Exploring "Ragnar The Red"

[Jackie Daytona]

The last couple times I played Skyrim, I heard "Ragnar The Red" quite a few times. I got to thinking about the song, and... there's something about it. Something that seems... odd, to me anyway.

Let's look at what we know about Ragnar. He boasts a lot. He is wealthy. He owns a horse. He drinks to excess and waves his sword around. He is ugly. He is a hero. He's probably from Rorikstead. His name would imply he is a Nord. He would seem to have red hair. He may be lying about his exploits.

If he's from Rorikstead, that would be interesting. Why? Because Rorikstead is a young settlement. Rorik had bought the land that would become Rorikstead 20-30 years prior to the begining of Skyrim.

This means that Ragnar was killed within that same time-frame. Maybe. They do say, "Ole Rorikstead" in the song. So it might refer to the Rorikstead that existed 100s of years ago.

What do we know about Matilda? Very little actually. She is a female warrior. Based on name, probably a Nord. A shield maiden. What's a shield maiden? Well, it depends on who you ask.

In real life shield maidens are a subject of debate among historians. Some believe they were Norse warrior women. Others believe the shield maidens were merely wives/daughters of fallen Norse warriors. These women were dressed in armor and then murdered by their own people so they could join their spouse/father in Valhalla. (Because dying in armor is like dying in battle... I guess?)

In Skyrim, shield maidens are... um... nothing. I can't find any information about shield maidens in Skyrim. I mean, like... none! Considering that every little thing in Skyrim is connected to something else or a reference in some way... I find it surprising that there is nothing more to shield maidens in Skyrim other than a name.

There is one character in Skyrim that is a shield maiden, and isn't Matilda. Her name is simply "Grim Shieldmaiden". Other than being a Dark Brotherhood target, there's nothing more to her. However, she can be killed multiple times. Which means there are more than just one Shieldmaiden in Skyrim.

Of course, this tells us little. There's clearly some sort of Shieldmaiden organization, but there's no more information than that.

This all leads me to 2 possible conclusions.

1.) Ragnar died recently, but is a fairly unimportant person. Matilda has disappeared. Most likely due to her notoriety arrising from the song. Perhaps she left Skyrim entirely. Or maybe she simply changed her name to avoid attention. Her Shieldmaiden friends could probably help her disappear. She could also be dead for a plethora of reasons. Skyrim is a dangerous and violent place.

2.) Ragnar died long ago, and his soul still haunts Skyrim. Ragnar is the Headless Horseman. They are both Nord, clad in steel, are missing a head, and are dead. He reappears near Whiterun where he died. He then travels to Hamvir's Rest. Presumably because "Ole" Rorikstead was located near there. Ragnar is buried there. Buried, without his head. As such his soul is tormented and unable to pass on. His only thoughts are of his last moments. Losing a "game" to Matilda.

Edit: Also, what did Ragnar do to deserve death? Get drunk and exaggerate his adventures?

[kimbersplace4320]

Beautifully worked out, bravo!

[Shirome Artiste]

There's been a Rorik's Steading roughly near where current Rorikstead is ever since the first era.
Holdings of Jarl Gjalund, a book in skyrim, references Rorik's Steading as "in the western plains"(Looked at from Whiterun's POV).

Shieldmaidens, historically, have a basis that's mostly rooted in norse mythology. Mind you, it's possible(Female remains clad in, what remained of, armor have been found at old battlesites) that shieldmaidens were a semi-rare but legit thing in nordic armies. Female warriors in those ages were pretty rare in formal armies, although villages tended to field whomever could wave a stick around in its defense.

In skyrim warrior-women aren't a novel thing, as even during the dragon era women took up arms(See translated dragon murals, the boatload of female draugr running around, etc.)

It's highly likely that Ragnar managed to drunkenly insult or challenge Matilda, after which he got himself killed off for his troubles. Which in skyrim isn't that uncommon.

[Varkonas_norse]

Maybe Matilda was like Uthgerd and didn't take crap from anybody. That would be my guess. He just made her mad enough to lop off his head.

[Jackie Daytona]

Originally posted by Shirome Artiste:

There's been a Rorik's Steading roughly near where current Rorikstead is ever since the first era.
Holdings of Jarl Gjalund, a book in skyrim, references Rorik's Steading as "in the western plains"(Looked at from Whiterun's POV).

From what I understand, there's no definitive answer as to where the old Rorikstead(s) may have been located. Were it to be south/south-west of Hamvir's Rest, it would be in the correct area. That is, in the plains west of Whiterun. This also places it next to a road. Seems like a decent spot for a village.

Originally posted by Shirome Artiste:

Shieldmaidens, historically, have a basis that's mostly rooted in norse mythology. Mind you, it's possible(Female remains clad in, what remained of, armor have been found at old battlesites) that shieldmaidens were a semi-rare but legit thing in nordic armies. Female warriors in those ages were pretty rare in formal armies, although villages tended to field whomever could wave a stick around in its defense.

I watched a video on the topic years ago. The guy called into question the evidence. Made a good case. Not sure about it. I wouldn't know. Norse history is something I know almost nothing about.

Originally posted by Shirome Artiste:

In skyrim warrior-women aren't a novel thing, as even during the dragon era women took up arms(See translated dragon murals, the boatload of female draugr running around, etc.)

Oh, absolutely. I'm not denying the existance of warrior women in Skyrim. I was just saying I couldn't find any lore on anything called a "shield maiden" in the game, in any wiki, or the Imperial Library.

Originally posted by Shirome Artiste:

It's highly likely that Ragnar managed to drunkenly insult or challenge Matilda, after which he got himself killed off for his troubles. Which in skyrim isn't that uncommon.

Well, he clearly did something to anger her. Although from the song it sounds like Matilda was the one to challenge him. Starting by listing off her greivences.

You could be right. When it comes to Ragnar everything is speculation. There's nothing too solid. I mean, the entire thing could be the fiction of some long-dead bard.