Why are Ragnar‘s eyes so blue?

As an avid Vikings viewer and gaming content enthusiast, I‘ve always been captivated by Ragnar Lothbrok‘s piercing icy blue eyes. Beyond adding to Travis Fimmel‘s already impressive screen presence as Ragnar, the intense blue color clearly signifies something important about this visionary Viking‘s character and destiny. But why are this legendary hero‘s eyes so blue? Read on for some illuminating Norse mythology symbolism, fan theories, and real world history on the truth of Viking genetics.

Eye Color Symbolism – Blue for Bravery, Gray for Greed

Throughout Vikings, eye color provides instant visual cues to a character‘s core nature – their soul if you will. Our defiant protagonist Ragnar boasts sky blue eyes denoting courage, spirit, and vision to lead his people. Meanwhile self-serving antagonists like brothers Rollo and Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye have darker gray/brown eyes representing greed and envy. This builds on the color psychology trope of "good guys wear white hats, bad guys wear black hats" except it‘s built right into Norse saga character design!

In Norse myth itself, bright blue eyes reflect ancestral lineage from the gods like Odin or Tyr. Contemporary accounts do describe fierce Viking raiders with an uncanny lightness of eye that shocked observers. Perhaps in the show, Ragnar‘s eerie eyes channel this sense of otherworldiness – a demigod walking among men to rally comrades for bold exploits overseas.

While mingled with some creative license, using specific colors like this in fiction often better conveys key traits we instantly recognize on a subconscious level. As a passionate gaming blogger and content creator myself, I‘m always impressed by how shows like Vikings draw from these archetypes in Norse myth.

Chameleon Eyes – Gray to Blue and Back Again?

Dedicated fans have noticed Ragnar‘s eyes seeming to shift on occasion – appearing more gray in low light or strikingly icy blue when impassioned. Some cite this as evidence of an injury, condition, or perhaps mystical ancestors shining through! But based on modern optics, the most likely explanation is how lighter eye colors can change hue naturally based on factors like lighting conditions, surrounding colors, and minute variations in shade across the iris.

Still, speculation runs rampant regarding the ultimate origin and meaning of Ragnar‘s steely blues. Just who were his real life historical ancestors that spawned such derivation? Did harsh northern light conditions select for lighter eyes over generations? What might rapid shifts in Arctic conditions signal to fellow Vikings upon voyages across the sea? If interpreted as a protective ancestor or the gods taking action through him, Ragnar‘s flashing eyes certainly captured attention!

While more mundane reasoning probably applies for the show‘s production, the sense of Ragnar‘s eyes channeling deeper meaning makes for compelling television. As both a gamer and Scandinavian descendant myself, I‘ll admit I wish we could unlock bonus lore to fully decode secrets behind this Viking visionary’s watchful gaze!

Vikings vs Hollywood – Most Had Darker Features

Despite Ragnar Lothbrok‘s dramatic blue eyes in Vikings, contemporary archaeological evidence suggests real Vikings tended more towards darker hair and eye coloring. A 2020 study analyzing DNA samples from over 400 Viking world remains found most carried genes for brown eyes, dark hair, and olive skin better suited for subsistence living in harsh northern climes.

So while vividly portrayed in shows and games, the common image of Vikings as uniformly flaxen-haired and steely-eyed raiders stems more from 19th century romanticism and 20th century pop culture stereotyping. That said, coastal trading and raiding overseas did introduce an additional diversity of genes and appearances not often depicted accurately even now.

Given his daring exploits and near-mythical status, Ragnar stands as the poster child Viking. Therefore the show likely amplified his physicality to better capture imaginings of a revered ancestor. As mainstream entertainment, adherence to strict historical accuracy matters somewhat less than conveying the feeling of legends come alive on screen! So while not matching reality, the creative liberties taken serve the story’s emotional impact for we viewers.

Reading the Runes – What Ragnar‘s Eyes May Mean

As a fan enthralled with Viking lore and cosmology, the mystic in me cannot help further speculate on potential hidden meaning encoded in Ragnar’s sea-blue eyes. Do they signify direct ancestral lineage tying back to Norse gods themselves as old legends tell? Throughout turbulent eras following initial raids westward, did such blue eyes help garner greater fear and notoriety from Christian victims taken aback? Or do his flashing eyes reflect emerging hereditary leadership – a power to compel comrades in harmony once sailed or battlements breach?

We can of course chalk up the convenient color contrast to creative license and showmanship for television. But delving deeper into sagas, artifacts, and accounts of the age, perhaps there yet remains something we’ve lost from that worldview. The way a flaming Northern Lights display could presage vulnerability in battle. How wolves organically select pack alphas to heed some primal directive. In that lens, might Ragnar’s piercing eyes still channel old magic – ancestry and authority bound to a supposed demigod? As one captivated by games and Viking lore, I for one embrace letting such legend and meaning manifest through this storied character’s vision.

In the end, many factors real, imagined, and opaquely uncertain still shroud origins of Ragnar’s azure gaze – a compelling trait we fans fixate upon as a window to something profound. And thus viewers shall ponder what secrets lie behind these blue eyes each time our defiant hero scans the seas for new plunder or schemes!