The Kattegat Civil War is a blood feud and war of succession within the Kingdom of Kattegat. The war was presumably won by the forces of Ivar the Boneless and King Harald of Vestfold-Rogaland, who won a resounding victory at the second battle after suffering a high casualty setback at the first battle.
Prelude[]
The Wives of Ragnar[]
While Ragnar was an earl, he had committed adultery with a Geatish princess named Aslaug and sired Ubbe. Wishing to have many sons and being smitten with the princess, Ragnar suggested to his then wife Lagertha that they arrange for a polygamous marriage. Ragnar wanted to have both women in his life. Lagertha was offended by this suggestion and divorced Ragnar. She would later remarry to the earl Sigvard and eventually become an earl herself. Aslaug would eventually give Ragnar the sons Hvitserk, Sigurd, and Ivar.
Ragnar became king, and following his Frankish campaigns, Kattegat became a major trading center in Norway. During Ragnar's exile, Lagertha had begun to harbor animosity towards Queen Aslaug and planned to conquer Kattegat. When Bjorn left with the majority of the fighting men and women in Kattegat for his Mediterranean Raid, Lagertha launched a swift and brutal takeover of Kattegat. Aslaug surrendered and promised to tell her sons not to take vengence. As Anslaug left, Lagertha shot an arrow into her back.
The feelings among the brothers about the murder of Aslaug were split. Bjorn did not approve of his mother's actions but would not allow his younger brothers to raise a hand against her, as she was still his mother. Sigurd loathed his mother and Hvitserk had mixed feelings about her. Ivar, who was the closest to Aslaug, demanded vengence and Ubbe shared his brother's feelings.
Kinslayer[]
Sigurd held a long-running feud with his youngest brother Ivar. This was in part due to a clash of personalities, and in part due to jealousy. Because of Ivar's condition, their mother often favored him over Sigurd. In a celebratory feast in the former Wessex royal villa, Bjorn as leader of the army gave several toasts to victory and the destruction of two English kingdoms. Whilst discussing the way forward, he and Ivar got into a heated argument, and exchanged many insults and curses. In a rage, Ivar threw an axe at Sigurd, which lodged in his left abdomen. He stumbled slightly, in an attempt to retaliate, but ultimately fell and died. His death created a definite rift among the sons of Ragnar Lothbrok.
Four Sons and One Crown[]
In Nordic society, all the sons of the previous king could be considered proper candidates to inherit the crown. Bjorn, being the only living child of Lagertha, and the oldest son of Ragnar would have a strong claim. Ivar's claim as king is supported by King Harald and his older brother Hvitserk.
The Gathering Storm[]
As Harald has ambitions to annex Kattegat, Ivar and Hvitserk sought an alliance with him after defeating the Saxons at York and establishing a stong base there. Ivar promised to make Harald his heir in exchange for his military aid in overthrowing and killing Lagertha. Harald's queen, Astrid, was a former lover of Lagertha's and she sent a warning through Hakon to Kattegat. Lagertha and her allies had just enough time to muster a strong army of up to 3,000 warriors and to choose the site of the battlefield, somewhere in the lands of the Kingdom of Kattegat.
Battles[]
First Battle for the Kingdom of Kattegat[]
The ensuing battle was a conclusive success for Lagertha and Bjorn's forces, but not a decisive one. Even though the forces of Prince Ivar and King Harald had sustained heavy losses, they retreated back to Vestfold-Rogaland, where Ivar received the help of Duke Rollo's forces, numbering some 1,000 soldiers which would ultimately turn the tide in favor of Ivar.
Second Battle for the Kingdom of Kattegat[]
After a successful charge from Ivar's hidden weapon, the fierce Frankish soldiers, Lagertha's forces were forced to retreat. Both sides took heavy losses, while the Sami alliance was broken with the death of King Svase and his daughter, Bjorn's lover, Princess Snaefrid.
Aftermath and Consequences[]
The consequences of Ivar's triumph were immediate. Lagertha and her remaining warriors fled Kattegat, leaving it ripe for the taking. Ivar would effectively become the new king of Kattegat, while Lagertha, Bjorn, Torvi, Ubbe, and Heahmund fled to England, their army now disbanded. Another consequence was the return of Rollo to Kattegat, presumably part of an alliance between the Duchy of Normandy and the new ruler of Kattegat.
However, the true winner that benefited the most from the conflict could be viewed to be King Alfred and the Saxon forces. At the conclusion of the conflict, over 2,500 Viking soldiers were killed, which greatly depletes Ivar's forces and hampers his ability to continue the Conquest of England. Also, King Alfred gains several key allies as a result of this conflict, including Lagertha, Bjorn, Torvi, and Ubbe, all of whom are skilled in Viking tatics and will likely prove an obstacle for Ivar. Furthermore, Bishop Heahmund is able to rejoin the Saxon forces, and is now highly versed in the Vikings' battle strategies as well as Ivar's battle tatics from the battles he fought in during his imprisonment, thus making him a much more deadly and effective commander.
Trivia[]
- The war loosely resembles the conflicts between Eirik Bloodaxe and his brothers in the 10th century, where the many sons of King Harald did not accept his nomination of Eirik as the High King of Norway.
