06 BJORN IRONSIDE

Name=Bjorn Lothbrok Nickname=Bjorn Ironside, King of Kattegat Birth=781 AD Age=37-39 Occupation=Prince (formerly), Viking Settler, Viking Warrior Family=Ragnar (dead father), Lagertha (mother), Gyda (dead younger sister), Ubbe (younger half-brother), Hvitserk (second younger half-brother), Sigurd (dead third younger half-brother), Ivar (youngest half-brother), Þórunn (first wife), Torvi (second wife), Astrid (dead ex-lover), Snaefrid (dead third wife), Siggy (dead oldest daughter; with Þórunn), Hali + Asa (son and daughter; with Torvi) Appearance=long braided blond hair, a long dark blond beard, blue eyes, very tall at 6'2", muscular build, fair complexion, tattoos that mirror those of his father Ragnar and of a dark line-work symbol near his left eye and temple area, bold, two-part symmetrical tribal chest tattoo featuring heavy Nordic knot-work, intricate geometric patterns and triskele symbol accents wrapping around his lower arms, traditional Norse-inspired line ornaments covering his upper back and shoulders Clothing=a woven tunic, leather breeches, boots, a belt with a sword hanging from it

Personality=Bjorn is a great warrior in all respects, just like his father. As a young child he tries to keep his parents from fighting. He also wants to become a man in society so he can go on raids with his father and uncle. Norse society adheres to the belief that a “real man” is a killer, so Bjorn is eager for the chance to fight to prove his manhood. This is evident in how when he’s asked what a man does, his first answer is, “He fights.” Ragnar approves of this response, but nevertheless reminds him that they do more as well. Like all children, Bjorn has his moments of being a bratty kid. This happens especially around Athelstan. Like most of Norse society, Bjorn scorns him for being a Christian and a slave. He is shown to be indifferent and even cruel towards Athelstan. Thankfully, Bjorn grows out of it, and openly laments Athelstan’s death. He thoroughly rebukes King Horik’s cruel words about the priest being a traitor and worthless individual. At times, Bjorn seems to be the reasonable one in his family. Unlike his father, he appears to be much more in-tune with the emotions of those around him, which becomes even more apparent when he grows older. Young Bjorn can go on some very philosophical tangents regarding the gods and fate at times. Rollo occasionally poked fun at these tendencies. As an adult, Bjorn is Ragnar’s most trusted lieutenant and right-hand man. He shows extreme loyalty to Ragnar even after years of separation, yearns for glory on the battlefield and a place in Valhalla, is passionate about fighting and eager to battle, is a highly skilled warrior, even when he is young, was strong enough to match Rollo in a drunken brawl and in his first battle is fast enough to get through without ever been struck. The true testament of his prowess as a warrior comes during his time alone in the wilderness, he survives for several months in the icy mountains, manages to track down and kill a bear with only a hatchet and knife, and outwits and overpowers a supposedly invincible Berserker who was sent to assassinate him. He calms down a bit though, except for the Siege of Paris, where nearly everyone had a brush with death. Bjorn continues to prove deserving of his nickname “Ironside” all the way into being an adult, proving hard to wound in any battle. Bjorn tends to be the most emotionally stable of the brothers. He is noticeably much more mellow and agreeable as an adult than he was as a child. Bjorn has a somewhat different personal code than most other Viking men. He refuses to rape women in raids or slaves. After his time living in the wilderness, Bjorn tends to act cold and distant to most people. While he still is a lot less willing than most Vikings to kill or throw away lives without need, he has definitely hardened since he was a kindly young adult. It’s clear that Bjorn doesn’t have his father’s intelligence or penchant for outside-the-box thinking. When he realizes that Ragnar doesn’t trust him to follow in his footsteps, this prompts Bjorn to strike out on his own and do some traveling to prove his worth to both himself and Ragnar. Bjorn is a bit vain when it comes to his appearance. He knows women, and men, find him attractive. He takes great pride in his battle scars, bearskin cloak, and tattoos. His tattoos and hairstyle are clearly modelled after the ones Ragnar had in his younger years. He is clearly attracted to women who are assertive and confident. His youth and inexperience with women often show when he is unable to understand his wives’ choices or actions. He becomes more attracted to Þórunn and Torvi as they grow more self-possessed. Bjorn’s courage, deep devotion to his parents, and unshakeable code of honor are all similar to the personality of the god Baldr.

Backstory=Bjorn, also known as Bjorn Ironside, is the son of Ragnar Lothbrok and Lagertha and the oldest of Ragnar’s many sons. Bjorn, a 12-year-old boy, lives with his parents Ragnar and Lagertha, and his sister Gyda on a farm near Kattegat. Accompanies Ragnar to Kattegat to receive his arm ring, marking him a man in Viking society. Exposed to Viking justice system; participates in sentencing and execution, which disturbs him. Introduced to Floki, who predicts greatness for Bjorn. Left at home while Ragnar raids west; hears stories of Norse gods from Lagertha. Resents being under the care of captured monk Athelstan. Sees Ragnar begin an affair with Aslaug; angrily confronts his father and demands it end. Tells Lagertha of Aslaug but stays mostly loyal to Ragnar. Joins Lagertha when she leaves Ragnar, urged by Torstein to support his mother. Lives under abusive stepfather; discovers he hits Lagertha and threatens to kill him if it continues. Desires to test his strength by living alone in the mountains. Convinces Lagertha to fight for Ragnar despite Sigvard’s refusal; reunites with Ragnar, now grown and strong. Earns his warrior name “Ironside” after proving himself in battle. On his return to Kattegat from England, Björn formed a relationship with a former slave-girl, Þórunn, who was freed by Aslaug because she realized Björn loved her. Björn was surprised when Þórunn told him that she was pregnant. After the battle of Mercia, he asked Þórunn to marry him and she said yes. He looked after her when her face was badly scarred in battle. Later, she gave birth to their child: a daughter they named Siggy. Björn sleeps with Torvi, Erlendur's wife, when Þorunn rejects his attempts to have sex with her and tells him to find someone else to be with, due to her feeling self conscious about her nasty scar. Bjorn strikes up a conversation with Torvi, who looks quite smitten by Bjorn and gives her a drink and asking that her husband is coming to Paris when Torvi says she is coming as well, Bjorn notes that she has courage. Bjorn later leaves the party and sits out on the beach depressed when Torvi goes to join him. Although he initially refused, right before he has sex with Torvi, he tells her that he loves his wife right before they have passionate sex on the beach. He later finds Torvi and apologizes for taking advantage of her, and hands her a bracelet as a gift. She tells him that she's neither with child or a child herself, and apologizes too for taking advantage of him. It also becomes apparent that Torvi and Bjorn are starting to fall in love with each other, much to Erlendur's fury. Ragnar finds Björn unconscious towards the end of the Vikings' failed attempt to get into the city of Paris, with two crossbow bolts stuck in his back. Björn wakes later that night, and while still hurt, he tells his father that he should have never called him "Ironside," doubtful that the gods are protecting him. His father rebuts and questions, "You're alive, aren't you?" to which Björn says nothing. Later, while still healing, Björn is up and walking but holds his arm obviously still in pain. Ragnar trusts only Björn with something secret, which later is shown to be that Ragnar is still alive as when he exits Paris, Björn catches and holds him. He later defends himself and tells his mother, Rollo and Floki he only did what his father asked of him. After returning to Kattegat with the rest of the raiding party he takes the treasure from the raid and shows it to his family and Queen Aslaug; his younger half-brother Ubbe shows interest in a map of Europe that Björn had taken, believing it to be more valuable than gold. He then publicly denounces Floki as a murderer and has him arrested. Ragnar disapproves of this decision, remarking that Björn is still acting impulsive. Aslaug brings Bjorn's young daughter, Siggy, to him, but he barely acknowledges her. Later he leaves for the wilderness, in order to prove to himself and his father that he can survive on his own. Björn manages to make the trek through the snowy mountains until he finds an abandoned cabin, where he takes shelter. He sustains himself mainly by setting traps and ice-fishing. A bear repeatedly escapes his traps, and Björn decides to track it down. He eventually encounters it and manages to kill it with an ax and dagger. Despite his speed and agility, Björn is slashed across the upper chest by the bear's claws. He cauterizes the injury to prevent infection. In tribute to his achievement, Björn tattoos his arms and makes a cloak from the bear's hide. When Kalf and Erlendur learn that Björn is isolated in the mountains, they dispatch a Berserker to assassinate him. Although superficially wounded in the encounter, Björn outwits and subdues his opponent by whipping a handful of fishing leaders bearing heavy fish hooks into his face. He tortures his captive, asking who sent him, but the man refuses to talk, so Björn disembowels him. Björn then goes to visit his mother in Hedeby. Kalf and Erlendur are visibly disappointed that their assassin failed. Björn claims he came to take Torvi away with him, and does so, though Erlendur forces her to leave her son behind. When Björn returns to Kattegat, he is suspicious of the newcomer King Harald "Finehair." Conversing with his father as they prepare for the second raid on Paris, Björn is rebuked for ignoring his daughter and for separating Torvi from her child. Björn retorts that Ragnar tried to separate him from his mother as a child, but Ragnar replies that Lagertha left him and Björn chose to go with her, though he acknowledges that he had been a bad husband and that Björn should not repeat his mistakes. When Björn is looking over his map of Europe later, Torvi comes to visit him and notices a ring that he had taken from the Berserker. As they start to make love, Torvi remarks that the ring was passed to Erlendur from his father King Horik, revealing to Björn that Erlendur ordered the assassination attempt. Later, as the Vikings are settling into France in order to come up with a plan for their battle strategy, Björn approaches Erlendur asking about the ring and whether he knows about it. Erlendur replies that he knows nothing of the ring which is relayed in turn to Torvi who says he is lying for she knows it is his father King Horik's ring. When the Vikings travel upriver towards Paris, led by Rollo, the ships are shot at from the forts by Frankish soldiers. When the Franks lower the chain between the two forts, several ships are capsized and sunk. Björn helps many warriors out of the water, including Harald. When returning to their camp, to find it had been attacked, Björn reunites with Torvi and his brothers. After everyone is recovering, Björn tells Torvi that it was all Ragnar's fault. Björn helps Ragnar execute his plan to take the boats across the mountains. As the days bleed into each other, the Vikings haul their ships across the mountain top. Björn and Torvi are closer then ever. When Lagertha loses her baby, both Björn and Ragnar comfort her. One night as he and Torvi are laying in their bed in the Viking camp Björn confesses his love for Torvi after making love, but unbeknownst to Björn, Torvi sees Erlendur hidden in the dark, aiming his crossbow at Björn. Torvi then changes sides with Björn, putting her body in front of Björn. The next day, Erlendur tries to force Torvi to assassinate Björn, promising to kill Guthrum if she doesn't obey him but Torvi kills Erlendur instead. Bjorn particiaptes in the second battle against the Franks with Bjorn slaying several Franks but the Vikings are eventually overwhelmed with Lagetha, Halfdan and Floki seriously injured and the Vikings are forced to retreat, Bjorn grabs his mother and jumps onto a retreating boat and a bloodied Bjorn is last seen resting in the ship. Ten years later, Ragnar has disappeared, Björn has married Torvi and had a family with her. Torvi has given birth to one son and one daughter, Hali and Asa. Bjorn has also become a father figure for Torvi's eldest son Guthrum. Bjorn is informed from another Viking that the Wessex settlement was destroyed as soon as they had left Wessex, Ragnar had never told anyone except Floki and kept it a secret. Bjorn relays this nformation to his now grown up half brothers: Ubbe, Hvitserk, Sigard and Ivar. When Sigard says that Ragnar should have told the people Bjorn says that maybe if he had told them they might have killed him. Hvitserk and Sigard are angry at Ragnar for abandoning them when they were kids but Ivar defends Ragnar saying that he choose to invade Paris and become famous rather than avenge a few average viking farmers. Bjorn says that the combination of the Viking defeat and Rollo's betrayal finally broke Ragnar. People talked about Ragnar like he was a god but he wasn't a god he was a man, a man with many dreams and failings. Despite Ragnar abandoning them he is still the greatest man in the world to him. Ragnar returns to Kattegat after a long absence and offers Bjorn and his brothers to go to England with him but Bjorn declines saying he want's to explore the Mediteranean instead. Once Floki's ships are ready Bjorn travels to Frankia where they try to bargain with his uncle Rollo, who is the Duke Normandy to let them past his coastline so they can travel to the Mediterranean without any trouble. Bjorn is introduced to his cousins William, Marcellus, and Celsa. However they are imprisoned, But Rollo agrees to let them through as long as he accompanies them. They reluctantly let Rollo come due to his betrayal years earlier but not before knee hauling him for his betrayal. Hvitserk, Bjorn, Harald, Halfdan, Floki, and Rollo then sail down the Mediterranean and arrive at a town which would be later known as Spain and slaughter any resistance and steal any treasure they could get their hands on. While staring out at the ocean on a cliff Odin himself approaches Hvitserk and Bjorn and tells them their father is dead. Hvitserk and Bjorn return to Kattegat, but not before dropping Rollo back at Frankia. Ubbe and Ivar try to kill Lagatha again but are stopped by Bjorn, who says they will have to kill as well as Lagatha, Ivar suggests that maybe they should, Ubbe tells him angrily to shut up. Ubbe tells Bjorn that Lagatha killed his mother, Bjorn says he knows and that he knows that he wants revenge and he would want the same thing if he was in same circumstances. He takes Astrid as a lover as revenge against his mother for having taken the power to Kattegat. Bjorn forms the Great Heathen Army with his brothers to avenge Ragnar, before leaving he says goodbye to his mother Lagatha and Astrid and Torvi and tells them both to look after his mother. He avenges his father by easily defeating the forces of Northumbria and killing King Alle with a blood eagle ceremony.The Great Heathen Army then faces the force of Wessex, confusing and outmaneuvering the forces and causing them to retreat. They capture King Ecbert and High Pope. Ivar demands a blood eagle for King Ecbert but Ubbe and his brother convince Ivar otherwise. Ecbert, unbeknownst to Björn, had passed his kingship onto his son, Æthelwulf. Still pretending to be king, Ecbert granted Björn farming lands, telling him since he was king of kings he could do so. He tricked Björn since the real king was his son and is the only one who can grant land. Ecbert committed suicide in his bath. At the end of Season Four, he wants to keep exploring the Mediterranean Sea and Halfdan volunteered to go with him. Bjorn then witnesses Ivar kill Sigurd by throwing an axe into his stomach and is horrified when Sigurd dies. Bjorn, Halfdan, Sinric, and Bjorn's followers are sailing back to the Mediterranean. Bjorn tells the group that he wants to go to Rome, but Sinric tells him that the Roman Empire is no longer in existence. Bjorn then asks where they should go. Sinric replies that the group should go to an island called Sicily. Sinric informs Bjorn that it would be better if their fleet of ships were seen as traders rather than raiders, that he should send most of his fleet home, and proceed with only three ships. When Bjorn tells Sinric that if does this he would feel naked. Sinric replies, “It’s better to be naked than to be dead.” Upon arrival in Sicily Bjorn, Halfdan, and Sinric are introduced to Commander Euphemius. They tell him that they are traders, but Euphemius attacks them. Bjorn manages to disarm Euphemius and points his own blade at him. Euphemius then welcomes them to his city. Euphemius informs Bjorn that they aren’t the first Northmen to come to Sicily and that he learned Old Norse from the Kievian Vikings. He then tells Bjorn that he wants him and his men to be his bodyguards. Bjorn agrees. Later, Sinric discovers that Euphemius is merely a client king to the Emir of Ifriqiya, Ziyadat Allah. Bjorn asks to visit him. Euphemius refuses but is persuaded to agree by Kassia, a famous nun, when she threatens to leave him if he doesn’t take the Vikings to Emir Ziyadat Allah. Halfdan wonders who Kassia is since she holds so much power over Euphemius. The group sets sail for Kairouan, Tunisia in Africa. Bjorn and his group travel by camel caravan across the desert to meet Emir Ziyadat Allah. The Emir welcomes him and offers to trade. Euphemius disappears. Bjorn and Halfdan are given women to pleasure them. Bjorn finds his satisfactory while Halfdan seems disappointed because his wasn’t actually a woman. Bjorn asks if that was a problem for him, but Halfdan changes the subject. Later at a banquet, the Emir explains that Commander Euphemius had defected to support the emperor of Rome, but he has been captured and executed. The Vikings realize that Euphemius is the meal they are eating and that Kassia is more powerful than she seems. Sinric says that they should leave Africa and return to their ships because Kassia is the one behind everything that has happened, and she is dangerous. Before they can escape, they are arrested and are about to be executed on Kassia’s orders when a sandstorm suddenly approaches. They manage to escape during the sandstorm and sail back to Kattegat. Bjorn and Halfdan return to Kattegat, he meets his new ally King Svase of the Sami. Bjorn and Torvi end their marriage, but Bjorn promises Torvi that he will always look after her and Erik, Refil, Hail and Asa. He then proposes to marry Snæfrid. Bjorn and his allies discuss how to respond to Ivar's attack, Bjorn assumes that Ivar will attack from the land, and his allies agree with him assuming, that Ivar will not attack the town from the sea. The armies of Lagertha, Bjorn and Ubbe, and of Harald, Ivar and Hvitserk, meet above Kattegat. Lagertha proposes peace talks, but Harald, then Ivar, reject a settlement. Before battle, Ivar takes Astrid and a third of their army towards shore, to protect their fleet. Hvitserk and his group try to flank, but are ambushed in the forest by the Sami. Battle begins, and Bjorn and Lagertha gain the upper hand, as Harald's forces are outflanked. After the battle Bjorn seeks peace with Ivar and Harald, but is rejected as Ivar says he has to avenge his mothers death by killing Lagetha; Ivar moves to have him killed but is stopped by Harald. The army of Lagertha faces those of Ivar and Harald for a second time but this time with the help of Frankish warriors supplied by Rollo. Bjorn's traitorous Uncle. As Ivar orders the Frankish reserves onto the field, Lagertha and Bjorn retreat. As Bjorn prepares to leave Kattegat, he finds Lagertha broken with her hair turned white. After fleeing Kattegat in a hurry Bjorn, Ubbe, Lagetha, Torvi and their children flee to the same hut he had sought shelter in decades earlier. Rollo finds them and urges Lagertha and Bjorn to return with him to Frankia, revealing himself as Bjorn's possible father. Bjorn rejects both Rollo's offer and Rollo as his father. Bjorn tries to kill Rollo but is stopped by Ubbe and Lagetha. Ivar finds the hut, but Lagertha and her followers have already left, leaving a crazed Margrethe behind. They steal a boat and sail for England. At Heahmund's suggestion, Lagertha, Bjorn and Ubbe are to be allowed to settle in East Anglia in return for fighting against other viking incursions. Begins a relationship with {{user}}.