Vikings: Why Ragnar Really Loved Athelstan

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Although Vikings mostly saw a lot of battles, betrayals, and deaths, it also had heartwarming moments and genuine relationships, and one of the most notable ones was the friendship between Ragnar and Athelstan – but why did the Viking leader love the Christian monk so much? One of the most popular historical dramas in recent years is Michael Hirst’s Vikings, which premiered on the History Channel in 2013 and came to an end in 2020 after six seasons full of action and drama. Vikings covered the first years of the Viking Age, and it brought to life some real-life warriors as well as some believed to be fictional.

Vikings initially followed legendary Norse figure Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel) and his many travels and raids alongside his Viking brothers, beginning with the Lindisfarne raid. As the series progressed, it shifted its focus to Ragnar’s sons and their own journeys, and after Ragnar’s death in Vikings season 4, his sons Björn, Ubbe, Hvitserk, Sigurd, and Ivar took the lead until the final episode of the series. Still, Ragnar’s actions and legacy are what made Vikings what it is, and throughout the four seasons he was in, he built some important relationships, among those his friendship with Athelstan (George Blagden).

Related: Vikings: Athelstan's Story Included A Key Historical Inaccuracy

Athelstan was an Anglo-Saxon Christian monk who was taken as a slave by Ragnar from the Lindisfarne Monastery during the above-mentioned raid, said to be what marked the beginning of the Viking Age. Athelstan was spared because he pleaded for his life in Old Norse, and once in Kattegat, he became as a slave to Ragnar's family’s home and farm. However, Athelstan became very close to Ragnar’s family, especially to his daughter,