Candlelight History Talks: The Real History of Ragnar Lodbrok & The Vikings

About this event

Expand your knowledge in a beautiful candlelit space. Followed by Q&A. Learn the real truth about Ragnar Lodbrok and the Viking Age with Prof Elizabeth Ashman Rowe. Did you know that long before he became a pop-culture legend, Ragnar Lodbrok was a real historical figure whose 845 raid on Paris was recorded by a contemporary observer? In this engaging talk, Prof Elizabeth Ashman Rowe unravels the startling events of Ragnar’s expedition, his return to Denmark, and the bizarre origin of his nickname ‘Shaggy Breeches.’ Far from a rogue Viking raid, his attack was part of a massive, coordinated Danish offensive against the Franks engineered by the powerful King Horik I. However, Horik would soon lose his throne despite his warriors' success. Using Ragnar’s dramatic story as a springboard, Prof Rowe bridges narrative history with archaeology to explore the paradoxes of the Viking Age. Gain fresh insight into how recent discoveries are reshaping our understanding of Nordic power plays and the thin line separating myth from reality. Doors open at 6:15pm talk starts at 6:45pm - come down early to grab a good seat! Elizabeth Ashman Rowe is Professor of Scandinavian History in the Department of Anglo-Saxon, Norse and Celtic at the University of Cambridge, where she teaches ‘Rethinking the Viking Age’ and ‘The Norse World before 1150’. She was made a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries in 2013 and in 2018 shared the British Writers Guild ‘Best Writing in a Video Game’ award for Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice.