23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest People
God of War-Ragnar Lodbrok

“There is no fear within me; beyond darkness, there is no other color.” I asked him, “What is the reason behind this conflict and your sentence to pay blood money?” He said: “Because of honor. He was harassing someone’s honor—a girl. I tried to stop him, but he kept behaving wrongly. I lost my patience and, in a moment, stabbed him with a knife. I don’t like to cause trouble or discomfort for others, but if I see someone harassing my or someone else’s honor, I stand against them like a wolf.” Amir is a 21-year-old young man who studied up to the 10th grade in high school and did not continue his education. Among his friends, he is nicknamed “Butterfly,” but he has chosen “God of War” for himself. His legendary role models are Ragnar Lothbrok and the late Vahid Moradi. He has a long record of conflicts and legal cases. In his most recent altercation, he injured someone with a knife and was sentenced to pay blood money for it. He is unable to pay the compensation, and if he doesn’t, he will go to prison.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 05.2025
Date Uploaded: 12.2025
Photo Location: ardabil, Iran
Camera: ILCE-6400
Copyright: © Hamid Azimi