Why Does Blue Eyes Mean Danger?
The reason Ivar the Boneless’ eyes turn blue when in danger can be explained by a connection the character shares with the real-life Viking legend. 
Vikings character Ivar the Boneless has deep-blue eyes that turn even bluer when he is in danger, a prominent trait with real-world origins. The television series Vikings, inspired by the sagas of legendary Norse hero Ragnar Lothbrok, debuted in 2013 to praise from fans and critics alike.
In later seasons, the series shifted focus to Ragnar’s sons, primarily Björn Ironside and Ivar Ragnarsson. The youngest son of Ragnar and Aslaug, Ivar Ragnarsson is introduced in season 2 and quickly becomes one of the more ruthless characters in the series. Although a continuation of a theme that began with his father, Ivar’s blue eyes often have a uniquely distinct glow that adds a layer of realism to the character.
Ivar quickly establishes himself as one of the cruelest characters in the series with a short temper that often manifests itself in brutal murders. Labeled crazy by his own brothers, Ivar’s insatiable lust for war is inhibited only by his physical disabilities.
- He was born with osteogenesis imperfecta, also known as brittle bone disease, a genetic disorder characterized by fragile bones that easily break (hence the name Ivar the Boneless ).
- Due to this disease, Ivar is crippled and effectively ostracized from society.
- However, Ivar the Boneless is destined for glory like his father, a destiny symbolized by their piercing blue eyes.
More than a common genetic trait of the Scandinavian warriors, blue eyes are a recurring theme in the series. However, there is something very different about Ivar’s eyes. Ivar the Boneless was a real Viking leader who is said to have suffered from the same disease as depicted in the television series.
This influences nearly every aspect of the character, whose uniquely colored eyes add an extra layer of realism. The sclera (white part) of Ivar’s eyes sometimes turns blue, intensifying his natural eye color in a distinct glow. Ivar’s brother, Hvitserk, reveals that when this change occurs, as it does before battle in Vikings season 6, it means Ivar is in great danger of hurting himself.
Blue sclera is a symptom of Ivar’s osteogenesis imperfecta, and it’s established that the bluer his eyes, the greater the risk of breaking bones. Ivar used to ask his brothers how blue his eyes were first thing in the morning to determine if it was safe to play that day. 
Although Ivar’s physical appearance is more than just a continuation of a theme, there is a parallel drawn between his blue eyes and those of his brother, Ubbe Ragnarsson. Ubbe travels to North America in season 6, where he comes into contact with the indigenous Mi’kmaq people.
To the Mi’kmaq, Ubbe’s blue eyes mean danger. It’s never explained exactly why they think this, but it certainly has nothing to do with osteogenesis imperfecta as Ubbe doesn’t suffer from the disease. Ubbe’s blue eyes could be a thematic connection to the ambitions of his father, Ragnar, a connection Ivar also shares.
Blue sclera is not a symptom of everyone with osteogenesis imperfecta, but it is a realistic, as well as dramatic, way to depict the genetic bone disorder from which Ivar the Boneless suffers. Vikings establishes that the bluer Ivar’s eyes are, the more danger he’s in of hurting himself.
- This is played for dramatic effect perhaps most effectively in Vikings season 6, when Ivar’s eyes begin to turn before battle.
- This would be a clear warning to any rational character seeking to preserve life, but Ivar doesn’t allow anything to come between him and the fame he so desperately desires, not even death.
More: Vikings True Story: How Ivar the Boneless Really Died
What do the blue eyes mean in Vikings?
(2016) – The blue sclera (a blue tint to the whites of the eyes) of Ivar’s eye’s may be suggesting his condition is Osteogenesis Imperfecta or OI. Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) is a genetic bone disorder characterized by fragile bones that break easily.
Why are blue eyes the most sensitive?
Why are Blue Eyes More Sensitive to Light? – Lighter colored eyes like blue, hazel and green have less of a pigment called ‘melanin’ than brown eyes do. Melanin helps protect the retina from UV damage and blue light, putting those with blue eyes at a higher risk of developing UV-related eye damage.
What is Odin’s eye?
Odin’s Eye – In Norse mythology, there are many gods and goddesses. The supreme deity, however, is Odin, sometimes known by the extremely cool title of Allfather. His defining trait? He’s only got one eye. He’s not a Cyclops. One of his eyes was gouged out and is often covered by an eye patch.
Odin is an extraordinarily complex figure. He represents both war and poetry. He’s a leader and a hermit and he intervenes in the world of men as both a trickster and protector. Most myths surrounding Odin have to do with the acquisition of wisdom, including the story of how he lost his eye. According to mythology, Odin ventured to the mystical Well of Urd at the base of the world-tree that holds the cosmos together.
The well was guarded by Mimir, a shadowy being who becomes all knowing by drinking the magical waters. Odin asked for a drink and Mimir replied that Odin must sacrifice an eye for a drink. Odin gouged out his own eye, dropped it into the well, and was allowed to drink from the waters of cosmic knowledge.
So what does this myth mean? Well, the eye is a common metaphor for perception and worldly understanding. Odin sacrificed an eye, but gained a more sacred, divine level of wisdom in return. This happens multiple times in Norse mythology, as Odin sacrifices his physical body to gain a cosmic understanding of reality.
So the depictions of a one-eyed Odin represent the sacrifice of the earthly in exchange for the divine.
Why are blue eyes less trustworthy?
– The Czech research team has been exploring which facial markers spark feelings of trustworthiness during our mind’s subconscious profiling. They previously determined that eye color affects the shape of a man’s face; they found that brown-eyed men tend to have face shapes that convey happiness, which translates as trustworthiness.
- Blue-eyed men, the researchers found, typically have face shapes that convey anger, which means they’re viewed as less trustworthy.
- The researchers used 80 photographs of brown- or blue-eyed college students studying science at Charles University.
- The photos were rated by 238 test subjects based on attractiveness, trustworthiness, and dominance.
In another round, the eye color of the subjects in the photos was reversed, and they were then rated by a separate group of 106 people. The faces in the photographs were also analyzed based on the distance between the lips and brow, between the left and right cheekbones, and by the width to height ratio of the faces.