Scandinavian sagas about wise kings, warlike Viking tribes, harsh but extremely beautiful northern nature, great battles and long trips fascinate not only historians and local historians. Interest is spurred in large part by films and series. One of them is the Vikings, which premiered in March 2013.
About the series
The historical and dramatic saga about the most legendary Viking leader Ragnar Lodbroke has won millions of fans since the first episodes, and after 3 years the series has again been extended for season 5. One of the key characters in the tape is the semi-legendary Swedish king, who lived in the 9th century, - Björn Ironbrow. The series “Vikings” is based on sagas about the ravaging raids of the Scandinavian tribes on the territory of present-day Britain. The existence of the main characters, although considered historical, is being questioned. There are no reliable sources confirming the reality of Ragnar, his wife Lagertha. According to legends and folklore, they know about the family of the great leader. However, it was he who was credited with the capture of Paris after the attack on France in 845.
Björn the Ironfin: Historical Background
The semi-legendary king of Sweden ruled in the ninth century. The son of Ragnar Lodbrock from the second wife Aslaug is considered the founder of the Munseo Kings dynasty. He had two sons: Refil and Eric Bjørnson, the latter became the successor and subsequent king of Sweden. Information about another offspring can be obtained from the work “The Saga of Nyal”, which mentions Khroald. His descendants settled in Iceland and became the founders of one of the most noble families.
According to legends, Ragnar Lodbrok is a descendant of the most important Scandinavian God - Odin. It is not surprising that the belligerent character and thirst for wanderings, adventures and travels Bjorn the Ironbread inherited from him. According to conflicting historical data, he reached Gibraltar in 859, flew a raid along the coast of Morocco, and then completed his campaign by plundering Provence and Valencia. It is assumed that the burial place of the legendary king is a hill (mound) located on the island of Munse on Lake Mälaren in Sweden. A similar hypothesis began to be put forward after discovering on top of a stone with runic inscriptions.
According to another legend, Bjorn Zheleznobok received his nickname due to the amazing invulnerability of melee weapons. This gift was acquired and received as a result of a spell cast by his mother.
King brothers
Queen Aslaug (third wife) gave birth to Ragnar Lodbroka according to historical data of four sons. The eldest of them, Ivar the Boneless. It was he, along with his brothers, who headed the famous army of the Gentiles, which invaded England in 865. A couple of years later, he killed King Ella II, who executed their father. What does the epithet “boneless” mean, historians are unequivocally hard to say. It is assumed that either he was remarkable for amazing dexterity and flexibility, or was struck by any disease. Ivar ruled England until old age. Björn Ironbrow is the second oldest son. After him was born Khvitserk - the legendary ruler of Russia. The fourth son of Ragnar from Aslaug was born with a special mark in his eye “a snake that bites its tail,” and therefore he was given the nickname Snake-eyed.
The image in the series
First of all, historical inaccuracy should be noted. In the Vikings series, Björn appears before the viewer as the only son of Lagertha and Ragnar, although, as already mentioned, Queen Aslaug is his mother. In the saga, the character is one of the main ones. And if in the first season he appears occasionally, then in the rest with enviable constancy. After the divorce of Ragnar and Lagerta, he remains in the story with his mother, helping her in everything. After years, having already matured, he returns to his father and accompanies him to all trips to the last. Bjorn Zheleznoboky, whose wife is unknown to historians, starts a family in the series. His beloved is the slave Torunn. The role went to a young actress and model of French descent Jaye Weiss (pictured above). In her piggy bank, participation in very large projects, including the series “Mary the Queen of Scotland”, as well as episodes in the film “Hercules: The Beginning of a Legend”.
Björn the Ironbrow: actor
The role of the eldest son (according to the plot) of Ragnar in the childhood period in the series was played by Nathan O´Toole (in the fluorine photo). The seventeen-year-old actor is from Ireland and, in addition to participating in the Vikings project, is known for his role as Vincento in Borgia.
The Canadian actor Alexander Ludwig was approved for the role of the adult Bjorn Zheleznobokogo . He is from Vancouver, from the family of a businessman and manager. He began his professional career at the age of 9 with participation in the Harry Potter series of toy projects. One of his most famous works besides the series is the film “The Witch’s Mountain” about teenagers with paranormal abilities. However, the fame and love of the fans was brought to him by another character - Björn the Iron-faced (photo). His acting talent and bright appearance became the decoration of the project.