According to legend, Ragnar was married to the noblewoman Thora Town-Hart (Þóra Borgarhjörtr).
Her father gave her a small lindworm that grew into a serpent and encircled her bower. Her father promised Þóra to the one who could slay the serpent. Ragnar Loðbrók arrived, killed the serpent and married Þóra. Ragnar famously wore the hairy breeches whereby he gained his nickname, Loðbrók meaning Hairy-Breeks. Ragnar went to Västergötland and dressed himself in shaggy clothes that he had treated with tar and sand. He took a spear and approached the serpent which blew poison at him. Ragnar protected himself with his shield and his clothes and stuck the spear through its heart. He then cut off the serpent's head, and married Þora.
According to the Tale of Ragnar Lodbrok's sons (Ragnarssona þáttr), they had two sons Eiríkr and Agnar, who would later die in battle with Eysteinn Beli, Ragnar's earl of Sweden. Before this Þóra died of an illness and Ragnar was remarried to Aslaug (Aslög), the daughter of Sigurd and Brynhild.