King Ragnar Lodbrok of Vikings??? :(

[TheStinger]

He's a Dwarf.

Wouldn't one of the chaps who invaded england or france be a better choice

[Gangerolf]

afaik he did invade france. at least he pillaged paris

[Gangerolf]

he took a trip to england as well. the english tossed him in a snake pit though.

[Hagbart]

Originally posted by TheStinger
He's a Dwarf.

Wouldn't one of the chaps who invaded england or france be a better choice

Yes one of those would have been the right choice. Knud (Canute) as the best choice.

[Hagbart]

Admit it Gangerolf, "Ragnar" sucks as a leader!
Being thrown into a snakepit does not help him.

[Gangerolf]

no real viking dies of old age

[TheStinger]

Do you remember the film Vikings, when Borgnine gets thrown in the pit of wolves.

Quality

[Hagbart]

No I've not seen those films.
Why do they have to be thrown into some sort of pit to be great?

[Mahdimael]

A. The movie "Vikings" was horrible

B. Why dying in pits is cool:
1. Pits can be filled with anything, from wolves to boiling acid
2. If you have to throw someone in a pit, it just shows how tough they are. Because not only are you having them killed by acid or snakes or whatever, you're also defending against them climbing out
3. Death by pit generally gives you the opportunity to say some cool last words, such as "AHHHHHHH!"

[Gangerolf]

Now I really want to see that film

[History Guy]

Hagbart-- Knud would be a rather bad choice, actually, if the Firaxians wish to have the leader a Viking that personifies all that the name means. Knud was not a Viking in the big, raiding warrior type. He was an empire builder. Furthermore, he lived at the very end of the Viking period, and would therefore not be the best choice of leader.

Ragnar, on the other hand, is a good choice. He DID raid BOTH France and England, capturing Paris and meeting his end in Northumbria, dying like a man. It is only the ones who die bravely, like Ragnar, who end up in Valhalla, right, Hagbart? Knud died an old man, not the Viking sort of thing at all. Take Harald Hardrada, Eirik Bloodaxe, or, even better, Ragnar Lodbrok, and you get the sort of man we imagine as being a total Viking.

As for dying in a snake pit, Ragnar went out valiantly, singing the sagas and the like. Not cowardly in the least.

[Galvatron]

Originally posted by TheStinger
Wouldn't one of the chaps who invaded england or france be a better choice

And once again say hello to Harald Hadrada . He didn't not only invade England he also came so close to conquer it.

I think the fact that dying in a pit is cool has something to do with Mortal Kombat. In this game people tend to fall into a pit all the time and since that day dying in a pit is something popular. It’s a kind of Mortal Kombat mythology.

[Hagbart]

Originally posted by History Guy
He was an empire builder. Furthermore, he lived at the very end of the Viking period, and would therefore not be the best choice of leader.

And the Vikings also were empire builders! They both raided, traded and build cities/castles.

But I must admit that dying in a pit is OK for a Viking. I'll just have to live with this "Ragnar" guy.

[Proserpine]

Or Hengist (actually a proto-Viking)?

Rurik (founded Rus)

Lief Eircsson?

Rollo (founded Normandy)

Haakon (took most of Scotland)

Guthrum (fought Alfred of England)

Any others?

[Hagbart]

Originally posted by Proserpine
Or Hengist (actually a proto-Viking)?

Rurik (founded Rus)

Lief Eircsson?

Rollo (founded Normandy)

Haakon (took most of Scotland)

Guthrum (fought Alfred of England)

Any others?

All you have listed here are good for GLs, but none of them should be the Viking leader.