Regnar Lodbrog befrier Thora Borgahjort 1830 - 1896

Franz Wilhelm Obermann made this drawing, Regnar Lodbrog friar til Thora Borgahjort, sometime in the 19th century. It illustrates a scene from Norse mythology: Ragnar Lothbrok, a Viking hero, clasps hands with Thora Borgarhjort, symbolizing their betrothal after Ragnar bravely slays a dragon to win her hand. The image creates meaning through visual codes that were already circulating in Obermann's time. Consider the context of 19th-century national romanticism in Denmark. Artists and intellectuals were looking to the distant past, including Viking sagas, to construct a sense of national identity and heritage. Obermann's choice to depict a legendary Viking tale reflects this cultural and political interest in forging a heroic national narrative, where traditional values such as courage, honor, and strength were celebrated as the foundation of Danish identity. Historians often turn to literature, folklore, and political writing, alongside of visual analysis, to better understand the appeal of historical themes and the social function of this kind of imagery.