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bumblesimagines · 1 year

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Under The Moonlight

Part 4

Request: Yes or No

~~~

The blue of the sky clashed with orange and pink as the sun began to set. The vibrant gold rays provided a fleeting warmth before the cool of the night could take over. (Y/N) watched the sun slowly disappear beyond the horizon, as he typically did back in Greenland. His mother would sit beside him, weaving baskets and telling him stories of his ancestors and the Gods. Her (E/C) eyes would look different in the light and her skin would look warmer. He wondered, as the sun escaped his vision, if she had been watching it too. If she longed for the return of her son unaware he'd been sent to war.

His mother had always been his guiding light. His protector. His teacher. A woman who had gone through much and remained triumphant. A woman who would do anything for her family. It'd been her sword that had cut down the Christian who attacked their home. Her hands that tended to (Y/N)'s wounds. Her feet that walked the miles to Erik Thorvaldsson's home. Her arms that carried her son there. (Y/N) owed it all to her. And there was nothing he wanted more than to lean on her shoulder and hear her voice once more. To see her once again before her illness could claim her.

Leaves and twigs crunched and broke behind him. He continued staring forward, even as a hulky figure settled down on the grass beside him. Harald peered up at the darkening sky and spotted the stars beginning to appear one by one. Propping his knee up, he rested a sore arm on top and looked at the man beside him. He looked peaceful. Harald smiled at that. And when (Y/N) turned to look at him, his smile widened. (Y/N) stilled and averted his eyes, thumb running back and forth over the back of his hand. When he lifted his eyes again, his lips twitched upward into a small, subtle smile. Harald's heart swelled. (Y/N) was finally starting to warm up to him.

"What is King Canute going to do?" (Y/N) asked. Leif had gone to the warlords with his plan and after deliberation, King Canute dismissed him in favor of searching for something more favorable.

"I have reason to believe he'll go with Leif's plan. It's risky and will cost us if it fails. The other Jarls, however... They haven't come up with anything of value."

"The other Jarls are fools."

"Maybe," Harald chuckled, resting his other hand against the grass. "But they know more about England than you and I."

"What else is there to know? A boy sits on their throne and the enemy awaits right outside his gates." (Y/N) said, eyes shifting onto the castle in the distance, barely visible from their spot on the hill. Built from stone and barely reaching the sky. It looked more like a prison than a home. "Storming the castle will be like taking a toy from a child."

"I'll be taking more than his castle. I was promised his head and I will have it," Harald muttered, his fingers curling into fists. He looked- or rather glared- at the horizon. The bursts of orange and pink had slowly begun to give way to the dark blue of the night. "My brother, Sten, was part of the Kingsguard. King Æthelred slaughtered him, his own protector."

(Y/N) considered his words. He knew loss well. He knew what it felt like to lose a home, to lose a friend. But he'd yet to feel the grief and pain of losing a sibling. Leif, Torstein, and Thorvald were all healthy young men. And he was sure it'd take many years for death to even get a hold of Freydis. "You believe taking the boy's head... will be justice enough for you?"

"Why wouldn't it be?"

"What if this boy can undo his father's wrongs? Sons aren't their fathers. Leif is a good example of that."

"And you? Are you like your father?" Harald asked softly, hesitating before he reached out to place his hand over (Y/N)'s, fingers gently running over his skin. (Y/N) looked down at their hands, slowly turning over his and feeling Harald slip his fingers between his.

"Yes, I am." (Y/N) muttered softly. "Leif turns away from the violence. He's never wanted to be like our father. He's never wanted the darkness that brews in Erik. I guess I'll eventually face the consequences of that darkness."

"You are a good person, (Y/N). Someone bred from this... 'darkness' wouldn't weep over their fallen friends. They wouldn't have returned to the marshes for Leif. They wouldn't have given themselves up to protect Freydis." Harald told him gently, giving his hands a squeeze. (Y/N) raised his head to look at him. Harald gazed into his eyes with a sweet smile, slowly inching closer and closer.

"It's growing late." (Y/N) abruptly said, untangling his hands from Harald and pushing himself up from the ground. Bidding Harald a good night, he began heading back to camp where many Vikings had already settled into their tents for bed. Only a select few remained awake, speaking with others or roaming around the camp. (Y/N) approached the spot the Greenlanders had secured for themselves, finding them sound asleep. He smiled to himself and settled down beside his brother, resting his head on the makeshift pillow. Leif rolled over to face him and cracked open his eyes, offering him a tired smile and lifting his arm so (Y/N) could sleep underneath the blanket. Shuffling closer to his brother, (Y/N) let his eyes flutter closed once the blanket draped over him.

➸ ➸ ➸ ➸ ➸ ➸

The following morning, King Canute had chosen to execute Leif's plan. But they first needed to prepare for it. So (Y/N) found himself helping the others build what Leif called ships. Long and smooth wooden boards that they'd lie on and use to move through the water undetected. The idea of those so-called ships had earned hearty laughs from Arne Gormsson and his friends. But Leif had ignored them, confident in his plan. Building had taken them all day but it was of no worries to them. They needed the cover of night to set the plan in motion.

Standing amongst his friends, (Y/N) inhaled and exhaled deeply, pushing arrows into the quiver and silently praying to the Gods for victory. If Leif's plans failed, they'd all die and the massacre would go unavenged. His sister would be left with two less brothers and his mother would lose her only child. The families of their friends would be left without their children, lovers, and parents. If they won... they'd have the honor of saying they helped King Canute take London. And they could go home to their families and have a warm meal.

"We've come a long way, my friends," Leif said, setting his hand on (Y/N)'s shoulder and giving it an affectionate squeeze, gazing over his group of friends. "And I am fortunate. And grateful."

"We are blessed by the Gods, who alone know our destinies," Skarde smiled, placing a hand against Leif's cheek and looking over his friends. Shakily inhaling, he nodded to himself. "If this is where we say goodbye on Earth, then it is only a quick farewell as we will hail each other soon in Valhalla."

"Valhalla." Njal smiled and Liv slung her shoulder over Leif's shoulder, gazing at him fondly as she repeated the word as well. (Y/N) chuckled and stepped forward, slipping an arm around Njal's waist and leaning his head against the man's chest.

"Valhalla.." He repeated softly, feeling Njal rub his arm. The group stared at each other for a moment longer before smiling widely and leaning in for a group hug, giggles and laughter escaping them. They squeezed each other tightly and allowed their hug to linger as Skarde pressed fleeting kisses to their foreheads. (Y/N) leaned back and inhaled deeply, whispering one last quick prayer to the Gods above before they walked to the water.

Taking his wooden board from Harald and setting it in the water, (Y/N) waited for the others to get on their boards before they moved forward, laying on their stomachs and using their hands to push them forward through the waters as night fell over them. They reached the first dock with guards stationed at it. Harald reached for his crossbow and slipped onto his back, loading it and aiming as he went beneath the dock first. A guard stood up upon noticing him, squinting through the darkness. But before he could speak, Harald shot him and he fell to the ground with a mere grunt and thud. Njal and Skarde did similarly with the other two guards, leaving the dock without anyone to protect it.

Liv and (Y/N) left their boards to retrieve supplies while the others located the two rowboats at the dock. Tossing the ropes and wire down to them, they continued until they had the necessary amount of supplies before rowing quietly down the river. It didn't take long for (Y/N) to spot the bridge in the distance, made visible by torches. He reached up to his necklaces and ran his finger over the bones, keeping his breathing steady.

"Tarps," Leif whispered back to them and they leaned down, using the tarps they'd taken from the dock to cover themselves, leaving only one person to row. They waited beneath the tarps, listening to the sound of water and insect trills. After a few minutes, he felt a tap on his leg and the boat slowed down. He lifted the tarp off his body and glanced up at the underside of the bridge.

Quickly climbing onto the small wooden platform keeping the support beams above water, he extended a hand to the others to help them climb on. Taking the supplies from the boat, they worked quickly and quietly. Once finished, the boats continued on with only two people onboard. They remained still, glancing at each other. But when no horns echoed through the air, they knew they were in the clear. For now.

Climbing onto a wooden beam, the land around them began to appear more visible as the sun began rising. And soon, he heard a horn go off and bells began ringing. Lifting his head, he spotted numerous boats sailing over the horizon, just as Leif had instructed, with three ships sailing faster than the others. (Y/N) looked back at his brother and met his eyes, giving him a small nod before he reached down to take the axe from Liv. They began getting into position and waited, listening to the orders being shouted by the Saxons as they scrambled to prepare for an attack. Soon, an order was called and the chains beneath the bridge moved, lifting spikes from the water. But they remained still. Even as the sound of swords and axes slamming against shields began and King Canute stepped onto the bridge on horseback. When more Vikings were on the bridge, they began, axing away at the wooden beams to weaken the bridge.

Once satisfied with the amount of wood that had been chipped away, (Y/N) hoisted the axe to his hip and looked up at the sound of hooves passing over. Sharing a look with Skarde, (Y/N) caught the rope he tossed to him and began fastening it around the wood. King Canute would keep the Saxons occupied long enough for them to get their task done and then he'd draw out King Edmund to trap him on one side of the bridge.

"The tide is turning," Skarde called softly and (Y/N) turned his head to watch the rushing water turn in the opposite direction. With the tides turned, he heard the sound of shouting and soon, the sound of steel meeting steel. Hopping down from the beam, (Y/N) ensured the rope would hold one last time before he retrieved an arrow and tied a wire to the end of his arrow, and then tied the other end of the thread to the rope. Once the three boats were close enough, he lifted his bow and aimed for one of the shields on the third bow before releasing it, watching it soar through the sky and hit the shield. Arrows began falling down over the boats but the ropes had already been fastened.

The boats began rowing away, using the tide and the ropes to pull on the bridge, causing the wood to creak and break. The arrows stopped suddenly and (Y/N) held his breath, releasing it with a yelp when the arrows descended down on them. Archers on the bridge pointed their bows down at them, releasing arrow after arrow and effectively shooting down Tomas. (Y/N)'s gaze shot up to Njal, eyes widening when the blonde man staggered backward, coughing up blood before he fell into the waters. Liv screamed beside him, tears quickly flooding her eyes. (Y/N) wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her under the bridge, being mindful of the chunks of wood falling down. But they couldn't stay there for long. The bridge continued creaking and groaning, bits of wood falling down as it began leaning over. But not fast enough.

Leif climbed back on and began axing away at the beam he'd tied the rope around, aiming to quicken the process. (Y/N) quickly moved over to help him, hearing another grunt and looking over his shoulder in time to see Skarde fall into the murky waters. With an enraged cry, Liv ran out from under the bridge and lifted her bow toward the archers, successfully hitting one of them but at the cost of being shot in the shoulder. Wailing in pain, she stumbled back and fell into the depths.

The scream caught in (Y/N)'s throat, breathing becoming labored. The sound around him turned distant and his vision blurred from tears. The axe fell from his trembling hands, falling onto the ground with a muffled clang. Fingers wrapped around his arms, Leif's distant shouting reaching his ears as he was pulled from the beams and toward the water.

"We have to jump!" Leif yelled over the sound of the bridge falling apart and the cries of battle. The sound returned to (Y/N) and he grounded himself, staring at the rushing water before diving in with Leif as the bridge finally collapsed. He heard the water rushing around him, pieces of wood hitting his body. A shot of panic rushed through him, kicking his legs wildly and breaking through the surface. Hands suddenly grabbed his arms, heaving him up and onto a boat. (Y/N) coughed, feeling someone gently rub his back as he hacked up the water he had accidentally inhaled.

"We did it, (Y/N)!" Turning his head, (Y/N) met Harald's eyes but his gaze shifted onto the bridge in the distance. Broken right in the middle. Just as Leif had planned.

"We did it..." He breathed, a small smile spreading across his lips. His friends' sacrifices hadn't been in vain.

Many of the Vikings continued further into the castle to steal and ravage, Harald among them. But (Y/N) chose to reunite with his brother, checking him for injuries and thanking the Gods when he found none. Together, they began searching the banks of the river, looking for their friends. And soon, they heard the familiar sound of Liv's voice. Immediately quickening his pace, (Y/N) spotted her. She was drenched and staggering, completely out of breath. (Y/N) soon saw why.

"Njal... Skarde..." (Y/N) whispered, falling down onto the muddy ground and feeling the tears overwhelm his eyes. There his friends lied, drenched and dead. The waters had wiped away the dirt and grime off their faces but the sickly pale color of death had already begun settling in. They'd left Kattegat with six and they'd have to return with only three. (Y/N) gently brushed the hair out of Njal's face and looked over his face. They looked peaceful, almost as if they were merely sleeping.

"I got them out of the river... but I could take them no further," Liv explained, sniffling and staggering before collapsing in Leif's arms, pained whimpers and sobs escaping her.

"No, no, no, Liv." Leif quickly tucked his arm under her knees and lifted her up. "She's hurt, (Y/N)!"

"The shoulder, Leif, she was shot there." (Y/N) sniffled, wiping away the tears with the back of his hand and getting up on his feet. Standing beside the two, he gently pulled back on Liv's coat and winced at the blood. "Come on, we need to get her to the healers."

➸ ➸ ➸ ➸ ➸ ➸

"She has been shot with a double-barbed arrow. You cannot pull it out of her without killing her immediately." The healer explained, wiping his hands clean of blood. Liv lied on one of the cots, covered in sweat and shuddering violently. She'd snapped the arrow after being shot, leaving part of it sticking out of her shoulder. Leif gently dabbed her forehead with a wet cloth as (Y/N) softly stroked her brown hair, watching her wince every so often. "If it stays, the flesh will rot and she will die slow."

"What if I push it through?" Leif asked softly, peering up at the healer.

"She's too weak to survive it." The healer shook his head, giving them a pitying look and standing to check on the other injured. Liv swallowed and opened her eyes, staring up at them as her lips quivered.

"Do it." She croaked. "The arrow."

"You're not strong enough. It'll kill you."

"Let me decide that." Liv pleaded softly.

Leif frowned, cupping the side of her face. "I can't lose you, Liv." He whispered, stroking her cheek with his thumb. (Y/N) watched them, noting the pain in Leif's voice as he spoke.

"You won't," Liv assured, the trembling in her body growing by the second. Leif inhaled deeply and lifted his eyes to look at his brother. (Y/N) nodded and Leif sighed, reaching for his knife and holding it to her face. Biting down on the leather around the knife, Liv released a muffled groan as (Y/N) gently moved her onto her side before shifting so he was crouched down beside her. Leif stood and walked around the cot, leaning over her and reaching down to place his fingers on the part sticking out. Liv weakly wrapped her arms around (Y/N), watery eyes looking into his before she tucked her head into his neck.

"Easy, Liv, easy." (Y/N) whispered softly, cringing and closing his eyes as Leif pushed the arrow out. Liv shrieked and cried out, fingers curling and gripping tightly onto (Y/N)'s clothes. Leif grimaced, continuing to push until the head of the arrow stuck out on the other side of her shoulder. Gripping the head, he pulled it out as Liv continued to cry. (Y/N) carefully set her back on her back and grabbed some bandages to wrap around her shoulder before she could continue bleeding. Leif gently pried the knife from her mouth and set it aside, sitting at the edge of her cot and dipping the cloth into the water again before dabbing it against her forehead.

"She'll be alright, Leif."

"I know," Leif murmured. (Y/N) stood up and sighed, reaching over to rub his brother's back before stepping back and exiting the tent.

Many Vikings had taken up residence within the walls of the castle but the castle could only contain half the army. Those who remained outside of the walls moved their tents closer to the castle and celebrated the victory with ale and food. A proper feast would surely be held the following day once the castle was secure and all the nobles were captured. (Y/N) didn't expect any less from his people.

Moving through the camp, it didn't take long for him to spot Harald sitting by a fire, hands lifted to warm himself. He stared at the fire with a scowl on his face, glaring at anyone who stepped near him. (Y/N) inhaled softly and walked forward, taking a seat beside him on the log. Harald glanced at him, scowl fading. "Greenlander.."

"I assume you're sitting here pouting like a child because the Boy King lives?"

"Am I that obvious?" Harald chuckled dryly and dropped his hands, resting his arms on his knees instead. With a heavy sigh, he bitterly spoke, "King Canute has robbed me of justice."

(Y/N) watched Harald stare into the fire, his anger shifting into a look of disappointment. He'd been unable to get justice for his brother, (Y/N) could only wonder what ran through his mind. So, in an effort to keep him occupied, (Y/N) touched his necklace. "Remember when you asked about this?" Harald looked away from the fire, quirking a brow at him and nodding.

"I remember you ignored me."

"Yes, well," (Y/N) chuckled and Harald smiled. "When I was a boy, a bit before we were attacked, my mother gave me this thread to wear. She said for every creature you kill, you will wear one of their teeth as a reminder that you survived. It was a tradition started by her father's father. So, after I killed a fox, I added my first tooth to the thread."

"So, all of these are..." Harald trailed off, straightening his back and leaning in slightly to look at the necklace more closely. He lifted his hand to gently trace the thread and teeth.

"Some are foxes, wolves... bears."

"Bears?"

"Bears." (Y/N) nodded with a wide smile, dropping his hands onto his legs. "My mother's necklace is long but my grandfather's nearly reached to his knees."

"Really? He must've been a good hunter."

"Well..." (Y/N) cleared his throat and leaned in, bumping his shoulder with Harald's. Harald felt his breathing slow at the proximity, eyes flickering down to his lips. "His necklace had human teeth."

"What?" Harald blinked, eyes snapping back up to his as he gaped at him. (Y/N) stared at him, a grin slowly forming on his face before he broke out into laughter, reeling over and clutching his side. "You- You're lying? You little-" Harald clamped his mouth shut but he was unable to contain the smile spreading across his lips. (Y/N)'s laughter died down into giggles and he wiped away tears.

"Don't worry, Prince." He giggled softly. "Only half of them were human."

Before Harald could respond- or react-, someone called for him. Harald glanced back at them and sighed heavily, rising up from the log and looking back at him with one last smile. (Y/N) watched him walk away, licking his lips and lifting his hands to his necklace once more to undo the knot keeping the necklace tied around his neck. Slipping one of the bear teeth from the thread and standing, he stepped over the log and walked toward Harald.

"Prince!" Harald paused and turned, tilting his head and watching him step closer. Taking his hand, (Y/N) set the tooth in his palm and looked up at him. "Keep it as a reminder that you won a war, even if you didn't get the justice your brother deserved."

Harald stared at it for a moment, features softening. He smiled and curled his fingers around it, bringing his fist up to his chest and over his heart. "Thank you, (Y/N). I'll treasure it."

#x reader #x you #x y/n #x male reader #vikings valhalla x you #vikings valhalla x male reader #vikings valhalla #vikings #vikings valhalla x reader #vikings valhalla x y/n #harald sigurdsson x reader #harald sigurdsson x y/n #harald sigurdsson x you #harald sigurdsson x male reader #harald sigurdsson #leif eriksson

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legend-collection · 10 months

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Monopods

Monopods (also called sciapods, skiapods, skiapodes) were mythological dwarf-like creatures with a single, large foot extending from a leg centred in the middle of their bodies. The names monopod and skiapod (σκιάποδες) are both Greek, respectively meaning "one-foot" and "shadow-foot".

Monopods appear in Aristophanes' play The Birds, first performed in 414 BC. They are described by Pliny the Elder in his Natural History, where he reports travelers' stories from encounters or sightings of Monopods in India. Pliny remarks that they are first mentioned by Ctesias in his book Indika, a record of the view of Persians of India which only remains in fragments. Pliny describes Monopods like this:

He [Ctesias] speaks also of another race of men, who are known as Monocoli, who have only one leg, but are able to leap with surprising agility. The same people are also called Sciapodae, because they are in the habit of lying on their backs, during the time of the extreme heat, and protect themselves from the sun by the shade of their feet.

Philostratus mentions Skiapodes in his Life of Apollonius of Tyana, which was cited by Eusebius in his Treatise Against Hierocles. Apollonius of Tyana believes the Skiapodes live in India and Ethiopia, and asks the Indian sage Iarkhas about their existence.

St. Augustine (354–430) mentions the "Skiopodes" in The City of God, Book 16, Chapter 8 entitled "Whether Certain Monstrous Races of Men Are Derived From the Stock of Adam or Noah's Sons", and mentions that it is uncertain whether such creatures exist.

Reference to the legend continued into the Middle Ages, for example with Isidore of Seville in his Etymologiae, where he writes:

The race of Sciopodes are said to live in Ethiopia; they have only one leg, and are wonderfully speedy. The Greeks call them σκιαπόδες ("shade-footed ones") because when it is hot they lie on their backs on the ground and are shaded by the great size of their foot.

The Hereford Mappa Mundi, drawn c. 1300, shows a sciapod on one side of the world, as does a world map drawn by Beatus of Liébana (c. 730 – c. 800).

A race of the "One-Legged",or the "Uniped" was allegedly encountered by Thorfinn Karlsefni and his group of Icelandic settlers in North America in the early 11th century, according to the Saga of Erik the Red. The presence of "unipedes maritimi" in Greenland was marked on Claudius Clavus's map dated 1427.

According to the saga, Karlsefni Thorvald Eiriksson and others assembled a search party for Thorhall, and sailed around Kjalarnes and then south. After sailing for a long time, while moored on the south side of a west-flowing river, they were shot at by a one-footed man (einfœtingr), and Thorvald died from an arrow wound.

The saga goes on to relate that the party went northward and approached what they guessed to be Einfœtingaland ("Land of the One-Legged" or "Country of the Unipeds").

According to Carl A. P. Ruck, the Monopods's cited existence in India refers to the Vedic Aja Ekapad ("Not-born Single-foot"), an epithet for Soma. Since Soma is a botanical deity the single foot would represent the stem of an entheogenic plant or fungus.

John of Marignolli (1338–1353) provides another explanation of these creatures. Quote from his travels from India:

The truth is that no such people do exist as nations, though there may be an individual monster here and there. Nor is there any people at all such as has been invented, who have but one foot which they use to shade themselves withal. But as all the Indians commonly go naked, they are in the habit of carrying a thing like a little tent-roof on a cane handle, which they open out at will as a protection against sun or rain. This they call a chatyr; I brought one to Florence with me. And this it is which the poets have converted into a foot.

—

#monopods #greece #mediterranean

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hippography · 1 year

Photo

Prebensen, Aastad

IDENTIFIER NTM UWP 13043

SUBJECT To ryttere til hest ved gården Åstad

AVBILDET STED Norge Akershus Asker Akershus SIKKER

SPECIFIC SUBJECT TERMS Fotografering Gårdsbruk Landbruk Bygninger Bebyggelse

Fotografering - 1890 — 1920 (antatt)

PRODUSENT Worm-Petersen, Severin SIKKER

PART OF COLLECTION NTM

OWNER OF COLLECTION Norsk Teknisk Museum

History

Bestilt av Skolebestyrer Prebensen: Aastad Gaard, - WP 631-638.

ÅSTAD GÅRD

Gården er oppført under Nesøya gods både i 1629 og 1658. Morten eller Markus Ormsen, Aastad, var leilending på gården fra 1643 og i hvert fall til 1681. Første bonde som var eneier i nyere tid, synes å ha vært Ole Eriksen Aastad (1689-1740) som ble eier av gården i 1726. Etter hans død ble gården overtatt av hans fire barn. Eierforholdet er deretter stadig skiftende. I 1765 ble gården kjøpt av jens Thoresen Berger (17281769). Hans enke giftet seg med Iver Helgesen fra Ringi, som i 1785 solgte gården til sin bror Lars Helgesen. Hans datter Ingeborg, giftet seg i 1809 med John Pettersen Berger, som også kjøpte gården, og la den til jorden på Berger. Ingeborg overtok Åstad etter sin manns død, og giftet seg igjen med Andreas Nilsen fra Drammen. Ekteskapet ble barnløst. Som enkemann giftet han seg igjen med Ingeborg Torvet (f. 1819). Deres datter Johanne Aastad ble gift med Erik Thorsen (1845-1935). Han var lærer på Aars & Voss skole i Oslo, og solgte gården til skolestyrer ved samme skole, Thorvald Prebensen i 1891. Selv beholdt Thorsen en villatomt nedenfor jernbanelinjen som fortsatt er i familiens eie. Erik Thorsens sønn, Thor Andreas ( f. 1878), var ved århundreskiftet en av landets fremste ski/kombinertløpere. Skolestyrer Thv. Prebensen anla et nydelig parkanlegg i og rundt Åstaddammen. Hans barn solgte gården i 1935 til Reidar H.W von Koss. Han døde barnløs i 1994, og testamenterte sin formue (hvorunder Åstad gård) til Redningsselskapet og Høyre.

Norsk Folkemuseum

#hest #Åstad #Norway #horse #severin worm-petersen #Norsk Teknisk Museum #Norsk Folkemuseum

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maniculum · 1 year

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Thanksgiving Special: Saga of the Greenlanders (Pt. 1 & 2)

I'm giving the idea of cross-posting our blog to Tumblr a second try. (I would have done it earlier, but our latest episode was a two-parter and shares a blog entry, so I wanted to wait until both parts were out.) Now, last time I did this, something weird happened. About 24 hours after I posted, we had a big traffic spike to that episode. Hundreds of listeners, all within the space of about an hour. It's now our most-listened-to episode. Which would be great, except we just started this Tumblr. We have eight followers. The post in question has zero notes. There's no way my Tumblr post could have caused that spike except artificially, like if a bunch of bots followed the link. So this time I'm not going to link to the episode in the post. Instead I'll make a second post where I link to a different recent episode, and thus test my bot theory: if that episode also gets a big spike in listens, I'll assume it's Tumblr bots; if it doesn't, I'll assume the spike was unrelated. (Or, if there are hundreds of people reading somehow, would y'all mind letting me know you're here?)

Anyway, episode blog. I'll put a cut after the teaser & image.

Happy Thanksgiving and Turkey Day! This year, we are revisiting the first European settlement of Greenland -- this time from another perspective. The Saga of the Greenlanders is the other account of the events portrayed in Erik the Red’s Saga, and it has a few… unique differences. Let’s dive in!

Thorvald and his son, Eric the Red, left Norway due to manslaughter. Eric was shortly after outlawed from part of Iceland and went to Breidafirth and founded Ericsstadir in the west of Iceland. Eric was declared an outlaw again in another district at the local Thing, so he left and decided to find the land Gunnbiorn had seen to the west once.

Thus, he founded two two main settlements in Greenland, one in the east and one in the west. Eric called this land Greenland so that he could attract folk there to settle. Thirty five ships then left and went to Greenland, but only a few successfully landed.

Another man, Bjarni, arrived on Iceland and planned to stay the winter with his father, as he was accustomed. However, his father had moved to Greenland with Eric. Undaunted, Bjarni collected his ships and men and decided to set out to Greenland to stay with his father, as he normally did, location notwithstanding.

Bjarni realized that such a journey was foolhardy, as winter was approaching, but he left anyway. The group sailed until they found land, but Bjarni said it could not be Greenland because it was too green and had forests, and no glaciers. They approached the land but Bjarni would not explore it since it wasn’t his chosen destination.

Finally, they sailed off again and found another land, this time with glaciers, but realized it was another, different island (likely Baffin Island). At long last, they found Greenland and went ashore and found Bjarni’s father. Years later, Bjarni spoke about his travels, but could not give any report of the land, since he did not go ashore.

Leif decided to go find that land, and Eric, his father, decided to go with him. While they rode to the ship, however, Eric’s horse struck a rock and he was thrown from the saddle. He took this as an ill omen and turned back, choosing not to go with Leif.

Leif retraced Bjarni’s steps in reverse and came to that same forested land, where they came ashore and made booths. They decided to winter there, and found many salmon and green grass throughout the winter. The days were longer, and the sun was up from around nine to three.

Leif suggested that half the group explore the land and the other half remain at the settlement. Leif alternated roles, but it was discovered one night that Tyrker, the German, had not returned home. Shortly after he arrived, but when Leif found him, he spoke only in German and his eyes rolled around in his head. Once he spoke in the northern language, Tyrker reported that he found vines and grapes (and likely turned them into wine). Leif and his men gathered these grapes, giving the place the moniker Vinland, and returned back to Iceland.

On the return journey, Leif noticed a shape that he thought was a skerry, though his men thought it was a ship. They found a crew on this skerry, rescued them, and brought them back to Iceland.

Leif’s brother, Thorvald, thought that there was more to explore throughout Greenland and Vinland. Thorvald took Leif’s ship, and took thirty men back to the booths in Vinland. In their exploration, they found a shelter, but nothing else of human life there. In another place, they found more forests, and there they found three skin-ships (canoes) with people sleeping under them. For reasons not provided in the text, Thorvald's men attack, killing several indigenous people. Only one man escaped. Thorvald and his men also found mounds where these peoples lived. More conflict broke out, and Thorvald was mortally wounded by an arrow. Thorvald declared that he wanted to be buried on the land before his men depart. They do so, and the remainder of the men return to Greenland.

In Greenland, Thorstein Erikson married Gudrid and went to see Vinland and his brother’s grave. Thorstein’s trip did not fare well, and instead landed only on the other side of Greenland. While his men were housed in the town, Thorstein and his wife remained on the ship, as there was no more room for them on land. However, Thorstein the Black, a local man and pagan who lived alone with his wife, Grimhild, offered the other couple a place in their home. Thorstein Eriksson accepted.

There was a plague that broke out in that settlement in the winter, and Thorstein Eriksson made coffins for those who had died and placed them in the ship to return them to Eriksfirth at home. However, this caused Grimhild to die. But soon after, Grimhild rose and sought after her shoes, but when her husband entered, she laid back down and the whole house creaked. After this, Thorstein Eriksson took care of her body, but he too soon fell ill and died.

Thorstein the Black sought to console her and held her, and promised that he would help return her husband’s body home. While he spoke, Thorstein Eriksson sat upright and asked for Gudrid, who asked Thorstein the Black what she ought to do.

Thorstein the Black told her not to reply, but instead asked Thorstein Eriksson what he wanted. Thorstein Eriksson then told Gurdrid her future was provided for, and told her she would remarry well. Thorsteinn the Black then fulfilled all his promises to Gudrid, settled in Iceland, and was regarded as an honorable man.

Thorfinn Karlsefni arrived in Greenland and married Gudrid. Then, Karlsefni brought 60 men and 5 women together for another voyage to Vinland. They let loose the cattle there, and he following summer, Skraelings came near the settlement saw the bull. The bull, lowing, terrified the Skraelings.

However, the Vikings traded with the Skraelings afterward, but Thorfinn refused to sell their weapons to the Skraelings. The Vikings then offered milk to them, which they immediately wanted to buy. The Skraelings ate all the milk, while Karlsefni bought furs from them.

That year, Gudrid then had a son whom she named Snorri, and Karlsefni built a wooden fort. The following season, more Skraelings arrived, and Karlsefni then only allowed milk to be sold to them.

One night, an old woman wearing a black kirtle and headband came into the room where Snorri was sleeping. She had large eyes and was very pale, but otherwise looked exactly like Gudrid. She spoke to Gudrid and asked her name, and then introduced herself as Gudrid. Then, there came a sudden crash in the house and when Gudrid turned to look, the woman vanished.

This crash startled the Skraelings, and one in their number tried to grab a weapon, whereupon a skirmish broke out and the Skraelings fled. Shortly after, they had a battle, and many Skraelings died.

In the spring, Karlsefni returned to Vinland and brought many pelts and goods back with him. Upon seeing this, many others wanted to go to Vinland. At this time, two brothers, Finnbogi and Helgi had just arrived from Norway, and intended to go to Vinland as well.

Freydis Erikssdottir also determined to go, and convinced her brother, Leif, to give her the homestead he established in Vinland. Leif said he would lend her the house, but not give it to her. Freydis also snuck several extra men with her on her ship.

When they arrived, the brothers set up in Leif's house, but Freydis kicked them out, stating it was her home to keep and not theirs to share, as they had once agreed. They lived there in peace for some time, until again they had another disagreement. Shortly after this, Freydis crept out of the house in the early morning, and snuck into the brothers’ hut. Finnbogi was awake, and asked her what she wanted. She bade him walk with her a ways and speak with her outside. Once they had gone a ways, Finnbogi spoke to try and heal the disagreement they had between each other. Freydis ignored this and asked to trade ships, so that she could load up the ship and return home to Greenland. Finnbogi agreed, and Freydis went home.

When she returned, however, she declared that the brothers had mocked her and beat her for her request, and demanded vengeance from her husband. The men then stormed the brothers’ house and killed all the men within. However, once the men were killed, they made go home, but Freydis exclaimed, “Hand me an axe.” When one had been brought to her, she fell upon the five women, killed them, and swore her men to silence.

Freydis then returned home to Greenland. However, some rumors about Freydis went around Greenland, and Leif, her brother, determined that no good would come to them from this. The Vinland settlement was soon abandoned.

Thanks for joining us in this week's episode of The Maniculum Podcast. Looking for more? Check out our Master List series for the full collection of segments at the end of our show, and for more gaming and world building ideas, check out The Gaming Table section of our blog, Marginalia!

Searching for our sources? Read the Greenlander's Saga here or here, and check out our Library for more! More references for interested scholars:

Hoidal, Oddvar K. “Norsemen and the North American Forests.” Journal of Forest History, vol. 24, no. 4, 1980, pp. 200–03. Link.

McGhee, Robert. “Contact between Native North Americans and the Medieval Norse: A Review of the Evidence.” American Antiquity, vol. 49, no. 1, 1984, pp. 4–26. Link.

Reeves, Arthur Middleton, and William Dudley Foulke. The Finding of Wineland the Good: the History of the Icelandic Discovery of America. London: H. Frowde, 1895. Link.

Storm, Gustav. Eiríks saga Rauða og Flatøbogens Grænlendingaþáttr samt uddrag fra Ólafssaga Tryggvasonar. Købenjavn: S. L. Møllers bogtrykkeri, 1891. Link.

We do our best to accurately research, source, and cite the works we use, and make them available to you, too! Each episode has a corresponding blog post which includes further breakdowns of the big ideas in each text as well as cites our sources and references. We also have the Maniculum Library, which actively collects resources and recommendations for writers, scholars, and geeks alike! We update our collection of Master Lists after each new episode, so be sure subscribe and stay updated!

Are we missing something? Let us know! We'd love to add more knowledge to our ever-growing compendium. Chat with us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

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#medieval #medieval literature #podcast #saga #leif ericson #leif eriksson #freydis eriksdotter #vikings

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naturally-recklessly · 2 years

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👣 (Leif holding his child with Stella)

Leif wasn't expecting to become a father so soon, or ever, for that matter. He knew he'd inherited such a dark side from his own father, the infamous Erik the Red, and he was afraid he'd pass it along to his descendants. However, the moment he knew Stella was with child, something in him changed, and he decided he'd be the best father he could. He'd raise his son or daughter with love and acceptance, teach them everything he knew — not only in regards to being a great warrior or seafarer, but also a kind, compassionate person. He'd tell them all the stories, about his family and the norse Gods, but would accept whatever faith his child decided to believe in. He'd teach them to hunt and defend themselves against wild beasts, but also to respect and honour them as nature's sacred creations, without whom men couldn't survive. He'd tell them all about how to build and command a boat, encourage them to sail away on their own adventures and seek their own glory, but always make sure they knew they had a warm home to come back to, where their father would be waiting to hear all their stories. Such was the father Leif aimed to be, very different from his own — the father he wish he'd had growing up, a father his child would one day, hopefully, be proud of.

All of this Leif thought while pacing back and forth outside Stella's chambers. Inside, two midwives were helping her bringing their child into this world. After what felt like forever, although it had only been two hours, a loud cry was heard, and the viking rushed into the room, a happy grin upon his face. "Boy or girl?" He wanted to know, sitting beside Stella, running a hand through her hair and placing a soft kiss upon her still sweaty forehead. One of the midwives informed him the baby was a big, healthy boy and handed the bundle of joy, already cleaned and wrapped up in a blanket, to his father. Leif smiled, trying his best to hold his child. He'd never held a baby before, so he was afraid of using too much force and hurting the baby, or too little and risk dropping him. As he finally adjusted, holding the baby in his arms, and his green eyes met those of his son — the same shade, the same calmness, Leif smiled and felt two tears rolling down his cheeks. They were joyful tears, proud tears. "He's so beautiful, so perfect! We shall call him Thorvald, like my grandfather." He announced proudly, kissing the baby's forehead and placing him back in his mother's arms. "You did so great, my love! I'm so proud of you... I love you so much. I love you both so much."

#⌈ ⛵️ ⌉ 𝐋𝐄𝐈𝐅 𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐊𝐒𝐒𝐎𝐍. || ➳ ❪ threads ❫#˚ ➳ ❪ leif ft. stella ❫#leif eriksson #got a little carried away but I really loved writing this! 🥰#leif eriksson fanfic

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tanogabo · 7 months

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(via I vikinghi: Erik il Rosso, i suoi figli e la scoperta dell’America)

Erik il Rosso, nato pare nel 940 nel distretto Jæren della contea di Rogaland, in Norvegia, era figlio di Thorvald Asvaldsson. Il soprannome “il Rosso” si riferisce al colore rosso dei capelli.

#saga #erik il rosso #america

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nordic-explorer · 8 months

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Travel Log Entry #2: In Search of Thorvald's Legacy

My journey along the Viking trail led me to the quiet shores of Eidfjord, Norway, where I first heard the name Erik the Red, a legendary Viking figure. However, it was not Erik alone who captivated my curiosity. In a humble tavern in a coastal hamlet, I stumbled upon the story of his father, Thorvald, a man exiled from his homeland, Norway, for a grievous act of manslaughter. The storyteller, a weathered fisherman, regaled the tavern with the tale of Thorvald's exile. It was a narrative of redemption, a second chance in an unfamiliar land.

Thorvald’s and Erik’s path had taken them to western Iceland, a land of natural beauty with glaciers and volcanic landscapes. After a few weeks of traveling, i finally arrived and decided to explore the land to uncover more about their life there. It was a rugged terrain marked by the footprints of those who had come seeking new beginnings. One day, in a small coastal village, I heard whispers of a red-bearded man who had made this island his home - Erik the Red.

Curious of where he might be, I visited town after town in hope to stumble upon him. Luckily, the people I met were friendly and pointed me in some directions. After a long journey around the island, I finally met Erik on a cliff overlooking the ocean. He shared stories of his father Thorvald's resilience and their challenges in Iceland's harsh environment.

My journey had taken an unexpected turn, leading me not only to Viking legends but also to the descendants who had shaped their destinies. Erik revealed his ambitious plans for an expedition to strange territories and asked if I would join him and his crew. I immediately accepted the invitation, knowing that this will be an adventure of a lifetime. I look forward to further exploration, excited to uncover more about Erik's adventures in these lands of wonders.

#viking age #viking history #nordic #erik the red #norse #vikings

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er-cryptid · 4 years

Text

Leif Erikson

-- born in 970

-- from Iceland

-- son of Erik the Red

-- siblings -- Thorvald -- Thorstein -- Freydis

-- explorer

-- had two sons with the noblewoman Thorgunna -- Thorgils -- Thorkell

-- first European to land on continental North America

-- died in 1020

-- succeeded as chieftain by Thorkell

Patreon | Ko-fi

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never-a-president · 2 years

Text

Thorvald Eiriksson was never president of the United States.

#president of the united states #potus #Thorvald Eiriksson #historical figure #explorer #erik the red

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paganimagevault · 3 years

Text

The Landing of the Vikings (in America) by Arthur C. Michael, 1917. Illustration from 'The story of the United States' by Marshall, H. E. (Henrietta Elizabeth), b. 1917.

"During this time much talk took place in Brattahlid about making ready to go to Vinland the Good, and it was asserted that they would there find good choice lands. The discourse came to such conclusion that Karlsefni and Snorri prepared their ship, with the intention of seeking Vinland during the summer. Bjarni and Thorhall ventured on the same expedition, with their ship and the retinue which had accompanied them. There was a man named Thorvard; he married Freydis, natural daughter of Eirik the Red; he set out with them likewise, as also Thorvald, a son of Eirik. There was a man named Thorvald; he was a son-in-law of Eirik the Red. Thorhall was called the Sportsman; he had for a long time been Eirik's companion in hunting and fishing expeditions during the summers, and many things had been committed to his keeping. Thorhall was a big man, dark, and of gaunt appearance; rather advanced in years, overbearing in temper, of melancholy mood, silent at all times, underhand in his dealings, and withal given to abuse, and always inclined towards the worst. He had kept himself aloof from the true faith when it came to Greenland. He was but little encompassed with the love of friends, but yet Eirik had long held conversation with him. He went in the ship with Thorvald and his man, because he was widely acquainted with the unpeopled districts. They had the ship which Thorbjorn had brought to Greenland, and they ventured on the expedition with Karlsefni and the others; and most of them in this ship were Greenlanders. There were one hundred and sixty men in their ships." -The Saga of Erik the Red, Ch. 8

https://paganimagevault.blogspot.com/2020/04/the-landing-of-vikings-by-arthur-c.html

#vinland #american history #vikings #erik the red #pagan #medieval literature #middle ages #european history #europe #germanic #norse #explorers #medieval #leif erikson #paganism #20th century art #book illustration

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victoryfeathers · 2 years

Text

CERTAIN VICTORY

First Chapter on AO3

THE CROWS FLY TO AMERICA! Karasuno is invited to an annual training camp and tournament in Seattle, Washington. Their hosts are Cascade High School (Ōkamiyama), the winners of last year's tournament. During this summer voyage, Karasuno bonds with a few wolves improving their gameplay before returning to Japan for the Miyagi Prefecture Qualifier and the Spring Nationals! 必勝祈願

CHAPTER 01 | WAY OUT WEST

A soft breeze drifted over the school grounds; summer break had finally arrived. Members of the Karasuno volleyball team gathered around the gym as one last packing checklist was underway before loading the van departing for the nearby Sendai Airport. The crows were heading for Seattle over in America for a training camp and tournament!

The sun was rising as the team confirmed all of their luggage and belongings. For most of them, it was to be their first time on a plane. They would arrive in America at about 9:30 am PST tomorrow and it was still confusing to some of the boys how the sixteen-hour time zone difference worked despite Takeda-sensei's best efforts. Generously their hosts in Washington had paid for all of their travel expenses to and from the United States on top of providing accommodations, meals, and funds for extra activities. All of their rides were on Japan Airlines and all their seats on the last flight from Tokyo to Seattle had been booked in the Business Class Sky Suites so that everyone could sleep overnight. It was a long period of traveling and the boys were ramped up and rearing to go. The full personnel consisted of the two coaches, the two managers, and the nine players on the team.

They were on their way to becoming a formidable force. Karasuno was led by their dependable captain Daichi Sawamura, followed by vice-captain and setter Kōshi Sugawara, wing spiker and ace Asahi Azumane, libero Yū Nishinoya, wing spiker Ryūnosuke Tanaka, genius setter Tobio Kageyama, middle blocker and decoy Shōyō Hinata, middle blocker Kei Tsukishima, and middle blocker and pinch server Tadashi Yamaguchi. They improved every week and following a heartbreaking defeat against Aoba Johsai in the Interhigh Tournament the crows swung back with a fiery determination.

"Can you believe it? We really get to go to America!" Hinata exclaimed as he bounced around.

"Just think of all the pretty girls we will see!" Nishinoya added, matching Hinata's movements.

"Your senpais will show you how it's done!" Tanaka cried out while they loaded up the bus.

The team was able to check a couple of large suitcases to go in the airplane cargo which consisted of their Fly (飛べ) banner and gifts. They had spent the last several weeks coming up with ideas for gifts to bring to their hosts as a 'thank you' for the invitation and financial coverage. They may have gone overboard with the presents but they hoped that the Cascade High School volleyball team would appreciate their unique Japanese-themed gifts. Most of it was various types of clothing like shirts and whatnot that could only be purchased in their country. They also brought many of their favorite snacks that were safe for passing through customs and the Travel Security Administration. On top of all of that, they brought with them their passion for volleyball.

Two months ago it had come as a big surprise when Takeda received an email from one of the coaches at Ōkamiyama (狼山). The crows had come to refer to Cascade High School as "Ōkamiyama" due to their wolf mascot and location in the Cascade mountain range ('Ōkami' 狼 means wolf and 'yama' 山 means mountain). Karasuno had accepted the invitation to come to Seattle, Washington for a little under three weeks to participate in a week-long training camp with their hosts followed by a five-day tournament located at the University of Washington.

The letter explained that the students at Ōkamiyama had seen some videos of Karasuno from five years ago and were inspired. While Japanese was not a standard subject in America several members of the wolves' volleyball team had started learning on their own or otherwise taking lessons, there would also be two translators present as well. Most of the Karasuno members ranged from a passable to a good understanding of English. There was a whole bunch of excitement coursing through the crows at the prospects of international travel, the fun activities in Seattle, and the chance to play against several strong teams.

"Suga-san," Hinata began, sitting in the seat behind the vice-captain. "can I look at the information packet again?"

"Certainly!" Sugawara replied. He fished out the papers from his bag and chuckled. "Here you are." He said handing the first-year the travel papers.

Hinata had been nonstop asking for the details over and over to the point that Takeda had printed extra copies for the team. He skimmed over the top page which was just the initial email printed out. He wanted to read about the itinerary, events, and team roster again. Their journey from Sendai to Osaka to Tokyo to Seattle was thrilling but at the same time made Hinata extremely nervous. He had never been so far away from his home and hoped he did not vomit again on anyone. Once they arrived in America they would meet one of the host coaches and translators who would take them from the airport to Everett where the high school was located. Once he had reread the travel schedule Hinata turned to the layout of the training with Ōkamiyama.

EVERETT TRAINING CAMP

DAILY SCHEDULE 8:00am - Breakfast 9:00am - Warmups 9:30am - Single Set Match 10:00am - Team Practice 12:00pm - Lunch 1:00pm - Afternoon Event* 4:00pm - Free Time 6:00pm - Dinner 7:00pm - Full Set Match 9:00pm - Individual Practice 11:00pm - Lights Out

*Monday- Downtown Seattle, Tuesday- Woodland Park Zoo, Wednesday- Lake Union, Thursday- Waterfront Aquarium, Friday- College Volleyball

EVENING TEAM LINEUPS Monday - Karasuno vs. Ōkamiyama Tuesday - Karasuno vs. Rōzutoge Wednesday - Karasuno vs. Hisuimori Thursday - Karasuno vs. Shachiwan Friday - Karasuno vs. Kaitomoya Saturday - Everyone at Alpine Lodge

Hinata had been nearly unable to sleep the night before, he was overcome with anticipation and joy. Whenever his thoughts raced to think about getting to play against five teams in the upcoming week his head spun. The only snag was his and Kageyama's recent fight, to which they were still not yet back to being friendly with one another, much to the rest of the team's dismay. If they expected to play at their best in the upcoming weeks then they needed to have their demon first-year duo back in shape. Hinata was still new to learning how to fight on his own and he was desperate to try out his unmastered skills against other teams.

Beyond the trip to Seattle lay a week spent in Saitama for a training camp with Nekoma, Shinzen, Ubugawa, and Fukurōdani. Later on, in the summer, they had scheduled regular practice matches with the neighborhood association and Nekoma. In addition to all of that Karasuno had extended invitations to other schools in surrounding prefectures to come to Miyagi for short training camps and practice matches into the next school term. So far, Takodai (octopus) from Yamagata, Koumorizen (bats) from Aomori, and Risunami (squirrels) from Akita had accepted the offer to come to Karasuno. Outside of those three, they were waiting to hear back from Kamenike (turtles), Ashikama (sea lions), and a couple of others. In the years since Karasuno was a national powerhouse, they had fallen out of communication with other teams. Their hardworking faculty coach, Takeda, was always on the lookout to organize more experience for Karasuno. His devotion to the team contributed to their success, something that the crows were eternally grateful for. In the months to follow their weekends were filling up with travels to Tokyo and hosting other schools at their home in Miyagi.

With wide eyes Hinata looked over the list of players, maybe I can get a turn with the tablet to watch their videos again... he wondered. Aside from their full roster list with player details the Americans had provided various videos of their matches and a summary of last year's standings. They were one of the best in Washington with no glaring holes in their playing. Their strength lay in their upperclassmen and wing spikers. In the previous summer, they managed to win the Seattle Tournament and a few of their players received awards for their outstanding capabilities.

CASCADE HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL TEAM 1. Reed Collins - Captain / Middle Blocker - 4th Year 2. David Garcia - Ace / Wing Spiker (Out) - 4th Year 3. Sam Campbell - Setter - 4th Year 4. Lan Nguyen - Vice Captain / Wing Spiker (Opp) - 3rd Year 5. Diego Perez - Libero - 3rd Year 6. Dylan Anderson - Middle Blocker - 3rd Year 7. Charlie Vo - Wing Spiker (Out) - 3rd Year 8. Taylor Martin - Libero - 1st Year 9. Kodah Stone - Wing Spiker (Out) - 2nd Year 10. Alex Williams - Middle Blocker / Pinch Server - 2nd Year 11. Ryan Zhang - Wing Spiker (Out) - 2nd Year 12. Parker Harris - Wing Spiker (Out) - 1st Year 13. Josh Miller - Middle Blocker - 1st Year 14. Erik Thorvald - Setter / Wing Spiker (Opp) - 2nd Year

KARASUNO HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL TEAM 1. Daichi Sawamura - Captain / Wing Spiker (Opp) - 3rd Year 2. Kōshi Sugawara - Vice-Captain / Setter - 3rd Year 3. Asahi Azumane - Ace / Wing Spiker (Out) - 3rd Year 4. Yū Nishinoya - Libero - 2nd Year 5. Ryūnosuke Tanaka - Wing Spiker (Out) - 2nd Year 9. Tobio Kageyama - Setter - 1st Year 10. Shōyō Hinata - Middle Blocker / Decoy - 1st Year 11. Kei Tsukishima - Middle Blocker - 1st Year 12. Tadashi Yamaguchi - Middle Blocker / Pinch Server - 1st Year

The roster of Ōkamiyama was long. They had fourteen players, whereas Karasuno was only nine. Wow, they have two liberos and six wing spikers! Hinata thought. It was so odd for him to see "fourth year" on the American roster when Japanese high schools were only three years. He reminded himself that the fourth years in Washington were the same age as Karasuno's third years, they just started high school a year earlier. Which meant that the American first years were younger than Hinata, I wonder if I am taller than any of the wolves. Aside from an additional year of more challenging schoolwork, Hinata liked the idea of having more chances to play in the center court at Nationals, or so he liked to dream. He thought of how Karasuno stood against Ōkamiyama and imagined playing against them.

At one point the total amount of second years on the team was five players. Now it was only two. Karasuno faced difficulties in having a shallow roster, but there were some benefits in the sense of the nine current members received more playing time. However, by the same stroke, they were prone to tiring faster too. The other second years, Chikara Ennoshita, Hisashi Kinoshita, and Kazuhito Narita had not yet decided on if they would return to the club. It was late July and while they had missed out on the spring term volleyball the rest of the team was always hoping for more players to return or otherwise join.

Their journey to the state of Washington would begin with a short drive to their local airport before embarking on an eighty minute flight to Osaka with a two-hour layover there in the Itami Airport. Following that stint, they would board again for a seventy-five minute ride to the Haneda Airport. Their first two flights were in the Economy Class and the crows would be sitting all together in clusters. From there they would be leaving their home country on a nine and a half hour overnight flight directly to Seattle.

"Hinata-kun!" Yachi Hikota exclaimed as she sat in the seat in front of Hinata.

"Yac-san!" He cried in equal joy, throwing his hands in the air.

"Did you remember to bring your summer homework?"

The joy evaporated and Hinata's arms fell to his sides.

"Yes," he grumbled softly. "do we want to start studying right now? It's not a long ride to the airport and I'm too excited to focus..." Hinata finished sheepishly with a hand behind his head. Yachi shook her head.

"That's alright Hinata, we can begin later on the ocean flight and there's downtime planned into the schedule."

"Ugh nobody else has homework! I just want to have fun way out west!" He grumbled.

"That's because everyone else planned in advanced to have two weeks off." Tsukishima sneered. Then he noticed the other volleyball idiot. "Well, everyone except for the King." He finished snickering. Kageyama glared at the middle blocker.

Hinata had packed his school workbooks into his carry on backpack, though he had hoped Yachi would forget about it. She was incredibly smart and tutored Hinata and Kageyama in their studies. Her help was so amazing that Hinata was able to get nearly all of his English exam questions right... but he realized too late that he had been off by one in filling in the answer sheet. Thankfully this trip to Seattle did not conflict with any academics so this time there was no threat of a supplementary exam.

"Wait..." Sugawara questioned, confused. "Hinata, did you say 'out west'?"

"Yeah, America is west of Japan."

"That is correct, but we are flying eastwards over the Pacific Ocean to get to Seattle. Remember? It's near Canada and on the western side of the United States."

"Huh? But the maps?!"

"America is both west and east of Japan, Hinata. We are taking the most direct route over the ocean instead of flying over Asia, Europe or Africa, and then across the Atlantic Ocean to be on the far side of North America." Yachi added, hoping to quell his misunderstandings. There was no such luck.

Hinata's face was completely devoid of understanding. His sunken expression was beyond recognition of their words as he started to question all of his thoughts on geography. Laughter broke out, rolling around the van and continued for many streets as they approached their destination. Their conversations turned into breakoff groups of the forthcoming adventure. Highlights involved all the new food they would get to try, the sights of Seattle, strategies for how to combat Ōkamiyama's strengths, and reviewing common English phrases.

Soon enough they spilled out into the long-term parking lot. They unloaded the school van quickly as the sense of reality dawned on them. The upcoming teams were waiting far off in distant shores, challenges on the horizon, but first and foremost they would have to navigate the airports.

"All right, let's go!" Daichi asserted, leading the first steps.

"YEAH!"

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bumblesimagines · 1 year

Text

Under The Moonlight

Part 10

Request: Yes or No

~~~

"Come on, boy. We ought to make a man out of you." His father's voice rang in his ears and he tossed a sword at (Y/N)'s feet. The sword was long, maybe as long as he is at thirteen. (Y/N) knew how to hold a sword. Or rather, He knew how to hold small swords. His father grinned at his hesitance to pick it up, nudging the blade with the tip of his boot. Across from him, Leif smiled at him encouragingly. He held a sword in one hand, nearly as big as the sword their father had given his younger brother. Leif's facial hair had begun growing in, signifying adulthood was just around the corner for the older teen.

Clicking his tongue, Erik raised a scarred brow at him. "Go on, boy. It's better than that flimsy blade your mother got you."

"That dagger has seen more action than you, old man." His mother, Yri Orridottir, chimed in with a small sneer. Her eyes never left Freydis, hands braiding back Freydis's long hair to keep the golden strands out of her face. His sister watched them with twinkling crystal eyes, eager to learn from her brothers and be given the chance to train with them. She'd already been given a knife of her own. It'd only be a matter of time before Erik involved her in the sparring sessions.

"More action than me?" Erik laughed crudely, looking over each of his kids with a smirk. And as if on cue, the piercing wail of Thorvald echoed from their home and Erik's smirk grew. Rare was the day his father acted so freely.

"Go on, min lille kriger." Yri cooed to her son encouragingly, pointedly giving Erik a look. With Yri's permission, (Y/N) reached down to grab the handle of the sword and lifted it, a soft huff escaping him when it promptly slipped from his hands and landed in the thin layer of snow with a soft squish.

"Never held a sword that heavy, aye?" Erik laughed again. "Seems we gotta get you chopping more wood and eating more bears. You'll be of no use without strength, boy, remember that."

"It's not all about strength." Leif chided defensively, frowning at their father. "What use is someone who can't even think straight?"

"Leif's right, old man. Just take a look at yourself." Yri grinned and Erik scowled at her, rolling his dark eyes when Freydis giggled under her breath.

"It's fine." (Y/N) reached down again and picked up the sword, securing both hands around the handle and barely lifting the whole blade off the ground. Erik nodded, resting his fists on his hips and watching his son closely.

(Y/N) cleared his throat and looked up at his brother. Leif smiled at him again and began going through the motions. He thrusted the sword forward and (Y/N) attempted to mimic him, the weight of the sword nearly making him tumble forward. Leif waited for him to regain his posture and grip before holding his sword over his shoulder and bringing it down, cutting through the air. (Y/N) swallowed and glanced at an amused Erik. He lifted the sword as best as he could over his shoulder, bringing it down with ease but he nearly stumbled again.

"We'll work you until you can use this sword with your eyes closed. Now, go on, we ought to finish before Sigrid is done cookin'."

Running a hand over his face, (Y/N) yawned and opened his eyes, limbs stretching out over the cot. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, hearing two familiar voices growing nearer and the distant sound of thunder. With a smile, he swung his legs over the edge of the cot and stood up, walking toward the doorway and looking out at Freydis and Harald as they approached the cabin. Slung over Harald's shoulders was a dead deer. Enough food to last them a couple weeks, maybe more if they were smart about it.

"Good job, Freydis." (Y/N) praised, stepping down the stairs and pressing a kiss to her cheek. She brightened at his words and smirked smugly back at Harald, earning an eye roll from the prince. Ever since Harald's recovery, the two had developed a good friendship. They often bickered like siblings and had developed a game for when they hunted: whoever took down the prey won and the loser always had to carry back the food.

"I shot it first." Harald huffed.

"But I killed it!" Freydis called, slipping the bow off her shoulder and stepping inside. Harald set the deer down and sighed as he looked it over the deer. (Y/N) walked toward him and Harald lifted his arm without looking at him, only grinning when (Y/N) settled against his side. It'd been many months since the fall of Kattegat. Harald had gotten his strength back fairly quickly, taking hunting on and adding more space to the cabin for Freydis. His hair had grown and rested gently against the top of his shoulders. (Y/N) had grown to love his soft curls and found himself running his fingers through his hair whenever possible. His beard had grown as well, something he'd taken pride in. Freydis had relatively stayed the same, apart from the small bump that had begun to take shape on her belly. A recent development but an exciting one.

"I should change that dressing." (Y/N) stepped back and turned, only having to stop by the foot of the stairs before Freydis tossed the bandages out to him. Catching them and looking back at Harald, he motioned for him to sit down. Harald sighed and shed his shirt, taking a seat on the bench. He gazed at (Y/N), hands resting on his hips and he leaned in to steal a kiss and then another, and then another. Chuckling softly, (Y/N) gently pushed his shoulder back and lifted his brows at him. Harald stole one last kiss before he lifted his hand to (Y/N)'s shoulder and watched him remove the old bandages. (Y/N) hummed, lightly running his finger close to the wound and studying Harald's face. Harald didn't react to his touch.

"It's not fully healed yet." (Y/N) murmured, nodding to himself. "But it's certainly gotten better."

"Better enough for me to go to Kattegat," Harald said, lifting his gaze and frowning as (Y/N)'s face fell. (Y/N) stared into Harald's eyes and clenched his jaw, shaking his head in disbelief. It'd been a constant battle with Harald ever since they learned that King Canute's father had taken back Kattegat from Jarl Olaf. It was even rumored that Jarl Olaf had only ruled the town for a couple of minutes before fleeing when the ships arrived. "I cannot stay here forever, love. I must meet with Forkbeard and demand what is mine."

"Your agreement was with his son, Harald. Forkbeard will do what he believes is best for his son and his growing empire. If he believes you are not fit for Norway, he will not put you on the throne. We do not know who has allied themselves to Forkbeard. We know nothing about Kattegat!" (Y/N) exclaimed, unable to keep his voice steady. Harald's frown deepened and he gently grabbed his arms to keep him still.

"All the more reason to go. Do you wish to spend the rest of your life out here in the wilderness?"

"I was raised in the wilderness, Harald. What is so wrong about living out here-"

"Because I was meant to be the ruler of Norway! Because my children were meant to be rulers!" Harald raised his voice, irritation lacing his voice. (Y/N) blinked and reeled back, feeling Harald's hold on him loosen slightly. His brows furrowed slightly and his eyes flickered between Harald's brown ones, his words etching themselves into his brain. Harald inhaled deeply and bowed his head. "I shouldn't have raised my voice-"

"Harald, I cannot give you children... I cannot give you princes or princesses." (Y/N) said quietly and Harald nodded, rising to his feet and wrapping his arms around him. (Y/N) remained still, pressing his face into Harald's shoulder as the prince gently stroked the back of his head.

"I know, I know. I just wanted to get a point across. I... I need to go back, my love." Harald whispered, pressing a kiss to his temple and leaning back. Cupping (Y/N)'s face, he stroked his cheek and kissed the bridge of his nose. "And I want you to come with me. Freydis as well. I wouldn't leave her while she's with child and I know you wouldn't either."

"That would be her choice to make." (Y/N) muttered, pulling Harald's hands away and motioning to the bandages. "You should wrap it before the rain falls."

"(Y/N)-"

"I know it's important to you, Harald. I-I need to think about it." (Y/N) rubbed the side of his neck and turned, heading up the stairs and into the cabin. He sighed and plopped down on the cot, leaning his back against the wall and looking at Freydis from the corner of his eye. She continued to churn leaves, only being able to pretend she hadn't eavesdropped for a couple minutes before she tore herself away from the table and walked toward him. She sat down beside him, taking his hand into hers.

"What are you thinking about?"

"That you were right. As always." He breathed out, fingers curling over his knee. "He is a prince who wants to be king. He... He wants power. He wants heirs. I cannot give him what he desires, Freydis. I cannot give him the crown, the kingdom, the heirs. He knows this... He knows he'll have to marry a noble woman who will give him many healthy heirs. She'll give him what he desires. And then he will have no more space for me. That is the reality of our love."

"What is it you truly want, (Y/N)? All these years you have spent doing what we wanted. You came here for me, you went to war for me, you stayed in Kattegat for Leif and I... And I see it in your eyes that despite what you say, you'll follow Harald to Kattegat. Because you are so kind and loving that you forget about yourself. What have you wanted all this time that you've been deprived of?"

The answer came swiftly. It often lingered in his mind and slipped into his dreams, reminding him of everything between him and his desire. "I want to go home. Norway, Kattegat, even this cabin... this isn't my home. Greenland is. I miss the snow and the cold. I miss watching the seals and whales. I even miss catching glimpses of the bears. I miss my mother... I-I want my mother." His eyes easily filled with tears. He had no way of knowing if she even lived. If anything had happened to them while they were away.

"You've sacrificed enough for us. If Harald does not wish to make at least one sacrifice for you..." Freydis trailed off and brought his hand to her lips, kissing the back of his hand and smiling sadly at him. "You should go home, (Y/N)."

"I know... But I must know if Leif is alive and... I want to help Harald achieve his destiny of being a ruler. It is what he's always wanted, all he talks about. I'll help him become king and then, I'll go home. Even if it means leaving Harald behind and never seeing him again." (Y/N) sniffled, feeling Freydis wipe his tears and nod.

"If that is what you want." She rubbed his hand one last time before standing and picking up the empty water bucket. She glanced at him and smiled again before stepping out and heading toward the stream. (Y/N) sighed softly and rose, approaching the doorway and spotting Harald skinning the deer with a concentrated look on his face. He seemed to sense eyes on him and looked up, immediately frowning when he noticed the look on his face. (Y/N) stepped down the stairs and walked toward him.

"I did not mean to make you cry-"

"I will go with you to Kattegat, Harald. I want to find Leif." (Y/N) told him and Harald perked up, smiling widely and closing the distance between them. He brought his lips to (Y/N)'s, a pleased laugh rumbling in his chest.

"I'm glad, (Y/N)." Harald pressed his forehead against (Y/N)'s, eyes closing. "When I am king, you will be my advisor. We'll rule Norway together."

(Y/N) tried not to show how his heart cracked.

➸ ➸ ➸ ➸ ➸ ➸

The journey to Kattegat would be a rather long one. The horses they had taken had been traded in a village for supplies thus forcing them to walk to the town on foot and carry bags worth of belongings. (Y/N) kept his mind on Leif and Liv, praying that they'd both gotten out of Kattegat safe and sound. Perhaps they had even settled down somewhere and begun a good life of their own. (Y/N)'s lips quirked at the idea of his brother becoming a father.

(Y/N) adjusted his bow and gazed out at the calm river, waiting for Freydis and Harald to finish filling their flasks with water. His sister had decided to join them on their journey with unexpected yet welcomed determination. The sound of crunching twigs pulled his attention to the family passing behind them. A couple and their young daughter. They appeared to be in a hurry, only sparing them glances as they breezed by them. The little girl turned to look at them in surprise and then in awe at the sight of Freydis, excitedly turning to tug on her mother's blue sleeve.

"Mother, it's her!" She pointed out but her mother paid no mind to her words and pulled her along faster, causing the little girl to drop something in the trail. Freydis glanced back at the two men and stood, tucking her flask away and nodded toward the couple. She walked forward toward the trail and picked up a small wooden totem in the shape of an eagle. The Allfather's symbol. Freydis didn't hesitate on following the family, even when her brother and Harald exchanged looks. They followed the couple to a small beach where rowboats waited for the small group of people. The girl glanced back at them and smiled widely, rushing toward Freydis.

"You're her, aren't you?" She asked excitedly, stopping in front of Freydis. Her parents quickly caught up to her, pulling her against them protectively but they remained silent, exchanging looks.

"Who?" Freydis inquired softly.

"Freydis! Keeper of the Faith!" The little girl smiled widely, practically trembling with happiness.

Freydis pursed her lips, eyes flickering up to a man near the water who watched them. "I don't know what you mean."

"I saw your shield test in Kattegat. I recognize your sword! You've come to help us, haven't you?" She gazed up at her hopefully. Her parents grimaced at her words and looked at each other, a certain sadness in their eyes.

"No, I am sorry." Freydis crouched down and handed the totem back to the little girl. "You are mistaken."

"Come, we must hurry to the boats." The girl's mother urged, rubbing her shoulders comfortingly.

Stepping forward, Harald asked, "Where are you going?"

"Our village was destroyed by Kare before the fall of Kattegat. And now the Christian Jarls will not let us rebuild. We are going to find a new home." The mother explained, affectionately tucking a strand of hair behind her daughter's ear and smiling down at her. (Y/N) frowned, looking back at the rowboats. Harald seemed to share his thoughts.

"Those boats aren't seaworthy." Harald pointed out. "If there's a storm you'll drown in open water."

"We heard there are ships waiting for us out there." The father said, placing a hand on his wife's back. "They'll take us to a new Uppsala across the sea. A place called Jomsborg."

"Come quickly! You'll miss the tide!" The man from before shouted and the parents quickly ushered their daughter forward, heading toward the boats and securing a spot for themselves. Freydis stared after them, her eyes had lightened up at the sound of a new Uppsala. She lingered behind, watching the boats be pushed out into the water before joining the men again. (Y/N) didn't miss the way the strange man continued to stare at them until he disappeared from view.

"A new Uppsala," Freydis repeated softly, a smile toying at her lips. But a sad glint appeared in her eyes and she glanced back at the trail over her shoulder. "I'd like to see it. I'd like to help those people."

"Maybe you will." (Y/N) placed his hands on her shoulder, giving it a small squeeze.

When night fell, they set up shelter and settled in once the sky darkened. But even when Harald pulled him flush against his chest and nuzzled into his shoulder, (Y/N) couldn't find sleep. Harald believed they'd be together, even in court. He believed (Y/N) had accepted the role of advisor. It kept him up knowing he'd have to be the one to break Harald's heart. He knew he could simply get on a boat and leave once Harald got the crown, but he doubted Harald wouldn't search for him night and day. And before he knew it, the sun had risen and they continued forward. They followed the river that led back to Kattegat until they heard the distant sounds of battle ahead. They each grabbed an arrow and prepared their bows, quickening their pace.

And (Y/N) saw him.

His beloved older brother.

"Leif?" (Y/N) breathed and Freydis gasped. Leif turned around to look at them, nearly unrecognizable from his long hair and thick beard. He stared at them in surprise before his features surprisingly hardened. It was then when (Y/N) took note of the person missing, the one person who stuck to Leif's side like bees to honey. Liv. (Y/N) understood the coldness Leif had toward them, the way he looked around for more threats like a paranoid man. A grieving man ignoring his pain.

"We need to move. These people were coming for you." He revealed, motioning to the bodies around him. "Olaf is not far behind," Leif added and began moving forward, brushing past his siblings without even hugging them. (Y/N) pressed his lips together and swallowed, tucking his arrow and bow away before walking alongside Freydis and up the mountain, away from Kattegat. Leif's head snapped around every so often and he'd quietly mutter to himself as if he were speaking to someone they couldn't see. It made (Y/N)'s heart grow heavy.

"Why were you returning to Kattegat?" Leif asked though he made a point of looking back at Harald. He still knew his siblings too well.

"To see Forkbeard and inform him of Canute's promise to me," Harald answered.

"It's too late for that. Forkbeard has left Kattegat and named his grandson the new King of Norway." His words made Harald abruptly stop and (Y/N) almost ran into his back, stumbling back slightly. (Y/N) pressed his hand against Harald's back and stepped around him, seeing the disbelief on his face.

"Svein? Canute's son?"

"Yes." Leif stopped and turned to look at him, frown only deepening. "And made Olaf his protector."

"Then why are we going this way? I must go back and confront my brother!"

"Those men back there were bounty hunters, Harald. Olaf has placed a price on your head and Freydis's and (Y/N)'s. Nowhere is safe for you now." Harald swallowed and looked away from Leif, his jaw clenching and unclenching. Feeling (Y/N)'s hand rub his back, he sighed heavily and moved forward, solemnly following the siblings. They continued up and around the mountains, hoping to put as much distance between themselves and Jarl Olaf as possible. After nearly half an hour of walking, Leif allowed them to rest and took a seat on a small boulder, eyes still scoping the area for danger.

"I missed you." (Y/N) muttered, leaning his quiver against the boulder and dancing his fingers along the top of Leif's messy hair. Leif grunted softly and stared forward, even as Freydis sat beside him and looked him over.

"You've changed, Leif," Freydis said quietly and Leif frowned.

"Nothing's changed."

"Yes, it has. There's a look in your eyes. A coldness... I've seen it before... with Father, but never with you." Freydis reached down, running her fingertips along the side of his face. Leif lowered his gaze to the grass and sighed in defeat. But before they could continue speaking, Harald approached them, his eyes lit up. (Y/N) almost grimaced. Harald had a new plan.

"We go to Novgorod!"

"Novgorod? The Rus?" Freydis scoffed softly, leaning back to stare at Harald with a frown.

"My uncle is the ruler there. I'll explain to him that Forkbeard is an oathbreaker." Harald explained but Freydis merely rolled her eyes. "He will support my cause."

"Novgorod is a long journey." Leif pointed out and (Y/N) nodded. He knew little of Novgorod apart from the fact it shared a similar climate to Greenland. He'd heard the city was decently sized and well-populated. Mainly known for its trade, similar to Kattegat. But as much as (Y/N) missed seeing snow and the feel of cold nipping his skin, he didn't favor the idea of visiting a foreign land.

"What other choice do we have? A life on the run?" Harald frowned, pleadingly looking at Leif and (Y/N). "If I have any chance of taking what's rightfully mine, I must go to Novgorod and raise my own army to fight Olaf!"

Before Leif could respond, a voice called out and they turned. A young man approached them quickly, wearing black clothes and a black cloak. He appeared rather young with bright blue eyes and short blonde hair. He had the beginnings of a beard settling on his face and a pretty smile. However, despite having greeted Leif specifically, Leif rose to his feet angrily and slipped his dagger out, grabbing the young man by the collar and slamming him against the ground. "Wait! I'm a friend!"

"I know this man from Kattegat." Leif held the blade to his neck, glaring down at him as he struggled. The three cautiously approached them, peering down at the man. "He asked me questions about you." Leif glanced up at Freydis and she frowned.

"My name is Jorundr! I am a Jomsviking!"

"What is that?" Freydis asked, glancing between the men with furrowed brows.

"Pirates," Harald answered bitterly. "Ocean thieves."

"We're believers in the Old Ways. Please, I am here to help you, but if you wish to survive you must come with me!" Jorundr said, trying to push Leif's hand away but Leif proved stronger than him. In his desperate attempts at breaking free, the sleeve of his black tunic slid down and Freydis blinked, leaning down to grab his wrist and look at the ink on his arm.

"What is this?"

"The Skuld's Net. The Web of Fate." He grunted out, wincing as the blade lightly dug into his throat.

"I've seen this mark before," Freydis told them, pressing her hand to Leif's chest and nodding to him. Hesitantly, Leif removed the blade and backed off, glancing at (Y/N) in confusion as Freydis helped Jorundr to his feet. Holding his hand, she raised a brow at him, a knowing look in her eyes. "I believe he is here for a reason."

"You trust this man?" (Y/N) asked and Harald frowned, subtly pulling (Y/N) closer and eyeing Jorundr.

Freydis nodded, releasing his hand. "Lead the way."

Jorundr turned and led them west toward the coast. He proved to be quick on his feet, although he occasionally stumbled slightly while going downhill. He had a cheerful demeanor and seemed most interested in Freydis, often glancing back at her excitedly and eyeing the sword she'd been given at the old Uppsala. He took them into the forest and down a trail between large thickets until a beach full of people came into view.

"Are all these people believers in the Old Ways?"

"Yes, refugees from the purge by the Christians," Jorundr answered Freydis, trekking further onto the beach. (Y/N) felt the droplets on his face carried by the wind and tasted the salt on his tongue. It'd been too long since he'd stepped foot on a beach, let alone seen the ocean up close again. Though it appeared rather obscured by the fog hanging over the water. The wall of brush kept both them and their enemies hidden, (Y/N) noted. They'd be trapped between water and forest if attacked.

"If Olaf finds us here-"

"Our boats will reach you first." Jorundr dismissed with a shake of his head.

Leif frowned, watching Jorundr approach the water. "Not in this fog. No one sails in this weather."

"We do! We know the ways of the fog and tides here! Wait for us!" Jorundr called and with that, he stepped into the water and disappeared into the fog. Shaking his head, Harald turned to face the siblings, a hard look on his face as he regarded them.

"We cannot stay here. It's far too dangerous." Harald voiced.

"I will not leave these people. If this is where I am to make my last stand... so be it." Freydis said and turned to look at him, shrugging her shoulders lightly. (Y/N) didn't need to think twice, stepping forward and standing beside his sister in support. A small smile appeared on Leif's face and he nodded, standing with them too. When the three looked at Harald expectantly, he sighed and slumped his shoulders.

"Greenlanders.." He muttered and chuckled. "You don't make it easy."

"You're one to talk." (Y/N) responded, watching a grin spread across Harald's face. Freydis hummed softly and turned toward the people on the beach, approaching them and beginning to coax them toward the brush so they could remain out of sight. The men joined her, encouraging them and leading them to the trail where they'd sit and wait for Jorundr to return. Freydis made sure to answer questions and reassure the people of their safety while Leif sat and stared out at the ocean, quietly speaking to himself again. (Y/N) watched him and felt Freydis brush her hand against his shoulder, giving him a comforting look and walking toward Leif to speak with him. (Y/N) sighed and walked forward to another secluded spot, sitting down on the smooth rocks and looking at the birds flying overhead.

"You must be pleased to be reunited with your brother," Harald spoke quietly, sitting down beside him and smiling. (Y/N) gave him a tight-lipped smile and nodded, fingers lightly scratching the side of his neck. Harald gazed at him, gently bumping their shoulders together. "I know you agreed to go to Kattegat with me, but I believe you will like Novgorod. It is an incredible place and-"

"It's not that, Harald. I..." (Y/N) bit the inside of his cheek and squeezed his eyes closed.

"What is it, love?" Harald asked softly, resting his hand over (Y/N)'s and watching him worriedly. Sighing, (Y/N) opened his eyes and smiled at him again, looking over his lightly tanned face. Strands of blonde and brown rested messily through his tied-back hair and his eyes looked light brown in the lighting. His beautiful, stubborn prince. (Y/N) sharply inhaled. A time would come when he'd have to refer to him as just his friend.

"Before I left Greenland, my mother told me that... Sometimes people are destined to walk the same path together and sometimes that path splits so they must part ways. She said that even if it hurts, you must walk down your own path and allow the other person to walk down theirs. Because that's just how life is." Confusion spread across Harald's features, eyes flickering between (Y/N)'s. But (Y/N) could see the recognition and understanding. Harald just didn't want to admit it to himself. "Harald, you believe your path leads you to be a king, and if it does, then that means we will have to part ways. When you are King, you will have to marry a beautiful noblewoman and she will give you as many heirs as you desire. She will be deserving of your love. And I will not take that from her or any children she gives you."

"(Y/N)..."

"I want to help you." (Y/N) gently held Harald's hands between his, giving it a soft squeeze. His soft eyes stared at the prince hopefully. "But I need you to understand that I will not be yours forever and you will not be mine forever. I need you to promise you will let me go once you've fulfilled your destiny. Promise me you'll try to be happy."

"I cannot promise you that. You are my happiness, (Y/N). I love you. I will not leave your side again." Harald asserted with a shake of his head.

"You know you'll have to, Harald. A Christian court will not allow a Pagan by their king's side. You will have to make the choice eventually but I am not asking you to make it now." (Y/N) brought his hand to his lips, pressing a kiss to the back of it. Harald swallowed thickly and shook his head again, hand squeezing around his.

"We can be happy together in court, (Y/N). I will ensure your happiness. You will have everything you desire. I will prove it to you." Harald vowed, kissing his forehead and squeezing his hands before he rose to his feet. (Y/N)'s lips parted but Harald stepped away, returning to the others. Pursing his lips, (Y/N) sighed and looked back up at the birds, whispering a plea for guidance to his Gods before he stood and followed Harald back.

As he stopped beside his brother, he heard the faint shouting of a man. "They're coming!" The voice grew closer and the people scrambled to their feet, running back out toward the beach when Leif instructed them. They ran blindly toward the water until they could go no further, huddling together and crying out in a panic. (Y/N) turned his head, spotting Olaf's men closing in on either side of the beach, keeping them pinned as more men descended down the trail. Slipping an arrow out from his quiver and readying it, he jogged toward the group of people and stood between Leif and Harald. Olaf appeared from the trail, accompanied by a blonde teenager. The new King of Norway, (Y/N) assumed. Another child sitting on a throne.

"Kill them all!" Olaf roared and his men began rushing toward them only to skid to a stop and stare fearfully at the sky. Turning his head, (Y/N) spotted two massive fireballs soaring through the sky. They landed between them and Olaf's men, erupting as soon as they made contact with the ground and keeping the two groups apart. More and more fireballs flew through the sky as Jorundr reappeared through the fog on a boat.

"To the boats!" Harald shouted, sheathing his sword and grabbing (Y/N)'s arm, pulling him along into the water and toward one of the awaiting boats. Leif and Freydis followed them, climbing on the boat and looking back at the fire. The other people were quickly helped onboard and the boats were pushed back out into the ocean, floating away from the enraged Olaf. The boats moved through the fog until a larger ship came into view. Jorundr reached out and a man onboard grabbed his arm, pulling the boat closer to the ship. Leif placed his hands on the side of the ship to keep the boat steady, watching the people climb onboard and be given supplies.

"We have come for you, Freydis," Jorundr said once he stepped onto the ship and turned to face her. "Join us in Jomsborg." Freydis looked over the boat and at the people that had been saved, the relief on their faces nearly bringing her to tears. She exhaled shakily and turned to her brothers, smiling sadly at them. Leaning over to (Y/N), she sweetly kissed his forehead and briefly held Leif's arm.

"I will miss you, brothers. You will never be far from my heart." She whispered and sniffled, lifting her gaze onto Harald. "Take care of them," Freydis added and when Harald nodded, she turned back to the ship and stepped onboard. The three men watched the ship until it disappeared into the fog, a bittersweet feeling clinging to the air. (Y/N) looked down at Leif when his brother sat down and hummed when Leif grabbed an oar.

"Novgorod is east," Leif said, giving the two a small grin. "And I have no intention of rowing all the way there myself."

Chuckling softly, (Y/N) turned to look at Harald, mustering a smile for him. "Come on, Prince of Norway. It's about time you do some work."

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kiarapeloso · 3 years

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I feel like not enough people know about Leif Erikson? Let's begin with Leif: He is thought to be the actual first European to set foot in America, like, many, many years before Columbus did–and I mean over half of a millennium before. His life is a bit confusing but to sum it up: His grandfather (a viking named Thorvald Asvaldsson) was exiled from Norway and moved to what we now call Iceland. Then, his father, viking Erik Thorvaldsson (also known as Erik the Red) was exiled from Iceland, and somehow went up to Greenland. Later in life, Leif was exiled from Iceland too. What a family, I guess. Buttttt, it gets exciting! He spent some time in Norway and spent winter with the king Olaf Triggvason, and then heard some rumours from (and here is where the another really interesting man comes in) Bjarni Herjólfsson, who is thought to be the first man to take notice of the American coast. This rumours led him to travel West and settle in what he called Vinland, which now we believe is Newfoundland, and island in Canada. He didn't discover anything at all, that's for sure, but quick reminder that history is not just what we learn in school but so many other things too!

Credits to this website. Also, there's some info in that page too! Click here to read more about Leif and his life and more!

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naturally-recklessly · 1 year

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NAVIGATION

｛ open starters ｝｛ about ｝｛ answers ｝｛ visage ｝｛ aesthetics ｝｛ musings ｝｛ playlist ｝｛ wanted opposites ｝

STATS

GENERAL INFORMATION

FULL NAME Leif Eriksson | NICKNAME Greenlander | BIRTHDAY 9th October | ORIENTATION Straight | STATUS Single | RELIGION Raised pagan, but currently curious about other religions (Viking Verse) / Atheist (Modern Verse) | CURRENT LOCATION Verse dependent | SOCIAL CLASS Verse dependent | SPOKEN LANGUAGES Old Norse, English, Greek, Latin | OCUPATION Viking warrior, sailor & explorer (Viking Verse) / Sailing teacher & literature student (Modern Verse)

FATHER Erik Thorvaldsson (aka Erik the Red) | MOTHER Thjodhild Jorundarsdottir | BROTHER(S) Thorvald Eriksson (older), Thorstein Eriksson (younger) | SISTER(S) Freydis Eriksdóttir (younger) | PET(S) None

FACECLAIM Sam Corlett | HAIR COLOR Dark blonde | EYE COLOR Between blue and green | HEIGHT 1.84 m (6 ft) | TATTOO(S) Viking longship on his back; a line of viking runes from the ulnar side of his right hand to his elbow | SCAR(S) Claw marks from his right shoulder to the upper chest, from fighting a polar bear; a scar on the left side of his back, right bellow his tattoo

LIKES Quietness, being with his family and friends, sailing, learning new things | DISLIKES Gratuitous violence, injustice, seeing his loved ones suffer

QUALITIES Devoted brother and friend, very loyal, level-headed, tolerant, fair, intrepid and fearless sailor, resourceful and skillful fighter | FLAWS Withdrawn, difficulty to cope with loss, haunted by the fear of becoming like his father one day

BIOGRAPHY

VIKING VERSE — Born and raised in Greenland, Leif is the second son of Erik Thorvaldsson, also known as Erik the Red, a man who was exiled for killing others in Norway and Iceland. Still, his courage and fighting skills were undeniable and many followed him to Greenland, where he established a viking settlement, becoming its leader. And despite his brutality and violent temper, Erik was a good father to his children. Raised in a tightly-knit family, steeped in the old pagan beliefs, Leif grew to be very loyal to his family and friends. Always interested in boats and sailing, he also developed excellent captaining skills over the years which, together with his quick thinking and bravery, have rendered him an intrepid and fearless sailor. Naturally, being his father's son, Leif has also learned the art of fighting, becoming a resourceful and skillful fighter with all weaponry. However, adamant in not becoming like his father, he's never engaged in needless fighting nor killed a single man during his lifetime in Greenland. In fact, he'd only ever killed a polar bear, and only because it attacked him first.

Always a devoted brother and friend, Leif has always been very close to his younger sister Freydis. One day, when he and his brothers were accompanying their father and had to leave her home alone, Freydis was attacked and assaulted by a christian viking, who carved a cross on her back with his knife before leaving. Leif never forgave himself for not being able to protect and defend her that day, and swore he'd help her getting her revenge. Their father, a follower of the old viking costumes, encouraged and supported Freydis in getting her revenge from her attacker, and when the day came, Leif took her, along with a group of close friends, on a five-week journey from Greenland to Kattegat, even making it through a giant storm where many other ships were destroyed. But after Freydis did what she had come to do, it didn't take long for the siblings to find out the viking world had changed, and their father's way of thinking no longer applied, so they ended up imprisoned. To save their lives, Leif agreed to captain one of King Canute's boats to England and employ his fighting skills to help conquering this territory.

It was during this journey that Leif confirmed that a man's faith doesn't attest for his character, as his first kill was a fellow pagan viking who disrespected him as a captain and killed a christian viking on their boat. He wasn't proud of it, but it did earn him some respect. And if anyone still doubted his skills, it was his plan to take down London's bridge that granted their victory, with King Canute acclaiming him as a hero and pardoning Freydis. However, this accomplishment came with a bitter taste, for many of his friends lost their lives, and Leif started questioning his pagan faith, as it seemed it was a christian cross that granted him protection. Back in Kattegat, Leif had to take part in a battle to defend it against Jarl Kåre, a dangerous man hellbent on cleansing Norway of paganism, and Olaf Haraldsson, Harald's older brother who wanted to claim the throne for himself. This battle ended up costing the life of Leif's lover, Liv, and for the first time he gave in to the darkness he'd inherited from his father, killing several enemies in a grief-induced berserker rage to avenge Liv's death.

After that, he and Harald sailed to the Rus (namely to Novgorod), where the Prince of Norway intended to ask for his uncle's help to obtain an army and defeat Olaf. When that was denied, Harald conceived another plan — to buy furs and a boat and travel to Constantinople, where he'd exchange them for an army. Gathering the most unlikely crew, Leif captained this ship until it reached its destination, overcoming many challenges on the way, and even finding love in a scholar named Mariam, who taught him to read and write, mathematics, astronomy, greek and latin. Leif admired her immense knowledge and kindness, the way she taught him new ways of thinking and understanding the world around him, and all he wanted was to get her to Constantinople in time, where the doctors would possibly cure her sickness. However, this wasn't possible and she died in Leif's arms. Although this time he was able to cope with grieving in calmer, healthier ways.

Along his journey, Leif was able to make a name for himself, away from his father's shadow, only resorting to violence when absolutely necessary. Thoughtful and controlled, but also courageous and brave, Leif is confident in himself and his abilities, without needing to brag or show off to others. His humble attitude makes him different from the typical Viking warrior.

MODERN VERSE — Born and raised in Greenland, Leif is the second son of Erik Thorvaldsson, also known as Erik the Red, a renowned businessman and the owner of "The Red Den", a famous local wrestling club. Despite its popularity, it's also a façade for some more obscure trades, such as money laundering, weapon selling and underground fighting, where for the right price anything can be bought and any problem made to disappear without a trace.

Being born into such a wealthy, tightly-knit family, Leif grew up somewhat privileged and wanting for nothing, incredibly loyal to his family and friends. And as his father's son, he was initiated in the family's business from an early age, also becoming a very skilled fighter. However, this has also taught him who he didn't want to become. Having watched his father and his men beating others almost to death just for the sake of it, Leif swore he'd only resort to violence if it was absolutely needed, in case he needed to defend himself or those he cared about. A calm, peaceful young man, Leif decided to distance himself from such a toxic environment in order to pursue his true interests, such as sailing, mathematics, greek and latin, as well as norse mythology. Therefore he started entering sailing competitions, having sailed alone from Greenland to North America, where he decided to settle.

Nowadays Leif teaches at a sailing academy, sharing his knowledge and passion with like-minded people, and he also goes to college in order to obtain his masters degree in greek and latin literature. Confident in himself and his abilities, but keeping an humble attitude, Leif is a very loyal friend, who'd do anything for those he loves. Due to his life experience and many journeys, he's met people from all over the world, which helped him become a very open-minded, tolerant man, who loves sharing and gathering new knowledge and beliefs. However, he's still haunted by his past, and the fear of becoming like his father one day.

CONNECTIONS

Youngest daughter of Erik the Red and Leif's half-sister, Freydis grew up in a very harsh environment that requires a survivalist mentality. Raised pagan and a fierce believer in the old gods, she was assaulted by a christian viking who carved a cross on her back. Determined to get her revenge, she counted on her brother's help to travel to Kattegat and kill her rapist, finally feeling cleansed. While in Kattegat, she received training and became a shield-maiden, and also travelled to Uppsala, where she was called "The Keeper of the Faith" and was offered a sword with the same name. Despite her faith, she ended up falling in love with Harald Sigurdsson, prince of Norway and a christian, but they are now on different paths. Reckless and driven by her emotions, Freydis is fiery, headstrong and brave, someone who never runs away from a challenge and will always fight for what she thinks is right. ｛ # tagged posts ｝

Born into nobility and raised in the christian faith, Harald is a prince of Norway and one of the last viking berserkers. After the massacre of St. Brice's Day, where many vikings lost their lives in England, including one of his brothers, Sten, Harald travelled to Kattegat in order to help King Canute assembling an army to take revenge. There, he met Leif and his sister Freydis, whom he ended up falling in love with. Handsome, confident, charismatic and ambitious, he prefers diplomacy to violence and his passionate speeches are able to unite both followers of Odin and Christians. Harald's leadership skills and charisma immediately impressed Leif, while Leif's sailing and fighting skills, along with his willingness to avoid killing, also made a lasting impression on the prince, and the two quickly became friends. Their raid to England only strengthened their bond, and the two now consider each other brothers, always ready to jump in each other's defense. ｛ # tagged posts ｝

Born and raised in Greenland, Liv was always a good friend of Leif and Freydis', accompanying them on their journey to Kattegat and later joining Leif as he went to England. A fierce and skilled fighter, she was also very loyal and a firm believer in the old gods. Liv was in love with Leif and always tried to take care of him, cheering him up whenever he felt sad or questioned his motivations, seeing him for who he was and not a potential version of his father. After she was badly injured in England, Leif took care of her and the two assumed their love, with Leif admitting it was Liv's presence in his life that kept his inner darkness at bay, keeping him calm and inspiring him to do great things. However, Liv was killed in the battle of Kattegat and for the first time Leif gave in to the darkness he'd inherited from his father, killing several enemies in a grief-induced rage. And because he'd been questioning the pagan faith he'd been raised into, as Liv lay dying he couldn't promise her he'd one day join her in Valhalla, something he still blames himself for until today. ｛ # tagged posts ｝

Born in Aleppo, Mariam was a very well educated woman, who'd made her life's mission to travel to many places and learn as much as she could. Interested in astronomy, she studied the elements in the skies, so she had traveled to Novgorod to look for pieces of meteorites. However, due to the Pecheneg blockade of the Dnieper River, she got stuck in this city, unable to travel to Constantinople to see the doctors who could possibly treat her sickness. It was in Novgorod where she met Leif and Harald at dinner. Despite being a scholar, Leif's tales of his homeland still impressed her, and they even shared a conversation about the "rocks that fall from the sky". And when later that night Leif had a grief-induced alucination with Liv and lost his senses, it was Mariam who had him brought inside, sheltering him from the cold and probably death. Grateful for her kindness and impressed by her books and vast knowledge, Leif decided to take her to Constantinople, to get the medical help she needed. Along their journey, Mariam taught Leif how to read and write in Arabic, astronomy, mathematics, Latin and Greek. As she taught him new ways of thinking and understanding the world around him, the two fell in love, but Mariam didn't survive, dying in Leif's arms before they reached their destination. Coping with her loss in a calmer, healthier way, Leif will be forever grateful for everything he learned with her and for the navigation instruments she gifted him, things that will shape his destiny as an explorer. ｛ # tagged posts ｝

#⌈ 🌍 ⌉ 𝐌𝐎𝐁𝐈𝐋𝐄 𝐍𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐆𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍. || ➳ ❪ muse: leif eriksson ❫#⌈ ⛵️ ⌉ 𝐋𝐄𝐈𝐅 𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐊𝐒𝐒𝐎𝐍. || ➳ ❪ about ❫

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wiedzmina-blog · 7 years

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Norwegian / old norse names and places

Every now and then I come across a book, movie, TV-series, fanfic, game or whatever, that mention a fictional "Norwegian" or "norse" place or person, and it just sounds so wrong it makes me either cringe or ROFL. Really. I still haven't recovered from the 1995 X-files episode, "Død Kalm", which took us to the port of "Tildeskan" where we met "Henry Trondheim", "Halverson" and "Olafsson". Hopefully this list will keep others from being that “creative” with names. :)

Common names for places, towns and villages in Norway

These names are very generic and suitable for a place, village or town anywhere (and pretty much any time) in Norway. Mix and match prefixes with suffixes for diversity. Bonus: All of these can also be used as surnames. Name (meaning) - usage

Nes (headland, cape, ness) - Standalone Bø (fenced-in field on a farm) - Standalone Fjell (mountain) - Standalone or prefix/suffix: Fjell- / -fjell Haug (small hill / large mound) - Standalone or prefix/suffix: Haug- / -haug Vik, Viken, Vika (inlet, the inlet, the inlet) - Standalone or prefix/suffix: Vik- / -viken / -vika Ås, Åsen (hill, the hill (larger than "Bakken")) - Standalone or prefix/suffix: Dal, Dalen (valley, the valley) - Standalone or prefix/suffix: Berg (small mountain) - Standalone or prefix/suffix: Berg(s)- / -berg Sand (sand) - Standalone or prefix/suffix: Sand- / -sand Strand (beach) - Standalone or prefix/suffix: Strand- / -strand Li (hill) - Standalone or prefix/suffix: Li- / -li Gran (spruce) - Standalone or prefix: Gran- Bratt (steep) - prefix only: Bratt- Myr (bog, mire) - prefix only: Myr- Neset, Nesset (the headland, the cape, the ness) - Standalone or suffix: -neset / -nesset Odden (foreland, headland) - Standalone or suffix: -odden Våg (cove, bay) - Standalone or suffix: -våg Lund (grove) - Standalone or suffix: -lund Sund (sound, strait) - Standalone or suffix: -sund Skog (forest) prefix/suffix: Skog- / -skog Øy (island) prefix/suffix: Øy- / -øy øya (the island) - suffix only: -øya bakken (the hill) - suffix only: -bakken gard / gård / gården (farm / farm / the farm) - suffix only: -gard / -gård / -gården elv, -elva (river, the river) suffix only: -elv / -elva stad (old word for town/place) suffix only: -stad vannet (the lake) - suffix only: -vannet

Common words that can be used as prefix to any of the suffixes above Svart- (black) Lille- (little/small) Sol- (sun) Brei-/Bred- (wide) Stor- (big) Lang- (long)

Common Norwegian surnames (contemporary)

Heredatory surnames didn't become mandatory in Norway until 1923. Many took the name from the farm or place they lived, or just changed their primary patronyms into hereditary patronyms. Example: Helgessønn/Helgesdatter (son of Helge / daughter of Helge) became Helgesen.

Alm Andersen Anderssen Antonsen Aspelund Bakke Bakken Bang Berg Bjerkan Bråthen Christensen Corneliussen Dahl Dahlberg Danielsen Dyrnes Dørum Eide Ellingsen Erdal Eriksen Falch Fredriksen Foss Fure Fylling Gabrielsen Gran Grønning Halvorsen Hansen Hanssen Hay Hoff Holm Holt Husby Isaksen Iversen Jacobsen Jensen Jenssen Johansen Karlsen Klausen Konradsen Kristensen Kristiansen Larsen Larssen Lie Lien Lund Løvold Magnussen Meyer Mikalsen Mo Moen Myhre Myklebust Mørk Ness Nilsen Olavsen Olsen Paulsen Pettersen Prestegård Rasmussen Riise Rogstad Ruud Simonsen Solbakken Solli Stokke Strøm Sund Svendsen Thorvaldsen Torp Thune Tønnesen Ueland Ulven Urdal Vik Vinje Wahl Wik Wilhelmsen Zakariassen Ødegård Årseth Årvik Ås, Aas Åsen, Aasen

Common Norwegian names -- 1980 - present

Men

Anders André Andreas Are Arne Atle Bjørn Cato Chris Christian, Kristian Christoffer, Kristoffer Daniel David Dennis Elias Emil Espen Erik, Eric Eirik Fredrik Filip Geir Harald Helge Hans Henning Håkon, Haakon Håvard Isak Jan Joachim Johan Johannes John, Jon Johnny Jonas Jonathan Kim Kristian, Christian Kristoffer, Christoffer Lars Lucas, Lukas Mads, Mats Magnus Martin Michael, Mikael Morten Niklas Nils Odin Ole Ove Paul Per Peter, Petter Preben Pål Richard, Rikard Roger Sebastian Simen Simon Sindre Sondre Stian Terje Thomas Thor, Tor Thore, Tore Vegard Werner William Øystein Åge Åsmund

Women

Andrea Ane, Anne Anette, Annette Annika, Anniken Astrid Bente Camilla Carina Cathrine Celine Charlotte Christin, Kristin Christina, Kristina Christine, Kristine Elin, Eline Elise Elisabeth Emilie Eva Frida Grete, Grethe Hanne Hege Heidi Helene Hilde Ida Ine Ingrid Ingvill, Ingvild Isabel, Isabell, Isabelle Iselin Jannicke Janine Jeanette Jennie, Jenny Julia, Julie Karoline (Kine) Katrin, Katrine Kristin, Christin Lea, Leah Lena, Lene Linda Line Linn Linnea Lise, Lisa Liv, Live Mai, May Maja Malin Margrete, Margrethe Mari, Maria, Marie Mariann, Marianne Marte, Marthe Mette Monica Nina Nora Oda Pia Ragnhild Randi Rikke Sara, Sarah Silje Siv Stina, Stine Susann, Susanne Tanja Tina, Tine Tiril Tone Trine Vilde Vera Veronica Wenche Åse Åshild

Common Norwegian names - 1800 - 1980

Men Aksel Albert Anders Andreas Anker Ansgar Arne Arnt Arve Asle Atle Birger Bård Charles Edmund Edvard Egon Erling Even Fred Fredrik Frode Geir Georg Gunnar Gunvald Gustav Harald Helge Hilmar Håkon, Haakon Ivar Ingvar Jens Jesper Jørgen Joakim Karl Karsten, Karstein Kjell Klaus Kolbein Kolbjørn Kristian Kåre Lars Lavrans Leif Lossius Ludvig Magne Magnus Nikolai Nils Odd Oddvar Odin Ola Olai Olaf Olav Ole Omar Oscar, Oskar Peder Per Petter Philip, Phillip Pål Ragnar Rikard Roald Roar (also Hroar) Rolf Rune Sigurd Sigvard, Sigvart Simon Svein Sverre Tarjei Terje Toralf, Thoralf Torbjørn, Thorbjørn Torleif, Thorleif Torstein, Thorstein Torvald, Thorvald Trond Ulf Ulrik Valdemar Wilhelm Willy Åge

Women

Albertine Alice, Alise Alma Anita Anna Annbjørg Asbjørg Astrid Aud Bente Berit Birgit Birgitte Bjørg Bjørgun Bodil Borghild Dagny Dagrun Edel Ella Ellen Elsa Fredrikke Frida Gerd Gjertrud Gunhild Gyda Hanna, Hannah Helga Henny Herdis Hilda Hilde Hjørdis Ingeborg Inger Irene Johanna, Johanne Jorun, Jorunn Josefine Judith Kari Karin Kirsten Kitty Kjersti Laila Lilli, Lilly Lisa, Lise Liv Lovise Mathilde Margaret Marit Martha Molly Nanna Oddrun Oddveig Olga Ragna Ragnhild Rigmor Sara Signe Sissel Solbjørg Solveig Solvår Svanhild Sylvi Sølvi Tora Torhild, Toril, Torill Torun, Torunn Tove Valborg Ylva Åse Åshild

Names usage Double names, like Ragnhild Johanne or Ole Martin are common in Norway. Just keep them as two names and don't use "-", and you'll be safe, even if it ends up a tongue twister. Using only one of two given names is also common practice.

In Norway everyone is on a first name basis. Students call teachers and other kids' parents by their first name, workers call their boss by their first name, we call our Prime Minister by her first name (journalists will use her title when speaking to her though). Some senior citizens still use surnames and titles when speaking of or to people their own age.

There are some exceptions. For example, a doctor may be referred to as Dr. Lastname when we speak of them, but first name is used when speaking to them. A priest is "the priest" when speaking of him/her and their first name is used when spaking to them. In the millitary only surnames (and ranks) are used. If you meet Harald, the King of Norway, in an official setting you will refer to him as "Kongen" (the king). If you run into him at the gas station, or while hiking, he is "Harald".

If you don't know someone's name it is okay to use their title, or just say "you".

Names for pets (contemporary)

Dogs Laika (f) Bamse (m) (bear) Tinka (f) Loke/Loki (m) + characters from TV/film/books...

Cats Melis (m/f) (powdered sugar) Mango (m/f) (mango) Pus (f) (kitty) Mons (m) (tomcat) Nala (f) Pusur (m) (Garfield) Felix (m) Simba (m) + characters from TV/film/books...

Horses Pajazz (m) Mulan (f) Balder (m) - cold blood Kompis (m) (pal) Freya (f) - cold blood + characters from TV/film/books...

Rabbits Trampe (m) (Thumper) Trulte (f) + characters from TV/film/books...

Cows (yes, I am serious) Dagros Rosa Mira Luna Sara + characters from TV/film - Disney is popular, as are the Kardashians :)

Road and street names

Storgata (usually the main street) Kongens gate (the king's street) Dronningens gate (the queen's street) Jernbanegata (railroad street) Jernbaneveien (railroad road) Sjøgata (ocean street) Sjøveien, Sjøvegen (ocean road) Skolegata (school street) Torvgata (plaza street) Industrigata (industrial street) Industriveien (industrial road)

Prefixes Blåbær- (blueberry) Bringebær- (raspberry) Bjørke- (birch) Aspe- (asp) Kastanje- (chestnut) Solsikke- (sun flower) Blåklokke- (blue bell) Nype- (rosehip) Kirke- (church) Park- (park)

Suffixes -veien, -vegen (the road) -stien (the path)

Other Torvet (the plaza) - standalone or suffix: -torvet Havna (the port) - standalone or suffix: -havna Kaia (the port) - standalone or suffix: -kaia

Safe solution: use a first name or surname as prefix.

Old norse

Men’s names Agnarr (Agnar) Alfr (Alf) Ámundi (Amund) Ánarr Árngrimr (Arngrim) Askr (Ask) Auðun (Audun) Baldr (Balder) Beinir Bjørn Burr Borkr Dagfinnr (Dagfinn) Davið (David) Drengr Durinn Einarr (Einar) Eirikr (Eirik) Eivindr (Eivind) Erlingr (Erling) Fafnir Flóki Freyr (Frey) Fuldarr Galinn Gautarr (Gaute) Gegnir Geirr (Geir) Glóinn Grímarr (Grimar) Hafli Hakon Hallsteinn (Hallstein) Haraldr (Harald) Haukr (Hauk) Heðinn (Hedin, Hedinn) Helgi (Helge) Hrafn, Hrafni (Ravn) Hrafnkell (Ravnkjell) Iarl (Jarl) Ingolfr (Ingolf) Iuar (Ivar) Jafnhárr Jón Jóngeirr Kál Kiaran Klaus Knútr (Knut) Kolgrimr (Kolgrim) Kolr (Kol) Leifr (Leif) Loki Lyngvi Magnus Mikjáll (Mikal, Mikkel) Mór Morði Nesbjørn Nokkvi Oddr (Odd) Oddbjørn Oðin (Odin) Olafr (Olaf) Ormr (Orm) Otr Ouden Pálni Pedr Ragnarr (Ragnar) Ragnvaldr (Ragnvald) Randr (Rand) Róaldr (Roald) Rólfr (Rolf) Salvi Sigarr (Sigar) Sigbjørn Sigurðr (Sigurd) Skarpe Snorri (Snorre) Steinn (Stein) Sveinn (Svein) Teitr Þor (Thor/Tor) Þórbjørn (Thorbjørn/Torbjørn) Þorsteinn (Thorstein/Torstein) Tryggr (Trygg) Týr Ulfár Ulfheðinn (Ulvhedin) Ulfr (Ulf) Vakr Vani Veigr Viðarr (Vidar) Yngvarr (Yngvar) Æsi

Women's names

Anna Arnfriðr (Arnfrid) Ása Bera Bergdís (Bergdis) Biørg (Bjørg) Cecilia Cecilie Christina Dagný (Dagny) Dagrún (Dagrun) Dís Dísa Edda Elin Ellisif (Ellisiv) Freyja (Freya) Friða (Frida) Frigg Gerðr (Gerd) Gertrud Grima Gyða (Gyda) Hadda Hallbéra Hallkatla Herdís (Herdis) Hildigunnr (Hildegunn) Huld Hvít Ida Iðunn (Idun, Idunn) Ingríðr (Ingrid) Johanna Jórunn (Jorun, Jorunn) Juliana Katla Katrine Kristín (Kristin) Leikný (Leikny) Lif (Liv) Magnhildr (Magnhild) Mjøll Myrgiol Nál Nanna Nótt Oda Oddný (Oddny) Ólaug (Olaug) Rafnhildr (Ragnhild) Rán Rannveíg Ríkví (Rikvi, Rikke) Rúna (Runa) Roskva Sága (Saga) Sif (Siv) Sigriðr (Sigrid) Skaði (Skadi) Skuld Svana Sýn Solveig Tekla Tóra (Tora) Trana Ulfhildr (Ulfhild) Una Urðr (Urd) Valborg Vigdís (Viigdis) Vírún Yngvildr (Ingvill, Ingvild) Yrsa

Bynames Bynames, or nicknames, could be neutral, praising or condescending. Usually bynames described a person's

body, bodyparts, bodily features

age

kinship and descent

territorial origin

knowledge, belief, spirituality

clothing, armour

occupation, social position

nature

Examples: Eirik Blodøks (Eirik Blood-Axe), Gammel-Anna (old Anna), Halte-Ása (limping Ása). I suggest that you stick with English for bynames, or use (relatively) modern language if you are writing in Norwegian.

Surnames

Surnames weren't really a thing until 1923 when they became mandatory. Before 1923 patronyms (son/daughter of) were used, and the name of the farm you lived on was often added as an address.

For instance: Helgi Eiriksøn (Helgi, son of Eirik), who lived at the farm called Vollr (grass field), would be called Helgi Eiriksøn Vollr. If he moved to the farm called Haugr his name would change to Helgi Eiriksøn Haugr.

Patronyms

Men: Use father's first name and add -sen /-son /-sønn Women: Use father's first name and add -dotter / -dottir / -datter

Farm names

Farm names were usually relevant and derived from either the location, a nearby landmark, nature or from occupation. I suggest you stick with the modern forms for farm names.

Old Norse (meaning) - modern Bekkr (stream) - Bekk, Bekken Dalr (valley) - Dal, Dahl Horn (horn) - Horn Vollr (field) - Vold, Volden Lundr (grove) - Lund

The list of common names for places/villages/towns is still valid, although the spelling is modern. Just keep it simple and make "clever" combos based on meaning.

#norwegian names #norse names #writing tips

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