Ingvar The Far-Travelled

Ingvar the Far-Travelled (Old Norse: Yngvarr víðförli, Swedish: Ingvar Vittfarne) was the leader of an unsuccessful Viking attack against Persia, in 1036–1042.

There were several Caspian expeditions of the Rus' in the course of the 10th century. The Yngvars saga víðförla describes what was the last Viking campaign in the Caspian in 1041, adding much legend to the historical facts. This expedition was launched from Sweden by Ingvar the Far-Travelled, who went down the Volga River into the land of the Saracens (Serkland). While there, they apparently took part in the Georgian-Byzantine Battle of Sasireti.

There are no less than twenty-six Ingvar runestones, twenty-four of them being in the Lake Mälaren region of Uppland in Sweden, referring to Swedish warriors who went out with Ingvar on his expedition to the Saracen lands, an expedition whose purpose was probably to reopen old trade routes, now that the Volga Bulgars and the Khazars no longer proved obstacles. A stone to Ingvar’s brother indicates that he went east for gold but that he died in Saracen land.