The accounts further tell that Randver was a grandson of the legendary Scandinavian king Ivar Vidfamne by his daughter Aud (whom the Hervarar saga calls Alfhild).

Ragnar’s first account in the saga was to assemble an army, a fleet of ships, becoming a great warrior and Slaying a Dragon in the Norse lands of Götaland.

After Thora died, he discovered Kráka, a woman of outstanding beauty and wisdom living with a poor peasant couple in Norway, and married her.

[20] Here Ragnar's father Sigurd Ring is a Norwegian prince married to a Danish princess, and different from the victor of Brávellir (who had flourished about thirteen generations earlier).

[25] Sometime later Björn was put in charge of Norway, while Ragnar appointed another son, Eric Weatherhat, as ruler in Sweden; he was subsequently killed by a certain Eysteinn.

Ælla, son of Hama, with the help of allies known collectively as the Galli – possibly a group of Norse-Gaels (who were known in Old Irish as Gall-Goídil),[27] expelled Ragnar's sub-ruler Ivar the Boneless from England and remained a persistent enemy.

[29] Unlike the Icelandic sources, Saxo's account of Ragnar Lodbrok's reign is largely a catalog of successful Viking invasions over an enormous geographical area.

The Bjarmian use of magic spells caused foul weather and the sudden death of many Danish invaders, and the Finnish archers on skis turned out to be a formidable foe.

[30] The historical king Harald Klak is by Saxo (based on a passage in Adam's chronicle) made into another persistent enemy of Ragnar, who several times incited the Jutes and Scanians to rebel, but was regularly defeated.

In spite of all his praise for Ragnar Lodbrok, Saxo also considers his fate as God's rightful vengeance for the contempt he had shown the Christian religion.

The Ragnarsdrápa, ostensibly composed by Bragi Boddason in the 9th century, praises a Ragnar, son of Sigurd, for a richly decorated shield that the poet has received.

[44] Ragnar's Vikings raided Rouen on their way up the Seine in 845 and in response to the invasion, determined not to let the royal Abbey of Saint-Denis (near Paris) be destroyed, Charles assembled an army which he divided into two parts, one for each side of the river.

In a passage referring to the Viking raids of the late 9th century, he mentions the Danish or Norse pirates Horich, Orwig, Gotafrid, Rudolf, and Inguar (Ivar).

[48] According to the contemporary Anglo-Saxon Chronicle and Asser's Life of Alfred, in 878 the "brother of Hingwar and Healfden", with a naval fleet, a contingent of the Great Heathen Army invaded Devon in England and fought the Battle of Cynwit.

[49] The early 12th century Annals of St Neots further state that "they say that the three sisters of Hingwar and Hubba, daughters of Lodebroch (Lodbrok), wove that flag and got it ready in one day.

The Irish Cogad Gáedel re Gallaib from the 12th century, with information deriving from earlier annals, mentions king Halfdan (d. 877) under the name "mac Ragnaill".

The saga highlights Ragnar's divine connections, particularly his descent from Odin, framing him as a semi-mythical hero blessed with the qualities associated with the Allfather, such as wisdom, courage, and poetic speech.

The Gesta Danorum,[55] written in Latin in the 12th century, this work by the Danish historian Saxo Grammaticus provides one of the earliest accounts of Ragnar and his feats.

While Saxo does not explicitly emphasize Ragnar's descent from Odin, the narrative incorporates divine and heroic motifs that align with Norse tradition.

Poetic references to Ragnar or figures resembling him appear in Norse skaldic poetry and eddic poems, often linking heroes to divine ancestry as a way of enhancing their heroic status.

The stories of Ragnar’s courage and cunning, including his use of a fleet of ships to breach Paris, reflect the strategic brilliance attributed to Viking leaders.

His death, allegedly in a pit of venomous snakes ordered by King Ella of Northumbria, is portrayed as a moment of stoic heroism, enhancing his mythic status.

In Scandinavian history, Ragnar Lodbrok and similar legendary figures have served as symbols of national pride and resilience, particularly during periods of cultural revival.

His ability to gather and command loyal warriors was central to his influence, as a successful Viking leader depended on retaining a retinue of well-armed and motivated followers.

The warrior aristocracy was sustained through the acquisition of plunder and tribute, and Ragnar's reputed success in these endeavors exemplify the ideals of Viking leadership.

Ragnar's role as a progenitor of a line of prominent Viking leaders, such as his legendary sons Ivar the Boneless, Bjorn Ironside, and Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye, help explain the importance of kinship ties in maintaining aristocratic power.

His sons’ significant roles in Viking conquests and the establishment of the Danelaw reflect how Ragnar’s legacy reinforced the continuity of aristocratic dominance.

Ragnar's exploits exemplify the broader ambitions of the Viking warrior aristocracy, which sought to expand their influence through exploration, trade, and conquest.

Whereas Ragnar's sons Ivar the Boneless, Halfdan Ragnarsson, Björn Ironside, Ubba and Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye are historical figures, opinion regarding their father is divided.

According to Hilda Ellis Davidson, writing in 1979, "Certain scholars in recent years have come to accept at least part of Ragnar's story as based on historical fact.