Background and characters

You are all "Northmen" and inhabitants of Heimsted, where your parents, uncles, aunts, etc. owns houses and farms or works for farm owners. 

Heimsted is is a small gathering of farms clustering around the first; Heimrs Gård, founded by Heimr and his small clan of Northmen wandering into the area a long time ago; after The Great Plague had devastated the area. Why they left their homes on the other side of Þokufjöll to join their distant kinsmen around Nothwa Rhaglaw, nobody remembers, but it has been their home for more than 300 years. 

You are part of a larger but dwindling Northman settlement/tribe/nation. In the northeast around Nothva Rhaglaw and in the west, north of veðurhæðir, two small  Northmen tribes live. These Wulfseggi total around 2500 men and women, with another 3- 4000 living two weeks’ travel to the southwest in Þjóðveldið Fëotar Your society centers around the torp, a small cluster of longhouses, and are suspicious of all outsides- those not of their own people anyway. This is a grave necessity in these lands where all hands are turned against you. The core of these Eredain are the Edain that has lived here since the migration of the three houses of the Edain in the First Age and peaked with a large tribal federation in the Second Age. These original Edain has been joined by their kin from the Anduin Vales coming over the mountains for land and service as mercenaries, and noone really remember these days what families are which from the intermarriages through millenia. Especially in these centuries of reversals where wars, famines and plague has almost wiped out these Eredain and reduced their numbers to almost unsustainably low.

 

The Freehold - Torp/þorp (village): A typical freehold consists of 20- 50 persons, about half of whom, referred to as the tahaim, are the family or close kin of the freeholder. The rest consists of “marls”, Eriedain whose Tahaim has been destroyed or dishonoured, and who has thus been taken into service. There are often a few “bondsmen” as well, these are essentially slaves, and typically oathbound to serve for a number of years- or even life, for some crime, debt, or for losing in some petty war or blood-feud. 

The centre of the freehold is the “Búgarður” (E. longhouse), which, like most other buildings, is built of timber, turf, rock, or bricks, depending upon the available materials. Timber does dominate. The main family lives here, the others dwelling in smaller scattered buildings within 200 meters of the main building, these also contains stables and workshops. It is all fenced with a firm.... fence. This is the first line of defence against raiding bandits, Hóll-Folk, Orks and Trolls, while the Búgarður, strongly built, can withstand for a while should they break through. A torp is one or more freeholds built near to one another. There is only one settlement larger than a few Búgarður; Nothva Rhaglaw.

Though the Thegnongar is the absolute ruler of the freehold, as was his father before him. The Tahaim’s honour is the Thegnongar’s main concern, apart of course from the running of the freehold, and should it be impugned he is obliged to declare a blood-feud. Few as they are, such feuds are often long and bloody, extending for years after the original offence. This is a custom unlikely to ever be suppressed, as the honour of the Tahaim is the most important thing for its survival; when you have no rulers and enforcement of laws from above, all you have to rely upon is your reputation and strength (see below on the concept of honour - in Danish written for my students). The Eriedain maintains self-sufficient homes, and normally only see their neighbours from other Torps at fairs or at the Teng, the closest thing they have to a ruling body where all present Thegnongars pass judgement in unsolved cases. Or when co-operation is needed in defence of the Freeholds of the three Lande (E. Counties/Shires) that makes up the Northman “nation”. In times of crisis a leader is sometimes elected for a specific task. And the most influential Thegnongar is the one in Nothva Rhaglaw- the spiritual centre of the Wulseggi. However, by strong custom, any stranger, coming in peace, must be provided with food and shelter. This obligation extends overnight for Dwarves and non-Eriedain humans, and three nights for Eriedain.

 

 

Near you to the east, and more distant to the north, live the nomadic Hóll-Folk, who- contrasting you- are small of stature, with black hair and brown skin. They subsist on hunting and gathering, and pillage! The coexistance has not always been easy, as neither you nor they have shied away from pillaging and robbing one another. And you are a proud warrior people, while they are tough hunters and wanderers of the wilderness.

The last generation, however, has been peaceful, and they have even visited your village occasionally to barter ironmongery and other finished goods that they cannot produce themselves. You do not trade weapons with them though, just in case.

 

Far to the west beyond your western kinsfolk, the Adûn-Folk live in stone houses and castles. They are tall and dark-haired with light skin and eyes and generally fair to behold, but grim and serious of countenance. You rarely see them, but occasionally their scouts visit your village; hard men clad in green, brown and grey, armed with warbows and long swords of bright steel, and with an air of violence held in check like a drawn bow, ready to release death at a moment's notice. Despite their smiles, polite speech and sometimes small gifts for you children.

 

 The Adûn-Folk are great smiths, builders and craftsmen; soldiers, sages and kings. But you mostly know them from myths and stories, sagas, rumours and old stone ruins. Even though a few come annually to trade in Nothwa Rhaglaw, where your parents have met their traders. These days nobody travels as far as their realms as the empty lands in between become more and more dangerous; filled with bandits, monsters, Trolls and Orks, but old stories tell of heroes that went to serve them and returned with treasure, arms and armour of magnificient make. Those would come in handy now, for to a larger and larger degree, both you and the Hóll-Folk have to defend against incursions from Orks and trolls, and your elders are furrowing their brows and speaking in low, worried tones in the evenings. Fortunately only one or two Trolls or more than ten Orks, and you yongsters have yet to see any as you are only coming of age, but you hear about them. Old nursery tales also tell of ghosts and wights and fairies; the dance of Elven maidens' feet in midsummer glades and the clanging of Dwarven hammers under the mountains, dragons in the skies and an evil undead Witch King in the icy land of Járnheimar behind the mountains to the north. These are, of course, merely nursery tales to scare children...

 

Your organisation and technological level is equivalent to historical Iron Age tribal level. Your people weave your own woolen cloth, make iron from bog iron and ceramics for household use, but most of your wool goes to the Adûn-Folk, and from them you get tools, fine, dyed cloth, metalwork, jewelry, weapons, glass and fine ceramics. Your own part-time smith can make and work iron for basic needs, but steel is beyond him and for that you need to go to Nothwa Rhaglaw, where their smith can make pattern-welded steel, and you can buy Adûn-Folk Wootz Steel. 

 

The Hóll-Folk is even more backward and must to a large extent make do with tools and weapons of stone, bone and antlers, and to your knowledge no-one equips them with iron, let alone steel.

In addition to their personal gear and weapons, each wanderer carries the following in a backpack:

Hardtack, dried meat, grain and oatmeal for porridge, dried fruit, salt and fat for ten days -                                                                                 10 kg

Heavy woolen cloak doubling as a blanket -                                   5 kg

Knife, wetstone, spoon, bowl, flint & steel, etc. -                            1 kg

Needle, thread, leather-needle, sinew, fat/beeswax for shoes, etc. - 1 kg

Two extra pair of sox, extra woolen longjohns -                             1,5 kg

Heavy boots and winter clothing made from leather, fur and wool -   6 kg

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Hárjánáz                                         Astrith Finsdottir

Hárjánáz Aslaksson (descendant of Heimr - no player) 

Is young man of unique physical qualities. The Hero who live the strongest and amaze the most; his loyalty and nobility, his power and bravery. From his earliest years, Hárjánáz was raised to lead by example, shield others and care for the weak. He will never accept injustice or cruelty, especially against the weak and is the archetypical heroic Northman Warlord. He is strong, noble, intelligent, handsome and charismatic, but not stupidly brave like a Paladin, and is able to spot when a tactical or strategical retreat is in order to fight another day, and will think tactically to win- not just charge in and expect his strength to prevail.

Hárjánáz will volunteer for the expedition, and automatically step in to lead when the experienced Widar Ziuson falls in an ambush. He is secretly in love with the slightly younger Astrith Finnsdottir, but she is not a fitting match, which is only made worse by her being Eyvindr skjald's sister- for the elders definately do not like him and his sharp tongue. And Hárjánáz is too shy to tell her anyway (but she knows, and it is mutual).

Ulvarth Bernfriedsson (Rasmus)

Ulvarth never met his father and only remembers his beautiful mother from childhood. She was a maid at Aslak's farm, but died of the Blood Cough when he was eigth. He stayed on the farm as a herder for Aslak and friend and playmate of Aslak's son Hárjánáz. Serving as a herder suited him well, for he thried and thrives best in the hills and forest and wilderness, and eventually he became a scout and hunter, though somewhat lacking in social skills with others than Hárjánáz. Some people whisper that his father was of the Adûn-Folk, but nobody knows for certain and most people like the quiet boy enough to not speculate to his face. His motivation for embarking on the journey is to help his friends, be in the wilds, and perhaps in time discover more about his father. His only clues is a necklace his mother always wore, but which were neither local, nor of Northman make.

Utz Ulveelsker

Earned his nickname by bringing an injured wolfpup home to Heimrsted to heal with the help of Guthrun The Vølva. He thus discovered an affinity for nature, herbs and the natural forces of healing. Abilities he has nurtured and grown since, as he is an emphatic friend, who wishes nothing more than to heal and ease every hurt, pain and injury in friends and all good/natural beings. This wish naturally makes him want to joing the ox transport, in order to heal his friends should they be injured.

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Jadwiga Guthrunsdottir

Has devoted her life to the fertility goddess Gefn (Freja), whose blessing she spreads on fields, animals and households. While also taking omens and performing minor healing. Warriors also serve Gefn, so Jadwiga can also fight if necessary, so much more, when a friend is injured. If a friend is seriously injured she will do anything to help him/her, and push the enemy away (+10 OB and -5 DB if a friend is under half hit points). An omen has shown her bad tidings for Heimsted, and she fears evil will afflict the ox-transport and thus joins to help her friends.

Eyvindr Finnsson

er en ung, smuk mand, med ordet i sin magt, mens hans forældre er henholdsvis hyrde og kogekone for landsbyens rige familie. Han kan drille og spotte, så folk bliver drevet til vanvid, og prise og smigre, så de bliver fyldt med glæde. Helt fra barnsben har kan digtet små vers og sange om venner og fjender, og da han er en vennesæl mand med stort hjerte for dem han holder af, er han afholdt i landsbyen. Ikke mindst blandt sine nære venner, som han tilbringer megen tid med. I sommerens løb er Heimrsted begyndt at føles for lille for ham, som er han lukket inde og ved at kvæles. Han længes ud; efter at se verden og finde gammel viden- og han vil meget gerne lære at læse mere end en kort runeristning, og de sprog han har hørt om, at andre taler. Han er derfor glad for muligheden for at komme til Nothwa Rhaglaw, der er den største bebyggelse i nærheden.

 

Adalynn Markwardsdottir

Er den anden og yngste datter af Markward Troldedræber, der- som hans navn antyder- har dræbt en trold alene. Adalynn har dog valgt en anden vej. Markward har været overbeskyttende overfor sin smukke datter, og for at lære og opleve ting, såvel som smage mjød og øl, har hun været nødt til at snige sig ud, lytte ved døre, dirke låse op, og på anden vis snige sig. For hende er følelsen af fangeskab reel; hun er fanget i et gyldent bur til Markward finder en passende mand. Noget Adalynn bestemt ikke ønsker, hun kan læse lidt, og har hørt skjaldes fortællinger om tapre krigere og skønne møer, og drømmer om at lade sit hjerte råde. Hun er på én gang lidt drømmende og naiv, og lidt udspekuleret. Og da hun hører snak om, at der for første gang i tre år er okser nok til at drive dem til Nothwa Rhaglaw, bestemmer hun sig til at snige sig ud, og slutte sig til driverne for at komme væk i sikkerhed og opleve den verden hun har hørt om og læst lidt om.

Einride Thrugotson

Er ældste søn af byens fattigste familie, der ikke har glemt, at de engang var den næstrigeste og berømte krigere, men en af dem spillede og var en dårlig bonde, og det gik nedad derfra i fire generationer til Thrugot, der er en fordrukken enkemand ingen vil gifte sig med, og slår sin søn (lidt for meget). Einride hader ham, og tørster efter muligheden for at komme væk, for at skabe sig et navn og rigdomme. Einride er intelligent og ambitiøs og vil bruge næsten ethvert middel for at skaffe sig rigdomme, et navn og avancement. Han er stadig en god fyr, der holder af sine venner, ikke vil svigte dem, og ikke gøre nogen ondt, men det er ikke ham, der giver tiggeren en mønt, og han vil forfølge enhver mulighed for at avancere i verden. Han springer gerne på muligheden for at komme væk og frem i verden.

Keirr Jalmarisson

Er i lære som smed hos Ildr-Orm, og har meget talent for arbejdet med metal. Han er stærk og velovervejet, og kan derfor godt virke som en stor, naiv, blid kæmpe. Han er ikke naiv…
Derimod er han loyal, og hans store styrke gør at han generelt er blid og omsorgsfuld, for folk kommer til skade, hvis han tager hårdt fat. Bliver han provokeret nok, kommer hans mørke side frem og en morderisk, kold hidsighed kommer over ham, der fokuserer på, at dræbe den, der har gjort hans venner og kære ondt. Han vil helst bare blive i landsbyen og arbejde med jern og læder og heste, og lære mere om, at lave stål, men når hans venner tager afsted, tager han med. Og med tiden vil lysten til at lære mere smede- og soldaterkunst end byens smed kan, vågne og blusse i ham.

Athanarig Atlesson

Er fræk som en slagterhund; en charmerende flabet, sorgløs, spillende, skørtejagende, livsnydende drønnert, der helst bare leger sig gennem livet, men som længes efter nye eventyr, en kro, nye piger og kvinder, nye spil, nye oplevelser. Man skal dog ikke undervurdere hans loyalitet overfor sine venner. Han slås kun i selvforsvar eller, for at forsvare dem. Senere lærer han måske, at det til tider kan være nødvendigt at angribe.

Vikingetidens mandeideal 

Kilder: Jackson Crawford og De islandske sagaer.

Familiesagaerne er blevet til ved, at islandske stormænd og magtfulde familier har nedskrevet mundtligt overleverede beretninger om deres familiers historie og heltegerninger i 1200- 1400. De er altså ikke nedskrevet i vikingetiden og ikke danske, men islandske. 

Dette giver problemer, hvis man har leget ”Hviskeleg”/”Chinese Whispers”, ved man, hvor meget en historie kan ændre sig ved genfortælling. Der er altså en risiko for, at beretningerne har ændret sig. Ligeledes ved vi fra politiarbejde i dag, at ikke to mennesker oplever og genfortæller en hændelse på samme måde. Og sidst ved vi, at der altid er en tendens; man vil jo nok altid sætte sine forfædre i et godt lys og prøve at fremme familiens ry. Og vi ved også, at samfundet på det kongeløse Island, hvor stormændene lavede lovene og traf afgørelser i retssager på Tinget, var anderledes end i Danmark, hvor den øverste myndighed var kongen.

Dog lignede samfundet i Danmark under kongen meget det islandske ud fra, hvad arkæologi og udenlandske skriftlige kilder, man stredes med sine naboer og afgjorde disse stridigheder på Tinge langt op i Middelalderen. Her valgte man også kongen.

Kildernes tendens kan vi ikke gøre meget ved, men vi må formode, at datidens skjalde var specialiserede i at huske lange beretninger udenad, og de derfor ikke har ændret sig meget. De forskellige versioner vi har af samme sagaer, stemmer ikke helt overens, men i meget høj grad.

Derfor, og af flere (nørdede) grunde, kan vi bruge sagaerne som kilde til forståelse af samfundet i hele Norden i Vikingetid/Tidlig Middelalder. 

Hvad viser det så om mandeidealet (Drengr) i Vikingetiden?

Du handler med ære, du er ærlig og lyver ikke.

Du stikker ikke af for en kamp- heller ikke, hvis det er mod en meget stærkere fjende som vil overvinde dig (det Tolkien kalder Nordic Courage).

Du er til enhver tid klar til at forsvare din families ære og besiddelser.

Du er altid klar til at slås, men provokerer ikke kamp, du overholder altså samfundets spilleregler. Modsætningen er drabsmanden, der ikke overholder spillereglerne, og provokerer kamp. F.eks. i Fostbrødre Saga ”Der var en mand, der hed Jødur, som boede på den gård, der hedder Skeljabrekka. Han var høvding og en værre bisse, umedgørlig og uretfærdig mod mange. Han havde stor magt og indflydelse i herredet, men var en stor drabsmand og betalte sjældent bøder for dem, han dræbte.”, eller i samme saga hvor Torgeir dræber en fårehyrde (tyende/træl), der er ved at binde sin sko, og adspurgt hvorfor svarer; ”Det er sandt, at jeg ikke havde noget udestående med ham, men jeg kunne ikke nære mig, når han stod så godt for hug.”

Du slås ikke med svage fjender, men opsøger gerne stærkere, og påtager dig gerne farlige opgaver, som andre ikke tør.

Du hævner enhver forulempelse ved at kræve bod, eller med vold.

 

 

Når disse egenskaber er nødvendige, er det fordi der ikke findes en stærk stat med voldsmonopol, der kan beskytte sine borgere udadtil eller mod hinanden. Man er altså selv nødt til at levere den beskyttelse.