Ingvar the Stubborn[]
Ingvar the Stubborn was a Viking chieftain who lives from 755 to 815. He was born in present-day Denmark to Henrick Magnus, a tailor, and Aida Kamdan. His family had once been part of the noble class before falling out of favor with King Gustav II and losing their land. At the age of 12, Ingvar joined a raiding outfit led by Karl the Navigator. The outfit focused on plundering the British Isles and parts of France. Ingvar managed to rise through the ranks of the outfit until eventually becoming Karl's right-hand-man. In 773 Karl was killed in battle, leaving Ingvar in charge.
Because the British Isles and France were already being heavily invaded by other Viking groups, Ingvar was said to be unsatisfied with his plunder. Instead, he began to focus his sights eastward to present-day Russia and Ukraine. His earliest expeditions there were only used to map the area, as it was hardly explored by other Nordic people. His first piratic activity in the area was raiding villages in the western outskirts of Russia. Around the early 790's, Ingvar began to raid Keiv mainly to kidnap its inhabitants and sell them to Turkish slave traders. His diary chronicles indicates that this activity was substantially more profitable than anything he had done previously.
In 813, Vladyslav was crowned as king of Kieven Rus'. Among his first edicts was to organize an army to expel foreign raiders from his territory. Ingvar's diary indicates that he didn't regard Vladyslav as fearsome enemy. Ingvar's and Vladyslav's armies first clashed in 814 during the Battle of Olmsk, which resulted in a decisive victory for Ingvar. In 815, the two sides clashed again in the Battle Gorsk. According to chroniclers, Vladyslav's army was three times larger than in the previous battle. Ingvar's army was routed and he himself was captured and killed. It was said that Vladyslav kept Ingvar's cut-off head as a trophy.
-Igor Shifrin