Vikings: Things Bjorn Did That Fans Just Can’t Let Go

In Vikings, most of Ragnar’s sons were rushed into adulthood (thanks to time jumps) before they were ever given proper storylines. For his first son, Bjorn “Ironside” Lothbrok, the script was in his favor from the start of the series. Fans got to see Bjorn grow from a 12-year-old boy to the King of Kattegat.

Bjorn was the more likable of Ragnar’s sons, but he had a couple of undesirable traits, like his lack of loyalty to his love interests and his lack of patience. His decision-making wasn’t always impressive either. While most of his shocking and baffling actions weren’t out of malice, they often led to unfortunate outcomes.

8 He Freed White Hair And Other Outlaws

Eager to right the wrongs of Ivar, Bjorn adopted a new playbook upon becoming King of Kattegat. His most important action was scrapping the death penalty and banishing serious offenders from the kingdom instead. As a result, freedom was granted to deadly Ivar loyalists like White Hair, one of the best characters introduced after Ragnar’s death. These men would later come back to raid villages, kill citizens, and even wound Lagertha.

Bjorn’s actions were reckless and irresponsible. His intentions were good, but having grown up in a brutal world of betrayals and bloodthirsty men, he ought to have known that men like White Hair wouldn’t be gone forever. His actions triggered more pain if the death of Lagertha is factored in. Had she not fought White Hair, she wouldn’t have been killed by Hvitserk on her way back.

7 He Abandoned Young Siggy Because Of His Hatred For Thorunn

Bjorn named his daughter after Siggy, who had sacrificed her life to save Hvitserk and Ubbe when they were young. But that’s the only good thing he did for her. When Thorunn refused to care for young Siggy and abandoned her with Aslaug, Bjorn didn’t care. He neglected her because she reminded him of Thorunn. She died, becoming one of the many dead Vikings characters who deserved better. And even in her death, Bjorn showed little to no emotion.

While Bjorn believed his reason for neglecting Siggy was a good one, it really wasn’t. Even if he had fallen out of love with Thorunn, he shouldn’t have allowed his feelings of disdain towards his former love to trickle down to his daughter. It also was hypocritical for him to abandon his own biological child only to be a father figure to Guthrum, who was Jarl Borg’s son.

6 He Made A Second Voyage To The Mediterranean Without A Plan

After Ragnar’s death, Bjorn sailed back to the Mediterranean Sea. Unfortunately, he wasn’t sure whether he should go as a trader or a conquerer. Sinric advised him to go as a trader, which he did, only for him to get captured and fed with human flesh. He would have been executed too had he not made a lucky escape during a sandstorm.

Bjorn’s actions were an example of ambition without a strategy. He was blindly imitating his father’s raid of the West by sailing to the Mediterranean. But unlike his father, he went unprepared. He might have stood a chance if he went with an army, but he chose to follow the opinions of others. This put an end to what would have been a great conquest.

5 He Had An Affair With Ingrid Then Married Her

Ingrid’s rise from slave to Queen in a span of just one season was impressive, but she wasn’t exactly a good person. She was a witch, hence not the best person to rule over Kattegat. Moreso, her presence caused much heartache to Gunnhild, who had to accept her as Bjorn’s second wife so as to prevent the family from breaking apart.

While Bjorn wasn’t exactly certain that Ingrid was evil when he married her, it was his decision to cheat on Gunnhild in the first place that led to the rise of Ingrid. These events also painted Bjorn as hypocritical since as a child, he had heavily criticized Ragnar for cheating with Aslaug only to do the same thing as an adult.

4 He Declined Ragnar’s Offer To Go To England

Ragnar needed a way to redeem himself when he showed up after 10 years. He thought he could trust his sons to go with him to England, a land where he had made his name. Sadly, that didn’t happen. Bjorn declined, citing his Mediterranean ambition as the reason. Hvitserk said no, too.

Bjorn’s rejection was part of the reason why Ragnar went on a downward spiral, never to recover again. Things could have turned out much differently if the former Earl had the full support of his sons. Bjorn owed it to him, given how Ragnar had been such a good father when he was younger.

3 He Chose To Go With Lagertha After The Divorce

Among the things Lagertha did that fans can’t let go of was leaving Ragnar when he declared his intention to take Aslaug as a second wife. During the divorce, Bjorn was given the opportunity to decide who he would be with. He considered staying with Ragnar after being persuaded to do so by Torstein, but then chose to go with Lagertha.

Bjorn’s decision had a major ripple effect. It made Ragnar grow close to Ivar, leading to the rise of one of the greatest tyrants of the Norse era. Bjorn’s decision was also not logical since he had been closer to Ragnar than Lagertha. He wanted to be a warrior like his father too, so he ought to have stayed in order to learn from him. That way, he might have avoided some of the mistakes he made as King.

2 He Dated Astrid To Spite Lagertha

Soon after Ragnar’s death, Bjorn began dating Lagertha’s lover Astrid, and both were doing it to anger Lagertha. Astrid was upset about Lagertha hiding things from her while Bjorn had grown tired of Lagertha’s overbearing nature.

Apart from the morality of it all, Bjorn’s decision to date Astrid was a senseless one since Lagertha hadn’t done anything serious enough to make him act the way he did. It was also a pointless move since Lagertha wasn’t at all bothered.

1 He Refused To Give A Blood Eagle Sentence To King Ecbert

The “Blood Eagle” was one of the most brutal punishments on the show, as it involved an offender’s abdomen being carved open. After King Ecbert got captured, Ivar suggested the “Blood Eagle” but Bjorn refused. Ecbert then tricked Bjorn, making him believe he had gifted him with lands, yet he had already passed the throne to his son Aethelwulf.

Bjorn’s merciful nature was misplaced on this occasion. Among the worst decisions King Ecbert made was handing over Ragnar to Aelle to be killed. For this reason, Bjorn shouldn’t have thought twice about giving him the death sentence. It was unacceptable for Bjorn to think about his own interests at that moment because it was time for vengeance.

About The Author

Philip Etemesi
(1215 Articles Published)

Philip Etemesi is an author, journalist, screenwriter and film critic based in Nairobi. Kenya. As a child, he preferred watching movies like The Goodfellas instead of Home Alone. His girlfriend constantly has to pull him from the front of the TV but he just keeps returning. Stubborn dude! An animal lover, Philip also has a pet giraffe called Refu.

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