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From: "Todd A. Farmerie" <>
Subject: Re: Ivar the Boneless
Date: Wed, 01 Jan 2003 07:06:17 -0700
References: <3E07CC89.5FC443F1@comcast.net>


Rod Keys wrote:
> Ladies and Gents,
>
> In my estimation "Ivar the Boneless" is the finest name of any real
> historical character. He was, of course, a Viking who held sway in
> Scotland an eon ago.
>
> Yet, in spite of Google searches and usergroup posts I have so far, been
> unable to learn how he earned such a fine name.
>
> Was he an adept dancer? Proficient at ducking battle axes? Sexually
> challenged? What was it that gave the man his name?

Later versions of the story say he had no bones, just cartilage,
but this is clearly an after the fact explanation of a nickname,
the original meaning of which had been long lost. (It should be
pointed out than this is a large concern in taking such sources
as Snorre at face value. Much of the ancient traditional
material spoak in a metaphoric sense lost on the later
'historians' who attempted to explain it literally, resulting in
silliness like the above, or 'Blood Eagling'.)

taf

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