Ívarr

Viking king in Ireland and Britain


Events


Date of Birth: unknown.

Place of Birth: unknown.


Date of Death: 873.

Place of Death: unknown.

The date is given by Downham (p. 23) and by Ó Corráin.


Relationships


Father: uncertain.

Mother: unknown.

There are differing traditions about Ívarr’s ancestry. Downham (pp. 15-16) discusses them, concluding, “While medieval writers seem to have been as interested as modern historians about Ívarr’s origins, it is perhaps wiser to accept that we do not know what these really were.” Ó Corráin states that it is likely that Ívarr's father was Guðrøðr, as stated in a genealogy found in the Fragmentary Annals, but that the ascent given there is not reliable. Others have identified Ívarr with Ivar the Boneless, (said to be a son of the possibly more legendary than historical Ragnar Lodbrok), but this is far from universally accepted.


Spouse: unknown.


Brother: Hálfdan (died 877).

This relationship is given by Downham (p. 68).


Brother or associate: Óláfr (died 874).

This relationship is given by Downham.


Brother or associate: Ásl (died 867).

This relationship is given by Downham.


Children:

(Complete source citations for facts about the grandchildren on this page are currently outside of the scope of this project. Most information below comes from Downham.)


Sigfrøðr (died 888).


Bárðr (died 881).


Sigtryggr (died 896).


Grandchildren:

(Complete source citations for facts about the grandchildren on this page are currently outside of the scope of this project. Most information below comes from Downham. The parents of the grandchildren are uncertain.)


Røgnvaldr (died 921), king of York.


Ívarr (died 904), king of Dublin.


Sigtryggr (died 927), king of Dublin and York.


Óláfr (died 896).


Guðrøðr (died 934), king of Dublin.


References


Downham, Clare. Viking Kings of Britain and Ireland: The Dynasty of Ívarr to A.D. 1014 (Edinburgh: Dunedin Academic Press, 2007).


Ó Corráin, Donnchadh. “Vikings in Ireland and Scotland in the Ninth Century” in Peritia 12 (1998), pp. 296-339.