In The Long Ships by Frans G. Bengtsson, the Viking hero is named Orm Tosteson.
The Swedish historical novel, originally published in two parts in 1941 and 1945, follows Orm from his youth through a series of voyages, battles, captivities, and religious changes during the Viking Age. Its Swedish title is Röde Orm, meaning “Red Orm,” a nickname referring to the hero’s hair.
The book is not a direct retelling of one Norse myth. Instead, it is a comic and adventurous literary reconstruction of Viking-era Scandinavia and the wider world reached by Scandinavian raiders and traders. Its historical setting includes the late tenth and early eleventh centuries.
Orm can be confused with other famous saga heroes, including Egil Skallagrimsson and Harald Hardrada. Those figures belong to different historical or literary traditions. Bengtsson’s central character is specifically Orm Tosteson, whose first name is the Old Norse word for “snake.”