The Battle of the Brothers is a military engagement over a land dispute. It depicts the confrontation between Ragnar and King Horik's forces against Jarl Borg and Rollo's forces. The events takes place in Season 2 Episode 1, Brother's War.
Prelude
Jarl Borg of Götaland had become embroiled in a dispute with King Horik of Denmark over mineral-rich lands that they both desired to control. In an effort to resolve the dispute peacefully, Horik sent Earl Ragnar as his emissary to Jarl Borg. Apparently unimpressed by Ragnar, Borg refuses to relinquish his claim as he regarded Horik as a foreign king with no legitimate claim to the land. Unwilling to negotiate and compromise, Borg insists that he will neither renounce his claim to the land nor accept payment for the land. Meanwhile Borg also entices and manipulates Rollo into betraying his brother by preying on Rollo's resentments and insecurities.
The Battle
Jarl Borg invades Denmark to settle the dispute. The two armies face off in a valley. In the pre-battle negotiations, Rollo refuses Arne's request to rejoin their side ahead of the battle.
Both armies form shield-walls. Ragnar gives the order to charge, upon which Borg orders his own men to charge. The two sides meet in fierce battle. The deadlock is broken when Rollo leaps over the shield-wall and attack's Ragnar and Horik's army from behind. Floki takes on both Rollo and Borg at the same time until Rollo knocks him unconscious and severely injuries him. Then, Rollo kills Arne when he impales him on a spear, giving him a painful death. This provokes Ragnar into confronting his brother. Rollo hesitates to hurt or kill his own brother and lays down his spear in surrender. With Rollo's surrender, the rival leaders order their men to stand down.
Aftermath
The two sides meet at Jarl Borg's camp, where King Horik proposes new terms: Jarl Borg will receive a third of all the income from the disputed territory. Borg initially declines the offer, saying he would rather continue the fighting. Ragnar angrily interrupts, asking why they are looking inwards when they could unite and raid the new lands to the west. Ragnar then suggests that the Vikings could find fertile land outside of Scandinavia to use for farming. He invites both rulers to unite and raid with him. Horik readily agrees with Ragnar, while Borg reluctantly gives in. While the battle is over, the feud between Horik and Borg will continue.
Rollo has been taken into custody and will be put on trial. Ragnar bribes the lawmaker with a gold coin from England to make him pretend that the gods want to spare Rollo from a death sentence. Rollo regrets his betrayal, killing Arne, and believes that it would have been better for everyone if he had been executed instead of Ragnar sparing his life. Rollo is released into Ragnar's custody.
Trivia
- The chanting heard during the battle is taken from Darraðarljóð, a Norse poem about twelve Valkyries weaving the fate of the warriors at the Battle of Clontarf. The translated lyrics are: "Let us now wind the web of war, Where the warrior banners are, forging forward, Let his life not be taken, Only the Valkyries can choose the slain!"
