Vikings (5 Viewers)

[radekas]

What's the real story behind Ivar? Why was he actually 'boneless'?

Let me quote wiki:

There is some disagreement as to the meaning of Ivar's epithet "the Boneless" (inn Beinlausi) in the sagas. Some have suggested it was a euphemism for impotence or even a snake metaphor (he had a brother named Snake-in-the-Eye). It may have referred to an incredible physical flexibility; Ivar was a renowned warrior, and perhaps this limberness gave rise to the popular notion that he was "boneless". The poem "Háttalykill inn forni" describes Ivar as being "without any bones at all".

Alternatively, the English word "bone" is cognate with the German word "Bein", meaning "leg". Scandinavian sources mention Ivar the Boneless as being borne on a shield by his warriors. Some have speculated that this was because he could not walk and perhaps his epithet simply meant "legless"—perhaps literally or perhaps simply because he was lame. Other sources from this period, however, mention chieftains being carried on the shields of enemies after victory, not because of any infirmity.

John Haywood put forth another hypothesis from the origin of Ivar's nickname: [2] the nickname, in use by the 1140s, may be derived from a 9th-century story about a sacrilegious Viking whose bones shriveled and caused his death after he plundered the monastery of Saint- Germain near Paris.

Genetic disease[edit]
Still another interpretation of the nickname involves Scandinavian sources as describing a condition that is sometimes understood as similar to a form of osteogenesis imperfecta. The disease is more commonly known as "brittle bone disease." In 1949, the Dane Knud Seedorf wrote:

Of historical personages the author knows of only one of whom we have a vague suspicion that he suffered from osteogenesis imperfecta, namely Ivar Benløs, eldest son of the Danish legendary king Regnar Lodbrog. He is reported to have had legs as soft as cartilage ('he lacked bones'), so that he was unable to walk and had to be carried about on a shield.[26]

There are less extreme forms of this disease where the person afflicted lacks the use of his or her legs but is otherwise unaffected, as may have been the case for Ivar the Boneless. In 2003 Nabil Shaban, a disability rights advocate with osteogenesis imperfecta, made the documentary The Strangest Viking for Channel 4's Secret History, in which he explored the possibility that Ivar the Boneless may have had the same condition as himself. It also demonstrated that someone with the condition was quite capable of using a longbow, such that Ivar could have taken part in battle, as Viking society would have expected a leader to do.

 

Buy on AliExpress.com

[GordoDeCentral]

Yes,but only barely. And as far as military strategy goes, I don't think the show is going to be a good representation.

maybe not but the battles are really cool, i dont know any other shows that invests so much in battles

 

[Dostoevsky]

Cheers radekas. The reason I asked Andries is because he studied history and might carry some unique info

Agreed with Deneb. I really like the battles and unlike in majority of movies these really look quite realistic.

 

[Salvo]

 

[Osman]

Wait til Uhtred of Babbenburg shows up. Just wait.

You read the saxon tales book series? I read like 6-7 books of it. Needless to say the story of Ragnar and the vikings is quite different from what is shown on this show. Both take quite the liberty with the little historical facts we know. Though in the Bernard Cornwell books the bit that annoyed the most how much they change Ragnars family tree (as do the show lol), for example Ivar the boneless was one of Ragnars superiors /relatives in the book etc.


Worst part of the tv show is not having one of the most badass of the Lothbrok brothers, Ubba

- - - Updated - - -

"A creaking bow, a burning flame, tide on the ebb, new ice, a coiled snake.
The sons of a king, an ailing calf, a witch's flattery.
No man should be such a fool as to trust these things.
No man should trust the word of a woman.
The hearts of women were turned on a whirling wheel.
To love a fickle woman is like setting out over ice with a two-year-old colt.
Or sailing a ship without a rudder."

Best part of the episode, like whenever they show the mindset and culture of theirs instead of just the bloody parts.


Floki is interesting indeed, but the actor annoys me at times, his swedish accent slips in his overacting of his lines of times hehe, distracting, especially when he was complaining of how he is too happy with Helga and his daugter hehe.

 

[GordoDeCentral]

See I don't find that annoying at all and I can relate so much with his happiness comments, guess I'm crazy

 

[Osman]

I wasnt annoyed by the crazy anti happiness comments, that was just twisted him being himself Just the delivery of the lines and his accent hearing it with swedish ears hehe.


But yeah character in general is nice, also liked Thorstein in this episode hehe, true viking lol.

 

[GordoDeCentral]

Ah the Swedish ears, I forgot about that

 

[radekas]

Worst part of the tv show is not having one of the most badass of the Lothbrok brothers, Ubba

I'm pretty sure Ubbe is one of Ragnars sons with Aslaug in the show.

 

[TheLaz]

maybe not but the battles are really cool, i dont know any other shows that invests so much in battles

Except sometimes it looks like a 10v10 battle..

 

[Osman]

I'm pretty sure Ubbe is one of Ragnars sons with Aslaug in the show.

He is? Cool, I haven't heard his name, is one of the others halfdan?

 

[Seven]

Except sometimes it looks like a 10v10 battle..

Which is probably quite accurate historically speaking.

 

[radekas]

He is? Cool, I haven't heard his name, is one of the others halfdan?

Ubbe
Hvitserk
Sigurd
Ivar

 

[GordoDeCentral]

Except sometimes it looks like a 10v10 battle..

that shit expensive to make

 

[TheLaz]

Which is probably quite accurate historically speaking.

I don't know the history well, but when a saxon king assembles his hordes you'd expect him to line up more then 10 men, dont you think?

- - - Updated - - -

that $#@! expensive to make

How expensive can it be? It's not like a dragon is flying around ala GOT, that'll take hours upon hours of editing.

 

[GordoDeCentral]

I don't know the history well, but when a saxon king assembles his hordes you'd expect him to line up more then 10 men, dont you think?

- - - Updated - - -



How expensive can it be? It's not like a dragon is flying around ala GOT, that'll take hours upon hours of editing.

it takes a crazy amount of training, takes and editing. theres a reason you dont see much battling shows, and in movies it's the main event

 

[Seven]

I don't know the history well, but when a saxon king assembles his hordes you'd expect him to line up more then 10 men, dont you think?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Heathen_Army#The_size_of_the_army

Granted, Wikipedia is not the best source, but if the entire Viking army is thought to be around 1,000 men, you know you're going to have a lot of small battles involving smaller numbers.

 

[Klin]

floki is the real star of the show imo, that dude is so 21st century

100%

 

[Dostoevsky]

New episode is out, gonna watch it tonight :ID:

 

[Zé Tahir]

How can you go from being a servant girl one day and the next day you're going off on raids? And we're supposed to buy that this chick is carry a sword that weighs more than her body weight and that she's able to defeat seasoned warriors with ease. Oh and she's pregnant? Ffs.