The chaos he caused weakened the English forces, making it easier for William the Conqueror to win at the Battle of Hastings. Harald Hardrada led the last great Viking raid of England in 1066, where his army was defeated and he was killed. Widely considered to be the last Viking ruler, sitting on the Norwegian throne in 1046, he is said to have overseen a period of prosperity, but this was achieved with a brutal and militaristic approach. His many conquests gained him a reputation as a famous Viking warrior and he later became king of London. Halfdan RagnarssonĪ son of Ragnar Lothbrok, alongside his brother Ivar, Halfdan led the Viking warrior army, known as the Great Heathen Army, that landed in England in 865 and conquered Northumbria. Rather than fleeing, he decided to stay at his home, where there was an epic battle in which he was eventually killed. Gunnar died after he killed two men from the same family. Unlike most Vikings, as well as fighting in close combat, he was a skilled archer and stone thrower. He was also described as one of the most famous Viking warriors and as being the most beautiful man in the world.
#Nordic warriors vs nordic spearman full
Gunnar was a 10th-century Icelandic Viking warrior who was said to be capable of jumping his own body height while wearing full armor. She later had her own trading partners killed so that she would not have to share her profits with them. The sight is thought to have been so scary that the natives fled, assuming that she was some kind of demon. While her surprised warriors began to flee, Freydis, eight months pregnant, grabbed a sword to fight. Freydis EiríksdóttirĪ daughter of Eric the Red, Freydis is proof that Viking women could be just as fearsome as men.Īlong with her brother, she was one of the first Europeans to visit North America at the start of the 11 th century.įollowing a dispute with the natives, they attacked the Viking camp one night with catapults. Erik the RedĮrik the Redwas a 10th-century Norwegian Viking warrior who fled Norway for Iceland after being exiled for manslaughter.Īn avid explorer, Erik later found Greenland and established the first Viking settlements there, which lasted 500 years. Soon his sovereignty was challenged by his sole surviving brother (he probably regretted not killing him!)Įric fled to England where he conducted bloody raids around Scotland and the Irish Sea. He was a hard and unpopular king, suppressing opposition ruthlessly. He later became king of Norway himself and gained his name “Bloodaxe” by killing all but one of his brothers. Eric BloodaxeĮric Bloodaxe was the son of the first king of a united Norway, Harald Fairhair. When Egil was eventually captured, he evaded execution by composing a poem that impressed Erik so much that he spared his life. Egil killed every man who came after him. Later, as a result of another insult, Egil killed a retainer of King Eric Bloodaxe.ĭeclared an outlaw in Norway, Viking warriors, including the king’s son, were sent to kill him in vengeance. Egil killed a boy who cheated him in a game with an axe. He is said to have killed for the first time at the age of just 7. Living in the 900s, Egil Skallagrimsson was an Icelandic Viking warrior and poet. When he returned to his father’s kingdom after Ragnar’s death, he divided his father’s kingdom with his brother and became king of Sweden. To the people he faced, he seemed unstoppable. He raided England, Spain, France, and Italy, getting as far south as Gibraltar. Bjorn was sent to find his own way in the world with a group of Viking warriors and a few ships. He was expelled by his father for being the youngest of his sons, as was the normal Viking custom.
Bjorn IronsideĪ famous Viking leader from the 9th century, Bjorn Ironside was the son of Ragnar Lodbrok.
But this list is all about blood and gore! 1. But they were also intelligent with a rich and interesting culture. The Vikings were mighty warriors that were feared across Europe. You will find more in-depth and balanced articles about each of them on the blog. Here are the 15 most ferocious and famous Viking warriors from history and the bloody stories that have earned them a place on this list!ĭisclaimer! This list is meant to be a bit of fun and just a taster of the histories of these warriors. But to rise to the top of Viking society, you had to be more fearsome and ferocious than the rest! Just the sight of a Viking warrior could strike fear into the hearts of their enemies. The surviving evidence suggests that their reputation is well deserved. The Vikings have a reputation as fierce and bloody warriors that burned and pillaged their way through Europe in the 9th and 10th centuries.
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