Watch: World’s Strongest Viking Breaks 1,000 Year Old Lifting Record Mentioned In Icelandic Sagas

World’s strongest Viking, Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson a.k.a “The Mountain,” broke a record mentioned in the Icelandic sagas. The record had remained unbroken for 1,000 years.

While competing in the World’s Strongest Viking competition Hafþór Júlíus broke the record that no one had beaten for over a 1,000 years. Incidentally, Hafþór Júlíus not only break the record, but emerged victorious in the entire competition – twice in as many years.

Hafthor Bjornsson broke 1000 year old strength record carrying this 650kg 10m long log 5 steps!! #Thor #TheMountain pic.twitter.com/h9JLazpczj

— Tom Dawson (@dawsy5484) February 3, 2015

Strongman Champions League organizer Ilkka Kinnunen said the original record is mentioned in the Icelandic Saga book,

“The record has been described in the Icelandic Sagas. The legend of the Icelander Ormur Stórólfsson goes that he walked three steps with a monster wooden log which weighed over 650 kg and was 10 m long. It took 50 mere mortals to help him place it on his back. After he took his third step, his back broke under the enormous pressure and he was never the same after that.”

At this year’s competition, Björnsson, undeterred by little things like a shattered spine, carried the log for five steps, breaking the millennium-old record. Fortunately, he also seemed to be exactly the same after that, going on to win the entire competition for the second year in a row and bellowing “Nothing can stop me! Nothing can break me!” to an adoring crowd. Though he may have taken just two steps further than his Icelandic predecessor, those two small steps have earned him a permanent place in the history books as the man who dared to take on a 1,000 year old lifting challenge and won, without breaking anything.

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Hafþór may not be officially the world’s strongest man yet, but he is well on his way. Bjornsson’s next goal is to win the World’s Strongest Man competition and he’s one – or five – steps closer. After coming third in 2012 and 2013, Bjornsson finished second in last year’s contest. However, with the titles of Europe’s Strongest Man and World’s Strongest Viking under his belt, Bjornsson has his eye firmly on the title of World’s Strongest Man.

Hafþór Júlíus plays Gregor “The Mountain” Clegane, a huge warrior in HBO’s Game Of Thrones. The warrior eerily resembles the towering Goliath who makes small work of the puny warriors who face him. Interestingly, Hafþór was a basketball player before an ankle injury forced him to change his career and in 2009 he turned to the strongman competitions.

Having already starred in four seasons of Game of Thrones, Hafþór Júlíus has been confirmed to appear in the fifth season well. Perhaps his strongman achievements may put even a bigger scare in the minds of his opponents.

[Image Credit | News.Au, FalvorWire]