Ragnar Lodbrok

About Ragnar Lodbrok

Ragnar Lodbrok is a semi-legendary Norse nobleman and Viking hero whose historical importance is significant enough to place him at rank #554 in MIT's Historical Popularity Index. Often associated with raids across early medieval Europe, he is traditionally regarded as the father of several historically important figures, including Ivar the Boneless and Björn Ironside, tying him closely to the era of early Scandinavian expansion and the wider narrative of the age. His influence is rooted in his role as a foundational figure in the sagas that defined the early Viking age.

Despite his relatively high historical rank, Ragnar Lodbrok garners only 1.1 million annualized Wikipedia views in 2025. This level of attention puts him in the 'overattention' category, with a calculated Attention Gap of +3x relative to his historical importance. Intriguingly, this modest digital footprint still outpaces figures ranked significantly higher by historical impact, such as the scientist Hans Christian Ørsted (#383 importance, but only 102K views).

The trajectory of interest suggests a decline, as his 2025 performance shows a sharp -28.1% year-over-year drop in views and a -40% momentum shift between the first and third quarters of the year, indicating fading engagement with his legacy in the current digital sphere.