Ivar the Boneless

Ivar the Boneless (Old Norse: Ívarr hinn Beinlausi [ˈiːˌwɑrː ˈhinː ˈbɛinˌlɔuse]; died c. 873), also known as Ivar Ragnarsson, was a Viking leader who invaded England and Ireland. According to the Tale of Ragnar Lodbrok, he was the son of Aslaug and her husband Ragnar Loðbrok, and was the brother of Björn Ironside, Halvdan Hvitserk, Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye and Ragnvald. However, it is not known whether or not this is historically accurate. Ivar is sometimes regarded as the same person as Ímar, a Viking king of Dublin between 870 and 873.^[2] He might have been born in Uppsala, Sweden in about 787.^[3]

The origin of the nickname is not certain. "Ívarr beinlausi" could be translated to "Ivar legless", but "beinlausi" could also be translated as "boneless", since "bone" and "leg" are translations of the same word, "bein", in Old Norse.^[4] Several of the sagas^{[example needed]} describe him as lacking legs/bones or having a skeletal condition such as osteogenesis imperfecta,^[5] while a passage in Ragnarssona þáttr (also known as the tale of Ragnar's sons) suggest it refers to male impotence.^[6]

^ Hervey, Francis (1907). Corolla Sancti Eadmundi = The garland of Saint Edmund, king and martyr. London: John Murray. OL 11080612W.
^ Costambeys, Marios (2004). "Ívarr [Ívarr inn Beinlausi, Ingwaer, Imhar] (d. 873)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/49261. ISBN 978-0-19-861412-8. (subscription or UK public library membership required)
^ Strittmatter, Rowena (13 December 2016). Our Ancestors: A Journey through the Generations. tredition. ISBN 978-3-7323-8143-2.
^ "Leg in Danish". dictionary.cambridge.org. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
^ "Ivar the Boneless | Biography, Battles, & Facts | Britannica". 9 May 2024.
^ Groeneveld, Emma (12 November 2018). "Ivar the Boneless". World History Encyclopedia.

[1] Hervey, Francis (1907). Corolla Sancti Eadmundi = The garland of Saint Edmund, king and martyr. London: John Murray. OL 11080612W.

[2] Costambeys, Marios (2004). "Ívarr [Ívarr inn Beinlausi, Ingwaer, Imhar] (d. 873)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/49261. ISBN 978-0-19-861412-8. (subscription or UK public library membership required)

[3] Strittmatter, Rowena (13 December 2016). Our Ancestors: A Journey through the Generations. tredition. ISBN 978-3-7323-8143-2.

[4] "Leg in Danish". dictionary.cambridge.org. Retrieved 5 February 2021.

[5] "Ivar the Boneless | Biography, Battles, & Facts | Britannica". 9 May 2024.

[6] Groeneveld, Emma (12 November 2018). "Ivar the Boneless". World History Encyclopedia.

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