Björn Ragnarsson

General:
Name: Björn
Last name: Ragnarsson
Title: Ironside | Prince of Kattegat

Björn was given this title by his father while fighting in battle. He took many lives and whilst he did, he wasn’t touched by any axe, spear or blade.

Age: 28 years old
Rank: Huskarl | Hersir
Place of birth: Kattegat
Place of residence: Kattegat

Family:
Father: Ragnar ‘Lothbrok’ Sigurdsson
Mother: Lagertha Freyasdóttir
Siblings:

Gyda Ragnarsdóttir †
Ubbe Ragnarsson (Half-brother)
Hvitserk Ragnarsson (Half-brother)
Sigurd Ragnarsson (Half-brother)
Ivar Ragnarsson (Half-brother)

Other:

Rollo Sigurdsson (Uncle)
Gisla de Francie Occidentale (Aunt)

Appearance:
Skin tone: Slightly sunburned
Hair color: Dark blonde
Hair style: Partly shaved, interlaced backwards. Sometimes tucked in, sometimes in a long braid.
Beard: Sometimes short, sometimes medium long.
Eye color: Blue
Height: 1m88
Weight: 81kg
Build: Athletic, muscular
Tattoos: Viking runes on his chest and upper arms

Personality:
Björn was raised as a typical Northman. He values his family and always puts them on the first place. Björn is devoted to both his parents and wanted to become a warrior just like them since he was a kid. And so he did. He proved himself multiple times in battle and gained the title ‘Ironside’ from Ragnar himself. He shows extreme loyalty to his father, even when he lived years with his mother without seeing him.

He has Ragnar’s lust for glory and fame, but also his curiosity for other cultures. He is restless and very impatient like his uncle Rollo. Like most young vikins he sees only what is in front of him and he often makes quick descisions without thinking them through. Björn seeks for glory and fame, but does not always understand the patience that is necessary to realise those dreams.

Björn is a little vain about his appearance. He takes great pride in his battle scars, the skin from the bear he killed and his tattoos. His hairstyle and his tattoos are almost the same as those from his father. It is very clear that Björn tries to step in his footprints of Ragnar.

He is a skilled warrior, strong enough to match his uncle Rollo in a drunken brawl and fast enough to go through a battle and never be struck. Björn especially proved himself when he spent a time alone in the wilderness, surviving the icy mountains of Scandinavia.

Physically he is as said ‘extraordinary’. Björn is tall and wide, leaving a great impression everywhere he goes. He recovers quickly from battle and has an extraordinary endurance. He has also good leadership qualities, as he lead men during the raid on Paris and assisted both his parents with strategic plans. But Björn’s passion does not lay in leading others in raids or wars, he wants to sail to the Mediterranean and discover new lands and cultures.

Bjorn has a somewhat different personal code than most Vikings. He refuses to rape women in raids and hardly commands slaves to sleep with him. After what happened between him and Þórunn he is having a hard time in binding himself permanently to women. Sometimes he finds comfort with Torvi, but only by sleeping with her. It isn’t a ‘real’ relationship they are having. They care for each other, but there is no talking about love. Or at least not from Björn’s side. His youth and inexperience with women often shows as he is unable to understand their choices or actions. When Þórunn left him, he lost his patience in women and many think he also lost his ability to truly love someone.

History:
If you want to know the entire history from Björn, I strongly advise you to watch the series Vikings.
But here you can find a list of the most important proceedings in his life.

- He was born in a small farmhouse in Kattegat.
- He grew up together with his sister and was being put under the supervision of the Nortumbrian monk Athelstan when his father took him as a prisoner after his raid in Lindisfarne.
- He was taken on a trip to Gotaland with his father, where he was witness of the beginning of his father’s relationship with Aslaug.
- Björn told his mother about his father’s infidelity and saw the two breaking up with each other. First he chose to stay with his father, but eventually changed his mind and went along with his mother.
- Years passed by and the 18 years old Björn lived under the thumb of his oppressive new stepfather in Hedeby. He spent his time training his fighting skills and protecting his mother from Sigvard.
- Rumours that Kattegat had been captured by Jarl Borg reached Hedeby, and Björn marshalled a force with his mother to assist Ragnar. Then he saw his father back for the first time in years.
- After his performance in the battle against the West Saxons, he gained the title ‘Ironside’ from his father.
- Björn formed a relationship with a formar slave-girl, Þórunn. Eventually she became pregnant from him and Björn asked her hand in marriage. But she got injured during battle, and went into a great depression. Whilst that she gave birth to their daughter ‘Siggi’, but she wasn’t able to take care for her. Eventually Þórunn left Kattegat without saying anything to anybody.
- Björn built an unsteady relationship with Torvi, trying to forget Þórunn. Meanwhile Aslaug took care for his daughter Siggi because Björn wasn’t able to do so.
- Together with his father, mother and uncle he went on a raid to Paris. There he got hurt badly by two crossbow bolts stuck in his back. Eventually he recovered, but saw his father’s health going backwards.
- Back from Paris, Björn found a map of Europe in the treasure and discovered his interest in sailing the Mediterranean Sea. He also heard that his daughter had passed away because Aslaug’s negligence and decided to leave Kattegat for the wilderness. That he did in order to prove himself and his father that he could survive on his own.
- Björn managed to survive the cold Scandinavian nature and even succeeded to kill a bear with an axe and a dagger.  In tribute to his achievment, Björn tattooed his arms and made a cloak from the bear’s hide.
- Still living in the mountains, Björn was visited by an assassin, sent by Kalf and Erlendur. Björn outwitted and subdued his opponent and marched to Hedeby. For two reasons: To visit his mother, and to save Torvi from her husband and take her to Kattegat.
- Back in Kattegat he and Torvi proceeded their unsteady relationship. Björn got to know King Harald Finehaid and his brother Halfdan The Black. They went together on their second raid to Paris and were defeated.
- When they got back to Kattegat, Ragnar left without anyone knowing where he went. Halfdan and Harald also left Kattegat to take over a village named ‘Skagen’ en Björn stayed behind with Aslaug in Kattegat, preventing her from taking over all of the power.