Contemporary Sources
The Ragnar of sagas is apparently based on several historical entities. One was a pirate and raider, Ragnall, who was reported invading France and attacking several other lands. One of his favorite tactics was to attack Christian cities on church feast days, knowing that many soldiers would be in church. He would generally accept a huge payment to leave his victims alone, only to come back later and demand more riches in exchange for leaving. The double-name of the legendary Ragnar Lodbrok also links him to historical vikings documented as "sons of Lothbrok", although there is no documentary basis for associating this Lothbrok with the documented viking Ragnall.
Read more about this topic: Ragnar Lodbrok
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