‘Vikings’: Floki Once Saved Ragnar Lothbrok’s Life

In the hit series Vikings, Floki (Gustaf Skarsgård) is a shipbuilder and a good friend to Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel). He helps him “rise” as he later claims. But in season 1 episode 5, Floki helps save Ragnar’s life after a terrible turn of events. We have all the details.

Ragnar Lothbrok and Floki in ‘Vikings’

Ragnar is the main character in the series in season 1. His friend Floki builds him a boat, which is used in the first-ever raid on England at Lindisfarne in Northumbria.

Ragnar and Floki have fought together countless times in battle, and they are both skilled warriors. Despite close calls for them both, they survive and thrive. They’re both religious and believe in the Norse gods, although Ragnar loses his faith in the end.

The friendship they share has its ups and downs at times. Things hit a major hurdle when Floki kills a former monk named Athelstan (George Blagden), whom Ragnar abducts from England in the first raid. It devastates Ragnar as Athelstan is his best friend, and it puts a wedge between him and Floki for a while. But despite their falling out, they manage to become friends again eventually.

Ragnar is attacked 

At the beginning of the series, Ragnar is a farmer who the local Earl, named Haraldson (Gabriel Byrne) recognizes as a threat. After he refused for them to sail west and Ragnar did so on his own, Haraldson realizes Ragnar is becoming popular and has the admiration of the people. He sends his warriors to destroy Ragnar’s farm and himself, believing Ragnar threatens his rule.

At the time of the attack, Ragnar’s wife, Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick), his children Bjorn (Nathan O’Toole), and Gyda (Ruby O’Leary), as well as Athelstan, are at the farm. Ragnar is out hunting, but he hears the commotion and rushes toward home. Haraldson’s warriors attack the farm and the surrounding area, killing innocent people and burning their houses.

Ragnar fights warriors along the route back home, and during the commotion, his leg is cut by an assailant, although Ragnar continues fighting. But that’s not the worst of it. An arrow goes through part of his shoulder when he makes it back home. Ragnar breaks off the arrow, pulling out the remaining piece, and he goes about getting his family to safety. He gets them out through the floorboards, and while he distracts the earl, his family manages to get to their boat and hide at the bottom of it. After asking to “speak” to his “god,” Ragnar fights Haraldson’s men and gets away on a horse after asking Odin for his help.

Haraldson has Ragnar’s home burned, and he sends warriors after him. Ragnar manages to get pretty far in the woods while being pursued, and he lets himself fall off a cliff deliberately with Haraldson’s warriors right on his tail. He lands in the water near where his family is in the boat. Athelstan jumps into the water, saving Ragnar’s life, since he’s passed out.

Floki once saved Ragnar Lothbrok’s life

The family turns to Floki and his companion, Helga (Maude Hirst), for shelter and help. They take the boat to Floki’s home in the woods as Lagertha puts cloth over Ragnar’s wounds to stop the bleeding. Bjorn calls out for Floki, getting his attention. “My father is dying,” he tells Ragnar’s friend. Floki helps carry him into the home, telling Helga the different things he needs, including “the bark of the ash,” as well as “garlic, and the sage.” He plans to make a paste to put on Ragnar’s wounds. 

“But first, we must clean them,” Floki says referring to cleaning Ragnar’s wounds. “And the only way to make them clean is with fire.”

Floki is about to put the knife that’s been heated up over Ragnar’s wounds, but Lagertha chooses to do it. Floki then gets to work putting a paste on the wounds as well to start the healing process.

The next we see of Ragnar, he is beginning to heal and get better. Lagertha says it’s all “thanks to Floki’s magic.” Over time, Ragnar fully recovers because of Floki’s medical assistance with his wounds. He also provides shelter to the family during their time of need. If he hadn’t helped the Lothbrok family, Haraldson’s warriors would have tracked them down, finishing the job.

Floki saved Ragnar’s life, and once he’s recovered, Ragnar challenges Haraldson, and they fight one on one. Ragnar wins, killing the Earl, and he becomes the Earl himself. But that wouldn’t have been possible without Floki’s assistance.