4020) Ragnar Lodbrok (Old Norse: Ragnarr loðbrók, lit. 'Ragnar hairy-breeches'), was a Viking hero and a Swedish and Danish King: "The Way to Valhalla Coin Collection Series": A 2000 Francs CFA 2 oz Pure Silver Antique Finish Coin minted by – Mint XXI – Republic of Cameroon: Date/Year of Coin issue: 2024:
On the mystical land of the North, where rugged landscapes meet the endless sea, a new story emerges.
The world of the Viking warriors, where blood runs like rivers and battles echo through the ages. Here, the bravest of the brave can find The Way to Valhalla — a celestial realm of fallen Vikings welcomed by Odin himself.
The Way to Valhalla unveils a mysterious saga of fierce and courageous Vikings and their adventures leading them to everlasting glory. Feel the pulsating rhythm of their hearts as they sail across treacherous seas, fearlessly pushing the boundaries of their destiny. With each swing of their mighty axes, the air crackles, carrying the taste of triumph.
With a thrilling 12-edition journey ahead, The Way to Valhalla series immerses you into the heart of the Viking world, where the air is permeated with fascinating stories of Scandinavian myths.
Ragnar Lodbrok (Old Norse: Ragnarr loðbrók, lit. 'Ragnar hairy-breeches'), according to legends, was a Viking hero and a Swedish and Danish king:
He is known from Old Norse poetry of the Viking Age, Icelandic sagas, and near-contemporary chronicles. According to traditional literature, Ragnar distinguished himself by conducting many raids against the British Isles and the Carolingian Empire during the 9th century.
He also appears in Norse legends, and according to the legendary sagas Tale of Ragnar's Sons and a Saga about Certain Ancient Kings, Ragnar Lodbrok's father has been given as the legendary king of the Swedes, Sigurd Ring.
A warrior with shaggy breeches, killing a beast, on one of the Torslunda plates. The man has been identified with Ragnar Lodbrok in an early Swedish version of the legend (Schück). More recently, it has been interpreted as showing a Germanic initiation ritual in which shaggy trousers played a role and which may subsequently have contributed to the legend of Ragnar Lodbrok.
According to the Tale of Ragnar Lodbrok, Tale of Ragnar's Sons, Heimskringla, Hervarar saga ok Heiðreks, Sögubrot af nokkrum fornkonungum, and many other Icelandic sources, Ragnar was the son of the king of Sweden Sigurd Ring.
Nearly all of the sagas agree that the Danish king Randver was Sigurd's father, with the Hervarar saga citing his wife as Åsa, the daughter of King Harald of the Red Moustache from Norway.
The accounts further tell that Randver was a grandson of the legendary Scandinavian king Ivar Vidfamne by his daughter Aud (whom the Hervarar saga calls Alfhild).
After the death of King Ivar Vidfamne, Aud's eldest son by the Danish king Hrœrekr Ringslinger, Harald, conquered all of his grandfather's territory and became known as Harald Wartooth.
Harald's nephew Sigurd Ring became the chief king of Sweden after Randver's death (Denmark according to the Hervarar saga), presumably as the subking of Harald. Sigurd and Harald fought the Battle of the Brávellir (Bråvalla) on the plains of Östergötland, where Harald and many of his men died.
Sigurd then ruled Sweden and Denmark (being sometimes identified with a Danish king Sigfred who ruled from about 770 until his death prior to 804).
He sired a son with the princess Alfhild of the petty kingdom of Álfheimr, Ragnar Lodbrok, who succeeded him.
Eysteinn Beli, who according to the Hervarar Saga was Harald Wartooth's son, ruled Sweden sometime after Sigurd until he was slain by the sons of Ragnar and Aslaug.
In their accounts of his reign, the fornaldarsǫgur (Legendary sagas, or sagas of Scandinavian prehistory), tell more about Ragnar's marriages than about feats of warfare.
In the Saga of Ragnar Lothbrok, Ragnar is introduced by introducing his alleged father who was Sigurd Ring that according to the Saga, ruled over Denmark.
In the Saga, Ragnar is Introduced as a big man, handsome and well-provided with wisdom.
He was good to his men and cruel to his enemies. Ragnar's first account in the saga was to assemble an army, a fleet of ships, becoming a great warrior and slaying a dragon in the Norse lands of Götaland.
According to the Sögubrot, "he was the biggest and fairest of men that human eyes have seen, and he was like his mother in appearance and took after her kin".
He first killed a giant snake that guarded the abode of the Geatish jarl Herrauð's daughter Thora Borgarhjort, thereby winning her as his wife. The unusual protective clothes that Ragnar wore when attacking the serpent earned him the nickname Lodbrok.
His sons with Thora were Erik and Agnar. After Thora died, he discovered Kráka, a woman of outstanding beauty and wisdom living with a poor peasant couple in Norway, and married her.
This marriage resulted in the sons Ivar the Boneless, Björn Ironside, Hvitserk, Ragnvald, and Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye.
Kráka was later revealed to actually be Aslaug, a secret daughter of the renowned hero Sigurd Fafnesbane.
As the sons grew up to become renowned warriors, Ragnar, not wishing to be outdone, resolved to conquer England with merely two ships. He was, however, defeated by superior Northumbrian forces and was thrown into a snake pit to die.
The Saga of Ragnar Lodbrok, Tale of Ragnar's Sons, and Heimskringla all tell of the Great Heathen Army that invaded England at around 866, led by the sons of Ragnar Lodbrok to wreak revenge against King Ælla of Northumbria who is told to have captured and executed Ragnar.
The Coin:
The Reverse of the 2,000 Francs CFA 2-ounce Silver Antique Finish High-relief Coin'.
Ragnar Lothbrok, a man who was both a hero and a harbinger of change in a world ruled by sword and sail.
Forged in high relief, this 2 oz coin captures the icy gaze of a conqueror, the unyielding strength of a leader who carved his path across oceans, discovering new lands and battling foes with the might of a tempest.
Ragnar's powerful figure is etched in silver, as timeless and formidable as the icy Nordic seas he once conquered.
Part of The Way to Valhalla collection, it channels the spirit of Norse myth – where heroes are judged not by life, but by the legends they leave in their wake.
The Obverse of the 2,000 Francs CFA 2-ounce Silver Antique Finish High-relief Coin features a Viking Warrior riding a horse. The Design is supplemented with Celtic/Viking knots.
The peripheral inscriptions read - "REPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROON. 2025. 2 oz. 2000 FRANCS CFA. AG 999."
Issuer: Republic of Cameroon
Coin Theme: Ragnar Lothbrok
Issuing Year: 2024
Face Value: 2000 Francs CFA
Metal Composition: .999 Silver
Weight: 2 oz
Dimensions: 50.00 mm
Condition/Coin Quality: Antique Finish (AF)
Mintage: 500 pieces
Special Features: Digital printing, high relief
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