathen Army
12:38 Chapter 4 - Ivar goes North
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All Credit for the Music goes to: Savfk - Music
www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXOeF...
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Sources:
The Gesta Danorum:
www.gutenberg.org/files/1150/...
The Saga of Ragnar Lodrok and his Sons:
www.germanicmythology.com/FORN...
Annals of Ireland:
archive.org/details/annalsofi...
Annals of Ulster:
celt.ucc.ie/published/T100001A/
Vulsunga saga:
www.dankalia.com/literature/lt...
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle:
ia601601.us.archive.org/25/it...
#vikings #vikings #ivartheboneless #ragnar #vikinghistory #vikingheroes #historyprofiles #history #historyfacts #norse #celtics
I believe that he was extremely agile so that's why they call him the boneless
If by that you mean that he was really flexible, then i agree
A walrus can't walk but you don't want to mess with it.
Being “boneless” can also be interpreted that this somebody is not be trusted as he has no honor - being cunning and mischievous and not keeping agreements. *“Not an honest bone in his body”* what would be a hateful trade.
Yeah I don’t think the word is a literal nickname given, I think it’s based on something more to do with his character as you suggested..
The exact opposite could have also been true. Maybe he never backed down from a fight and his men gave him the nickname ironically.
It's possible, he did break the truce with King Aella and brutally executed him, that's pretty boneless of him
This is what I believe as well. It seems like Ivar was a psychopath with great intellect. The Norse of the time blamed his conception as the reason why he was this way.
There is also the old phrase "I have no bones about it." or "Make no bones about it." His nickname could be interpreted as Ivar the Unconcerned or the Untroubled. We can never really know for sure.
Obviously we’ll never know whether or not the historical Ivar was disabled, but I did really enjoy his character arc in the show, and his actor (Alex Høgh Andersen) did a phenomenal job at bringing Ivar to life and I was amazed at his portrayal of him.
Agreed 100%
No Elsa, we know he wasn't disabled. It wouldn't be possible to do the things he did with a serious disability.
My guess is that he was simply very flexible, most likely double jointed on several of his appendages. Like his elbows and shoulders or something to that effect. Not that it would of been the 1st time anyone had seen such a thing, but that someone like Ivar became incredible famous. But, I also believe its most likely the Latin interpretation of the 2 words could be true as well. Both things could be true at the same time too.
Yes, he had E.D.S. and would explain all his physical issues including his sudden death that was most likely an aortic dissection sadly common in this disorder especially in taller males that might have a comorbidity of Mofran Syndrome.
That makes sense
I agree thank you so much for watching!
If anything, the many different sources make Ivar that much more of an intriguing figure
Indeed what a mystery he was!
The Vikings usually didn't raise defective infants but it could well be that Ivar was double jointed as that one quote about being as ''graceful and supple as a serpent'' could well describe such a person and he would be able to handle a sword in a way no other could due to that condition.
You are correct they usually would throw cripple or defective children to the wolves .from what I understand.
Huh, so double joined in his fingers or, in another manner?
@danielk8149 Sounds like the Spartans, and other societies either very warlike or just more willing to let go of kids who would otherwise have rough lives and be a burden on their village and such (sucks but, humanity back then was a lot more, well, ruthless due to living conditions)
According to the folklore tradition and some nordic languages, "boneless" is used to describe a ghost, or someone who can move absolutely silently and sneak up on you. I think this is the perfect explanation.
your best video by far up until now. fascinating insight into Ivar's life
Great video. Very comprehensive considering the amount of time you condensed it to.
Excellent video, you’ve gained a new sub 👌
I just loaded this video up and before watching it I am glad you made this. I remember when I was 11 I saw that Ivar got his name because he fought as if he had no bones meaning he was an extraordinary warrior. Also his magical bow!!! I was captivated by his story as a young boy. Hail the smartest king from Scandinavia
Thank you so much for watching k Money! I hope you enjoyed the video! Wish you all the best!
Ivar was likely not handicapped. Not trying to say anything about disabled people, but it was just unlikely. Especially when you take into account the stories of his deeds. One of which claims that he threw a Scottish king to his death from high upon Dumbarton Rock. Personally, I've always felt he probably received the epithet "boneless" from battle. For example, where most men would usually suffer broken or shattered bones from being struck with a mace or war club, he may have received the same blow(s) from such weapons and suffered no broken bones. Hence the name Ivar the Boneless.
Very good theory, and it makes a lot of sense, thank you so much for watching! I hope the video shed some more light on Ivar!
@@historyprofiles I truly enjoyed the video as I do most of your content. Very well done. You always manage to fit an impressive amount of information into a concise package. Thank you for taking the time to respond. I look forward to new videos. 👍🦾
Very well done with this one Ollie! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 and thank you for all the work you put in to bring us these videos it’s appreciated by many. 💯
Thank you so much for watching Brody! I hope you enjoyed the video and it shed some more light on Ivar for you!
Excellent , fascinating ! Thank you ! 🤘🔥🍷
Time for me to get into your history. Your researchs are truly awesome! And this one couldn't be different. Thank you History Profiles
Thank you so much for watching Elke!!
@@historyprofiles No problem! 😊
Great video!!! I love your content!!!
Thank you so much for watching!!
Thank you so much for validating my research. He was a great warrior and had children so enough that 'bonelss' reference to impotency (the term boner was coined 1940s anyway). I loved the series but I wish historical films were more accurate. Many people and event are very interesting without the embellishment. Thank you!
this is the reason i watch this channel excellent
Thank you so much for watching Kevin! I hope you enjoyed the video and it shed more light on the real Ivar!
Not sure if the same can be said on this particular topic. But often great men are slandered/mocked post mortem. No one can be 100% sure but funny enough assassins creed valhalla gave a decent explanation to this. Ivar earned the nickname thru his snake like movement in battle, almost as if he was "boneless". Either way another great video and thanks again! Cheers Hp
Thank you so much for watching Taco, I've heard assassins creed valhalla is a really good game, I might invest in it, anyway thank you so much for watching I hope you enjoyed the video!
He had E.D.S. which would explain his hypermoblity, pain, sometimes use and also disability in legs and sudden strange death most likely related to a aortic dissection sadly common especially in taller EDS patients that may have a comorbidity of Mofrans syndrome
Great video bro ,
I hope you enjoyed the video and it shed more light on the real Ivar! Thank you for watching Jim!
A lot of effort was put into this video. Hats off to you, sir.
Thank you so much Baret, your kind comment means a lot!
Great video !! Love IVAR
Something to also think about is if he was a bit of a Berserker in Battle, "the Boneless" might come from that. In Celtic stories of Cuculian its mentioned when Cuculain entered his battle frenzy his body and features seemed to twist and misshapen. Granted those are just mythical stories, but it might also be how those under the battle frenzy were perceived by others.
Love this video.
I hope you enjoyed the video and it shed more light on the real Ivar! Thank you for the kind comment Sarah !
Ivarr Ragnvaldsson, king of Dublin, was the progenitor of the Ui Umair Dynasty. His son was Sigurd "den blinde" Ivarsson, whose son was Sigtrygg II (Sitric "Cáech" ) Sigtryggson, Ui Umair (Viking Dynasty) king of Dublin and Northumbria. The father of Ivarr Ragnvaldsson was Ragnvald Gudrödsson, whose father was Gudrød "the Hunter" Veidekonge (Halvdansson), Konge av Vestfold. In turn, he was the son of Halfdan "the Mild" Eysteinsson, king of Romerike and Vestfold. Eystein Olafsson Halfdansson, Konge i Romerike og Vestfold was his father. In turn, his father was Halvdan Hvitbein "Whiteshanks" Olafsson, of Solør in Norway (van Vestfold of Upsalla of Sweden), King of Norway. (Do you need more? I have more.)
could you start from beginning and end at Ivar? Am curious to know
So did Ragnar Ludbrok actually exist?
@@CajunRed Ragnar Lodbrok (Lothbrok) Sigurdsson, King of Denmark and Norway 745-845 BIRTH ABT. 745 • Scandinavia DEATH 845 • Snake pit of king Ælla, Kingdom of Northumbria (Thrown into a pit of poisonous snakes.) _____________________ He was the son of Sigurd "Ring" Hringr Randversson, Danish king 730-812 BIRTH ABT. 730 • Uppsala, Sweden DEATH ABT. 812 • Roskilde, Sjælland, Danmark and Álfhildr Gandálfsdóttir 735-810 BIRTH ABT. 735 • Alvheim, (Bohuslän), Västra Götalands län, Norway DEATH ABT. 810 • Uppsala, Uppsala, Sweden
I love watching ur videos. The only knowledge I have of Vikings and ancient Great Brittain is from ur videos and Vikings. When I was in school, not much focus was giving to them. Course it's been 40 yrs since I was in school.
Thank you for watching! Im Glad your interested in Viking history now!
Thanks for the clarification on the boneless part because I've heard different interpretation of this person, and tallest could be debated
It bugged me how they all talked in this sort of halting whisper
I put a hard stop to Vikings when Ivar pretty much took over the show. The way they portrayed the character was just too much. In my opinion the show really went downhill then. I'm happy the show served me as an introduction to developing an interest in Norse mythology and history. Thanks for the video!
I felt the same way.
Ditto , it's not hard to see how Hollyweird changes history in the masses minds , except for those who seek out the truth , they take the telelievision as truth. Sad.
Then you missed his amazing story arch.
@@dtcdtc8328 thank u. You would not believe the hateful comments I've gotten bc I was unfamiliar with the history of Viking and Anglo saxon invasion of Brittain. It just wasn't taught in college 35 yrs ago. We studied the classics
Then you are just a mediocre viewer like those woke boys...your loss.
Could you do a video on ghengis khan please 🙏
I believe he was called the hated. Him being boneless made no sense at all. Especially on the battle field. Having strong bones is much needed to be formidable warrior.
It makes really good sense as to call someone you really hate spineless/boneless and spread slanter about him as impotent and cruel even i he wasn't. Especially if he wasn't. I fully believe that it is an old slander campaign among his enemies that has become myth.
Yeah I agree with that! Thank you so much for watching! I hope you enjoyed the video!
I always figured it was he was impotent because it would be a funny interpretation of "boneless"
Can't have a boner.
@@SKINNER92 lol
An actual Dane on here once said it is a corruption of some word, basically 'banloss' 'baneloss' or similar. Any yes, it indeed meant he was impotent.
He was documented having several kids
Can you do a video on spartacus and his back story
Such an interesting video, I think the most believable theory is that Ivar and Imar were the same person, an 8ft 5in Vilking wow, the tallest man in the world today is only 8ft 2
Another amazing video! I think Ivar/imar was the same person. Bonless iam not sure could be many things . Maybe even a stupid nickname. But have to say what a man , what a legend
Thank you so much for watching Mr Vinyl! I hope you enjoyed the video!
Boneless also means a person whose words and promises mean nothing. So a dishonest person. And dishonest people were hated because of their dishonesty.
I quite like this one, I'll have to write it down.
I do like this one! Anyone thank you for watching Nino! I hope you enjoyed the video and it shed more light on the real Ivar!
Yea I feel like they made him cripple and the youngest because he was to incredible of a Viking and would have been op for the show
He would have been very OP!!!
They already found his body, whether they admit it or not, he is the Repton warrior, he was very large for that time.
They've never found Ivars body
My fathers last name means "Son of Gofraid" in Gaelic. They come from Fermanagh and Dublin in Ireland. My mothers last name means "Son of Ivar" in Gaelic. They come from the Dumbarton area in Scotland. Go figure 🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️
I know the Vikings series is roughly half historically accurate, but what they did with Ivar's character and story arc kind of gave precedence to how harsh and ruthless he was. I always loved his smirk and evil smile when people thought he was an easy target.
Whatever the truth, Ivar is a fascinating historic figure. I accept William the Conquerer's burning of Ivar's body as being a myth, as though William could not conquer Britain so long as Ivar remained, even if dead.
William the Bastard 🤣
Bjorn and Ivar both were Berserkers
I think he was such a good warrior that he was seen as unbreakable, therefore, being boneless
I never watched the vikings on any other channel. This is my first experience of them. Thanks to Ollie for continuing the truth. Still waiting to see Greenland as a green luscious place. This truth must be hidden in all the books.
My theory is e was suffering from acromegaly. At Repton, in the seventeenth century, a stone coffin was found with the skeleton of a nine foot man. Sadly, the skeleton has long disappeared but there seem to be some evidence the skeleton did exist at some point. So if we consider the size, he would have as tall as the tallest man ever recorded in the 20th century, who did suffer from acromegaly and had trouble walking. Even the tallest man today suffers from that disease and has trouble walking. For me, Ivar and Imar are probably two different persons. Besides, if we consider that the Great Heathen Army split in two after their overwintering in Repton, we may think that they separated after their principal leader had died. One part following Guthrie and the other Ubba or Halfdeane., further emphasizing that the man buried at Repton was Ivar. Of course this is just my two cent here.
And by the way, the skeleton on the picture has been almost proven not to be Ivar and is only six feet tall. Studies by Kat Jarman have tentatively identified him and the ,an next to him as father and son. As for Ivar, one chronicle said he asked to be buried in the old way in England, and Lo and Behold, the 9 foot guy was buried under a mound, in the old way! :)
Guess we'll never know for sure unless new discoveries are made. Unfortunately we only can rely on sources written hundreds of years after Ragnar and his sons allegedly lived, making them hardly reliable. It would be cool if the Oxford historian was right though!
Agreed Dany, Thank you so much for watching the video I hope you enjoyed it! And yes it would be epic if he was right!
We will never know for sure . What they do know is that he was intelligent, brutal, and feared ❤
I wish we could have known what he really looked like and his brothers, History is amazing.
I know I wish I was there! Thank you for watching!
My thoughts that he may have had polio. Maybe one of his legs was weak. I do like the idea of could be a Mistranslation video very good
Boneless = cripple,impotent, or untrustworthy...
I always leaned toward his nickname being explained by an important “bone” in his body never “hardening”-if that makes sense.
My theory is the large skeleton is not Ivars, but belonged to the Viking who held off an army at Stamford Bridge
None of the bodies were buried by anyone, they were left on the battlefield so if it was his it would’ve been found with others and at the battle location .
Ivar always definitely not a cripple carried around by daddy! He was a warrior that led thousands and thousands of the craziest Berserker horde
Maybe the boneless was just double-jointed? People with hypermobility are particularly supple and able to move their limbs into positions others find impossible. Joint hypermobility is what some people refer to as having "loose joints" or being "double-jointed".
🔥💛⚡
14:37 - Whoa, wait man. Holdup. There may be a mistake. I can't find any online reference to any "8 foot 5" skeleton at the mass-burial site of Repton. What you show in that image: Is grave 511. "Current Archeology" has an article on Repton, June 2019...with an extensive examination of this skeleton. Nowhere mentioned is any significant height. It also says his genitals likely came off in battle - thus, an ivory boar tusk was placed between his legs to give him some dignity and "help" in the afterlife. He probably is some sort of Viking nobility of the Great Heathen Army. But perhaps not royalty. The fabulous wealth usually associated with such a burial is missing. Either it's looted, or he just wasn't important enough to be buried with it. Can you link where you got this information about him being gigantically tall?
www.reptonchurch.uk/Vikings.htm This may have been an oversight on my part- as there are legends reflecting a skeleton of 8ft 5 being found at Repton, again however, the body of the un named viking being Ivar is just a theory, anyway thank you for watching the video and playing close attention it means a lot
Boneless can also mean flexible in movement. Moves so well it's like they have no bones. In hockey a flexible goalie is said to have no spine .
Medical bro here with a grad degree in ancient history. More likely a case of Ehlers Danlos or Marfan syndrome. The latter being abnormally tall often.
Fantastic character in the series though, it just shows you dont need physical traits to be a dangerous enemy
Yes, very well done. In regards to being cremated on a pyre, I do not think that that is true. As far as name meanings being confused, happened all the time in that time period. As far as the skeleton goes, that seems very plausible. Good job
Could you do olaf the white
Working on it Clyde!
My son was born with a rare genetic syndrome that doesn’t allow him to walk or talk. He is very handsome and social/charming as well as really tall. He also loves to fight and is in karate. You would never think he was disabled until you expect him to stand up or carry a convo. Hes very expressive and can get his point across. He also has no fear and is a adrenaline junkie. If you propped him up on a horse and gave him a sword, he would try and kill you just like this guy😅😅
Wonder if he was affected by Marfan syndrome. This can vary in its effects
It is very doubtful, Ivar was the progenitor of the ui imair dynasty and had many sons and grandchildren…
5:39 - _So, the Norse liked memes like we do. They'd name a huge guy "Tiny?" Rad!_ (But seriously - Ivar could have been a mighty warrior, that contracted something like polio as an adult. Became crippled "down there." Later, myths/legends can try to explain why he was blessed, then, cursed by Gods. Which was everyone's explanation for disability.) Warlords were respected for their brains as much as brawn. If he's a Strategos of genius - and said to be God-touched - people would have still followed him. Just like Julius Caesar, who suffered epilepsy. Tamerlane - who was, well, lame. Alfred the Great - disabled by stomach cancer or a inflammatory bowel disease. So there's historical and contemporary precedent for disabled rulers people still followed.
I think Ivar being called Boneless meant that he was either very tall, or very nimble, or maybe both. But there is to much info around saying that he was a warrior for me to believe he was a cripple.
I honestly he was called boneless because he was either a cripple or double jointed/really flexible
I think Ivar had Ehlers danlos syndrome. My family has it. We are descendants of the Danes and Norwegians. With this disease, people are very flexible and usually "double-jointed. I believe this would explain his name as boneless. Check it out. This possibility has been overlooked by everyone who has researched this question.
Also, most people who are double jointed probably have EDS
Lol that's just ONE of the most common possibilities. What are you talking about?
@@dcmastermindfirst9418 ehlers-danlos is a connective tissue disorder. It affects at minimum joints and can be explained as double jointedness. Those who have it often have arbitrary dislocated joints, which could explain "boneless". This may have been a reason. For the name. My ancestors are from Norway and Denmark. The condition occurs mostly in people with this kind of ancestry. One can also have the internal manifestation of the disease, that is death from ruptures of internal organs.. my son died from an aortic rupture. It is a very serious disease. I do believe this would explain how such a nickname could be acquired. Google it.
I think it makes more sense that he was "boneless" as in cannot maintain his "manhood"
How many different nicknames do we give people ? I don't think we will ever know where his nickname came from.
Was he called “The Boneless” during his lifetime? It sounds like an insult
basically all that is known about the dude is based on conjecture and WAGs (Wild Ass Guesses). for all we know the guy invented the 1st aircraft and electric generators.
Ivar was not a cripple and in fact the phrase Ivar the boneless was originally "Ivar needs no legs". The word bein is the cause of the confusion. It means bone or legs. Why does he need no legs? Because his men carried him through the streets after winning battles with his men shouting Ivar needs no legs. The old Norse word for legs and bone have been confused over time. He was not exceptionally agile either. He was a good fighter, but his real strength was strategy and leadership. BTW: Ivar was Blonde and not a Midget like Anderson. The large Repton man was not Ivar. He was not a giant. The giant was probably his guard.
what if his name is a referral to all his travels by sea, (not using his bones) in Ireland they nicknamed him the sea-king.
I feel like he had hyper laxity in his joints like me. Not common, but is genetic.
A fink he would have been very large and heated bay all thats why boneless meaning heated one
What he was double jointed
Ímar in old Irish means "descendant of Ivar"
I always hated how they portrayed him in "Vikings". No offense to the actor, but he didn't even look Norse or let alone a Viking chieftain. All of Ragnars sons besides Bjorn and Ubbe were a total miscast.
The dude is Danish it doesnt get more Norse than that lol.
@@brentlady39 So? He doesn't look Danish.
You look pathetic from your profile photo. Does it make you pathetic indeed? Probably not....
@@Johnny3Batony the Danes were known for being the dark haired Vikings
@@jpkm123g9 False. The Danes are known universally for their fair features.
I wonder if he could have had cerebral palsy?
I reckon it's more Ivar SoftCock
The Latin name theory make no sense, by his Norse name, that I can't see why would be based on any Latin name... Ivar Beinlause, where "bein" could mean both "leg" and "bone", just add to the mystery. However, anyone that have read the sagas, know that the Norse valued physical skills similarly as they valued knowledge and wit. Having a leader that could out-think the enemy was probably more valuable then a leader that could bash out the most brains.
I agree with you here this just sounds like a theory. We could go around listing a bunch of reasons why many Viking kings were hated 😂 plus there’s too much evidence talking about how he wouldn’t walk or the depictions. The theory also seems to heavily rely on Ivar and Imar being the same person. Which maybe they are but the name mistranslation doesn’t really make sense to me either
I believe there are simply too many similarities between Ivar and Imarr, for them to be different people. Add in the regional connections, and I am of the opinion they were the same person. As for my opinion on "boneless", I am torn between Ivar being a hulking madman with an axe/blade that fought with little regard to personal safety - moving like his bones were non-existent, taking abuse that would break other men, in stride. I am equally on the fence about boneless meaning he moved with fluidity and grace, making it appear that his bones were non-existent because of an exceptional level of agility. Excellent we ork Sir, your research is impeccable.
So I guess we can assume that Bjorn had a side made of iron?
Yes but not literally. Most likely a very proficient shield user.
Not sure if "cripple" is the word you want to use.
Disabled would be better. Really any word that has less ableist vibes.
My apologies if I caused any offence - none was indented in the production of the video
My next dream tonight will be about the Vikings back in 850 I’ll come back tomorrow and tell y’all everything about the Vikings
i am pretty badass and a Cripple. may be he became a cripple fighting it was a pretty brutal time
Well I heard they called him the boneless because he didn't like bones in his fish, and would only eat it after someone, not him, himself, he didn't even like touching them, had taken all the bones out, true story, I'm the exact same, I like my fish boneless
Do you think that the name boneless is because the other Vikings gave him the name boneless because he couldn't get hard like a bone therefore giving him the name boneless
Hip dysplasia?
Boneless probably means something that was a popular saying at the time that lost its meaning ,like groovy !!!
I don’t believe for a second that ivar was crippled! He couldn’t be in a warrior culture where the strongest rules!
Why would you use the word cripple. It’s ableist AF. How would you like to be called that if you had a disability. I know I have when using my cane and it made me feel embarrassed and upset. Do better.
My apologies if I caused any offence - none was indented in the production of the video
🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄thin skinned. get over it!
move on.
no . he had several kids and his line out lived even the af munsos with the cadet branch crovan and then macleods
Ow how the little piggies grunted
My surname is McIvor - descended from the Ui Imar dynasty - i live in Co Derry Ireland - lots of McIvors and McKeevers around here and around the West coast of Ireland - i thought Ivar was derived from proto-Danish meaning archer or bow warrior and most bows were made using bone so possibly Boneless may be something to do with using a bow made without using bone - there was actually some if these types of bows found in Scotland along with other bows made using bone - just a possibility - uppa Vikings 😁
I think they mean verry supple !
No he wouldn’t have been respected enough to ever find out if he was a good Strategic mind