SPOILER ALERT: This article discusses Episode 10 (titled “The Best Laid Plans”) of History Channel’s Vikings Season 6. Please proceed with caution if you have not yet viewed all available episodes and wish to avoid spoilers.
As previously reported by The Inquisitr , the midseason finale of Vikings saw the tragic death of Bjorn Ironside (Alexander Ludwig). Bjorn and his half-brother, Ivar the Boneless (Alex Hogh Andersen), had been battling it out in the midseason finale. Ivar was on the side of the Rus, who were attacking Scandinavia. Bjorn fought valiantly but eventually succumbed.
However, is that the way Bjorn really died in the Vikings Sagas?
There are many historical tests that mention Bjorn Ironside. In addition, many of these stories about the famous Viking contradict each other and place him at many varied locations across the medieval world at the time of his existence. Only a single manuscript mentions his death in any great detail.
The earliest story regarding Bjorn is in a manuscript detailing Norman history and written by William of Jumièges. Here, Bjorn was the youngest son of Ragnar Lodbrok (played by Travis Fimmel in the TV series) and, as was the custom then, expelled from Ragnar’s rule. Leaving Denmark with a massive fleet, he then started raiding areas including West Francia and Paris. William details Bjorn’s death as occurring in Frisia but gives no details of how or at what age he perished. However, the Daily Express suggests that he might have been very old when he died.
In the TV series, Bjorn is shown traveling all the way to the Mediterranean, and this is certainly recorded in Frankish, Norman, Arab, Scandinavian, and Irish sources. In one particular story, it tells of how Bjorn pretended to be dead in order to gain access to what he thought was Rome, much in the same way his father did in the TV series when trying to gain entry to Paris. However, it was not Rome that Bjorn infiltrated but Luni, and they promptly left after hearing that a Roman army was being prepared against them.
Many stories featuring Bjorn are to be found in the Icelandic and Danish sagas of his father, Ragnar. Placing Bjorn as the son of Ragnar and Asluag — not Lagertha — further tales are told about this character.
One saga suggests that Bjorn became the King of Sweden and the first of the Munso dynasty. When he and his brothers returned from raiding, they divided up Scandinavia and Bjorn was given Sweden to rule. Another saga suggests that he inherited Sweden after Ragnar’s death. However, it is unclear as to whether any of these sagas are factually correct since many of the stories were written down a long time after the events occurred.
As yet, no release date has been announced by History Channel for the Season 6 return of Vikings .