In the popular TV series Vikings, it’s Ivar the Boneless who perhaps steals the spotlight with his peculiar personality, reminiscent of the classic – and stereotypical – image of Caligula or Nero. However, Ubbe, Hvitsärk, and Björn also have their moments. In this article, we will focus on Björn and, more specifically, the expedition he led to the Mediterranean, which resulted in attacks on several locations on the Iberian Peninsula, including Asturias, Galicia, Algeciras, and Seville.

Before starting, it’s important to note that, for dramatic reasons, the series alters some family relationships. The most significant, for our purposes here, is that Björn was not the eldest son – that honor belonged to Ivar – and he wasn’t even Lagertha’s son. Lagertha, it is assumed, did not bear Ragnar any children (or at most, a son named Fridleif and two unnamed daughters). Björn’s mother was Aslaug, Ragnar’s second wife. Therefore, Björn was a direct brother to the aforementioned (except for Ubbe, whose parentage is uncertain), as well as Sigurd and Guthrod. He was also a half-brother to the offspring Ragnar had with a third woman, Thora Borgarhjört, which included Eric, Agnar, and Olof.

Though some sources date it two decades earlier, Björn was likely born around 800 AD. In fact, it’s not even certain that he was Ragnar’s son, but he has passed into history as such, and contemporary chronicles, such as the Gesta Normannorum Ducum (written by the Anglo-Norman monk William of Jumièges in 1060), the Annales Bertiniani (Carolingian annals contemporary to the Viking), or the Annals of Fontenelle (also known as Chronicon Fontanellense, from the second half of the 9th century), recount that he was expelled from the kingdom by his father, following an ancient custom that required younger sons to be exiled so as not to interfere with the elder’s succession to the throne.

The Viking siege of Paris in 845
The Viking siege of Paris in 845. Credit: Public domain / Wikimedia Commons

Thus, Björn embarked on his first major expedition through the western region of France, even sailing up the Seine to attack inland thanks to the shallow draft of the drakkars, eventually laying siege to Paris itself. He finally reached an agreement with King Charles the Bald, though it was rather tenuous, and further conflicts ensued, the outcomes of which remain unknown due to a lack of recorded sources. We do know, however, that there was a second raid on Paris and that the French king ended up hiring some Vikings from the Somme region to repel the danger. This strategy failed when the two groups of Vikings united, and only the conversion to Christianity of the latter group dissolved the improvised alliance.

The works mentioned earlier are not the only sources that provide information about Björn, who was nicknamed Járnsíða, generally translated as Iron Arm, but more accurately Iron Side. First, we have the famous Gesta Danorum, composed around 1200 by the historian and theologian Saxo Grammaticus, although it only recounts Björn’s life from the point when he was already king of Sweden.

It also mentions that he joined the campaign of the Great Heathen Army against the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy (East Anglia, Essex, Kent, Mercia, Northumbria, Sussex, and Wessex), supposedly under the leadership of Ivar the Boneless and his brothers between 865 and 878, to avenge the death of their father at the hands of Ælla, king of Northumbria; however, Björn’s participation is not recorded in most other sources.

Routes of the Great Heathen Army
Routes of the Great Heathen Army. Credit: Hel-hama / Wikimedia Commons

Additionally, the Saga of Hervör, from the 13th century, narrates how Björn inherited the Swedish throne upon Ragnar Lodbrok’s death and then passed it on to his son, Erik Björnsson, thus founding a new and prosperous dynasty known as the House of Munsö. We should not forget the Ragnarssona þáttr, or Tale of Ragnar’s Sons, a 14th-century Icelandic saga that blends history and legend. In this account, Björn is indeed part of that fraternal expedition against the English, though they were defeated, and only Ivar’s cunning, in negotiating a settlement that spanned the area covered by an oxhide (much like the mythical foundation of Carthage by the Phoenician Dido), allowed the Vikings to stay in the city of Jorvik (York), which they used as a base to continue the war. The Tale of Ragnar’s Sons continues to narrate the next expedition, which they carried out through Normandy, France, and Lombardy.

At this point, we should pause to revisit Björn’s Mediterranean voyage, depicted in the penultimate season of the series, although it’s unclear what role he actually played in it. The historicity of an earlier Viking incursion into Al-Andalus is confirmed by Muslim historians such as Ibn al-Qūṭiyya (also called Abu Bakr or al-Qurtubi) in his History of the Conquest of al-Andalus (10th century), Ibn Idhari in his Al-Bayan al-Mughrib (translatable as The Book of the Amazing History of the Kings of al-Andalus and Maghreb, from the 14th century but based on 10th-century sources), and Al-Nuwayri in his Nihāyat al-arab fī funūn al-adab (The Ultimate Ambition in the Arts of Erudition, also from the 14th century). They date the event to the year 230 of the Hegira and do not refer to the Vikings by that name but as al-majus, meaning fire worshippers (in reference to Zoroastrian followers of an earlier era); in other words, pagans.

The Christian Rotense Chronicle, written in the 10th century, also confirms the arrival of those it referred to as “Normans, a people until then unknown, pagan and very cruel”, who, before reaching the southern part of the peninsula, had ravaged the Cantabrian coast in the year 844. It is believed they landed in Gijón, though they stayed only briefly as it was small and poor at the time, before continuing on to attack La Coruña. Galicia was part of the Kingdom of Asturias, so King Ramiro I sent troops to repel them. He was successful, though he could not prevent a strong psychological impact that led to the fortification of the coastline to ensure the safety of Oviedo, the capital.

The Iberian Peninsula in the 9th century
The Iberian Peninsula in the 9th century. Credit: Crates / Wikimedia Commons

A few weeks later, the Vikings attempted to assault Usbuna (Lisbon), a wealthy Muslim city in the flourishing Emirate of Córdoba, but it too managed to resist. The fleet of the majus, numbering more than a hundred ships and four thousand men, set course for the south while the governor of Lisbon sent a message to Abd ar-Rahman II warning him of the danger. Before help could arrive, the cities of Sidonia, Cádiz, and Sanlúcar were attacked. The Norsemen followed their custom of navigating rivers, sailing up the Guadalquivir to Coria del Río, where they exterminated the entire population to prevent anyone from warning their true target, Seville. Seville was easily conquered—except for the alcazaba—in early October and brutally plundered, with the Vikings capturing a splendid treasure and thousands of slaves.

They continued attacking nearby towns until Abd ar-Rahman managed to organize a response. The superiority of his cavalry, along with the cooperation of Musa ibn Musa, governor of aṯ-Ṯaḡr al-Aʿlà (the Upper March, roughly corresponding to the old province of Tarraconense), allowed the Andalusians to prevail at Talyata (Itálica), causing significant losses to the Vikings. While hundreds of their captured companions were executed (they were buried with their heads left above ground, which were then crushed by galloping horses), the rest of the Vikings hastily embarked, though they lost about thirty ships. They negotiated safe passage to the river’s mouth in exchange for returning part of their loot and then set sail for home, though they still managed to sack Niebla (Huelva) along the way.

An unlikely legend says that a group of majus became isolated between Carmona and Morón, converted to Islam, and took up cheesemaking. But in general, these raids became a dark episode in the history of Al-Andalus, just as they had in the Cantabrian region. Seville, which had been reduced to ruins, was rebuilt with strong fortifications and defensive systems, including what would later become the Reales Alcázares, the shipyards, and a messenger alert system. These prudent measures proved useful when further Viking raids—though ultimately unsuccessful—occurred. The first of these, according to the Albeldense Chronicle, took place in the year 858 during the reign of Ordoño I of Asturias and was led by Björn alongside Hastein, who was either his adoptive father or, more likely, his guardian appointed by Ragnar.

Effigy of Abderramán II on a postage stamp
Effigy of Abderramán II on a postage stamp. Credit: sellosmundo.com

Following a similar route to the previous raid and with a slightly larger fleet, they sailed up the Arosa estuary intending to take Santiago de Compostela, which they besieged. The arrival of an army led by Count Pedro Theon saved the city, causing the Vikings to lose a third of their ships. The pagans re-embarked and headed south. Along the way, according to Ib Adhari, they encountered Andalusian patrol ships, so by the time they reached the Guadalquivir, their presence was already known. The strong defensive measures deployed to block their passage prevented them from disembarking, and they were forced to confine their raids to coastal towns, from Algeciras to Orihuela.

In reality, their actions were not limited to Spanish lands; Morocco (Arcila, Nador…) also suffered their attacks, as did the Balearic Islands and the southern coast of France, where they had been driven by a storm. They eventually reached Italy, to Luni (Liguria), which they mistook for Rome. There, Björn—probably in legend—devised the famous ruse to breach the city’s well-defended walls: he pretended to die and convert to Christianity so that his body could be buried in sacred ground, allowing him to enter inside a coffin carried by his men. Once inside, he sprang from the coffin and opened the gates for the others. In the TV series, this trick is performed by Ragnar during the assault on Paris.

Whether or not that anecdote is true, the Vikings plundered all of Tuscany, then continued through Sicily and, once again, North Africa. Legendary accounts also speak of a battle against the Byzantine fleet, which reportedly destroyed them using Greek fire, forcing the Vikings to return home. Other sources attribute the use of this devastating weapon to the Andalusians. It was likely just a strong storm, but the Vikings lost so many ships that only about twenty remained, leaving them no choice but to return. On their way back, they managed to conquer Pamplona; some authors say they ascended the Ebro River, while others claim they came from the Bay of Biscay.

As mentioned earlier, around the year 966, there was a third major Mediterranean expedition, not counting smaller raids (which are noted in the Silense Chronicle, regarding the coastal fortresses ordered to be built by the Asturian king Alfonso III). This new campaign, led by Danes under Gudrød Grafeldr with even more forces (about eight thousand men), followed the same route: from Jakobsland (Land of Santiago, Galicia) and Portugal, both of which were devastated this time. However, the lack of further reports suggests that they clashed with the Muslim fleet of the Caliphate of Córdoba and were unable to continue. The Galician coast, however, would be periodically visited by the men of the north: in 1014 by Olaf Haraldsson, and in 1028 by someone known as Ulf the Galician.

As for the leaders of that adventure, Hastein continued his warrior life, while Björn, enriched by the loot they had collected, sought to retire and rule in Sweden. Ragnar, jealous of his sons’ success, embarked on the expedition to Northumbria, where he lost his life. His son then joined the Great Heathen Army, as we have seen, to avenge him. Later, the territories were divided, and Björn was confirmed as king of Sweden. As always, the details vary depending on the storyteller; there are few certainties when it comes to the Vikings.

This article was first published on our Spanish Edition on September 9, 2019: Björn Ragnarsson y las incursiones vikingas a la Península Ibérica

SOURCES

Carlos Canales y Miguel del Rey, Demonios del norte. Las expediciones vikingas

Eduardo Morales Romero, Historia de los vikingos en España. Ataques e incursiones contra los reinos cristianos y musulmanes de la Península Ibérica en los siglos IX-XI

F. Donald Logan, Los vikingos en la Historia

Jón Steffánson, The vikings in Spain from arabic (moorish) and spanish sources

Rolf Scheen, Viking raids on the spanish peninsula

Neil Price, The vikings in Spain, north Africa and the Mediterranean

Juan Gil Fernández, José L. Moralejo y Juan Ignacio Ruiz de la Peña, eds, Crónica Albeldense

Wikipedia, Viking raid on Seville

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