In the footsteps of Ivarr the Boneless
What was really wrong with Ivarr?
What of Ivarr's nickname 'inn beinlausi' – 'boneless' or 'legless'?
Some academics have argued that it is a mistranslation of earlier texts, the phrase 'inn barnlausi' ('the childless one') becoming 'inn beinlausi', or the Latin adjective exosus ('hating' or 'hateful') being misread or misheard as exos ('boneless'). It has also been viewed as a possible allusion to Ivarr's impotence, or as a reference to snakes (his family was strongly associated with snakes in the Norse tradition).
A new diagnosis
However, one suggestion has been all but ignored since it was first
raised in 1949. In his book Osteogenesis imperfecta: A study of clinical
features and heredity based on 55 Danish families, Knud Seedorf wrote:
Of historical personages the author knows of only one of whom we have a vague suspicion that he suffered from osteogenesis imperfecta, namely Ivar Benløs, eldest son of the Danish legendary king Regnar Lodbrog. He is reported to have had legs as soft as cartilage ('he lacked bones'), so that he was unable to walk and had to be carried about on a shield.
The medical diagnosis of osteogenesis imperfecta – more commonly known as brittle bone disease – sits uncomfortably with the accepted image of the Viking warrior. It suggests that the man who led the great heathen invasion of the British Isles – perhaps the most successful of all Viking leaders – was, in fact, disabled, unable even to walk. However, there is an abundance of evidence in the sagas that supports Seedorf's conclusion, but until now it has been resolutely ignored.
Disease or abuse?
The term osteogenesis imperfecta – or brittle bone disease
– covers a range of conditions characterised by abnormal brittleness
of bones. This is caused by a genetic defect in the development of the
connective tissue that forms the basic material of bone. The fragile bones
are unusually susceptible to fractures.
Severely infected babies, born with multiple fractures and a soft skull, do not usually survive. Those who do may suffer many fractures during infancy and childhood, often caused by only minimal force. Doctors investigating these may find it difficult to determine whether the cause is osteogenesis imperfecta or child abuse.
The fractures usually heal quickly, but may cause severe shortening and deformity of the limbs, resulting in stunted, abnormal growth.
Upper-body strength
For many, stories of Ivarr's extraordinary upper-body strength have
been enough to contradict the theory that he suffered from brittle bones.
How could somebody with the condition display such strength in their arms?
But according to Dr Colin Paterson, founder of the Brittle Bone Society
(see below), it is not unusual for only the bones in the thighs
and legs to be brittle and weak – arms are often left unaffected.
Sufferers of the disability can display tremendous upper-body strength.
Moreover, the less extreme forms of osteogenesis imperfecta (types 1 and 4) do not necessarily result in physical deformity. It is perfectly possible for sufferers to appear to be of normal or slightly reduced height, and simply lack the use of their legs, as in the case of Ivarr inn beinlausi.
Find out more
Brittle Bone Society
www.brittlebone.org
The society aims are to promote research into the brittle bones diseases
and to provide practical support, advice and encouragement to sufferers
and their relatives. The website has information on the disease and good
advice on living with the condition.
