ca cane iD: by. Pa thitCltima Thule MyTHIc SCANDINAVIA Foruse with Ars Magica” Fourth Edition f lyme ect AAU UetoHaeme Ate (Geis a aes) Author: Paul Williams Additional Material: Mark Shirley, Roderick Robertson Bator: Spike Y Jones Line Developer: Jeff Tidball Editorial Assistance: Michelle Brown, John Nephew Layout: Michelle Brown Cover Illustration: Douglas Shuler Interior Illustrations: Toren Atkinson, Dan Beswick, Theo Black, Jerry Boucher, Jaume Fabregat i Vilella, Ralph Horsley, Eric Hotz, Jeff Menges, Eric Pommer, J. Scott Reeves, Pucky. Also featuring images from Viking Designs (Dover, 1999). ‘Commentary, Playtesting and Technical Assistance: Art Apicella, Jon “Porky” Ashford, Steve Ashing, Chris Balow, Adam Bank, Glenn R. Berry, Pete Boniface, Rich Brooks, David Chart, Gerry Chriest, Fergus “Boomhauer” Crawford, Chris Daianu, Steve Drexler, James Dugger, Jeremiah Genest, John “Bumpa” Hehnen, John Kasab, Damelon Kimbrough, Lydia Leong, Nicole Lindroos, Tony Maund, Kyle Niedzwiecki, Ron “Kestar” Parsons, J. Reed Pease, Chris Pramas, Roderick Robertson, Charles Schafer, John R. Snead, Sabine Voelkel, Kirby Vosburgh The author would like to thank Espen Lyngaas, for giving me the opportunity to eat traditional Norwegian food; The Viking Network, for the notes on knattleikr; and Michaél de Verteuil, or his impartial guidance and advice. This work is dedicated to my parents, who always wondered what good would come from playing Dungeons & Dragons; Mrs. Lupton, for getting me involved in RPGs so many years ago when I was at school; and Mark Shelley, who kindly allowed me to use some of his own Norse mate- rial in this book — I know that one day he'll have his own sourcebook. Many fans of Ars Magica discs it on an e-mail discussion is. To sub scribe, send che command ‘subscribe as-nagica™ (no quotes) in the body ofan email message to majordomodsoda beheld. To subscribe digest version of thelist, send the command “wobcrbears-magica-digest” (no quotes) to the sme adress, Project: Redcap archives and links ro many of the fan-crested Ars Magica pages on the World Wide Web, To gt co Project Redcap, point your browser at hepvmnetforward.comfpoboxes/ Redcap, rata forthe fie printing of the fourth edition of Ar Magia is avaiable ‘on request Sena seared, searped envelope tothe adres below UUpreodate erata i also posted on the Atlas Games World Wide Web se ‘Ars Magica, Ulta Thule, Mythic Europe, Covenants, and Charing New Realms of Imagination ate ademas of Trident, Inc. Adas Games and che ‘Atlas Gare logo are trademarks of John Nephew and Trident, Ine. Onler ‘of Hermes and Tremere are trademarks of White Wo with permission, (©1999 Trident, Inc. ba Atlas Games, All ights reserved. Reproduction of cis work by any means without written permison from the publishe, ‘except shor excerpts for the purpose of reviews is expres prohibited About the Author Inc and ae sed Paul Williams is a 29-year-old computer net- work engineer from England. Although he holds no university degrees, he has a great interest in philosophy, mythology, and history, especially concerning Ancient Egypt. This is his first major work and, if he gets his own way, not his last. He is a 15-year gaming veteran gamer, and prefers to be known as Wig. PO Box 131233 Roseville, MN 55113 [email protected] wwwatlas-games.com ISBN 1-887801-75-8Table of Contents I; Introduction 2 eee 4 VI: Runes & Thetr Power... 2.2... 88 The Beginning .... . 4 eeiig PME bse eeee teeta ee 8B Overview ...0c ec ceeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee 5 ne ae a... : 6 Finnish Wind Wizards... 107 e Lands of Scandinavis Dwa Magic. . 11 Mythic Realms 2 ance Hermetic Magic ceeeeeeeeeeee ee LI4 III: Norse Society and Culture... or | Rig the Walker .... TM: Norse Bestiary... 115 Social Class. . . Personal Virtues . .. TK: Adventure Seeds... 5.2.0.0. 125 Family and the Clan The Covenant of Heorot.........- 125 Daily Life ........ ‘Things Best Forgotten....... eee 127 Strangers in a Strange Land 128 Religion ‘The Hvitachrist Cometh. .........++-128 The Old Faith The Summer Pastures... 128 Christianity. The Order of Odin ; Warfare... Appendix 1: Runes... eee 130 IV: Character Creation. Appendix 2: The Gnd... 131 Characters... .. . Norse Spell Casters Norse Grogs and Companions. . Abilities ......... New Virtues and Flaws . Jarl Togsvig's Lands... 2... eeeeeeeee B V: Norse Magic Runic Magic . .Circo Poieceetecaaryn The Beginning When the universe began, there was only a chasm, of such immense size that even the gods ‘would become dizzy looking into it, known as the Ginnugagap (Open Void). It was here that Yagdrasil (the World Tree) would lay down its ro0ts rior to Midgard (middle land), the land of ‘men, Nifleheim was born. It was a bleak land, a world of perpetual fog, snow, and ice. Yet even Nifleheim was not the first land, for Muspellheim was old when Nifleheim was new born. Muspellheim was the opposite of its colder neighbor, a realm of fie so intense that nome not born there, whether man or god, could survive it for long. Te was in the gap between these lands that all life was to be formed, for there the heat of ‘Muspellheim melted the snows of Nifleheim. The ‘melted water vapor rose into the air and fell as dew that formed Ymir, a giant who spanned the Ginnugagap. A cow named Audumla was also {formed from the dew, and from her teats ram four rivers of milk chat sustained Ymir. After a time, other beings formed from the dew, and Yeit mar- tied one of these to become the progenitor of the race of frost giants. Audsanla ate only the salty frost that she licked {from stones exposed by the malting ce. One day as Audumla licked at the stones, the hair of a man peared where her tongue had rested. By the end of «a second day of licking, a man’s head had emerged from the stone, On the third day, the complete like- ness of a man had grown from the stone, and he was Jnown as Bui. Buri and his giantess bride had a son named Bor, who in tum had three sons, Odin, Vili, and Ve When they had grown, the sons of Bor slew the giant Ymir and the rush of his blood drowned all the giants except Bergelmi and his wife, whoescaped in a boat to a land they would name Jotunheim. Tn the middle of the Ginnugagap, the sons of, Bor threw Ymir's body, creating the lands of men. and the gods. The earth was formed from his flesh, the mountains from his bones, the rocks {from his teeth, the forests from his hair, the sea {from his blood, and the heavens from Ymin's skull, positioning four dwarves (who sprang full- formed from the giant's flesh) named Nordi (North), Austri (East), Suthri (South), and Vestri (West) at its comers to hold it in place Sparks from Muspellheim were placed within the skull and they became the stars Other powers soon came into being. Odin took a giant named Day and gave him a horse known as Skinfaxi (Shining Mane) to ride across the sky. Light from the horse's mane would fall upon the worlds to be known as sunlight. Day's ‘mother, Night, was given a horse named Rimfaxi (Frosty Mane); the light from Rimfavi’s mane ‘was called moonlight, and the spite that came from his mouth fll upon the earth to form dew. At first the course of Skinfaxi and Rimfaxi through the sky was erratic, but in later day the giants charged two horrible wolves, Skoll and Hati, with chasing the sun and moon nil the end of time, ‘and this kept the wondrous horses from changing their courses or stopping in place. The World Tree grew up to unite the many lands within its branches and roots, but no one saw its birth After some time had passed, the sons of Bor found two trees and shaped them into humans. din gave them life, Vili gave them the power to rove and the gift of knowledge, and Ve gave them speech and the senses. The newly created humans were given clothes, and the man was called Ask (Ash), while the woman was called Embla (Elm); the parents of mankind. Overview The lands we know as Scandinavia were a cypher to Europeans until some time after their Christianization in the 9th through Lth centuries. Many early writers ignored INTRODUCTION them, and those who did make reference to them called them collectively Ultima Thule, the furthest extremity of the world, a region of litle interest except to mark the unex- plored northem limit of maps. The Vikings have long held a fascination for modem man. Their exploits as raiders and settlers are well known, but the early Norse left few written records, and so most accounts of them come from their victims or those further afield with whom they traded, and are thus understandably biased or vague, especially with regard to their home life and native customs. By the 13th century, when written records become more plentiful, Scandinavia had been Christianized and much of the pagan culture prevalent in the Viking Age had disappeared, but there were still those who practiced pagan rituals in secret or in the hinterlands, and those who believed mon- strous otherworldly creatures continued to interact with mankind. And while the Norse had generally stopped raiding, they were still a force to be reckoned with in other respects The aim of Ultima Thule is two-fold: to present Mythic Scandinavia, a land of rune magic, monstrous trolls, and great adventure; and to tell the true story of the Norse culture. Throughout Ultima Thule some terms in Icelandic (the nearest living language to Old Norse) are used for flavor, but the English equivalents are given in parentheses. Many spellings have been simplified for conve- Aura Interactions ‘The runic magic of the Norse drew its power from the magic and faerie realms, and was affected very strongly by the divine power of the Church. Instead of the normal Realm Interaction Table, Norse magicians (including Finnish wind wizards) use the following: Norse Aura Interaction Table Magical + (aura) Divine = (3 x aura) Faerie + (aura) Infernal — (aura)Ciena The Lands of Scandinavia Scandinavia, although inhabited for mil lennia, has a comparatively short recorded history. Indeed, despite some contact with the Roman Empire and its successors, Norse history does not begin in any great detail until the emergence of the Vikings in the 8th century, Norway The name Norway means “the north way,” a reference to the ease with which one could travel north and south along the west- em coast, compared to the difficulty of over- land travel into the country’s interior. Norway stretched some 1,000 miles from Lindesnes in the south to Nordkapp (North Cape) in the extreme north, forming a nar- row strip to the west of the Jotunheim and Kjolen (Keel) Mountains, shrinking from barely 250 miles across in the south, to rough- ly 50 miles wide in the north, with long fjords stretching almost to the Swedish border. Much of the country lay above the Arctic Circle. The barrier mountains stood as much as 8,000 feet above sea level and were perma- nently capped with ice and snow. They began only 10 miles inland of the southwestern coast, and were clearly visible from sea. Norway's coast was protected from the fury of the North Atlantic by a line of small islands and rocks. The largest of these islands were inhabited. Fertile soil in Norway was in short supply, being found only along the coast and rivers, in the flat- lands around Trondheim. Elsewhere, large areas of bogland, forest, and mountainous terrain made farming extremely hard. In the north, evergreen forest predominated, but as ‘one moved further south hard woods became Norway's climate was surprisingly mild for its location. In the summer months, the villages in the extreme north enjoyed tem- peratures similar to those of lowland Scotland, and the summer day could be as much as two months long (causing Sun duration Hermetic spells to have surprising ly long life spans). Even Norwegian winters were warmer than those in other Arctic countries, because of warm, southwesterly winds blowing in from the Atlantic. In the mountain interior, however, winter temper atures rarely rose above freezing and icy winds blew year round The vast majority of the Norwegian pop- ulation lived along the coast or in the hos. pitable areas of the south. Norway had one large town, central Trondheim, situated on a fertile plain, and at times laid claim to the region surrounding Oslo in the south, which usually was Danish territory.Norwegian Towns ‘Trondheim: Trondheim was founded in 997, and was the center of the lands ruled by the jarls of Lade. Trondheim was the base of missionary work in Norway, and became the see of an archbishopric in 1152. Through its growth and power it became the political cap- ital of Norway, although it was replaced as the trade capital in the 12th century by Bergen, a city closer to northern European markets. Its location was still ideal, however, for mer- chants wishing to reach Iceland, Greenland, and other Atlantic islands. Oslo: The town of Oslo was founded in 1050 by Harald Hardrade as a naval base for operations in southern Scandinavia and northem Europe, and became an important fortress town. As the Viking Era ended, its harbor was put to use for the Norwegian fish- ing fleet. A bishopric was founded at Oslo in 1100. Bergen: Bergen was founded in 1075 in Byfjord, near an existing settlement. It began as an agricultural town, housing com- ‘munities of fishermen and shepherds. Rapid development in the 12th century saw Bergen grow into a city, one of the most important centers of international trade for Norway. The city was granted a bishopric in 1158, and then became an important spiri- tual center as well Norwegian History Southem and central Norway was first unified in 875 by Harald Finehair, the king of Vestfold. Harald was followed by his son, the sinisterly named Erik Bloodaxe, who was ousted because of his cruel nature and the harshness of his rule. Erik left for greener pas- tures, and for a while was king of York, England. The new Norwegian monarch was Erik’s brother, Haakon, who had been brought up by the English king Athelstan. Although a Christian, Haakon allowed the Norwegians to maintain their old religion MYTHIC SCANDINAVIAUrtima THULE: MYTHIC SCANDINAVIA, and was a cautious ruler. Unfortunately fami- ly history returned to haunt Haakon and he was slain fighting an alliance of Erik Bloodaxe’s son, Harald Graycloak, and the Danes. For the next decade southern Norway fell under Danish rule as Harald became ruler. Norther Trondel attacked the south in 970, killing Harald, and placing Jarl Haakon (who still submitted to Danish overlordship) in power. In 995, Olaf Tryggvason, a descendant of Harald Finehair, returned home from lucra tive raids on England to become king follow- ing Jarl Haakon’s death. Olaf was a Christian and set up an active missionary program. In part because he was an unpopular ruler, an alliance of Norwegian, Danish and Swedish noblemen killed Olaf, and Svein Forkbeard, a Dane, then ruled Norway. In 1015 Olaf Haraldsson, another inland, and also tightening the Viking grip ‘on Orkney and the Shetlands. Olaf also added extra impetus to the conversion pro- gram, and the Christianization of the upper echelons of Norwegian society was complet- ed within a few decades. In the 1020s Olaf Haraldsson fell out of grace with the power- ful northern nobles and the country was invaded by Canute the Great, forcing him to flee the country. Olaf returned with an army in 1030, but was defeated in battle by a Norwegian army and shortly after was declared a saint. While Canute the Great was ruling England, his illegitimate son Svein and Svein's English mother assumed power in Norway, on Canute's behalf. In 1035 their unpopular rule was ended by St. Olaf’s son Magnus the Good. Magnus proved a compe- tent leader and following the death of Harde- Canute he also became king of Denmark. In descendent of Harald Finehair, became king 1044 his father’s half-brother, Harald and began expanding the kingdom, forging Hardrade, returned home from Russia and Bings of Norway Harald I “Finehair” 872-930 Haakon Magnusson 1093 - 1095 Erik “Bloodaxe” 930 - 934 Magnus III “Barefoot” 1095 - 1103 Haakon “the Kind” 934 - 961 ‘Olaf Magnusson 1103 - 1105 Harald II “Graycloak” 961-970 — Eystein I Magnusson: 1103 - 1123 Jarl Haakon 970-995 — Sigurd “the Crusader” 1103 - 1130, ‘Olaf Tryggvason 995-1000 Magnus IV “the Blind” 1130 - 1135 Jarls Erik & Svein (brothers) 1000-1016 — Harald IV “the Fish” 1130 - 1136 Olaf II Haraldsson (St. Olaf) 1016-1028 — Inge I “the Hunchback” 1136 - 1161 Jarl Haakon 1028-1029 —_Eystein II Haraldsson 1142 - 1157 Canute “the Great’ 1029-1030 Haakon II “Broad-Shouldered” 1157 - 1162 ‘Svein Alfivason, 1030 - 1035 Magnus V Erlingsson H61 - 1184 Magnus “the Good” 1035 - 1047 ‘Sverre “the Mysterious” 1177 - 1202 Harald Hardrade (Hard Ruler) 1047 - 1066 — Haakon III] Sverresson 1202 - 1217 Magnus I Haraldsson 1066 - 1069 — Haakon IV “the Mighty” 1217 - “present” Olav III “the Righteous” 1069 - 1093demanded a share of the throne. Magnus agreed and Harald became sole ruler when Magnus died without issue. Harald is most famous for his unsuccessful invasion of England of 1066, the virtual end of the Viking Age. In 1130, Norway was thrown into civil war following the death of Sigurd the Crusader, with the contenders for the throne backed by the now-strong Church on the one side and the populace on the other. In 1177 a populist claimant, Sverri, arrived from the Faeroes, claiming to have been chosen as king by God, but his opponent, Harald Gille, proved his right by walking on hot coals. The civil war was renewed less than a decade later when Sverri was recognized king by the Thing of Trondelag. The civil war finally ended in 1217 when. the mother of Sverr’s grandson, Haakon Haakonsson, cartied a piece of hot iron for nine paces to prove her son's worth. Now uni- fied under the 16-year-old Haakon IV, Norway has put aside its internal strife and begun to form a powerful state, both cultural- ly and economically. Increasing trade with the cities of coastal Germany is bringing short-term economic gains, but the political ties that accompany this trade may eventual- ly threaten Norwegian political and econom- ic independence. Stueden The kingdom of Sweden consisted of three regions. Nortland covered the northern half of the country and was dotted with small lakes and drained by numerous rivers. The ground was covered with pine and spruce forests that extended into the mountains that formed the border with Norway. The mountain slopes were covered by small glaciers. Svealand formed the country’s central lowlands. Gataland covered the south and was essentially a large, low-lying plateau, the western and southem coasts of which were controlled by the Danes (the line marking the border being called “the Danemark”; hence, Denmark). Two large islands in the Baltic Sea, Gotland and Oland, were sparsely inhabited. The climate varied, but Sweden’s winters were normally below freezing, and its sum- mers cool but pleasant. The northern temper- ature was always several degrees lower than that of the south. Rain and snow was general- ly heavy, varying between 16 and 26 inches per year, heaviest in the uplands. ‘Sweden has one town of intemational note, Uppsala in Svealand, and a number of smaller population centers such as Lidse and Skara in Gotaland, and Sigeuna in Svealand. Stockholm is little more than a village in 1220. MyTHic SCANDINAVIA Rings of Sweden Olaf “Tax-King” 994-1022 — Sverket I “the Elder” ‘Anund Jakob 1022-1050 Eric “the Saint” Emund “the Old” 1050-1060 Carl VII Steinkel Sinlaw 1060-1066 Canute Ericsson. (civil war) Sverker II “the Younger” Inge Stenkilsson 1080-1110 (cil war) Filipius 1110-1118 Eric Knutson Inge Halstensson 1118-1130 John I Sverkersson Ragnvald Knaphovde 1130-2 1130- 1156 1156 - 1160 1160 - 1167 1167 - 1196 1196 - 1208 1210 - 1216 1216 - “present”Urtima THULE: MYTHIC SCANDINAVIA vy, LL ARR EN ee TORN x Swedish Towns Uppsala: Uppsala has been the spiritu- al and educational capital of Sweden since the early Viking Age. The temple was described by Adam of Bremen (see “The Old Faith” on page 47) during his travels though Sweden and formed the center of pagan resistance to the advance of Christianity. By the end of the 11th centu- ry its power as a pagan religious center had declined and the temple was demolished. Uppsala was made a bishopric in 1164. The prestige of the city was increased by the presence of Saint Erik, who founded one of the ruling dynasties. In 1220 Uppsala remains a Christian stronghold infiltrated by pagan beliefs. Many of the locals are Christians by baptism, but still hold ties to the old faith. Swedish History In Sweden two rival tribes, the Svear (after whom the country is named, and who originally settled in Svealand in the east) and the Gotar (who inhabited Gataland in the south) settled the country. Each of the ‘Swedish tribes had a single king. He was seen asa figurehead with little actual authority but a strong ritual association with the pagan cul- tic practices at Uppsala, the capital from the Sth century. Although the names of several kings from the 9th century are known, the extent of. their power remains unknown, and little reli- able history can be determined during the Viking Age. From as early as the 9th century the Svear were exacting tribute from the tribes in Finland and northem Russia German missionaries arrived in Sweden to convert the populace in the late 9th cen- tury. At this same time Skine, the southern part of Sweden, was conquered by the Danes and became part of their kingdom. Constant military pressure from Denmark and Norway in the 10th century forced the Swedes to unify under one ruler, Olaf Skottkonung (Tax-King), in 994, but a single ruler did not mean a united country, and many petty kings still had control over small sections of the country. Olaf was a Christian, although much. of the population, especially the Svear, still practiced the old faith at that time. By 1020 the Christian faith had begun to spread throughout the populace, but did not become the state religion until late in the 11th century, with the pagan temple at Uppsala being destroyed in 1080 (but see “The Temple at Uppsala” on page 47). After 1060 Sweden was weakened by internal dis- putes between rival dynasties and the Landthings became the most powerful insti- tutions in the land. Rulership by the kings was only fully restored in 1120. At the start of the 13th century Sweden isa land of two peoples; Christian kings rule the country, but many of the rural areas sill practice the old ways. The current king, John Sverkersson, is in some ways the pup- pet of the powerful jar! Ulf FaiDenmark The smallest Scandinavian kingdom, but also the most powerful at times, was Denmark, consisting of: the main peninsula, Jutland, bordering the Holy Roman Empire; some 400 islands, including Zealand, Fuenen, Lolland, Falster, More, Als, and Bomholm, all at the strategic straits between the North and Baltic Seas; and at times considerable portions of the northern Scandinavian peninsula immediately south of Norway and Sweden. All of Denmark was lowland, although the eastern half of Jutland was typically hilly, traversed by deep valleys forming the fjord. like Jutland Inlets. Northern Jutland featured wide plains, while lange areas of open moor land could be found in the west before one came to the sandy and flat west coast. Southern Denmark had little forested area, the Viking Age taking its toll on its few forests. Denmark's climate was temperate, with mild winters and warm summers. Rainfall varied from 20 inches per year in the lower areas through to over 40 inches in the highlands. The rain tended to be heaviest in the late summer and autumn. Fog was especially common in the western half of the country. Denmark was Scandinavia's gateway to the rest of Europe, and Danes had more polit- ical and cultural contact with the rest of the world than Norwegians and especially Swedes. European influences often reached Denmark first before spreading to the rest of Scandinavia. Denmark's southern border was marked by the Danevirke, an earthenwork wall and seties of fortifications (see “The Danevirke” con page 60). Constructed early in the Viking Era and improved in later years, the wall stretched some 25 miles from Hedeby to the Rivers Rheide and Treene. The main towns in southern Denmark were Arhus, Lund, Roskilde, Veborg, Ribe, and Schlesweig, as well as Oslo and Skara on the main Scandinavian peninsula. Hedeby had had its heyday and was all but aban- doned by 1220. MYTHIC SCANDINAVIA Rings of Denmark Gorm “the Old” -940 Olaf Hunger Harald “Bluetooth” 940-985 Birk 1 Ejegod Svein I “Forkbeard” 985-1014 Niels Harald II Sveinsson 1014-1018 Birk I! Emune Canute I “the Great” 1018-1035 irik Ill “the Lamb” (ruled England 1017 -1035) Gye (nuled Norway 1029 - 1030) Svein Harde-Canute 1035 - 1042 (ruled England 1040 - 1042) Canute IIT Magnus “the Good” 1042-1047 Valdemar I “the Great” Svein II Estridsson 1047-1076 Canute IV Harald IL 1076 - 1080 Valdemar Il Sejr Canute Il “the Saine” 1080 - 1086 1086 - 1095 1095 - 1103 1103 - 1134 1134-1137 1137 - 1146 1140-1143 1146 - 1157 1146 - 1157 1154 - 1182 1182 - 1202 1202 - “present”Uttima THULE: MYTHIC SCANDINAVIA Danish Towns Ribe: Established as a bishopric in 948 by Harald Bluetooth, Ribe is a center of Danish trade, peopled by fearless sailors who are actively recruited by seafaring magi who can cope with the high incidence of the Berserk Virue among the population. The fierce independence of Ribe has kept the encroach- ments of German traders at bay. Members of the Order of Hermes have attempted to establish covenants in Ribe on more than one occasion, but each has met with disaster of one kind or another and been abandoned. Many suspect the secretive Order of Odin (see page 57) to be behind the “acci- dents.” Lund: Situated to the south of Sweden, Lund was founded by the Danish king Canute the Great as the capital of Danish territory in Skine. Lund was granted a bishopric in 1060, and in 1103 was granted the archbishopric for all of Scandinavia. In the early 13th century, Lund is an important center for Christian learning, having a cathedral and six monas teries within a days ride. Borglum: The original inhabitants of Borglum were slaughtered by Svein Forkbeard in 987 when they refused to convert to Christianity, and the area was resettled from Christian parts of the country. Borglum is now one of the most loyal towns in Denmark, and one of the most fer- vent in its faith. The people of Borglum are required to search their city for heretics and pagans, a duty passed from generation to gen- eration. A church is built into each of the city gates, and visitors must attend Mass before proceeding into the town, Horses and live stock are not allowed into the town; stables and stockyards are provided outside its walls Athus: Arhus was made a bishopric in 950 and served as a hase from which Frankish missionaries spread the word of God to the Danes. In 985 King Svein Forkbeard granted the cathedral of Arhus jurisdiction over the ‘ity Fora short while, priests from Arhus rode the waves with Viking raiders, but the bishop declared the murder and pillage of fellow Christians to be against the law of God and man. Arhus still produces great sailors, many of whom are recruited by German traders. Malmo: The land on which the quiet vil lage of Malmo stood was bought from Denmark in 1203, and imported masons and laborers converted it and its moderately good harbor into a safe port from which to trade with southern Sweden. Danish History The erection of fortified buildings and the start of urban development around the end of the 8th century marks the beginning of Viking history in Denmark and shows the existence of a strong, central authority. In the carly 9th century the Danes had many border disputes with their southern neighbors, including the great Christian Emperor Charlemagne. Although not converted themselves until much later, Horik the Older and Horik the Younger, two kings, allowed the Christians to build a church within Denmark so they could practice their faith, During the reign of Harald Bluetooth in the mid-10th century, Denmark subjugated Norway, and Christianity was officially intro- duced to Denmark as a recognized religion. His son, Svein Forkbeard, ousted him from the throne and for a single year was king of Denmark, Norway, and England, before he died to be replaced by his son Canute the Great, who was already sole king of England, and who then governed Norway and parts of Sweden By 1042 the situation had begun to change, and Magnus the Good, a Norwegian, gained control of the throne following the death of Harde-Canute. During this period the Wends attacked Denmark and Magnus had toask his uncle, Harald Hardrade, for aid, «giving him part of the throne in exchange. Between 1074 and 1134 Denmark's his- tory was dominated by King Svein IT and his sons’ attempts to reunify the kingdom. The period was marked by power struggles and various kings accepted land from the Holy Roman Emperor. In 1104 Christianitybecame the national church, with Pope Urban II granting Denmark recognition as an independent province under the rule of Lund. Valdemar 1 defeated his rivals in 1157 and unified the country. Under his guidance a strong army was formed and an effective gov- ‘emment established. Valdemar II expanded Denmark to include the Baltic and Slavonic lands to the east, as well as many towns of northern Germany. Holy crusades were declared against the Wends and Denmark gained Pomerania and Estonia (although actual control of Estonia reached just as far as Danish troops could march from their coastal forts). German weakness saw the Holy Roman Emperor grant Denmark full control over the Slav lands north of the Elbe in 1214, ‘As most of these gains were made at the expense of Germany, there would be consid erable enmity between the two nations for decades. Denmark then turned its expansion- ist eyes toward northern Russia. Iceland Situated just south of the Arctic Circle and 600 miles west of the Norwegian coast was the island of Iceland. Volcanic in origin, Iceland's terrain consisted of lava desert some 1800 feet above sea level, ice fields, glaciers and icy lakes. Iceland was a country of ice and fire, with over 200 active volcanoes, along with geysers and pools of mud heated to boil- ing by underground heat. Only a tiny fraction of the land was arable, and in 1200 several settlements in the west were abandoned after anearby volcano erupted. Icelandic History In 870 AD. the Vikings, Norwegians led by a man named Ingolf, landed on Iceland. Although they thought it new-found land, they soon discovered Irish monks already living on the island, although their presence was limited to a few monas- teries. The monks weren't slaughtered, as first was 50 common in Viking raids, but instead left the island, never to return. By 930, the land was fully settled, mostly with Norwegians. The early settlers discovered the hard way that it was an unforgiving country. However, the area around Reykjavik (Bay of Smoke; named for the steam rising from numerous hot springs), which was first settled by Ingolf, offered reasonable living conditions. Around the year 900, Ingolf’s son, Thorstein, and other local chieftains orga- nized the Kjalarnes Thing. As had been the tradition in Norway, the Thing was a public ‘meeting open to all men of free birth, and was responsible for making laws, and resolving legal disputes. As Iceland's population grew, the nation was divided into four districts, each with its own Landthing and three or four smaller, local Things, and a national Alllthing was established (see “The Thing” on page 33). The leaders of these gatherings 13 MYTHIC SCANDINAVIAUttima THULE: MYTHIC SCANDINAVIA were known as gothar (singular: gothi), and were the heads of local chieftain families. tis important to note that these families did not rule in the same way as the nobles had back in Norway; the class boundaries in Iceland, although present, were much more relaxed and less formal. Each Icelandic landholder had to pledge himself to one of the gothar, but not necessarily the one closest to his home, so a gothi’s political power depended on his personal prestige. In the year 1000, the Allthing accepted Christianity on behalf of the country. The decision was not taken lightly, and there was pressure from the Norwegian king, Olaf ‘Tryggvason, who threatened Icelanders living in Norway. To speed the process of conversion, some concessions were granted. Christian authorities tumed a blind eye to infanticide, the eating of horsemeat, and the continued (private) worship of the old gods. The first Icelandic bishop was Isleif, who was consecrat: ed in 1056 in the German town of Bremen. Iceland was an island physically, but it could not remain so politically forever. From the early 11th century onward, treaties were signed with the Norwegian kings, and between 1262 and 1264 the Icelanders acknowledged the supremacy of Norway and thus became liable to taxation, ending the independence of this Viking colony. Greenland To the west of Iceland was Greenland, in an area known as the White Sea. Straddling the Arctic Circle, much of the island's surface was covered in glaciers hundreds of feet deep. Only along the western coast were there areas suitable for habitation. The coastline was shaped by fjords, simi- lar to those of Norway, with many offshore islands. Ice sheets moved ever forward towards the coast, with mountains of ice falling into the sea to become icebergs. Shallow-rooted trees were found on the southern coasts, and other native vegetation consists mainly of grasses, mosses, and lichen. 14 Greenlandic History Greenland, although settled in a number of places by the Norse, was never a major colony, mainly because of its harsh weather and distance from the rest of the Scandinavian world. The first Icelandic set- tlers, under the leadership of Erik the Red (who had rediscovered the land during a three-year exile from Iceland for murder; the original discovery was almost 100 years earli- er by a sailor named Gunnbjom, blown off- course by a violent storm) landed in Greenland’s southwest around 985. There, the land was fairly useful pasture, although it did not lie far from the inland ice sheets. Erik said that he named the country “Greenland” because it would encourage settlers to make their homes there, but this was not entirely boastful, as Greenland was at least as com- fortable a land as northernmost Norway. Christianity was introduced _ to Greenland shortly after the year 1000, although litte is known of how well it flour- ished in the early days. Several churches, some with large graveyards, certainly stood proud in the settlements. In 1125 a bishop was appointed to the land, and his seat was but a few miles from the site of Erik’s original stead. Greenland remained independent until 1261, when the populace accepted Norwegian rule. The Westernmost Islands Shortly after the foundation of the settle- ments on Greenland, a ship coming to Greenland from Iceland was blown off-course, and when it finally returned to port its com- mander, one Byarni Herjolfsson, described islands to the west of Greenland. In 992, Leif the Lucky, son of Erik the Red, made his own joumey westward and retumed with tales of lands that grew mote hospitable as one sailed south: Helluland (Stone Land), Markland (Forest Land), and Vinland (Wine Land). Other Greenlanders made trips west: some returned claiming to have had encoun-ters with hostile natives they called Skraelings, others claimed to have estab- lished temporary fishing camps on the more comfortable islands. Those who never returned from those westward journeys were assumed to have either died in encounters with Skraelings, continued exploring further south and west, orto have established perma- nent colonies. Whatever the answer, by the mid-Iith century those voyages of explo- ration ceased. The Vikings in England England is situated only 30 or so miles from the European continent at its closest point, and has been subject to many inva- sions in its past. The Viking influence in England was to shape its history for two cen- turies. What first began as isolated raids against remote monasteries, including the first recorded Viking raid, an attack on the monastery on Lindisfarne Island, soon became a full-scale invasion. In 865, the Great Army from Denmark, Ireland, and the Continent landed in East Anglia. Over the next 15 years the Army traveled through England, taking kingdom after kingdom. In 871, the Vikings turned their attention on Wessex and after nine great battles, in which nine earls and a king were killed, peace was made. In 874, again became the target of the invader no ground could be gained and peace was made with King Alfred. In 877, the Vikings made another attack con Wessex, and this time they succeeded in forcing Alfred into hiding in the marshes. Twelve months later he retuned with an army and the Vikings were defeated. The Dane leader, Guthrum, agreed to be baptized along with 30 of his nobles and Alfred acted as Guthrum’s godfather. After nearly two decades the Norse held three of the four MYTHIC SCANDINAVIAUrtima THULE: MYTH ANDINAVIA British kingdoms. Guthrum’s last act before he died was to agree on a boundary between the English and Danish lands. The Danish portion became known as the Danelaw (because the Danes could make their own laws) and the English were required to pay regular tribute. Alfred's children slowly pushed northwards and in 920 succeeded in retaking Northumbria. Further advances were made, and by 954 England had a single king ruling single kingdom, and he was English In 980, the Vikings returned, raiding the south and west coasts. The armies of the Norse looted England for many years before Svein Forkbeard succeeded in becoming king His son, Canute the Great, ruled England, Norway, and Denmark for a brief period of time. In 1018, the situation was so stable in England, although it had a foreign ruler, that Canute’s army was disbanded, The English regained control of the country in 1042 when Edward the Confessor took the throne, following the death of the last Danish king. The last Norwegian attack oon England, and one that sounded the death knell for the Viking Age, was the attempt by Harald Hardrade to conquer England in 1066. His army was met by the army of the English king, Harald Godwinsson, at Stamford Bridge, and was decisively beaten. Unfortunately for the English, William, Duke of Normandy, invaded only three weeks later and the beleaguered English army was crushed near Hastings. The English were not happy under Norman rule, and asked the Danish king, Canute, for help. Three fleets landed over a period of six years but no inroads were made into England. The last attempt was in 1086, but the plan was aborted when Canute faced problems on his southern border. This was the last war fleet ever mustered by the Vikings, and it failed to leave harbor. While the Norse occupation of England was over, the Viking influence was lasting, The majority of forts built by Alfred to guard against the Norse grew into towns, and more positively, hundreds of Scandinavian names and loan-words were added to the English language. 16 Ireland Ireland was a large island west of England and Scotland. It was inhabited by Celts and, although the Romans knew of its existence, superstitious belief that it was the end of the world prevented them from invading. When the Vikings arrived in 795, Ireland was a land of petty kingdoms that were constantly at war with each other. ‘The Viking Age in Ireland fell into four periods. The first, from 795 to 830, involved roaming bands of Vikings carrying out raids against isolated monasteries. Although the first attacks began in the northwest, by 820 the Vikings had attacked communities on all of the coasts, Ireland's monasteries were the richest targets the Norse could find in this period. The second phase saw huge areas of Ireland plundered by large bands of Vikings. The Norse began settling at this time, build- ing forts so they could raid safely throughout the surrounding land. The Vikings found themselves fighting alongside Irish kings in petty wars and many second-generation Viking children had Celtic names. Assistance in war was not the only Viking strength that the Irish sought; they also had plenty of boats and were respected traders. Within a genera- tion the Norse had gone from raiders to semi settled merchants and mercenaries. By 853 the main kings in Ireland were of Viking stock, and the names of three of the four quarters of the country had been changed to Viking variants (Ulaid to Ulster, Mumu to Munster, Lagin to Leinster; only the westem quarter, Connachta, remained sufficiently Viking-free to retain its original name), but by 902 most had been ousted. From 916 to 980, fresh waves of invaders arrived, mainly from England and the Isle of Man. By 917, the Viking base at Dublin had been re-established and the Vikings were once more in control of the country. At the Battle of Tara in 980, the Vikings’ suprema- cy was smashed by an Irish coalition. After that, the Vikings in Ireland paid tribute to Irish kings.The fourth and final phase, between 980 and 1170, saw the remaining Vikings fully integrated into Irish culture. Although many still had Norse names, they were more Celtic than Norse. In 1170 the Normans, descen- dants of another Viking colony, conquered the island. Scotland There is no doubt that the Vikings reached Scotland. What written history sur- vives from that period pays little attention to the Norse on the mainland and concentrates, on their exploits on various offshore islands, such as their raid on the island monastery of Iona in 795, to which they returned in 802, and again in 806, forcing many of the monks to build a new monastery in Ireland. In 866, central Scotland was attacked and many prisoners were taken away to become thralls, while the rest of Scotland was placed under tribute. In 870-1 the Siege of Dumbarton saw the end of the Britons’ rule in Strathclyde (southwest Scotland), Some Norse settled and intermarried with the native Scots, and several clans were later to have names of Norse-Scots descent. This was especially common in the north of Scotland and on the western isles. After Norwegians took control of the ‘major islands, Danes invading from England began competing with them for plunder. By the late 10th century, native Scottish kings were driving the Norsemen from the country; details of Scottish history after that point can bbe found in the Lion of the North sourcebook. The Orkneys, Foeroes, and Man The Isle of Man is located in the Irish ‘Sea between England, Ireland, and Scotland. At the end of the 8th century, the isle was invaded and later settled by the Vikings. From there the Norse launched raids against the nearby coasts. At its height, the Kingdom MYTHIC SCANDINAVIA Garls of Orkney Sigurd Eyteinsson 875-901 Thorfinn “the Mighty” Turf-Einar Rognvaldsion 901-952 Paul, Erland Thorfinn “Skullspliter” 932-963 Sigurd (son of Magnus) (sons of Thorfinn) 963-976 Hakon, Magnus Hlodvir Thorfinnsson 916 - 980 oad oe Ba Eee) Sigurd “the Stout” 980-1014 Hakon Sumarlidi, Brsi, Einar Weymouth Ee (sons of Sigurd) 1014-1017 Rognvald Kolson Olaf Haraldson (king of Norway) 1017 Harald Maddaderson Brusi, Thorfinn 1017-1035 David Haraldson Thorfinn, Rognvald 1035-1045 Jon Haraldson 1045 - 1065 1065 - 1098 1098 - 1103 1103 - 1117 17-1123 1123 - 1136 1136-1158 1158 - 1206 1206 - 1214 1206 - “present” 17UrTIMA THULE: MYTHIC SCANDINAVIA of Man covered most of the westem isles and a few isolated peninsulas on the Scottish mainland. Norse was the native language of the rulers of the island, but many of the farm- ers spoke a heavily accented version of Gaelic. (For more on the Isle of Man, see the ‘Ars Magica supplement The Fallen Angel.) The Orkneys are a cluster of some 70 islands off the north coast of Scotland. During the second half of the 9th century the natives were subdued by Norsemen from Norway, and 1 dynasty was founded. During the Viking Age, the culture and language of the Orkneys and the Shetlands (which lie further north) were thoroughly Norse. The islands were used as the base for many raids against the British Isles, and King Harald Finehair had to sail there to chastise the Viking inhabitants, who were raiding Norway. The Vikings from the Orkneys and the Shetlands became wealthy through their raiding, and treasure caches were believed to be buried on them. The islands remained politically part of Norway even after the Vikings ceased raiding, The Faeroe Islands, situated roughly halfway between Scotland and Iceland, were colonized by Grim Kamban during the reign of Harald Finehair. According to legend, a colony of Irish monks were living there, but left when the Vikings arrived. Sigmund Brestisson brought Christianity to the islands shortly after Iceland was converted, although. he had to battle Thrandr of Gotu, a powerful vitki, in order to do so. As many of the set- tlers were Norwegian, the island was placed under Norwegian dominance. Godred Crovan (civil war) (civil war) Olaf Godred II Reginald ings of Mian and the Isles Magnus “Barelegs” (king of Norway) 1079 - 1095 1098 - 1103 1113 - 1153 1153 - 1187 1187 - “present” 18 Normandy In 911, a Viking named Hrolf led a mas- sive Viking raid into West Frankia that was only halted when the West Frankish king made Hrolf (*Rollo” in West Frankish) a grant of land around the mouth of the Seine; the Franks had learned that the best way to ward off raids was to set up rival bands of Vikings against each other. Unlike Viking leaders elsewhere, Rollo managed to consoli- date his power. The rich and fertile lands of the region attracted other Scandinavian set- tlers to Rollo’s Terra Normannorum (the land of the Northmen); Normandy. The existing governmental framework that Rollo and his descendants inherited caused the decline of Viking culture there. Many Vikings converted to Christianity, West Frankish was chosen as the primary lan- ‘guage of the area, and within a few genera- tions it was hard to find any Norman who spoke Norse; no king after Rollo had a Scandinavian name. In 1002, King Athelred of England mar- ried Emma, sister of Richard Il, Rollo’s great: grandson, strengthening ties between the Norse in Normandy and England. By 1006, Richard Il was referred to as Duke of Normandy. In 1020, the Normans expanded their sphere of influence into southern Italy, becoming rulers there and in Sicily by mid- century. In 1066, William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy, defeated an English army at Hastings and became King of England. William was a French-Norman, all links with his Scandinavian heritage having effectively disappeared. By 1204, Normandy was con- quered by King Phillip Augustus of France, ending the Viking presence in France.Finland Although not technically a ‘Scandinavian country, Finland was a frontier country from which Norwegian, Swedish and Russian kings often exacted tribute, and which was home to the wind wizards who often roamed the mountainous lands of Scandinavia ‘Two thirds of Finland was covered by trees, mainly pine and spruce. Over 60,000 lakes littered the land and they accounted for one tenth of the country’s area. Much of Finland was low-lying, but the terrain was rugged outside of the forested areas. In the north, mountains formed a natural border with Norway, and the largest numbers of wind wizards lived there. The northemmost regions of Finland, Norway, and Russia were inhabited by the Sami, a people who lived by fishing and hunt- ing migrating herds of reindeer, a practice that forced a nomadic lifestyle on them. They had a good deal of contact with their neigh bors, the Norwegians, Swedes, and Finns, mainly for trade, although some Sami tribes, known as siidas, paid tribute to Norwegian and Swedish jarls. Furs were especially valued among the Sami. Siidas owned land on which they had sole rights — outsiders were treated ‘well but had to remember that the lands di n't belong to the kings who ruled the rest of Scandinavia. tar, who served at the court of Alfred the Great, the English king who liberated his country from the Danes, was a Sami and he ‘wrote a great deal about his native lands. He also boasted that he owned 800 reindeer, sev- eral of which were decoy animals used to lure wild reindeer away from their herds so that they could be caught. ‘Among the Sami’s natural talents were hunting, skiing, the herding of reindeer (including training decoys), and a wide knowledge of their local area. The Sami didn’t practice the rune magic of the Norse, nor the wind magic of the Finns, but instead had thei own tribal shamans (see page 64). 19) Christian missionaries who entered the lands of the Sami rarely took the time to learn their language, and they were rarely made welcome by the Sami. The Baltic Lands Before the recorded history of the Vikings, trade was being conducted between Scandinavians and the people of the Baltic coast, valuable for its own products and as a gateway to the interior of eastern Europe. Eventually military campaigns were launched against native tribes by the Scandinavians, and sometime after 850 the Swedes defeated the native Courlanders, forcing them to pay tribute to the Svear. Trade towns grew up in the areas where Norsemen frequented, stretching from Germany, through Poland and Russia to Latvia. In 983 the Slavs and Danes, once ene- mies, allied against the Germans who had ‘begun to expand both north and east, threat- ening both nations. Their armies met in bat- tle, and the outcome was a decisive Germansvictory. However, a link between the two peoples had been established and marriages took place between Scandinavian kings and the daughters of West Slav princes. In the early 11th century peaceful rela- tions between Scandinavia and the Baltic lands suffered as the Slavs expanded into Scandinavian territory. During the reign of Magnus the Good of Norway, a Slav expedi- tion was stopped by force. Legend states that the king was aided by his dead father St. Olaf Immediately after the turn of the 13th cen- tury King Valdemar II of Denmark expanded his country’ realm to include the Baltic and Slavonic lands to the east. The Wends who inhabited the area were pagans and crusades were called against them. With the help of the military order the Knights of the Sword, and the support of the bishop of Riga, Vladimir seized Pomerania and Estonia, the Holy Roman. emperor granting Denmark full control over the Slav lands north of the Elbe in 1214. MyTHic SCANDINAVIA,Untima THULE: MYTHIC SCANDINAVIA = Russia Western Russia was home to many peo- ples including the Finns, Slavs, and Bulgars. Scandinavians traded with the local inhab- itants from the middle of the 8th century, and in 859 Vikings (likely from Denmark) attacked northwest Russia and forced the inhabitants to pay tribute. By 862 the Vikings were overthrown, but the locals, deciding that they could not effectively rule themselves, invited a group _ of Scandinavians known as the Rus from ‘Sweden to rule them and protect them from other Vikings. The Rus organized systems to collect the region's natural wealth, eventually establish- ing trading posts which grew to become towns and small cities. The large rivers of the Baltic coast and eastemn Europe gave the Vikings easy access through the core of east- em Europe. By the middle of the 9th century the Vikings were trading with Constantinople. Viking mercenaries (under the name Varangians) were prized in Constantinople, and a unit served there from the middle of the century. In 988, Grand Prince Vladimir converted to Orthodox Christianity and married the sister of the Byzantine emperor, cementing an alliance between the two powers that was to last for centuries. Rus power in Russia lasted until the early 12th century, by which time the Scandinavian Rus had lost their Viking roots and considered themselves Russians. A more detailed history of the Rus can be found in The Dragon and the Bear, the Novgorod Tribunal sourcebook Timeline of the forse 710 Willibrord unsuccessfully attempts to convert the Danes. 737 The main wall of the Danevirke is constructed across the southern Danish border. 792. Churches in Kent, England are required to con- tribute money to stop pagan seamen invading. 793 The first Viking raid is recorded at Lindisfarne, an island off the northeast coast of England. The massacre of the monks and the pillaging of the monastery sets the tone for encounters for the next three centuries. 795 The Vikings sail around Scotland to raid monasteries on the islands Skye and Iona. Raithlin, in northern Ireland, is also raided. ‘The Faeroes are settled. 799 The first Viking raid in mainland Europe occurs at Sainte-Philibert, an island monastery on the island of Noirmoutier off the coast of Frankia. 800 Charlemagne, the Holy Roman Emperor, forifies the north coast of the Seine estuary against pirates 820 Viking fleet attacks Flanders and the Seine estuary but is repelled. Aquitaine sacked by the same Vikings. 823 Archbishop Ebo leads a mission to convert the Danes but meets with little success. 825The Viking tribe known as the Rus settle ‘Tmutorokan, the Crimean area on the Black Sea's shores. 838 The Vikings aid the Britons of Comwall, England against the West Saxons. 841 After the death of King Louis, one of Charlemagne’s sons, Frankia is plunged into civil war. The churches and towns of the Seine valley are raided by Vikings. 845 An attack on Paris is halted when the king agrees to pay the Vikings 7,000 pounds of silver. Rather than halting the attacks, this payment only encourages more Vikings to attack, realizing that great wealth is to be had. Norwegians raid the coasts of southern Spain and Danes sack Hamburg. 20MYyTHIC SCANDINAVIA Timeline of the Morse (cont.) 859The Rhone valley is plundered by Vikings heading for the Mediterranean. A permanent base is established in southern France. A Viking fleet attacks Nakur on the North African coast. 862. Charles, king of West Frankia, defends the heart of his kingdom. Bridges are constructed across the Rivers Loire and Seine to stop ships, and monasteries are fortified. 865 The Great Army lands in England. 866 Vikings in Ireland lose their mobility as they form permanent settlements. York is occupied by the Great Army. 870 After a four-month siege the Vikings take Dumbarton, the capital of the British kingdom of Strathclyde. Many thralls are captured and returned to the Vikings’ homeland. The Great ‘Army conquers Northumbria and East Anglia, effectively dismembering the kingdom of Mercia. The Vikings take control of Eoforwic (Yarvie to the Norse; now York), one of England's major cities. Norwegians begin set- tling Iceland, 871 The Great Army attempts to invade Wessex but is thwarted by King Athelred and his broth- er Alfred. 875 The Vikings in Wessex withdraw to Gloucestershire and exchange hostages with King Alfred. 876 King Alfred forced to hide in the marshes of Somerset. 878 Alfred seizes London, ending the Viking dominance in the south of the country. Guthrum, the Viking leader, and 30 nobles accept baptism. 879 Several Viking armies land on the Continent, concentrating their attacks on Flanders. Guthrum and Alfred define a border between English and Danish territory, that becomes known as the Danelaw. 881 Vikings launch major incursion up the Rhine to attack Cologne and Trier. 885 The Great Army in England splits. A small por- tion settles in East Anglia, while the majority ‘moves to Burope. Vikings besiege Paris. Defenses hhold out, but Vikings move inland and spend ‘two winters raiding the heart of West Frankia. 892 Plague decimates the Great Army in Europe. 896 The Viking armies leave southern Europe, after failing to gain substantial amounts of land, 900 King Olaf of Sweden conquers Denmark and holds it for 36 years. 902 The Dublin Vikings are defeated and expelled. 911 The king of West Frankia grants land in the lower Seine valley to the Viking leader Rollo, hoping that the gift would stop Vikings from raiding further up the river; the Duchy of Normandy is created. 918The Danes of the Danelaw recognize King Allfred as their ruler. 921 Vikings are allowed to settle near Nantes, on the condition that they protect the Loire. The colony lasts for 16 years before it is abandoned. 936 Denmark is freed from Swedish rule by the German ruler Henry the Fowler. 945 English and Danes from the Danelaw fight against Norwegians from Ireland. 952 The last Norse king of Northumbria, Erik Bloodaxe, is slain; England reunited under one ruler. 983 Germans driven out of Denmark by Svein Forkbeard. 21UrtIMA THULE: MYTHIC SCANDINAVIA 985 Settlement of Greenland by Erik the Red. 991 England raided by Svein Forkbeard. Svein returns in 994 and 1006 and extorts over {60,000 pounds of silver. 1000 Iceland accepts Christianity. 1001 Leif Eriksson (the Lucky) explores Vinland. 1002 King Athelred orders the death ofall Danes in England. 1012 An army led by Thorkell takes Canterbury and is paid 48,000 pounds of silver in tribute. 1013 England conquered by Svein Forkbeard, who dies early the next year. The English king, Athelred, forced into exile in Normandy. 1014 The Battle of Clontarf ends Viking domi- nance in Ireland. Athelred returns from exile following the death of Svein Forkbeard and forces Sven's son to return to Denmark. 1015 King Canute arrives in England to retake the lands formerly held by the Vikings. 1016 Canute recognized as the king of England fol- lowing the death of Athelred. Canute rules alongside Athelred's son Edmund Ironside; ‘upon Edmund's death becomes sole ruler. A tribute of 82,000 pounds of silver is paid to Canute, 1042 The English choose Edward the Confessor, son of Athelred, as their king following the death of King Harde-Canute. 1053 Pope Leo IX gives the archbishopric of Hamburg-Bremen authority over Norway, Iceland, and Greenland, as well as the lands of the Danes and Svear. 1066 Edward the Confessor dies childless; Harald Godwinsson is his successor. Norwegian king Harald Hardrade invades northern England but is defeated at the Battle of Stamford Timeline of the Qorse (cont.) Bridge. Three weeks later William of Normandy invades southern England and the English are defeated at the Battle of Hastings. Rebellious English nobles ask Danish king Svein Estridsson for aid. 1069 Svein arrives in England but is defeated. 1080 Pagan temple at Uppsala destroyed. 1127 The fur trade from Norway is so bountiful the English church forbids abbesses and nuns from wearing garments more precious than lamb’s wool or the fur of black cats. 1130 Norway thrown into civil war. Sverti arrives from the Faeroes in 1177, claiming to have been chosen as king by God, whereas his ‘opponents, and the archbishop of Norway, insist that only the Church can give legitima- cy to aking, and back Harald Gille. Iceland affected by the war, as many leading Icelanders have political and financial inter- ests in the outcome. Gille eventually wins. 1184 Norwegian civil war renewed when Sverri rec- ognized king in Trondelag, 1185 Pomerania submits to Danish rule. 1202 Valdemar II granted the title “king of the Danes and the Slavs” by Frederick Il. 1217 Norwegian civil war ends when Sverri’s grand- son, Haakon Haakonsson, recognized king throughout Norway. ery 2Mathic Realms In Norse pagan belief, alongside the mundane kingdoms of Norwegians, Danes sand Swedes were a host of mythic realms inhabited by gods, giants, and monstrous creatures (see the Norse Bestiary, beginning ‘on page 115), all of which were as real to the Northmen as the mundane kingdoms to the ‘west, south, and east of Scandinavia. In reality, these lands are located within Arcadia (the Realm of Faerie), accessible to dwellers in Midgard (the mundane world of men) through a number of faerie regios locat- ced in isolated Scandinavian locales. If one can find the secret location of Yggdrasil, the World Tree, any of these realms can be accessed, as its twisted roots and branches extend into all the mythological Norse lanck. ‘Surrounding Midgard are Asgard (home of the Aesir gods), Vanaheim (home of the Vani gods), Altheim (home of the light elves), Nifleheim (land of ice), Jotunheim (land of giants), Muspellheim (land of the fire), and Svartalfheim (land of the dark elves), Despite the physical differences and internal distances between these lands, all are located in a portion of Arcadia dominated by the powerful faerie beings who are the Norse deities, an area that can be called Norse Arcadia. Other regions within the Realm of Faerie can be reached from Norse Arcadia, most easily Slavic Arcadia (see The Dragon and The Bear, Slavic Faerie, page 82) which has its own world tree with roots and branch- ¢s intertwined with those of Ygedrasil. Althetmn The home of the ljossalfar (light elves) is unknown to mankind, for none that have set out to visit it have ever returned. The light elves very rarely enter the realm of men, pre- ferring their own company. Alfheim borders con Asgard, and some of the Vanir gods live in great halls here. 23 Asgard After Odin and his brothers had slain Ymir and created the worlds from “his remains, Odin chose a stony mountain top upon which he built his stead, Gladsheim (Radiant Home). Instead of roof tiles, Odin placed golden shields that reflect sunlight and make the palace visible for many leagues. A temple called Valaskjalf (Hall of the Slain) houses Odin’s throne, Lidskialf, from which hhe can see everything that occurs in the realm of men. Within his stead is Odin’s drinking hall, Valhalla; itis said that the 540 doors of the hall can each accommodate 800 men passing through side by side. In Valhalla dwell the ceinherjar, warriors chosen to fight alongside the gods at Ragnarik and delivered to Odin by the valkyries. Those destined to reside there are visited before a battle by a valkyrie who assures them of their place at Odin’ table if they fight well before dying, The less valiant among the slain are claimed by Freyja to dwell in Folkvangr (Field of the Host) Much of the day of the einherjar is spent eat- ing meat from the ever-regenerating boar Sachrimnir, drinking mead that flows contin- ‘uously from the udder of the goat Heidrun, and fighting each other to the death. Each morning the dead return to life and the rou- tine starts again. Along with numerous lesser buildings and dwellings, there are 12 great halls in Asgard that house the Aesir and some of the Vanit. The most important apart from Gladsheim and Folkvangr are Breidablik (Gleaming Far and Wide), the home of Baldur, called the Peace Stead; Bilskinir (Winding House), Thor's manse; Himingorg (Mount of Heaven), Heimdall’s home; Fensalir (Hall of Mists), Frigga’s dwelling; Glitnir (Radiant Place), the hall of Forseti; ‘Noatun (Ship Yard), Njord’ hall; Ydalir (Yew Dales), abode of Ullr; and Sokkuabekk (Sunken Bank), home of Saga, goddess of battles and storytellers. Surrounding Asgard is a great wall, impregnable by the enemies of the Acsir, the MYTHIC SCANDINAVIAUttima THULE: MYTHIC SCANDINAVIA, AREAS A) hs eS Kd Ad giants. Connecting Asgard to Midgard is Bifrost (Quivering Roadway), mundanely known as the rainbow, a bridge that can only be traversed by the gods and their steeds (with Thor dismounting to walk across, as his thunderous chariot might otherwise destroy the bridge). Tornmood In the easternmost extremes of Norse Arcadia is the foul and twisted forest known as Jarmwood (Iron Wood). Within the forest, from which no normal animals are ever seen to emerge, live trolls, orms, and other fantas- tic beasts. In the heart of the forest lives a hag of great age who is said to own the wolves Skoll and Hati who chase the sun and the ‘moon across the sky. The hag is the mother of Hela, Jormungandr, and Fenrir by way of her liaison with Loki home to a race of fire giants. Prophecy states Jotunheim Jotunheim is the fearsome land of the giants, situated some distance east of Asgard. While giants in general can run the gamut from nice to nasty, the giants who founded countries in this hostile mountainous region had been exiled from other giant kingdoms dotted around Norse Arcadia for atrocious acts of violence and cruelty. Still, beauty can exist even within the heart of ugliness, and many of the gods took beautiful Jotunheim giantesses as brides. Thor regularly travels here to test his strength, Muspellheim In the furthest southern reaches of Norse Arcadia lies the fiery land of Muspellheim,that, at the end of time, the fire giants will swarm across Midgard, burning all as they go, and that their entrance into Asgard will shat- ter Biftést, signaling the end of the Norse world, Ragnardk The fringes of this land are intolerably hot and dangerous to man, and as one advances into the land the fires and other hazards become fiercer until even the gods cannot survive it. A giant with a flaming sword is always present at the borders of Muspellheim to meet interlopers, no matter how they have enter the realm. Markcuood Tn southem Norse Arcadia lies the great, dark forest known as Myrkwood. Within its depths live giant spiders, spidermen, swan maid- ens, and dark elves. In drinking halls at night, skalds tell tales of the horrors that lie in wait for unwary travelers or over-brave adventurers. Nifleheim Nifleheim is a cold and desolate land at the northern fringes of Norse Arcadia, ruled by Hela, a half-living, half-dead daughter of Loki, Those dead souls not claimed by Odin or Freyja are sent here for eternity. Condemned here automatically are the wicked (murderers, oath-breakers), and those who die of old age or disease. (A third resting place for the dead was the undersea realm of Ran, goddess of the violent seas, where dwelt all those who drowned.) The entrance to Nifleheim is through the Ghipahellir (Cliff Cave), which is guarded by Garm, Hela’s faithful hound, whose task is not to stop mortal’s from entering, but to stop the dead from escaping. A long and winding tun- nel leads from the cave down to the Nastrand (Beach of Compses), a cold, bleak expanse of sand made from the powdered bones of the nameless dead who reside in the realm. Impossibly tall black cliffs flank the beach. Hela’s domain within Nifleheim is the hall Eljudnir (Damp with Sleet), with walls ‘woven of snakes and poison dripping from the roof. Within are her two servants, Ganglati (a man) and Ganglor (a woman); both names mean Slow-Moving. Outer Ocean Far to the west of the inhabited lands of Norse Arcadia lies the great Outer Ocean. It ‘was into here that Odin threw Loki’s offspring Jormungandr, the Midgard Serpent. Food was so plentiful in the ocean that the serpent grew to such a size that it encircled the world, its back rising out of the water in humps to form a ring of islands around the ocean, its mouth clamped onto its own tail to complete the circle, No mortal sailor in his right mind enters these waters. iy MYTHIC SCANDINAVIAUttima THULE: MYTHIC SCANDINAVIA Svartalfheim This is home to the svartalfar (dark elves), and is also known as Nithavellir (Home of the Dwarves). The elves who inhabit this land guard its location zealously and no man hhas ever visited it to tell of its landscape or inhabitants. Rumor places it near Altheim, home of che svarralfar’s eternal enemies ‘Whereas the light elves shun mankind, the svartalfar take great delight in making men’ lives miserable, and can often be found lurking in abandoned buildings or in mountain passes. Trollheim South of Jotunheim lie the Trollheim Mountains, the breeding ground for the fierce race of trolls that terrorize rural villages throughout Midgard. While not all trolls are evil or destructive, the vast majority enjoy nothing better than eating travelers and their horses. Thor often visits Trollheim to fight these foul beasts, but sane men give the area a wide berth. Yogdrasil, the World Tree Yegdrasilis the World Tree, a primeval ash, with roots and branches that touch all worlds In Nifleheim a dragon, Nidhogg (Striker that Destroys) gnaws at an exposed root. Under the root in Jotunheim is Mimi's Well, the waters of which give wisdom. The severed head of the giant Mimir guards the well and none may drink from the water without first making a personal sacrifice. It was here that Odin sacrificed his eye for the right to drink The third great root runs under Asgard, and Wyrd’s Brook (the stream of Fate) runs nearby. Beside this stream is the home of the ‘Noms: Urd (Past), Verdandi (Present), and Skuld (Future), who are responsible for watering Yggdrasil’s roots and for determining the fate of every man born. The Norns never speak to each other but each instinctively knows what each of the others are thinking. One is sad, one is happy, and the other indif- ferent, and these personalities reflect the des- tinies they weave for men. Four harts, Dain, Davalin, Durathor, and Duneyr, nibble Ygedrasil’s buds. Where they do, its bark is rotting. An eagle named Hraesvelgr (Corpse-Eater), who is wise in ‘many things, lives in the top-most branches and sees all that occurs in the world. The flapping of his wings causes the world’s winds (On its head sits a hawk known as Vethrfolnir (Weather-Bleached) who sees what the eagle misses. A squirrel named Rata-Tosk (Gnaw Tooth) runs between the dragon and the eagle, spreading discord by telling each what the other has said about him, It was from the trunk of Yggdrasil that Odin was hanged in order to gain the secret of the runes.Ages after the world’s creation, one of the ods, Heimdall, in the guise of the mortal Rig the Walker, descended to Midgard and traveled among the people he found there. The first he discovered were a married couple who lived in a small, rude hut. Nine months after Heimdall lefe, they had a som whom they named Thrael (hall: slave). Their son had a stooped back hairy arms, and a weathered face. One day a ‘woman walked to their house and they married. Her name was Thir (servant), and their chil- dren were destined fora life of labor and menial work Next, Heimdall encountered a well- dressed couple who lived in a modest hall Once again, nine months after Heimdall left they had a son, whom they named Karl (carl: freeman). He had a good complexion, and was sifted with the ability to tame oxen and make houses. His bride, Snor, traveled to his house on a cart. Finally, Heimdall visited the home of a ‘wealthy couple living in an opulent hall. Their son was named Tarl (jar: earl), and was fair in appearance, with fierce eyes. He became a great ‘warrior and owned much land, upon which he hunted and swam. He was also a generous man and gave many gifs away. His wife, Era, was slender, with beautifully white skin, The last of their children was named Konrungr (konung: king) 27 Rig the Walker Social Class Norse society was split into four distinct classes: thrall, carl, jarl, and the konung. A Norseman or woman was born into a class, and, with rare exceptions, died in that same class, having lived a life constrained by class expectations and responsibilities. Chralls ‘The Norse practiced slavery, although never to the extent of the Romans at the height of the Empire. In many cases, thralls were captured in Viking raids in the early part of the Viking Age. Their descendants were born into slavery and so it continued for centuries. Yet foreigners were not the only thralls in Scandinavia; certain crimes were punishable by the guilty party being sold into slavery. It is likely that, in the early years of Viking expansion, many raids were conduct- ed purely to gain thralls. As the years passed and the Norse tured from raiding to trading, thralls were often used not only as cargo han- dlers but asa tradable commodity. Ibn Fadlan, an Arab traveler who reached Denmark, commented that slave women were used sex- ually on ships during long voyages. The Roman Catholic Church was opposed to slavery, especially when ChristiansUnTima THULE: MYTHIC SCANDINAVIA, were the slaves of Christians and, upon con- version, many pagan chieftains freed their Christian thralls as an act of piety and hum- bleness before God. Although the Church couldn’t stamp out slavery, in later periods the trade in Christian slaves became a crime Wealthy landowners and noblemen had many slaves to work their land, and even the smallest free hold had at least one thrall to perform menial chores. Heavy labor was the standard duty of most farm thralls; they herd- ed cattle, tended pigs, cut wood, spread ‘manure on fields, and were responsible for harvesting crops. Female slaves (ambatt) were responsible for churning milk, milking cows, and cooking meals for the landowners. Thralls with valued skills, such as carpenters and metalworkers, enjoyed a better life, as did beautiful women, who were often kept purely for show. 28 In early Viking history, a thrall was litele more valuable than a cow, and if one was killed the owner expected compensation equal to the slave's value at the time. No vengeance was ever carried out on behalf of a thrall, even a valued one. No thrall owned land, nor could they leave property to their children, although certain personal posses- sions could be passed down. As the centuries passed, and as the Church's influence grew, thralls gained limit- ced protections and rights. A man who killed a thrall in Christian Scandinavia could be found guilty of murder, as if he had killed a carl. A thrall could even expect compensa- tion if he was injured, although his master kept the largest portion for himself. Thralls could even own property, although it never amounted to more than a small farm and some livestock. They could conduct trade as well, buying and selling wares asa carl would. But for all the improvements in the life of thralls under Christian rule, their lives were still hard, and there was no great likelihood of being freed. In rare circumstances, a thrall was buried with his master. Usually the thrall had little choice about this, and was ritually slain before being buried. In the Christian era, this custom almost ceased, although a few areas of Scandinavia still practiced thrall burials. A male could be buried with a male or female slave, as could a woman; the choice seems to have been a personal one rather than a reli- ‘gious one. Thralls could be given their freedom out- right by their masters, or by being permitted to work elsewhere (in addition to their nor- ‘mal duties) to earn money in order to buy their freedom. A freed slave was not accorded the rights of a carl, but his lot in life was much improved. By law, he was entitled to half of any inheritance due him, and received half of any compensation awarded him for ‘wrongdoings, his former master being entitled to the remaining half. In some areas a freed thrall could become a carl after living in the area for many years, while other areas only gave the status of carl to his children or his children’s children.Carls The carly, ot free men, formed the largest class in Norse society. Unlike serfs in other European countries, carls were truly free: they ‘owned their land outright and, in theory if not in practice, owed allegiance to no one. ‘They were afforded full protection under the law, although wealthier carls could afford a better degree of protection. Many were farmers who owned their own land, others were smiths, warriors, merchants, skalds, and craftsmen. The tinglith or huscarl (housecarls) were free men who formed a nobleman’s personal bodyguard and the core of his army. In general, a carl owed his greatest loyalty to his family, especially his immediate family, including parents, grandparents, children, and siblings. Cousins and more distant relatives weren't always included in the list of close family, although they were expected to help pay any fines that might be imposed on a fam- ily member. Relatives beyond second cousin were only rarely called upon for assistance. Most carls were allied to individual noblemen, paying rent and providing armed service when called for, in exchange for aid in legal cases and protection if their lands were threatened. A carl was entitled to change his allegiance to another lord, but they rarely did 0 a8 recriminations were likely. Carls were legally entitled to carry ‘weapons, although the law restricted the cir- ‘cumstances under which they could be used. Carls were legally obligated to answer their king’ call to arms and had to obey his orders. ‘A carl was allowed to express his views at Things, public meetings that helped decide legal matters in various regions. Those carls who had more wealth and pow- erful allies had control over the votes of oth- cers and could pressure weaker groups into submission. Many carls sought to achieve administrative posts in order to increase their social standing. Carls could obtain wealth in several dif- ferent ways. Aside from piracy and raiding, which were all but forgotten in the Christian 29 Norse Society & CULTURE era, a carl could trade, emigrate to new terri tories where there was available land, or join a nobleman’s household. A carl who had riches from sources other than land-owning was called a hauld. The term was applied arbitrarily, and carls or bim- der could also be considered hauld if they were wealthy enough. The binder (singular: bénde), farmers who owned large tracts of land, were semi- independent of noble authority. Their riches and Iand-holdings could equal those of land- ed noblemen, and they were often powerful enough to resist measures taken against them by these nobles. Although most earls owned farms, bonder possessed so many that they leased them to other carls. Both binder and hhaulds enjoyed more freedoms than other carls, and while some did ally themselves with kings or noblemen, it was because of the political benefits of the move, not some legal necessity. Nobles There were owo types of noblemen in Scandinavia: hersar (singular: hersit) or landed men, and jarls, a term that became “earl” in English when adopted by that country, Hersar received their authority from their king, as well as a land grant. The position was not technically hereditary: the inheritance of the title came only upon the agreement of the king. Whoever was awarded the title after the death of the original holder, whether son or complete stranger, was also awarded a land grant. Normally, this was the same land the hersir already owned, thus re-confirming the title, but favored inheritors could receive additional land grants, increasing their hold- ings. While the king gave a hersir his power, he could not take it away. The hersar were expected to lead men in battle, collect tributes due the konung (including the guest tax when a king visited the region), enforce his royal decrees, and influence the choosing of local lawspeakers.UnTima THULE: MYTHIC SCANDINAVIA Whereas hersar were local powers, jarls were second only in power to kings. They wielded great power and authority, and con- trolled huge geographical areas. In the Viking Age, many jarls were independent of kings, but in Christian times they fell increasingly under royal power, as much for their own wel- fare as out of loyalty to the crown, Jarls kept large households and ruled lange districts. They had dozens of huscarls at their disposal and could, in times of need, raise large armies from among their depen- dents. Indeed, they were sworn to protect those who had sworn allegiance to them. Jatls were rarely granted control of cities or towns, as these lucrative tax sources were reserved for the king and his favorites. Retainers who left their families to per- manently live with and work for a noble become part of the lord's hird (household staff, oF, quite literally, “herd”); see page 31 At the height of the Viking Age, Norway hhad around 100 hersar and 16 jarls. Sweden had similar numbers and Denmark, being far smaller than the other Scandinavian coun- ties, although it had the greatest population, had much fewer. The colonies of Orkney and the Isle of Man had only a single jarl each, and perhaps a dozen hersar. On the Isle of Man, the jal titled himself king and had the full authority of the position. The Shetlands were ruled by a few hersar and a single jarl. ‘When Iceland was settled no noble families went there, so instead a council of 36 gothar was chosen to act as rulers and emissaries for the people. This tradition remained in force even after Christianity reached the island. 30 Konungr The konungr, or kings, were powerful men but their positions weren't always secure. The title was hereditary but was not always passed to the eldest son; when a king died, his male offspring met to decide who would become the next sovereign. Any claimant to the throne had to be closely descended from a king. A losing claimant was often forced into exile. In some cases, no single person could be decided upon and the kingdom was split under dual rulership. This result, although fairly common, was not always pop- ular and civil war often ensued. Once declared, the king still had to be recognized by the Things around the country, and some- times rival claims were supported by different provinces. Denmark was the first Scandinavian country to be unified under a single king in the dim past, followed, in 890, by Norway under Harald Finehair; Sweden was the last to unify, in 994 under Olaf Skottkonung, although it would be centuries before the claims of the many rival minor kings were set- tled Upon the Church's entry into Scandinavian politics insistence was made that illegitimate sons could not inherit the throne. This was only slowly adopted howev- er, and by 1220 it is not yet a law in any Scandinavian country. The Church was not always neutral in its support of claimants and used the ceremony of coronation to strength- en one rival's claim over another. Likewise, Church officials could hinder a claimant by refusing to perform the coronation ritual, which sometimes resulted in a Scandinavian king being crowned by a German or English archbishop. The Life of a King Konungr kept great wealth around them and had many skalds to sing their praises. These songs were not hollow boasts, for a king was expected to lead his men from thefront in battle, often leading to short-lived kings. ‘Upon death, a king hoped to go to Valhalla and spend eternity with men of sim- ilar social status. In pagan times, kings were buried in large mounds along with ornately carved weapons and precious artifacts. Many mounds were warded with magical traps and in some cases a hagbui (grave undead; see page 121) was placed within the mound, In Christian times, kings were no longer protected by hagbui; the sanctity of a Christian burial was considered sufficient. A burial mound full of grave goods was replaced by a simple interment, followed by the erec- tion of a rune-carved memorial stone in the graveyard, at a prominent location (such as a bridge or crossroads), or as part of the walls of church. ‘A king was considered the supreme mili- tary commander of his country, charged with protecting all his subjects. He was also head of state, and negotiated treaties and main- tained relations with other countries. Many important decisions were made at the Things, but the king always had the final word. One power that was completely in the kking’s hands was that of raising armies in times of invasion. Kings and lesser nobles possessed personal armies, collectively known, as liths, bound together by mutual loyalty to their rulers. During wars, the king's lith would form the heart of the army, supplemented by levies from the affected areas. The king's trusted advisors were usually chosen from the lith. A king’s advisors were usually few in number, and thus had greater influence on his decisions. They were allowed to act as his emissaries in foreign countries, and often spoke with his authority at official functions. Scandinavian kings had no official royal palaces; they spent their time traveling between the numerous estates they con- trolled, collecting tribute and keeping an eye ‘on local rulers. Konungr expected to be feted at the homes of local rulers (a guest tax col- lected by the local hersir from the surround ing countryside paying for the festivities), and itwas part of their responsibility to guarantee 31 Norse Society & CULTURE the king's comfort and safety within the lands he'd granted them. ‘A king’ income came from a wide vari- «ety of sources: from the taxes levied on goods, the revenue from minted coins (kings taxed each coin), and through raiding. Although piracy was officially a thing of the past in Christian Scandinavia, Norse ships in the Mediterranean were often given or sold licenses to raid Saracen vessels. Che Hird Although not a social class per se, the hird was an important part of Norse culture. ‘The hird was the household staff of a jarl or king, and acted as the administrators and bureaucracy of a Scandinavian kingdom. The hird had many roles, its members per- forming such tasks as supervising stewards of estates, ensuring that dues and taxes were collected, seeing that districts maintained local roads and bridges, publishing new laws and ensuring that they were obeyed, confis- cating the property of outlaws, and mobiliz- ing levies during war. Not all of the hird held positions vital to the running of the country; some held the posts of marshal or butler, while others were responsible for holding the lights at ceremonies. Often the real work behind these titles was performed by thralls While many members of the hird trav- eled with the king, others held permanent posts in a district. Those with permanent posts could appoint assistants, known as ens- ‘men. Normally both the hird and lensmenn were chosen from leading families; lensmenn from wealthy families of a given district, and hirdsmenn from the wealthiest families in the land. In the Christian era, bishops were often found in the hirds of kings. The king was always in contact with his hird via messengers, although once per year, normally at Yuletide, the entire hird gathered at the lord's hall. New members could be appointed at any time by the king or jarl, but the hird could veto the decision.UnTima THULE: MYTHIC SCANDINAVIA Personal Virtues A number of personality traits can be called typical of the average Norseman, although individual Norsemen were likely 0 be as variable in these respects as any other men. Honor Cattle die, kindred die, Every man is mortal; Bt the good name never dies Of one who has done well Cale die, kindred die, Every man is mortal; But I know one thing that never des ‘The glory ofthe great dead. — from the Havamal ‘A man’s deeds and his good name were his life. A Norseman who gave his word was expected to keep it. Oathbreakers and liars were particularly disliked by the Norse, and people who demonstrated such traits were shown little respect. Oathbreakers were fre- quently the subject of insults and physical attacks, and were likely to be outlawed for life. Honor could be gained as well as lost, but when a man finally left the mortal world, his ‘name would endure ifhe had been honorable. Loyalty A Norseman’s loyalties were to his family and clan, then his local lord, and finally to the king of his country. The highest form of loyalty a man could display was to sweat obe- dience to his lord and become a huscarl. In retum for a roof over his head, food, and gifts, the huscarl swore to do anything his lord asked, even to die for him, Courage The archetypal Viking was a fierce and courageous man, willing to fight any fair fight without flinching, and even to display his courage by making dangerous excursions into uncharted waters. Hospitality Fire is needed by the newcomer Whose knees are frozen numb; Meat and clean linen a man needs Who has fared across the fells. Water, too, that he may wash before eating, Handcloths and a hearty welcome, Courteous words, then courteous silence That he may tll his tale — From the Havamal The Vikings were far from welcome in the countries of northern Europe, but in their ‘own countries they greatly respected strangers 32who came to their doors. A traveler who arrived at a Norseman’s house could reason- ably expect to be greeted cordially and invit- ed in for food and shelter. The safety of the guest was also the host's responsibility. The visitor had certain obligations himself; he was expected to tell his host if he was an outlaw (or was involved in a blood feud, and he was to leave any weapons at the door, although he could carry a knife to eat with. ‘A host wasn't supposed to ask his guest the reason for his travels, but tradition dictated that the guest would divulge this on his own during the meal, unless he had something to hide. The tactful guest wil tke his leave Early, not linger long: He starts to stink Who owestays his welcome Ina hall chat is not his own. — From the Havamal ‘A guest was generally entitled to stay with his host for as long as he wished, but pro- tocol dictated that he should not remain for too long, three days being an acceptable max- imum, lest he offend his host's generosity. Insults and Boasts ‘Among the Norse, often an insult caused more harm than a sword blow. Minor barbs ‘were treated with some degree of leniency, but to be accused of treachery to one’s lord, cow- andice, dishonor, or being argr (being the pas- sive partner in a homosexual relationship, implying passivity in other realms, such as com- bat) often led to bloodshed. Such insults usual- ly couldn't be settled peacefully at Things. The proud retelling of one’s own deeds was a normal form of introduction, but idle boasts and lies were not tolerated by the Norse. Exaggeration was generally accepted so long as the speaker did not go to far. Great respect could be gained by boasting in the proper circumstances, such as when meeting a jarl, and skalds sang the praises of the great est heroes, so spreading their renown, 33 Norse Society & CULTURE The Thing The Norse had a sophisticated legal process, that changed very little over the cen- turies. The law courts were held at specially consecrated areas known as Things. Most Things occurred around large outcroppings of rock upon which the assembled crowds could sitand talk. Because of the sacred nature of the Thing no weapons (besides eating knives) were allowed within its precincts. ‘The Thing was not a permanent assem- blys it met at certain times of the year, often in conjunction with holy days of the pagan calendar, and all carls within the area were free to attend and make their voices heard Each district had a local Thing, provinces (three in Denmark, four in Iceland, five in Norway, 16 in Sweden) had larger Landthings, while Iceland and Greenland were small enough in population to each have a national Allthing that was convened annually. The Landthing had the power to change laws, and while a king could influence the assembly, kings were elected and ruled by consent, and thus if a king wanted to alter existing laws or rights, he needed to court the powerful men in each Landthing throughout the country. As Christianity (and its support of strong rulers who weren't beholden to the people) grew in strength in the Northlands, the Landthings grew weaker. The Things were semi-democratic assem- blies that could pass laws and make judgements oon matters within their districts. A man from a different district was free to attend a Thing in another area if he had a grievance against an individual or family who dwelt there. Carls were very proud of their independent status, and while hersar and jarls could attend, they were not allowed to dominate the proceedings unless they had specific business there. The leader of a Thing was known as the Lawspeaker and he was elected by the carls in attendance. His task was to make sure that the laws were made known to the assembly at the start of the Thing and that the proceed- ings were in accordance with those laws. The Lawspeaker was expected to remember at least one third of the laws of the country.UrTIMA THULE: MYTHIC SCANDINAVIA While officially, the position held little weight outside of the Thing, especially as a new Lawspeaker could be elected at each gather- ing, in practice certain respected men would be elected Lawspeaker repeatedly, gaining a certain amount of prestige throughout the community even away from the Things. Cases that were heard at the Thing ranged from inheritance claims, through to murder, theft, and rape. Divorces, although possible without resorting to a Thing, were often announced there, mainly to quickly set- tle the division of property and to let others in the district know what had happened. Women couldn't bring cases before the Thing, nor could they vote, although male representatives, family members or friends, could speak for them. Cases were decided by a jury of communi: ty members who were versed in the laws of the land. Both sides of a case presented arguments to the jury and also produced character wit nesses. Both sides used persuasion and negoti- ation as well as facts to convince the jury that their story was true, and witnesses were rarely cross-examined. Reputation and power could weigh as heavily as truth in a decision, ‘The size of the jury depended on the seri- ousness of the matter to be discussed: a typi cal theft case might only involve three jury members, while a case of treason could call for 24 or even 36 jurors. The jury's job was to help both parties reach an agreement as to what a suitable pun- ishment would be. Minor offenses, theft, or insults could be settled by small fines, but serious offenses against other men were often punished by outlawing the guilty party. ‘Treason was punishable by death. Ifa man was killed, his family would be entitled to compensation called weregeld (man-price). The weregeld was the value placed on a man’s life based on his social class, influence, and holdingsNorse Society & CULTURE party was quite within its rights to refuse to settle, but doing so often resulted in blood Aholmganga feuds between the families involved. ‘Once a case was settled, a party refus- ing to pay fines or weregeld was branded an outlaw. The Thing normally lasted for several days and was an excuse for other festivities. A market often built up around the Thing and all manner of goods were available, especially food and drink. In pagan times an animal would be sacrificed to mark the opening of the Thing, but Christian priests eventually banned that practice. The Thing was often the only time that clans got to meet and talk, but it was also a time to encounter old ene- mies, and the time was often fraught with tension if warring families turned up. Marriages were often arranged at a Thing and many young girls could be found at their father's sides for the purpose. Sporting events were also common at Things. Another way of settling an issue, before it was outlawed by the Church, was the holmganga (island-promenade), a lawful duel that took place on a small island or a secluded inland place. ‘Any weapons were allowed, but the most common were sword and shield. A square two paces on a side was marked with a white cloth and ash posts were used to mark comers. Both men entered the square and fought until blood was first spilled on the cloth, of a combatant placed a foot out of bounds, in which case the unblooded man or the man still within would be declared victo- rious. A man who moved both feet outside ofthe square was treated as if hhe had fled like a coward. Women, the old, and the infirm were allowed eregeld to appoint champions to fight in their places, although tradition A man’s weregeld was directly related to his social class. decreed that the champion had to be ‘The table below shows approximate weregeld values with 1 a family. member, ‘mark equivalent to 240 silver pfennings. Weregelds for indi- viduals within a given class were sometimes negotiable. ‘A Norseman outlawed by the Thing could be banished for @ period of from three Status Weregeld 18 t0 life. He was given enough time to Tour home to collect his telongings ‘nd Konung (king) 100 marks find a ship that would take him to another jel (ent) Cee district or country (depending on the juris- Hersar (noble) 40 marks diction of the Thing). An outlaw discovered sca Sea eee in the area after that time could be slain with- Bor (eae) Hod out incurring a weregeld obligation, and retri- Landemathr (commander) 8 marks bution from the outlaw’ family was itself ille Ceara aaa) mo mak wl J ‘Smithr (craftsman) 6 marks Ouc-of-court settlements were legal in Bondi (landowner) 4 marks Scandinavia, and were often prefered to | am (ferme eat waiting until the next Thing would sit. In Sane eee) oa Thrall (slave) what the owner paid such cases, one party hired a negotiator to speak to the other party. The negotiator needed to be an influential man, and it also helped if he was friendly with the other party as this eased the process along. The injured ‘A married woman or widow had a weregeld equal to her husband's, while unmarried women were worth half their father’s value. 35UttiMa THULE: MYTHIC SCANDINAVIA Recreation The Norse loved sports, and men and boys often relaxed by participating in sporting events, All of these sports had lessons to teach, mainly concerning the art of warfare. Glima Wrestling Wrestling was a popular sport and all classes of society practiced it. Women also took part before the advent of Christianity, although only against other women. At the ‘Thing, watching wrestling contests was a source of great amusement. Glima wrestling was not so much a contest of strength as of technique and balance; the idea was to bring an opponent to the floor, often by using quick, sudden moves and tricks with the feet. Boys began instruction in wrestling around age 8, and continued until old age prohibited their participation. Competitions were arranged between different districts and the events were split into different classes based on weight and skill. Archery Archery was used in combat, hunting, and sport. Typical contests involved archers firing at stationary butts at various ranges. In battle there were no specifically-tasked archers who stayed in that role throughout a battle; those with bows and arrows loosed a few shafts before the two sides closed to hand- to-hand range, and then joined in the melee with hand weapons. Javelin Throwing Practice with the javelin began at an early age and was deemed vital to a boy's edu- cation. Contests were held at Things in which distance and accuracy were both judged. In battle, javelins were often launched before the main armies clashed. ‘Two things were important when throwing a javelin: the ability to hit a target, and the ability to throw the javelin over the thrower's own lines. In order to maximize effectiveness, Norsemen trained to be able to throw with either arm. Swimming Living so intimately with the sea, Scandinavians found swimming to be a nor mal part of life. Children leamed to swim at carly ages and some carried weights on their backs to strengthen their strokes. Swimming competitions were very popular, especially between crewmen on ships. ‘Three common types of swimming con- test were water wrestling, where the idea was to keep an opponent's head under water until he surrendered; distance swimming, where the swimmers swam out to sea, the winner being the last one to turn back to shore; and regular swimming races.Knattleikr Knattleike ("ball game”) was a. sport played by both adults and children. The game involved one team hitting a wooden ball with a bat, the other team trying to catch it, and a full-contact struggle for the ball thereafter. Storytelling Instead of committing history and stories to writing, the pre-Christian Norse made use of skalds, poets and taletellers who kept alive the deeds of men and gods in their songs and stories. Skalds made use of mnemonics to remember lengthy stories, and while folk tales changed over the years as memories dulled, the skaldic verses remained accurate to the original. Skalds also made use of ken- nings, poetic and inspiring alternatives for a word. For instance, warriors were referred to as “feeders of ravens,” gold as “Sif’s hair” (a reference to the story of Loki procuring a golden wig for Sif to replace the hair he had burned in a prank), and poetry as “dwarf’s drink” for example. The words produced sub- sidiary mental images in the minds of listen- er and teller, enhancing the enjoyment of the story, and making it easier to remember for both, Many kings and rulers kept skalds at their courts who often held positions of great trust and respect. Amongst their duties was the singing of the king's praises and keeping his memory alive after death. Improvisation was valued gift, asa skald would often be present at great events to record the deed. Around fires in darkened great halls skalds told their stories, keeping alive deeds and legends. At Things they recounted sim- ilar stories, often recalling sections of the law and giving examples based on true Norse SocieTy & CULTURE family and the Clan Many Norse settlements were comprised of nothing more than small villages or farm- steads, often separated from their neighbors by leagues of rough terrain, As a result, ‘Norsemen had closer loyalties to family and clan than to jarl, Konung, or country. Until the arrival of Christianity, illegiti- mate children were accepted as part of the family proper and were given full rights to inherit land and titles. Clans were groups of families tied togeth- ex by blood or by marriage, forming an extended family unit. A crime committed by a single clan member cast shame on every clan member, no matter how tenuous the relationship between them. The clan had some highly useful benefits. If a weregeld (see page 35) had to be paid, every clan member was expected to con- tribute to the sum. The exact amount owed by any family member was governed by a sys- The Origin of Poetry It is said that poetry, like so many other things, was a gift from the gods. Legend says that when the Acsir and Vanir declared a truce after their war both sides spat into a cauldron. From this a man, Kvasir, was formed and was so wise that there ‘was no question he could not answer. He traveled across the world to teach wisdom and came upon the abode of two dwarves, Fjalar and Galar. They invited him into their house, saying they wished to speak in private, and then slew him, pouring his blood into two pots and a ket- tle. They mixed honey with his blood and created mead. ‘When eventually asked, the dwarves lied to the gods and told them that Kvasir had suddenly died because he knew that there was no one who could compete with him. Odin eventual- ly acquired the mead and gave it to mankind. According to leg- end, whoever drinks mead gains the power of poetry.UrTIMA THULE: MYTHIC SCANDINAVIA tem of shares: the murderer paid the largest share to the victim's immediate heirs, his brothers paid a brother's share to the victim's brothers, and so on, Arguments over who should pay what were common, and in some cases led to bad blood between families with- in clans. Ifa clan member was murdered and vengeance was sought the entire clan was expected to help in whatever way it could. ‘The men often formed posses to find and dis patch their own justice to the offender before he could be brought before the Thing. A large clan could dominate a local Thing and would become a separate power unto itself, even rivalling that of a jarl or konung. The Blood Feud Sometimes a dispute between two indi- viduals or families escalated into a blood feud — a rivalry that led to looting, bloodshed, and even murder. Tradition provided a set of unwritten rules governing blood feuds. In a few rare cases entire clans were obliterated through blood feuds, as they could last for generations, since each generation was expected to con- tinue the feud until it was settled. Most blood feuds eventually ended when one side accept- ed a weregeld offer, while others died down to sporadic assaults and public insults (which sometimes rekindled old fires). Woman and children were generally exempt from blood feuds, being unable to defend themselves against armed men, and the practice was officially banned by both pagan and Christian authorities. Women in Norse Society The Norse were a gregarious people and lived in large family groups, with parents, grandparents, wife, and children all sharing a common longhouse. While the man of the family was responsible for maintaining the farm, his wife was responsible for the storage 38 of the food, especially during the harsh win- ters, and was also expected to know about medicinal herbs and chirurgy. When the man went away his wife ran the farm, and some became very powerful through their ability to manage land and businesses. Whereas a man was known for his brave deeds, a woman was praised for her ability to run a good home; that 2 woman wore the keys to the food chests was a show of the power she held with- in het household. (Off the farm on which they lived women has few responsibilities, and they were forbid- den to carry weapons, or to become mer- chants or crafters. Although there was no law against it, only one woman, Gunborga, ever became a vitki. ‘Women were accorded protection under the law: Although they could not originate lawsuits at a Thing, they could have a man, relative or not, speak for them. A single woman's class was the same as her father’s, while a married woman was in the same class as her husband, but even a woman classed as a jarl or konunge didn’t have the power that went with the title, although some strong women did wield considerable power in the name of a male relative (such as a son of high rank during his minority). When Christianity reached Scandinavia it attracted many female followers. Mary, mother of Christ, and other female saints took the place of the pagan goddesses in a woman's prayers. Sexual crimes, committed by either a ‘man or woman, were harshly punished. In_ Ith century Denmark, Adam of Bremen remarked that a man was killed and a woman sold into slavery for sex crimes, and the rape of virgins was a capital offence and quickly punished. Although adultery was a crime, a man could have relations with mistresses before the Christian era as long asthe liaisons were openly acknowledged and with single ‘women; secret affairs and affairs with married ‘women were forbidden. In pagan Scandinavia, unwanted chil- dren were left in the wildemess to die. The Church banned this practice, except in the case of deformed babies, but the old customwas still carried out, especially in rural areas where the hold of the Church was weak. Children were given toys that reflected the world into which they would grow: toy ships and weapons for boys, miniature looms and cooking utensils for girls. Childhood ended early in the Norse lands, and from an early age children were taught skills which would be useful to them in their adult life. Marriage A Norse girl could expect to marry between the ages of 12 and 15. Marriage was a joining of two families, often for political or financial reasons, and the young gitl was given little choice in who her husband was to be. From the day she married, she was expect- ed to be able to run a household, and so much of agit!’ youth was spent learning the domes- tic arts. After marriage, a woman retained her (On the day of her marriage, a woman brought a dowry to her new house. A typical dowry contained practical items such as a spinning wheel or a loom. Women. from wealthier families often brought silver or gold, and the dowry of women from rich fam- ilies included livestock or land. Throughout her married life the dowry remained the prop- erty of the woman, never becoming part of her husband’s possessions. Her children, though, could inherit the dowry as part of their inheritances, and if they died childless, that property would then revert back to their father as the next of kin (called “reverse inheritance”). ‘A certain portion of the possessions a man brought into a marriage were his dower, and while his wife could not inherit this property on the husband's death except through reverse inheritance, in a divorce, the wife kept the dower and the dowry as long as she was found blameless in the matter. As with the dowry, the dower was negotiated between the families as the marriage contract was drawn up, and it usually included the 39 Norse Sociey & CULTURE same mix of practical items and land as the dowry. Although married into a new family, a woman remained part of her own family, and if her husband mistreated her o failed to pro- vide for her, she could return to her parents, taking the dowry (and sometimes the dower) with her if she was not at fault. Before the arrival of Christianity in Scandinavia, divorce simply required one party calling witnesses to his or her home and stating that he or she wished to divorce. Under Church law however, marriage was for life and divorce was expressly forbidden, unless incest could be proven, in which case the marriage was annulled as having been illegal in the first place. ‘The Church did not require that a cou- ple be married on church grounds or by a priest in order to be recognized as a married couple; any permanent, monogamous, and consensual relationship could be accepted as a marriage with all of the rights and restrictions of a more formal bond. The Church tried to enforce the rule that ille- gitimate children could not inherit prope ty or position, but with many Norwegian and Danish kings having been illegitimate themselves, this law was hard to enforce. Asa matter of course, illegitimate children were allowed to inherit but only if they were acknowledged by their parents and only if the relationship was not defined as incestuous. Incest Until 1215, the Church disallowed mar- riages between kin closer than seven degrees of relationship, a measure of consanguinity that would include sixth cousins, for example. A prohibition that extensive proved unwork- able for obvious reasons, and in 1215 it was reduced to the fourth degree, with marriage to third cousins (which would still be invalid by this measure) permissible with special dis- pensation from the Church.Uttima THULE: MYTHIC SCANDINAVIA Fostering Fostering was designed to spread influ- ence and tie families together. Two famili exchanged sons and raised the fostered child as their own, although they still had alle- giance to their real families. A fostered son could marry one of his foster parent’ daugh- ters, and often this provided for a strong mar- riage, as the couple already knew each other. ‘There was often considerable deliberation and politicking behind fostering decisions, much like those surrounding arranged marriages. In the Christian era, fostering was still a common practice, especially between noble families, as a means of keeping peace between neighboring countries. Natning Scandinavians had no family names. Every child was given a first name only. Most added the suffix “sson” or “sdottit” to Topical Male Dames Aki, Alf, Alfgeit, Amundi, Ari, Armod, Amfinn, Amlaug, ‘Amor, Aslak, Bardi, Bergthor, Bersi, Bodvar, Bork, Botolf, Bjami, Bjom, Brand, Bui, Canute, Carl Egil, Einar, Eindridi, Eirik, Eldgrim, Erlend, Eyjolf, Eystein, Eyvind, Finn, Finnbogi, Fridgeir, Gardi, Geir, Geirmund, Geirstein, Gest, Giaus, Glum, Grani, Grim, Gudmund, Gunnar, Gunnbjom, Gunnlaug, Halfgrim, Hakon, Hall, Halldor, Harald, Harek, Hastein, Hauk, Havard, Hallfred, Halfdan, Hedin, Helgi, Herjolf, Hjalti, Hogni, Hord, Hrafn, Hring, Hroald, Hrut, Illugi, Ingi, Inghjald, Ingolf, Isleif, Ivar, Kalf, Kari, Karlsefni, Ketil, Kolbein, Knut, Kol, Lambi, Leif, Ljot, Ljotolf, Lodin, Odd, Ofeig, Ogmund, Olaf, Olvir, Onund, Otkel, Orm, Otrygg, Ottar, Onur, Ragnar, Rognvald, Runolf, Sam, Sighvat, Sigurd, Sigtrygg, Sigmund, Skapti, Snorri, Solmund, Solvi, Starad, Stein, Steinkel, Steinthor, Strykar, Sturla, ‘Sumarlidi, Svein, Thjodolf, Thjostolf, Thorarin, Thorbjorn, Thorbrand, Thord, Thorfinn, Thorgeir, Thorgest, Thorgils, Thorgrim, Thorhall, Thorkel, Thormod, Thorir, Thorstein, Thorvald, Thrand, Thrain, Tosti, Ulf, Uni, Vagn, Valgard, 40 Topical Female Dames Alfdis, Amorna, Asa, Asgerd, Asleif, Asta, Astrid, Aud, Bera, Bergljot, Bergthora, Dotta, Freydis, Gjarlaug, Gudrid, Grima, Grimhild, Groa, Gudrid, Gudrun, Gunnhild, Gyda, Halldis, Hallfrid, Hallgerd, Hallveig, Helga, Herds, Hild, Hildigunn, Hlif, Hrefna, Hrodny, Ingisbjorg, Ingigerd, Ingirid, Ingunn, Jorunn, Katla, Ragna, Ragnhild, — Rannveig, Saeunn, Sugrid, Svala, Thjodhild, Thora, Thorborg, _ Thordis, ‘Thorfianna, Thorgerd, Thorgunna, Thorhalla, Thorhild, Thorkatla, Thorunn, Thurid, Thyra, Unn, Valgerd, Viedis their father’s name and used that patronym as a surname, so Olaf, son of Ingvar, would be addressed as Olaf Ingvarsson and his sis- ter Gerda as Gerda Ingvarsdottir. In small communities this was normally enough dif- ferentiation, although in large towns confu- sion could still arise. Others were differenti- ated by their occupation. While the names of many of the gods could be part of a mor- tal’s name, it should be noted that Odin, kking of the gods, was not often used in per- sonal names, whereas Thor's name was used with some frequency, even in women’s People of renown, ot those who traveled to other parts of the Scandinavian world, sometimes added the place of their birth or fame to their name. Some Norsemen were best known by nicknames describing person- ality or physical traits. Not all nicknames were complimentary, and the person general- ly had little choice about the nickname given him by others.Daily Lite The Home The center of Norse family life on farms and in villages was the stead, a longhouse typically some 40 paces in length and 10 paces wide. It was constructed of wood or turf with a roof of shingle or thatch; stone build- ings were a rarity among the Norse. Inside, the roof was supported by twin rows of wood- en pillars from which weapons and tools were hung. The Scandinavians didn’t use cup. boards or closets, but kept their possessions in sturdy wooden chests, which served as chairs, and also allowed a person to quickly gather his valuables in the event of fire or attack. When traveling abroad a man had only to pick up his chest and he had every- thing he needed: clothes, small weapons, Norse SocieTy & CULTURE jewelry, and treasured gifts. Food was often kept locked in chests at one end of the hall, and the mistress of the houschold carried the keys on her person. The floor of the stead was dirt, covered with straw, and sometimes scented to mask ‘unpleasant odors. In the center of the hall was a large stone-lined fire pit, used for cook- ing, heating, and illumination. Not every stead had a chimney hole, and the interior of ‘most stead was filled with smoke. Wood and peat for the fire were kept indoors to keep them dry. Along one long wall of the house, nor mally that wall opposite the door, was a wooden bench that extended for the length of the house. This area was used for eating and general seating, and also served as a sleeping platform. The master of the house and his wife had a section at one end of the platform, and they had a wooden bed which could be lifted and used as storage space. The other sleeping areas were generally wooden frames filled with sleeping furs. Brothers andUTima THULE: MYTHIC SCANDINAVIA by G oe RAVE sisters generally shared a sleeping area until they reached puberty. It was not unusual in lange families to find brothers sharing a single bed, and sisters another. The sleeping areas could be sectioned off with curtains if more privacy was desired. ‘Thralls either slept on the floor of their master’s stead, or were given their own huts. These were cramped wooden or turf affairs with thatched roofs. They had litle room for furni- ture, and even less for personal belongings. ‘A stead often had other buildings associ ated with it: bars for the animals, work- shops, boat houses, saunas, fish-smoking huts, and grain stores. Cleanliness When at home, the Norse took regular baths. Often these were little more than quick dips in nearby seas or rivers, but they also made great use of saunas — steam baths that had not been used in western Europe since the collapse of the Roman Empire. ‘At minimum, a sauna consisted of a small wooden hut containing a barrel of water. A thrall brought red-hot stones in and dropped them into the water. The resulting steam filled the room, and the temperature soon became high enough to make a naked man sweat. A soapstone (a smooth-textured stone soft enough to carve with knives when first ‘quarried, but which then slowly hardened on ‘exposure to air) was used to remove the sweat and with it the top layer of skin and dis Large Scandinavian steads had associated saunas, In small communities there could be com- rmunal saunas. With the coming of Christianity, the stigma of nakedness stopped men and women, from sharing saunas atthe same time. Men often wore beards and these needed regular trimming to stop them becoming unkempt. A man with a fully-grown beard could use scissors to keep it neat, but those who had no wish to cultivate facial hair rubbed a soapstone over their faces each morning to remove the stubble. Beardlessness came with a stigma of youth among warriors 2 during the Viking Age, but this opinion was less common in Christian Scandinavia. In Scandinavia, garbage heaps, often found outside of windows in other European countries, were located away from the main houses and placed downwind so that no smells invaded the home. Likewise, the latrine was often a separate building, with a large bow! buried in the ground. When it was full, thralls disposed of the contents in a pit, which was then backfilled. Clothes were regularly washed in running streams or rivers, and paits of rocks were used to rub the clothes together. Soapstone was sometimes used on delicate fabrics or diffi- cult-to-remove stains. Food ‘A wide variety of foodstuffs was available for consumption in the Norse lands, ranging from meat and dairy products to home-grown, vegetables and fruit. The Norse normally ate twice a day: once in the morning, some two hours after work has begun, and after the working day had ended. The Norsemen enjoyed several different alcoholic beverages. Beer was extremely com- mon and, like other European beers, it came in a range of strengths: the strongest generally reserved for nobles, and the weakest for thralls. A wealthy family often hited a professional brewer to make beer for them, and a good brewer could gain a reputation for his skill. Mead was a drink made from fermented honey, and it was both sweet and potent. Carls as well as nobles could often afford to brew mead, and it was drunk almost as often as beer, although rot in such great quantities. Bjoer was a form of wine made from fermented fruit. It was gen- erally reserved for special occasions, as its pro- duction was both lengthy and delicate — not every brewer could produce good bjorr. Wine was produced by the Norse, although wines from France, Germany, and other parts of Europe were regularly imported by merchants. Fresh meat available in Scandinavia included lamb, beef, pork, venison, rabbit,bear, squirrel, walrus, and a variety of birds Scandinavians preserved meats for transporta- tion of storage over long winters by salting, smoking, drying, and pickling. A variety of herbs and spices, including salt imported from France and spices from as far afield as Constantinople, were used in the process Meat was cooked by boiling or roasting on spits, as well as by being placed in a wood- lined pit and cooked by stones heated in a fire. The Norse did not grow many vegetables, as the Scandinavian soil and geography pro- hibited it. Beans and peas were exceptions, and wild fruits, berries, and nuts were used to supplement the diet. Apples were sometimes ‘grown in orchards, Dairy products (from both cow and goat milk) included milk, butter, curds and whey, and cheese. Although beer flowed in most Norse homes, milk was a popular drink, even. among hardened warriors and nobles. Chickens were kept for meat and eggs. Norse bread was made from wheat, and ‘was cooked on large open fires. The bread was generally flat, and contained small amounts of grit picked up during the grinding process. Norse SocieTy & CULTURE Fish was a major part of the Scandinavian diet, and a wide variety of fish and sea mam- mals were caught off the coasts, including cod, herring, seal, and whale. Salmon and trout swam in the rivers and fishing (using spear or hook and line) was a favorite pastime of boys and grown men (nets were used for non-recre- ational fishing). Fish was normally eaten boiled or smoked, but dried cod and salted her- ring were the largest exports of Scandinavia to the rest of Europe in the 13th century. Clothing The most stylish of Scandinavian cloth- ing was also practical. The simplest garments could be transformed into works of great beauty by the addition of metal ornaments, fur trim, or elaborate embroidery that was dif- ferent from district to district and which could be used to identify one’s home region. Footwear consisted of shoes, or ankle- or knee-high boots. The most common material for a shoe's upper was goat-skin, and the sole,ULTIMA THULE: MYTHIC SCANDINAVIA normally thick leather, was separate and stitched to the upper. A strap held the shoe to the foot. The strap could have a buckle, depending on the wealth of the owner, and wrapped around the entire foot, rather than being a part of the shoe itself, Most clothes were made of wool or linen, although other fabrics were sometimes imported. Silk was a rare commodity in Scandinavia and only the wealthy could afford to purchase it from merchants who had traveled to Constantinople. Fur was used for cloaks or trim, Clothes were often dyed with, natural dyes, walnut being a favorite as brown ‘was a popular color. Blues and greens were also used, but mainly for small garments and trim. Men wore trousers in ankle-, mid-calf and knee-lengths. Short trousers were worn with stockings or hose so that no skin was exposed t0 the elements. The bottoms of trousers were often held tight to the leg by leather straps. A man’s tunic or shirt could be ‘worn baggy or tight, depending on his prefer- ence, and was tied around the waist by a leather belt, often with a metal buckle. A cloak, usually made from a heavy material, was wom fastened on the right shoulder by a brooch. This allowed the sword arm to be kept free and available for use. Women wore straight-cut ankle-length dresses of wool or linen. During the Viking Age the garment was fastened by metal brooches on each shoulder, but in Christian times the ten- dency was for straps to be buckled onto the dress. ‘A long, tight shift was worn under the dress. Caps and hats for casual wear, rather than, for combat, were made of wool or leather lined with fur, and both sexes wore them. Money Norse trade was based primarily around a barter system. Coins were used in large mar- ket towns, but the majority of the population lived in rural areas, and had little need of coin-commerce. The first Scandinavian country to mint its own coins was Denmark, and Danish coins were used as early as the 8th century in Ribe (in southwestern Denmark), During the Viking Age local minting of coins was a sporadic affair, and coins minted by Arabs, Anglo-Saxons, and Byzantines were often in wider circulation throughout Scandinavia than local issues. Norway and Denmark had their own coins by the start of the 13th century, but in Sweden local coins were only minted for a short period in the late 10th century and foreign issues were the only coin option there in all other time peri- ods. Silver armbands or neck jewelry, or pieces cut from their ends, could provide small change. The only coin commonly minted was the silver pfenning (penny), but there were other units used only for accounting: the mark, equal to 240 pfennings, as well as the less common artogar (10 pfennings) and eyrir (30 pfennings). Trade Within Scandinavia, the professional manufacture of goods began in the 10th cen- tury, at roughly the same time that market towns began co grow and prosper. At chat time common people could afford profes- sionally-made items as easily as they could local items. As the heyday of Vikings raiders passed, Scandinavian traders took over the same sea routes, traveling not only to the distant comers of the Norse world, but to every part of Europe and even to northem AfricaFrequently imported items included swords and mail from the Frankish empire, wine, grain, silk from the East, furs, spices and salt, glassware and pottery. Locally, Scandinavians could trade for leather wares, textiles, foodstuffs, and forged iron tools. Within reason, Scandinavian merchants could acquite any product manufactured in Europe or the distant East. ‘Scandinavia exported a wide range of prod- vets, such as furs, hides, Baltic amber, walrus ivory, hawks and falcons, whetstones, buter, ish cil, timber, cloth, horse, cattle, iron and copper, ‘but most importantly dried or salted fish Norse Soctery & CULTURE Ships Standard Norse ship construction fol- lowed a set pattern for both warships and cargo ships. First, @ keel was laid, across which were placed wooden ribs which would strengthen the ship by joining its sides togeth- er actoss the middle. Curved planks of wood ran from bow to stem, each overlapping its neighbor with the gaps between them stuffed with animal hair to make them watertight. Where possible, the planks were cut from nat- urally curved trees so they didn’t have to be Sample Scandinavian Ships The following ships represent those commonly found amongst Norse communities, whether they be commoners cor nobility. (For more on Ars Magica sailing rues, see ‘The Mythic Seas supplement.) Byrding The name byrding translates as “carries.” an apt descrip- tion of the vessels use. There were four distinct types of byrding used; the smabyrding (small carrier), the let tbyrding (light carrier), the vstbyrding (private carrier), and the havsbyrding (sea cartier). The ships had approx- imate cargo capacities of 11, 20, 8, and 38 tons respec- tively. The first three were primarily designed for river and coastal use, while the havsbyrding was sturdy enough to survive the open seas. Other mercantile ves- sels were the busse and knar. Smabyrding The smabyrding was the small Scandinavian cartier designed for river and coastal areas, as described above. Hull Size: 2 (Seaworthiness: OK/-1/-5/Swamped) Material: Planks Crew Size: 10 Propulsion: Oars Secondary: Sails Steering: Steering Oar Total Tonnage: 15 Cargo Capacity: 11 (Soak: 7) (Speed: 3) (Speed: 2) (Manewver: +2) Busse ‘The busse was larger than the havsbyrding but smaller than the knarr It used sails as its primary mode of transport and was slow under oar. It was used for mes- cantile activities as its lack of speed under oar made it unsuitable for support work for warships. The oars were primarily used for maneuvering in harbors. Hull Sige: 4 (Seaworthiness: OK/-1/-2-3/-5/Swamped) ‘Material: Planks (Soak: 7) Crew Size: 40 Propulsion: Sails (Speed: 5) Secondary: Oars (Sheed: 1) Steering: Steering Oar (Manewer: +2) Total Tonnage: 61 Cargo Capacity: 50 Knare ‘The knarr began life during the Viking Age as a warship bbut was replaced by the longship and reduced to the sta- tus of a mercantile vessel. Although slower than long- ships, it could carry more cargo. Hudl Size: 3 (Seaworthiness: OK/-1/-3/-5/Swamped) Material: Planks (Soak: 7) (Crew Size: 20 Propulsion: Sail Secondary: Oars Steering: Steering Oar ‘otal Tonnage: 32 Cargo Capacity: 24 (Shed: 4) (Speed: 3) (Maneuver: +2) 45UnTIMA THULE: MYTHIC SCANDINAVIA forced into place. The planks were lashed together (instead of being nailed), and this flexible construction allowed a Viking ship to bend in rough seas instead of breaking during storms. Sometimes the stem-post of a warship was carved into a dragon head or other image, but this was not common practice. A Viking ship was steered with a large oar attached to the right (starboard: “steer board”) side of the stem; a single man could steer the ship under normal conditions. Power came from. square-cut sails and from oars pulled by crewmen, in shifts. The mast could be lowered and raised for safety during storms, and to allow ships to approach vessels with less visibility. To secure the ship at night, large iron anchors were dropped overboard, Cargo ships were higher at the gunwale and wider than warships. Few merchant ships used oars, except for navigation in narrow channels, relying on sail for power. ‘A typical Viking vessel could attain speeds of 6 to 9 knots and the standard method of travel was to follow the coastline during the day and camp ashore at night. ‘When sailing out to sea, Norsemen used an acute sense of time and speed, knowledge of the habits of sea-birds, the shape of waves, and the position of the sun and stars to navigate. ‘As the Viking Age came to an end, drag- con-ships gave way to ships sporting bigger holds, as well as requiring cheaper building materials. Where once ships were a symbol of power and status, they became tools of trade. Sample Scandinavian Ships (cont.) Longships ‘The longship isthe vessel most commonly associated with the Norse. Sleek, fast, and maneuverable, these ships haunted the coasts of northem Europe for over 200 years. Snekke ‘The snekke was the smallest of longships, starting at 50 feet in length. Poorer nobles, such as hersar, often used these as their main sea-going ships. Hill Size: 3 (Seawonthiness: OK/-1/-3]-5 Swamped) Material: Planks (Soaie: 7) Crew Size: 50 Propulsion: Sails Secondary: Oars Steering: Steering Oar Tonal Tonnage: 25 Cargo Capacity: 5 (Sheed: 4) (Sheed: 4) (Manewer: +2) Drakkar (dragon) The name drakkar arose from the carved prows of these ships. Tradition dictates that these ships must be over 75 feet in length to acquire the name. They were often ‘owned by hersar, powerful landowners, and poor nobles. Hull Size: 4 (Seaworthines: OK/-1/-2/-3/-5/Swamped) Material: Planks (Soak: 7) Crew Size: 100 Propulsion: Sails (Speed: 5) Secondary: Oars (Speed: 4) Steering: Steering Oar (Manewer: +2) Total Tonnage: 40 Cargo Capacity: 5 ‘Skeid The skeid was the largest warships, 125-150 feet in length, and generally with a crew of some 200 men. Ships of this size were expensive to build and crew, and were generally the property of konungr and rich jarls. Hull Size: 4 (Seaworthiness: OK/-I/-2/-3}-5/Swamped) ‘Material: Planks (Soak: 7) ‘Crew Size: 200 Propulsion: Sails (Speed: 5) ‘Secondary: Oars (Speed: 4) Steering: Steering Oar (Maneuver: +2) Total Tonnage: 70, Cargo Capacity: 10 46Religion In the 13th century, Mythic Scandinavia was an area torn between two religions. The Roman Catholic Church had made deep inroads into the region, and had succeeded in converting the kings, many nobles, and most of the town populations, but had little impact among the average rural carls. The old reli- gion, officially declared devil-worship by the Church, was still widely practiced in the countryside, and some noblemen (even Christians) continued to participate in major pagan festivals. The Old Faith Although by the 13th century the Church, had stripped away much of the power of the old faith in urban areas, the old gods remained potent in the harsh lands of the interior and in Sweden, where the vitki still wielded great power and were treated with respect. In pagan Scandinavia, the gods were part of daily life, responsible for the election of kings, success in war, and bountiful harvests. The gods were honored in both public cere- ‘monies and through private worship. Public Ceremonies Public ceremonies were performed to benefit the community as a whole, and most were related to agriculture. Called blotar (strengthening), singular blét, and performed by the leading vitki in each district, they were ‘occasions for a community to gather and feast in the presence of the gods, renewing the con- tracts made with the gods granting prosperity and victory to the faithful. Public blotar tended to be dedicated to all holy beings instead of to individual deities. However, some deities could be singled out at 47 Norse Society & CuLTURE specific times due to the bons they offered. The public rite was also an opportunity for div- ination, with the sacrificed animal the means by which future knowledge could be obtained. ‘Areas with large populations maintained temples for conducting the public ceremonies, but as Christianity came to the Northlands, these practices were driven underground, to be performed in private homes by the head of each household. Groves in forests and mounds with supematural significance were also suitable loca- tions for a blot. In some rituals the attendees wore animal masks or dressed as animals, possi- bly indicating a token sacrifice when no actual animals could be sacrificed on the stone altars. The Temple at Uppsala Uppsala was home to the largest pagan temple in Scandinavia, where giant statues of Odin, Thor, and Freyr stood in a wooden structure, next to a grove of ash trees. Odin was depicted as the god of war, and was shown with weapons; Freyr, as god of fertility, shown with an enormous phallus; and Thor, as pro- tector of the masses, was shown with his ham- mer, Mjollnir. Every ninth Yule a huge cere- mony took place there and, as Adam of Bremen stated, “nine males from every species on Earth” were sacrificed, left to hang in the adjacent sacred grove. Before Christianity became Sweden's offi cial religion, all Swedes were required to attend the nine-year ritual, although Christians could buy the right not to attend, and in reality only those pagans living locally actually attended. Under Christian kings attendance at the cere- monies dropped considerably, the fee for non- attendance was eliminated, and by 1080 the temple was destroyed and a Christian church was constructed atop its ruins. Unbeknownst to the Christians, this did not stop the pagan ceremonies at Uppsala. The power of the place could not be so easily dis- missed, and a faerie regio sprang up on the spot, within which an echo of the pagan temple still stood, occupying the same ground as the (Christian church. The faerie regio could only be centered at one point, through a remnant of theUrtima THULE: MYTHIC SCANDINAVIA sacred grove of trees in a Christian cemetery adjacent to the church, and only at Yuletime. (On dusk of the first night of Yule, the faerie aura of the first level of the regio increases to 5, overcoming the level 4 Dominion aura of the cemetery, and allowing pagans to enter the regio (the base ease factor to enter the regio is (2 x the regio’s aura of 5) + 6, or a total of 16 on a stress die roll, but pagans have a +5 on their roll). At the dawn after the [3th day of Yule, the faerie aura weakens to 3, trapping within the regio any who had not left in a timely fashion. Every ninth Yule, at the time of the major sacrifice in the sacred grove, the bonus pagans receive to enter the regio increases to +10. wi AM 48 The Mojpe Blotar Yule Celebrated at the winter solstice, Yule lasted 13 nights, the march-space between one year and another, the border where the worlds overlapped. All that happened between the first sunset and the last dawn of Yule was mightier than at any other time of the year. Yule was particularly the time to swear oaths on the praise cup, or the holy boar, an animal sacrificed to Freyr (or Freyja). While all oaths were holy (see “Honor” on page 32), those spoken on Yule nights were the holiest of all, Odin was the most important of the Yule gods, and it was at this time that the lord of the gods traveled on his eight-legged horse, Sleipnir, across Midgard, delivering gifts to warriors who had impressed him over the year, sometimes dropping the gifts through the chimney hole in a stead’s roof. In imita- tion, a lord would often invite his dependents to his hall to reward them for their loyalty and hard work over the past year, and exchanging gifts was common at Yuletime among all classes. Skadi and Ullr, as deities of snow and ice, also had important functions at Yule. ‘The Church adopted the Yule tradi- tion, merging it with the celebration of Christ's birthday, and replacing the Odin story with that of the three wise men as an explanation for the custom of gift-giving. Thorri Held near the end of January, Thorri was a lesser blot celebrating the fact that the nights were getting shorter again. Ritual dramas portraying how Thor defeat- ed various frost giants were appropriate at this time of year, symbolizing the retreat of winter.Disablot Held in early February, this ceremony was in honor of the disir, all the goddesses, including local deities and the Norns. In Sweden, it took the form of a large fair; the first public gathering of the year. It was associated with the breaking of the first fur- row, and a sacrifice to ensure the safety of livestock. The story of Freyr winning the hand of the giantess Gerdr was appropriate at this time of year, a metaphor for the melting of the frozen Earth and the triumph of the sun. Sigrblot This spring festival, held around the end of April, celebrated beginnings: the blessing of crops being planted in the fields and of any venture embarked upon, including raids, wars, and trading expeditions. Sigrblot meant “vietory-sacrifice.” Midsummer There was often a blot held at mid- summer, though it was by no means stan- dard across Scandinavia. There was always a fire lit at this time, and it was a powerful time for divination, particularly with regards to love. Blotar dedicated to Freyja were most appropriate at a midsum- mer festival. Hlafbls Hlafblat (loaf-feast) fell at the beginning of August, and celebrated the first harvest. In Iceland, this was the time for fairs, and horse fights were held, identifying this feast-day with Freyr, whose sacred animal was the horse. The story of Loki cropping Sif's hair ‘was an appropriate metaphor for the harvest, and could be reenacted as ritual drama at the festival. Norse Society & CuLTURE Winternights (Alfablot or Freysblot) This feast marked the end of harvest and the change from summer into winter. It was held in the middle of October, and was a time specifically dedicated to the family strangers at the house were not made wel- come during this holiday. Alfablot (elf-feast) indicates the importance of the land spirits at this time and the dead were believed to walk during the night of the feast. Winternights was primarily a blét asking for plenty in the next year's harvest. Essential Blit Elements ‘The Drinking of Ale or Mead. A brage (praise) cup was first hallowed to the gods and then passed among all the collected worshippers to share, each making a sibel (toast) to the gods. The participants would drink toasts to Odin (for victory and power to the king), Njord (for safe conduct on the seas), and then to Freyr (to ask for fertility and peace, as well as to any other god from whom a partic- ular boon was desired. The drink was brewed specifically for the blot, and blessed in the name of the gods by the godar. During some rites, a second minni (remembrance) cup was also used, in praise of lost friends or ancestors. The Sacrifice. Three animals were singled out as suitable for sactifice: boars, bulls, and stallions. The animal was rit- ually slaughtered by the vitki, and the blood was sprinkled over worshippers, or smeared upon the walls of the temple or the roots of a holy tree The Feast. The meat of the sacrificed animal was either cooked in a cauldron or roasted on a fire, then shared amongst the worshippers. Thus the sacrifice was shared between the gods and men; blood for the gods, meat for the men. ‘The Drama. Myths were commonly reenacted at blotar. The choice of story portrayed depended on the time of year and the purpose of the sacrifice. 49UrtiMa THULE: MYTHIC SCANDINAVIA Personal Worship In addition to public rituals, a family ot individual is often dedicated to a single deity. The most popular gods for this were Odin, Thor, and Freyr: Odin being the god of those who ruled, Thor of those who toiled, and Freyr of the land itself. The cults of the various gods had their own blétar, attended only by those who wished to honor that particular god. However, worship of the gods wasn't restricted to their dedicated followers; most would pray to Thor for protection, for example. Even after accepting Christianity, many Scandinavians still prayed to Thor during a thunderstorm or bad weather, to Odin just before a battle, or to Freyr at harvest time, something which seemed perfectly natural to the Northmen, but which infuriated many Churchmen. ‘Common. sacrifices included weapons, especially spear and arrow heads, as well as swords, Given that a sword was an expensive piece of equipment, the sacrifices were not made lightly or simply to appease gods, but more likely for special favors. 50 Worship of the old powers was seen as a form of friendship: an individual had certain rights and could call upon the gods; in return, they are able to call upon him. In one story, a Norseman dedicated to Odin withdrew his support for Odin after he lost his son in a boat ing accident, considering the death of his son a breach of friendship on the part of the god. Cult of Odin The cult of Odin was part of the sacred kingship. Most kings claimed descent from (Odin All-Father, and sacrifices were made to him in the main by the rulers of men. It was the duty of men to declare war on behalf of their people, thus Odin was also the god of war. The spear was the most potent symbol of Odin’s worship and aged warriors kept a spear as a symbol of their dedication to Odin in hopes that this would enable them to enter Valhalla upon death despite their infirmity. The spear was also the way that sacrifices were dispatched to Odin; tied to a tree and pierced with a spear in imitation of Odin’s own sacrifice on Yggdrasil. Odin’s cult was pethaps the only one that utilized human sacrifice with any regularity. The sacrifices were prisoners taken in battle, chosen by the casting of lots. They were hanged from ash trees and pierced with spears. Criminals also went to the tree, often sacrificed for luck in battle. The bersarkr was the ultimate symbol of the Odin cult. Immune to pain in battle and utterly fearless, they represented the most fearsome side of the All-Father. Cult of Thor Thor was worshipped by the ordinary men of the community in his guise of friend of mankind, sworn to protect worshippers from harm; his symbol, the hammer, was a ubiquitous talisman among the pagan Norse, used on boundary stones, at the birth of a child, at weddings, and on stones to com- ‘memorate the dead. Thor's image was carvedon the pillars next to the highseat of houses, and he was prayed to for good weather, good fortune, and protection. The blow of a hammer on an anvil was used to seal oaths, and he presided over the Thing in pagan times; even in Christian times the Thing was traditionally opened on a Thursday — Thor's day. Cult of Freyr Freyr symbolized fertility, and a number of wild or powerful animals were sacred to him, including horses and boars. Sacred white horses were kept for Freyr, horse fights were dedicated to him, and horses were sac- rificed to him. As one of the Vanir gods, he ‘was often worshipped at mounds, suggesting some association with the alfar and the dead. During festivals, his image was taken around a community's farmland in a wagon to grant it fertility. The vitkit who accompa- nied the wagon in pagan times dressed as ‘women and acted in an effeminate manner, and this form of blessing was also associated with Freyr’s mother, the earth goddess Nerthus. Freyr was also a battlegod to some extent; the Swedes bore his boar symbol on their shields and helmets. Goddess Cults The cults of the goddesses cannot be ignored. The Great Goddess, the Earth Mother, called variously Nerthus, Jord, and (all three possibly the same person) was an object of veneration, but her worship was often secret and restricted to women. As queen of heaven, she saw all, and her wor- shippers could have the gift of prophecy. The sagas tell of shrines in deep woods and wag- ons carrying her image as in the worship of Freyt Freyja, the sister of Freyr, was most often seen as looking up from the underworld rather than down from heaven. Her followers practiced seithr, the “unclean” magic of women (see page 63). 51 Norse Society & CULTURE The Gods of the Norse ‘As well as the most prominent gods men- tioned above, the Norse pantheon included ‘many other deities divided into two communi- ties the Aesir (and the Asyniur, their wives) and the Vanir (the Van, gods, and Vana, goddesses) The Vanir were a race of gods living among mortal men in Scandinavia before the Acsit. Following the ill treatment of one of their number at the hands of the Aesit, a war broke out between the two divine groups. The war ended inconclusively with an armistice and the exchange of hostages. Listed on the following pages are descrip- tions of the most important Norse gods; there were almost as many more again not men- tioned, minor gods who had few devotees and little interaction with the mortal world even before the arrival of Christianity to the Northlands. The Seekers and the Norse Gods ‘The members of the Order of Hermes known as Seekers speculate among themselves that many Norse gods were of the race known to them as Old Ones. The stories of the Norse gods seem to be about beings who once walked the Earth, creatures of awesome power and knowledge. ‘Two Seekers, Alphonus and Tabitha, both of House Ex Miscellanea, entered Scandinavia in the summer of 1210 posing as Christian monks to avoid suspicion. The pair traveled through the Christian areas into the hinterlands, where dwelt the Norse who still followed the old faith. They intently absorbed information from any source they could find, often spending days listening to the tales of skalds who retold the old legends. The two Seekers roved Scandinavia searching for the most elusive of all materials in their quest: They uncovered little, often finding it hard to differentiate between fact and myth. Many Seekers firmly believe that there are still Old Ones who have not disappeared from the world, and the stories of Odin donning a disguise and walking among mor- tal men causes great excitement to them, despite the fact that there are no reports of the All-Father on Earth since Christian churches began dotting the countryside.Umma THULE: MYTHIC SCANDINAVIA Baldur: Hailed as the most beautiful of the sod, Baldur, the son of Odin and Frigga, was also the god of justice. In response to a vision in which Baldur was slain, his mother extracted a promise from all things on Earth, both living and unliving, that they would not harm her son. Only mistletoe was excluded, 2s Frigga thought it too insignificant to be dangerous. One day the other gods took to throwing things at Baldur to test his invulnerability, and Loki gave a spear of mistletoe to the blind god Hodur to throw: The spear struck and killed Baldur. Baldur had a chance at resurrection if only everything on Earth, living and unliving, wept for Baldus, but despite almost universal despair, the giantess Thaukt (actually Loki in disguise) refused to weep, so Baldur was destined to remain in Eljudni until the end of the world ‘At Baldur’s funeral, Odin placed his magi- cal ring Draupnir on the pyre and whispered the word “Rebirth” into his ear, symbolizing what ‘was to come after Ragnarik (see “The End,” on page 131), Baldur possessed a magical boat known as Hringhom (Curved Prow). Bagi: Bragi was the god of poetry, the son of (Odin and a giantess named Gunlod. In Valhalla, Bragi was the chief skald, and had runes cut into his tongue to increase his already exceptional talent. Bir: In Asgard and Midgard there was no better physician than Bir. In Mythic Scandinavia, Eir was the patron of female healers, for it was she who taught man how to heal himself Forseti: Forseti, the son of Baldur, was the dispenser of justice Freyja: “Freyja” meant “Lady” and she gov- ered love and marriage; the female counterpart to hee brother Frey. Courting couples, or those wish- ing happy marriages, asked for her blessing Although generally asociated with life, she also carries an aspect of war within her, and Odin gave half ofthe dead souls that he received into her care. Freyja possessed several magical items including Valhams, a magical cloak of feathers that enabled the wearer to fly between worlds, and Brisingamen, a beautiful necklace crafted by dwarven artisans, that had no positive powers but seemed to attract attention and trouble to its ‘wearer. Her chariot was drawn by two huge cats She, along with Freyr and Njord, was a ‘Vanir hostage among the Aesir. Freyr: Fey (lord) the son of Njord and broth- ex of Freyja, was the god of fertility and lived in Altheim, from where he rarely ventured. At some pagan wedding ceremonies Freyr was represented by a giant wooden phallus placed in the room to bless the couple with fertility. Frye was ruler of the Vanir before becoming hostage to the peace with the ‘Acsir. On gave him an aett of runes for himself Freyr had a magical boat, Skidbladnir, which could shrink to such a small size chat it could be carried by a single man, and yer when fully grown it could hold all the gods. Ie was capable of sailing on water, air, and dry land. Freyr also had two boars, Gullinbursti and Slidrugtanni, that could be eaten one day and be fully restored by the next. Frigga: Odin’ wife Frigga was the mother of Baldur, Hodur, Hermod, and Tyr. She was the goddess of the sky (andl sometimes the earth), the houschold, and of married love, in which guise she was often prayed to by women for fertility. “Heimdell: Heimdall was entrusted with watch- ing over Biftést. When the fire giants approach at Ragnardk his duty is to blow the Giallar Hom, wwaming the gods ofthe impending door. Heimdall could see for hundreds of miles perfectly in light or dark, could hear grass grow- ing, and never needed sleep, ‘Aside from his magical hom, Heimadall aso possessed a magic sword, Hofud.Hela: A child of Loki by the giantess Angurboda, and sister to the Fenris Wolf and the Midgard Serpent, Hela was banished from Asgard by Odin and became ruler of Nifleheit a frozen wasteland and domain of the dead unclaimed by Odin or the other gods. One halfof her face and body was that ofa beau- ‘fl woman, while the other was a decaying corpse. “Hodu: Hodur was the blind brother of Balu He was the god of winter and lived near Niflcheim. Ie was he who was tricked by Loki into throwing the mistletoe spear that killed his broher. Hoenir: A brother of Odin, after the war against the Vanir, he was sent to Vanaheim as a hostage. The Vanir thought him slow-witted, and therefore a poor hostage compared to the valuable sods they had sent to Asgard, and therefore they beheaded Mimir (the other hostage). Tdunn: Idunn was the goddess of youth and ‘grew golden acoms that kept the gods from aging as long as they ate them regulaely. Loki: The half-giant father of the Fenris Wolf, the Midgard Serpent, and the queen of the underworld, Loki was a trickster god who delighted in causing mischief and strife. ‘After Baldur's death, Loki was taken to Nifleheim and chained on a ledge where a ser- pent dripped stinging poison on his face until Ragnardk, when he would break his chains and get his revenge against the gods, especially Heimdall, who had always witnessed his mischief and informed the gods of his misdeeds. Mimie: Mimie was a giant, and Odin’s uncle. He was one of the hostages to the Vanir after their war against the Aesir, and was eventually behead ed, his head brought back to Asgard as a protest. (Odin restored Mimir’s head to life and placed it in a well under one of the roots of Yggdrasl, where he could be consulted by anyone willing to pay the price of an eye to receive knowledge. ‘Njord: A giant and ruler of the wind and sea, after the war with the Aesir, the Vanir sent hhim to Asgard as a hostage. He was the father of Freyr and Freyja (Odin: Odin was the chief god ofthe Aesi, the 0d of cunning, wisdom, and the valiant dead. He was also the patron of noblemen and warriors, and had little concem for these of lower station, Although worshipped by warriors, he was also feared by them as he was known to strike Norse Sociery & CULTURE warriors down in their prime in order to stock is reat hall, Valhalla, with soldiers for Ragnarok. (Odin gained a number of gifts through sac- rifice: for the wisclom of Mimir’s well, he ost an eye; and for the knowledge of the magical runes, he sacrificed himself to himself by impaling his own body with a spear to hang for nine days from Yagdrasl, the World Tree. Odin delighted in mixing with mortals while in disguise, although he was often recog: nized for who he really was. Many mortal kings claimed descent from Odin. (Odin had two ravens, Hugin (thought) and Munin (memory), that flew around the world and reported all they saw and heard to him. His horse, Sleipnit, had eight legs and was the fastest steed in existence, capable of traveling through air and even to the underworld. Each of, Sleipner’s teeth had a different rune engraved upon it. Amongst Odin’s other animal compan- ions were two wolves, Freki (Gluttonous) and Geri (Greedy), who sat next to his throne. 53ULTIMA THULE: MYTHIC SCANDINAVIA, Odin possessed Gungni, a spear that never missed its target, and Draupni, a magic arm ring that formed nine non-magical gold duplicates of itself every night. He also had a magic whet- stone that could make weapons dangerously sharp. Sif: Sif was the wife of Thor and was a siantess. Sif was the goddesses of crops, as befits her status as the wife of the god of farmers. She wore a wig of pure gold following one of Loki’s pranks which resulted in her real hair being burnt off Thor: Thor was the son of Odin and a loud god who embodied bravery strength, and vigor. These attributes were balanced by stupidity, bluster, and sheer brutality Thor was the god of thunder, thralls, and the working man, and was also responsible for farmers and fishermen, who often prayed to him for a good harvest or catch. The striking of a hammer on an anvil sealed marriages, burials, and civil contracts, the hammer symbolizing ‘Thor's magic hammer Mjollnir (Crusher), which never missed its target and retuned to his hand when thrown, Whereas Odin was mostly worshipped by the elite, and even then rarely in ceremonies, Thor was at the center of a widespread cult. ‘Thor's worshippers often wore small hammer amulets hung from thongs, and when Christianity arrived in Scandinavia the amulet makers had little trouble modifying their molds to make crucifixes Thor's other magic items of note were his belt, Megingjardir, which gave him strength enough to wield his hammer, the ion glove he ‘wore to catch it in red-hot flight, and his char ct, which caused the sound of thunder when it moved. Two goats, Toothgnasher and Gaptooth, pulled it and Thor killed and ate them every night. Come the morning, the goats were fully restored and ready to pull his chariot again. ‘Thor was a great enemy of the giants and had many adventures in Jotunheim. Strangely, he was married to Sif, herself a giantess. ‘Tyr: Tyr was the god of truth and war. ‘When the Fenris Wolf was being bound with a magical chain, called Gleipnir (made from the noise a cat makes when it moves, the beard of woman, the roots of a mountain, the sinew of bear, the breath of a fish, and the spittle of a bird), Fenrir suspected a trap and demanded that god place his hand in his mouth to prove there was no trickery. Only Tyr was brave enough, and when Fenrir found he was trapped, he bit off ‘Tye’ right hand. Tyr often supported the peas- ants to help them get justice in an unfair world. lle: Ulir was the god of archery and of hunting, and was very popular during autumn when warriors hunted food for the coming win- ter months. The rune Yr represented his yew bow. Warriors taking part in duels often asked him for aid, Vidar: The silent son of Odin, he was rarely worshipped openly. He lived away from the other gods, but always kept a horse saddled so that he could speed to avenge his father’s death. at Ragnarok, using a great leather boot crafted from the scraps of leather left on the floors of cobblers throughout Mythic Scandinavia. In the reborn world afterward, he will be known as, a god of vengeance.Christianity Christianity came slowly to Scandinavia, beginning in the 9th century. Many settlers who left Scandinavia for distant colonies converted to Christianity, some to keep the peace with their new neighbors, but others because they were genuinely interested in the new faith. When these settlers returned to the old country to visit relatives they brought news of the Bible and the stories it contained. Some were liked so much that they were incorporated into Norse mythology. As mis- sionary activity began in eamest in the early 10th century the Church reversed this, using Norse stories to show that Christ, known as the Hvitachrist (White Christ), had much in ‘common with the Norse heroes and gods. The story of Thor fishing for Jormungandr was compared to the Old Testament verse (Job 41:1) describing the difficulty of drawing Leviathan out of the ocean with hook. Before Scandinavia was united under sim- pile trio of kings, missionaries were faced with a difficult task: converting a people was difficult unless its ruler converted first, and with each ford ruled by a different king the task was daunting. Furthermore, some unconverted kings threatened violence against Christians. ‘When the Scandinavian countries united under single rulers, missionaries found their jobs casiet. Many lands surrounding Scandinavia were already ruled by Christians, and they took it upon ‘themselves to war against pagan neighbors. Once the Scandinavian kings converted, peace was made, although not always successfully. The newly-converted kings wanted their subjects to be Christians, and s0 many noble- ‘men were baptized. Likewise, the jarls wanted loyal Christian subjects, but the masses proved harder to convert. The first known Christian missionary in Scandinavia was Willibord, who tried in vain to convert the Danish king Ongendus at the beginning of the 8th century. The first Scandinavian king to be con- verted was the exiled Danish king Harald Klak in 826 in Mainz. His conversion was carried Norse Society & CuLTURE cout by Ebo, the archbishop of Reims who had been allowed to preach in Denmark since 823 as part of the political support given Harald by the Frankish emperor, Louis the Pious. Ansgar, a priest, traveled to Denmark and was active there until Harald was exiled. Ansgar was zeal- cous in his duties, and this caused a pagan back- lash on more than one occasion. The first rul- ing king to be converted was the Dane Harald Bluetooth, around 960 by the priest Poppo. The first churches in Denmark were erected around 870 in Hedeby and Ribe. By 948 there were bishops of Hedeby, Ribe, and Athus. From there, Christianity spread north and eastward into Norway and Sweden. The conversion of Norway began when Harald Finehair sent his son Haakon to be fos- tered by the Christian English king, Athelstan in the late 9th century. In 995, King Olaf Trygevasson began a crusade of conversion and brought English bishops to Norway to In its quest to convert the pagan Norse, the Church made great use of Norse legends, interpreting them to reflect Bible stories and show that many of their gods were the same as Jesus and God himself, The story of Odin’s trial on the branches of Yggerasil draws a striking similarity to the story of the Crucifixion Both victims were gods who sacrificed themselves; one for power and the other to redeem mankind. Thor's hammer resembled the early Christian cross, a fact the Church used to convert the common man who followed Thor. Did Jesus not provide for his followers as Thor gave the farmers good crops? Balder, the beautiful god who was slain by treachery, was res- urrected after Ragnarok, to live again in an ideal world. Jesus himself rose after being condemned to death by the Romans before ascending to Heaven. Ragnardk was equated to the final battle of Armageddon, where the Devil (JOrmungandr, the World Serpent) would be defeated, leaving the survivors to live without fear or sin in a perfect world, Even the mythical places of the Norse had counterparts in Christian mythos. Nifleheim, the bleak land of the dead for murderers, adulterers, and thieves ruled by Hela, paral- leled Christian Hell, where sinners spent etemity in tor- ‘ment. Valhalla, where the Norse went upon receiving a good death to be well fed and watered, was akin to Heaven's palace, where bliss awaited those who died a Christian death. (Christianity also appealed to Norse women, since Valhalla 55UtTIMA THULE: MYTHIC SCANDINAVIA help. Although many noblemen were bap- tized, resistance came from the common peo- ple. Slow expansion followed and by the early 13th century most coastal areas had been suc- cessfully converted, leaving only the rougher and almost impassable interior pagan. Little is known about the conversion of the Swedes, and in Mythic Scandinavia Sweden is still largely a pagan country in the 13th century, with only the larger towns being areas of Christian worship. The Effects of Christianity Christianity and the Norse beliefs were not just different religions, they were based ‘on completely different cultures, so when the Norse changed religions, their lifestyles were changed as well. The most sweeping change wrought by the Church was the introduction of writing into the everyday life of Scandinavians. Although runic writing had been used for offi cial messages, magic, and account-keeping, virtually all of the culture and mythology of the Norse was passed on through a rich oral , H 8 Y f iy \ Ngee Mh 7 6 tradition. The Church introduced the idea of recording tales on parchment. Of course, pagan knowledge was not recorded, except in Iceland. There the skalds used the new Latin alphabet to record their heritage, assuring Church authorities that the work merely con- sisted of entertaining stories, not the material of a living religion. Ac first Latin leters didn’t replace runes, as runic inscriptions were still used for centuries on monuments and grave stones, and in decoration, but everyday writ- ing soon exclusively used the Latin alphabet. The Church also brought formal education with its young men could be sent to Church schools where they would learn the word of God, and how to read and write the Latin tongue. ‘The Church also brought its own laws: the cating of horsemeat was forbidden; polygamy and extramarital affairs became crimes; mar- riage was changed from a sacramental arrange- ment between two families to a consensual rela- tionship between two people; sex was forbidden cn the nights before Sunday, Wednesday and Friday, as well as before feast days and festivals; unmarried woman gained new inheritance rights; and revenge became a crime against God. Converted kings and nobles could expect, support from other Christian nations when war- ring against heathens in or outside oftheir lands, as well as receiving aid from the Church for such endeavors. Trade relations often depended on the Norse ruler being a Christian, as the Church did not approve of trade with pagans. Many noblemen found their power weak- ened by the new faith. The Church preferred strong kings over powerful aristocracies, and it threw its support behind the three rulers of Scandinavia. The jatls, once semi-indepen- dent authorities, were made to pay homage to a Church-supported king. Worse, many noble- men had been the high priests of cults within their regions, but asthe old faith was stamped out their power weakened. That said, the Christian kings were not in full control of the country and, fearful of an uprising against them, allowed sacrifices to the old gods to con- tinue in private despite Church prohibitions. Similarly, vitki were banned from using their pagan magics on pain of public flogging, but many Christian noblemen kept themhandy as advisors, and as magical aides in case the power of the Christian god failed. ‘The common man received less material aid than noblemen when converting to Christianity, but missionaries also. gave him hhope, telling him that all men were equal, and that by living a good life he could reach Heaven, Slaves were freed and prisoners redeemed, allow- ing them to attain a better afterlife than their pagan gods would have granted them. The Order of Odin ‘Members of the Order of Hermes in south- em and central Europe, having little contact with Norse wizards, have deduced that there exists an organization dubbed the Order of Odin, which is responsible for attacks on magi, the buming of homes and laboratories, and the use of subtle magic, all designed to convince Hermetic magi not to settle in Norse-dominat- cd parts of Europe. Although interrogations of various Scandinavians have revealed nothing about this Order, this has been interpreted to ‘mean powerful spells have been used to hide or erase the information hidden in their minds. In fact, there is no Order of Odin; while some vitkir may form small gatherings similar in purpose to Hermetic covenants, those are the exceptions rather than the norm, and there is no overarching organization linking these gatherings. In most cases, a Norse wicard allies himself to a patron, whether it be a noble or a small fishing village in the frozen north, and it is to his patron that a wisard owes his loyalty. Some magi living in tribunals close to Scandinavia (and Sinus Wodinis, the House Bjornaer covenant in southern Norway) know the truth behind the Order of Odin, but their words carry little weight within the Order of Hermes. Any magus who proclaims disbelief in the existence of the Order of Odin is brand- ed either a traitor allied with the Norsemen against the Order of Hermes, or a magically- controlled dupe. Members of the Order of Hermes have been enjoined to avoid contact with the Norse lands in order to avoid pro- voking a potentially dangerous conflict. 57 Nonrse SocieTy & CULTURE Order of Odin Alternatives ‘Some storyguides may want to explore other answers to the Order of Odin question. Some possibilities are: © The Order of Odin once did exist, but is no longer a fac- tor in Scandinavia’s magic circles as a result of the con- version of many of its members to Christianity, the encroachment of Hermetic magi on its borders, or some unknown menace or disaster. Could the Order then hhave been the reason for the sudden appearance of Viking raiders in the late 8th century, and for their unparalleled success over the next two centuries? And was the Order of Odin involved in the Schism War that began just as some members of the Order of Hermes were advocating an assault on Scandinavia? + The Order of Odin does exist, and takes extreme mea- ‘sures to hide itself from the Order of Hermes. What do they have to hide, and how do they do it? ‘+ The Order of Odin never existed but some members of the Order of Hermes who know the truth created and maintained the lie for their own purposes. Which Hermetic magi are behind it then, and what reasons could they have for such a deception? * The Order of Odin never existed but some Scandinavians started the rumor in order to keep ‘Hermetic magi out of the Northlands. Who would most want to keep the Order of Hermes at bay: the Church, local rulers, or the vitkie? © The Onder of Odin never existed and it is a combination of ‘other mundane forces that are keeping the Order of Hermes ‘out of Scandinavia: prejudice, paranoia, climatic difficulties, the region's isolation ftom southern European politics and couleur a lack of recruits because of the local preference for ‘magic based in its cultural heritage, and so on. * The Order of Odin didn't exist in the past, but the encroachments of the Order of Hermes have convinced some vitki to create their own organization for protection. How can this fledgling order hope to survive in the face of the established and powerful enemy approaching from the south? And is this new order behind the troubles besetting Sinus Wodinis (as described on page 62 of The Mythic Seas)?ULTIMA THULE: MYTHIC SCANDINAVIA Wartare Organizational Structure Scandinavian kings and noblemen pos- sessed armies comprised of two types of soldier: the hird, or professional soldiers who formed the noblemen’ permanent retinues; and the carls who took up arms in times of need, Al free men capable of bearing weapons ‘were obligated to aid in the defense of their liege and home areas. When a prearranged signal (for example, the blowing of a hom or the lighting of a beacon fire) was seen or heard, the men rushed to their homes to retrieve weapons and shield, and then mustered at their lord’ hall to await instructions. For overseas campaigns this levy system was rarely used, instead professional sol- diets made up the majority of armies, although some carls might volunteer for service. The lowest form of professional warrior were the gestr, who were little more than. hired thugs who performed menial tasks such as policing the lord’ villages and running errands. The dreng were professional soldiers, loyal to their lord, and housed in special accommodations provided for their use. Dreng who proved their worthiness could become members of the tinglith, or personal ‘uard, or rise to the rank of thegn, comman- ders of the dreng. Lords that owned ships had liths, professional sailors who manned his warships, commanded by a lithsmathr. They were counted as members of the lord’ hird. There were also three types of specialist warrior; the bersarkr, ulfednar, and svinfyiking, The bersarkr (“bearshirts”) were fierce warriors, dedicated to their lord and to Odin, and capable of literally going berserk in combat. They nor-mally fought in groups. The ulfednar (wolf-wat- riots) had similar atributes asthe bersarkr (and ‘were also dedicated to Oxin), but did not enter such a battle rage and generally fought alone. Many of these warriors were rumored to be able to assume the form of wolves. The svinfylking (boar-warriors) were trained to fight in a wedge formation reminiscent of a boars head and often acted as scouts. Although the svinfjlking were not dedicated as a group to Freyr, some would ask for his blessing before battle. ‘When there were no wars to fight, the members of the hird patrolled their master’s land watching for bandits or attackers, kept the peace in villages, and trained new recruits. More lucrative duties included body- guard duty to their master, or escorting him or his family members on journeys. Weapons and Armor Carls had the right and obligation to pos- sess weapons, typically swords, axes, spears, javelins, bows and arrows, and slings and stones. Armor usually consisted of shields, leather clothing, or for the wealthy or professional sol- dier, either scale or chainmail. Not all carls could afford the best weapons and armor, and possession of quality weapons was often a sign of wealth, rather than combat skill or experience. ‘The mest expensive weapon a Norseman could own was a sword, especially since they have litle use outside of war. Standard Norse swords were one-handed slashing weapons, constructed of iron, with broad double-edged blades. Omately engraved blades and hilts were the property of wealthy men, and such swords were used as status symbols as well as weapons of war. The seabbard vwas constructed of either wood or eather, and was lined with wool. A leather strap hung from the right shoulder to hold the scabbard atthe lft side of the waist. Kings often rewarded their followers with swords, and fathers passed them on to their sons. Long knives and cheap single-edged swords were used by common cars, Battle axes were cheaper altematives to swords, but just as effective in battle. The major difference between swords and axes was that an axe was liable to break more easily. The Norse 59 Norse Society & CULTURE axe was long-hafted with a large iron head. Just as with swords, the wealthy sometimes had axes with engraved and decorated heads. Hatchets were used for throwing and in melee. Javelins were widely used, especially by pooret carls. On rare occasions the heads were engraved but they were nor status symbols. They were meant to be thrown at enemies as a secondary weapon, but some Vikings used heavier spears in melee. ‘When hunting, nobles preferred bows and arrows. Norse bows were constructed from yew and averaged one and a half paces in length. ‘The arrows had wooden shafts topped with iron heads. In combat, bows would be used before the two sides closed with hand weapons. Norse shields were round, wooden with metal rims, and generally protected from chin to knee. A metal boss adorned the shield’s center. Shields were often brightly painted. Armor was an expensive and rare com- modity, often imported and rarely buried with the deceased. Chain and scale mail were the ‘most common types, covering the torso, arms, and the top of the thighs in a single coat. Helmets were round, metal, and often adorned with nose or eye-nose guards. Neck guards ‘were occasionally placed on the back. Helmets with antlers tied to them could be wor during rituals, but were too clumsy for use in combat. ‘Some Norsemen might tie ravens’ wings to the sides of the helmets to signify a link to Odin. Fortifications Compared to the rest of Europe, Norse set- tlements were almost devoid of fortifications. Market towns and harbors were protected by low ramparts, circular or semi-circular in shape, built using fill from the excavation of exterior ditches. Wooden palisades ran along the tops of the ramparts. Timber-ined gateways completed the structures. [Fan area was attacked, men andUttIMA THULE: MYTHIC SCANDINAVIA animals could be taken inside the rampart and the gates closed. Independent fortified build- ings and castles were unheard of until the late 12th century, and were rare in the 13th. Fjords, beaches, and narrow river chan- nels were strategically blocked with underwa- tet wooden stakes or large stones to prevent landings by enemy forces. Some river chan- nels were permanently blocked in this way, and pilots had to know their way through the defenses or risk running aground. The Danevirke One exception to the rule of minimal for- tifications was the Danevirke. Started in the mid-8th century, the Danevirke stretched actoss the southern border of Denmark from Hedeby to the Rivers Rheide and Treene. This effectively protected the southeast of the country, and natural swampy ground to the southwest provided adequate protection for the rest of the border. The earliest Danevirke was a large earth en rampart fronted with timber. Along the top ran a wooden Palisade, which gave the defenders protection from arrows and spears. Initially the wall was only 4 miles long, but over the centuries was extended until it reached a length of some 25 miles. Where the ‘ground was firm, a ditch ran in front of the rampart, acting as a dry moat. In later periods the wall was fortified with stone and bricks. The wall was not impregnable and in 974 warfare broke out between the Danes and the German Empire. The wall fell co the invaders and German troops were garrisoned at the border. Only in 983 was the wall recaptured. Although there is no firm historical rea- son for the building of the fortification, the Danish king at the time was a fierce opponent of Christianity and also had trouble with the Saxons living in northem Germany. In the late 8th century Charlemagne had conquered the Saxons and border disputes arose with the Danes. It was also at this time that the Danes began raiding the Frankish coast, adding to the tensions already present. Battles Before the start of any battle, the leaders of Norse armies made speeches designed to inspire their men to acts of bravery and per- sonal sacrifice. Following the speech came a series of insults between the two armies, the content and nature of which were dictated by custom and tradition. The rattling of ‘weapons against shields and fierce battle cries ‘were also used to demoralize the opposition. Most battles began with a hail of arrows and thrown javelins, to be followed by a change, accompanied by battle cries. The ini- tial clash often resulted in both armies pass- ing deep into each other's ranks before fight- ing actually began. Homs were used to direct, the forces once battle had begun, as shouted orders would have been unintelligible. Cavalry was a new addition to the 12th- century Scandinavian army, and wes most popular in Denmark and Sweden where the terrain was more amenable to horse tactics When used, Norse cavalry was often kept in reserve to support weak parts of the line, or to outflank enemies. Only the wealthy could afford professional cavalry (often German mercenaries), and they were usually only seen as a part of a king's elite force of huscarls. The svinfylking formed their boar-head bat- tle formation with two champions fighting at the snout, and leading the formation into battle. ‘The formation was designed to punch through ‘enemy ranks, lead by the champions, and then break apart to engage in single combat. ‘Whoever was leading the attack rode at the front of the army accompanied by his most loyal and trusted huscarls. His position in battle was marked by his battle standard, which was carried by a huscarl who had proven himself courageous and fiercely loyal in battle. The standard bearer's job was vital, for if the standard fell the army would fear that its leader was dead or captured, and might withdraw from the field. ZSCharacters Creating a Norse characteris no different than making a regular Ars Magica character. Hermetic magi do not dwell in the frozen lands of the Norse, but there are native magi- cians who wield strange powers. As well, here are companion and grog professions unique to the Northlands. Examples of Norse characters can be found at the end of the chapter. ‘There are three ways to set up a Norse saga The players can create normal Ars Magica characters who interact with an environment that i strange to most members of the Order of Hermes. They can create Norse characters who take on roles equivalent to magi, companions, and grogs, but all with a distinctive Norse fla- vor. Finally, they can create Norse characters for use in a Hermetic covenant somewhere in the rest of Mythic Europe. Iftaking the first option, it must be remem- bered that, while the characters in standard Hermetic sagas begin at a covenant, tied to ‘each other by common bonds, in Scandinavia there are no covenants in which Hermetic magicians live, work, and study. A Norse saga focuses on settlements of mundane people as the hub of player activity, and most characters, whether they are magi, companions, or grogs, should begin the game working for someone, as Norse society is based on people living in com- ‘munities and supporting each other. If the second option is picked, native Norse characters can fill the magus, compan. Creation ion, and grog roles. The magus is replaced by a Norse vitki or Finnish wind wizard who, while less powerful, will receive much more respect in Norse society than a magus would elsewhere in Mythic Europe, Companions represent people who have made names for themselves, whether that be as skalds, impor- tant warriors (huscarls), or even as the jar!'s favorite juggler. Lastly, there are the grogs: professional warriors (dreng), carl farmers, a craftsman’s apprentices, or, rarely, thralls. Even a huscarl could be a grog, accepting a position of willing servitude because of loyal- ty toa lord, The third option will perhaps be the least confusing to the average player, but will also rake less use of the opportunities presented by the Norse culture and political situation. If fa mixed Norse/Hermetic covenant is being assembled, Norse vitkir and Finnish wind wizards can take mystic companion slots (Mystic companions can occupy either a player's companion or magus slot, at the troupe's option. A more complete discussion ccan be found in Hedge Magic, pages 31 32)Uttima THULE: MYTHIC SCANDINAVIA, Norse Spell Casters Vitkir Starting Abilities A vitki begins play with the following basic Abilities: Speak (Western or Eastern) Norse 5, Scribe Runes 3, Legend Lore 2, Area Lore 2, Rune Casting 4, Rune Scripts 1, Rune Bindings 1, and Theology (Norse) 3. SVEN EAS eA The vitkir practice magic based on the runes and claim that the chief Norse god, (Odin, gave them the runes in return for service and sacrifice. In Norse society the vitki is part priest, part judge, part mediator, part counsel- lor, and part warrior. A vitki wields more sub- tle magic than a Hermetie magus, designed to help people directly rather than by means of external magical effects. Peasants who have problems with their private lives or with their businesses consult vitkir for help, but few peas- ants would be brave enough to consult magi To make a vitki character follow the character generation steps given in the Ars Magica Fourth Edition rulebook, substituting the changed sections below where necessary. Starting Experience: Age + 5, with five additional experience points which must be spent on Abilities that involve social interaction Unlike a Hermetic magus, a vitki is brought up to represent his people and to deal with those of greater and lesser station with equal ease. Starting Magic ‘A Norse vitki does not use magic like Hermetic magus, but instead taps into the mystic power of the ancient runes, which were first used by the god Odin. Each vitki starts with the knowledge of all 24 runes at a rudimentary level; a score of O with each rune. The vitki has 50 points to spend on learning more about specific runes and these are spent in a manner similar to that of magi purchasing their Arts (see ArM4 page 60). For further information on the runes and how to use them, see the Performing Norse Magic and Runes and Their Powers chapters. Descriptions of the magical abilities of a vitki are detailed below in the “New Abilities” sec- tion beginning on page 69. Virtues and Flaws Not all the standard Ars Magica Virtues and Flaws are open to a vitki, while some work in different ways. Required Virtue Patron (variable): Whether it be a pow- erful jarl, a clan chief's warband, or a small fishing village, the vitki has attached himself to an individual or community that provides hhim with the basics of life (food, shelter, andwarmth) in return for favors and aid in times of need. It is the vitki’s lot in life to aid those in need, and his apprenticeship has prepared him for such service. The vitki is generally regarded as a counsellor to his patron and may be called upon to give advice or help pass judgement at a Thing. Unlike the Patron Virtue on ArM4 page 44, the cost of a vitki’s patron depends on its size and status, as shown below. +1 Virtue: The vitki is part of a small vil- lage community, and while he has limited resources at his disposal and lives a simple life, he has little actual work to do aside from watching over the locals. +2 Virtue: The vitki is associated with a large village, a minor noble, or a merchant. His tasks include managing daily affairs and acting on behalf of his patron, but he has his own dwelling and a small income for his troubles. +3 Virtue: A powerful noble, an extreme- ly wealthy merchant, or a small town has taken in the vitki. In return for wealth, com- fortable living conditions, and the occasional rest period, the vitki is heavily involved in the day-to-day affairs of his patron and is often involved in several tasks at once Forbidden Virtues and Flaws Beginning Vis (ArM4 40) lic Upbringing (ArM4 49) Educated (ArM4 41) Feral Upbringing (ArM4 49) Further Education (ArM4 41) Indulgences (ArM4 43) Lycanthrope (ArM4 49) Relic (ArM4 45) Sense Holiness/Unholiness (ArM4 42) Simple-Minded (ArM4 48) ‘Troupe Upbringing (ArM4 42) ‘Weak-Willed (ArM4 48) Due to the nature of vitkir, they may take the -1 Flaw: Magical Air (ArM4 47), nor- mally only available to companions and sogs. Unlike a Hermetic magus, a vitki has no Gift forming the seat of his power, just knowledge of how to manipulate the runes. Seithkona Lodalfafnir, listen to my counsel; You will fare well if you follow it, Ie will help you much If you heed it Shun a woman, wise in magic, Her bed and her embraces; If she cast a spell You will care no longer To meet and speak with men, Desire no food, Desire no pleasure In sorrow fall asleep. — From the Havamal The seithkonur (singular seithkona) practice seithr: witchcraft. They are almost exclusively female; the rare male practtion- ers are called seithmathr and must be Transvestites (a -2 Flaw; see WGRE, page 66). Seithr is seen as unclean magic by the Norse: while rune-use was a gift of the god Odin, seithr was taught to women by Gullveig (“Goldbranch”), a goddess (some say giantess) so wicked that she introduced agreed to the gods, sparking the war between the Aesir and the Vanir. The Aesir eventual- ly had her burned three times, but she was 0 evil that the clean flames would not consume her flesh, Despite this appalling reputation, the sei- thkonur are consulted more frequently by the Norse than any other magical practitioners; despite the fact that they are forced to keep their powers a secret from the authorities, somehow the common folk seem to know where to find them when a need develops, and they maintain the seithkonur’s secret out of sel interest. In most respects, the seithkonur are iden- tical to the cunning-folk of Hedge Magi, and their magic is a consequence of a long associ- ation with faeries (the landvaettir). Instead of the Visions Exceptional Ability, a seithkona makes use of a fylgia, an animal spirit chat tends to attach itself to certain families. She 63 CHARACTER CREATIONUrTIMA THULE: MYTHIC SCANDINAVIA can borrow the shape of her fylgja and, while her body goes into a sleep-like state, she can travel abroad in spiritual form. This ability is covered by the Exceptional Talent Hamfari, detailed on page 73. The fylgja can also come to the seithkona in dreams to warn her of danger. In this respect they grant the witch the Talent of Premonitions — see “Changed Virtues,” page 71. However, they also possess 1 Bad Reputation as witches, which begins at a level of 2. Many seithkona have preserved the knowledge of the rituals of worship associated with the Vanir, and may be priestesses of Freyja. A’ seithkona often has the Skinchanger Virtue, and is able to take the physical form of her fylgja (the Hamfarir Ability allows her only to borrow the fylgia’s spiritual form) Starting Abilities include: Chirurgy 2, Craft Charm 2, Craft Bane 2, Faerie Lore 3, Faerie Sight 2, Folk Magic 4, Herbalism 4, Hamfarir 2, Premonitions 1 Seithkonur have a minimum age of 20, and receive age + 10 experience points Fylgiuer The fpgjur (singular: fylgia) are animal spirits that attach themselves to certain humans. They are closely tied with the pagan Norse concept of the soul, and can be inher- ited from an ancestor just as any other trait ‘might be passed on. Fylgjur are, for the most part, invisible and immaterial. Those who can see them (characters with Second Sight or Faerie Sight, for example) say that they always take the form of an animal, and they are attracted to persons who have characteris- tics of that animal. The fylgjur of sei- thkonur are most often falcons, cats, and hares — the animals associated with the goddess Freyja. Fylgjur usually have Magic Mights of about 10, and rarely have any significant powers. They are roughly as intelligent as children, but have little ability to interact with the physical world. They are also unable “4 to speak. The only people who can feel them (should the fylgjur wish it) are those to whom they have attached themselves, which, in game terms, are represented by two Virtues: Hamfarir (page 73) and Premonitions (page 7). Shamans Norse shamans are normally found among the isolated settlements of northern Norway and Sweden, where the old ways are still firmly entrenched and the Church fears to tread. Here shamans are the spiritual lead- cers of the northern Sami and spokesmen with the spirit world A player who wishes to create a Norse shaman character should use the rules pre- sented in the Ars Magica supplement The Dragon and the Bear. There are no changes required for Norse shamans. Characters who can shapechange, nor- mally found in shamanic tribes across the world, are less common in Norse society, where only the vitki and bersarkr are attrib- uted with shapeshifting powers. A player wishing to run a shapechanger should choose one of those professions for his character. Wind Wizards Another possible magic-using character type is the Finnish wind wizard, an outsider to both Norse and mainland European society. Details about this character type are found in the Other Magic Systems chapter, beginning ‘on page 107.Norse Grogs and Companions Cornpanion Social Class Virtues and Flaws Below is a list of the companion social classes that are available to beginning Norse companions. Unless otherwise stated, all equipment or Virtues and Flaws associated with a social class remain the same as on ArM4 pages 38 and 39. Most of the social classes linked to Flaws in the Ars Magica rulebook are not suitable for Norse characters, as to be outlawed from ‘one's family left a person on his own in a cul- ture where friends and family were highly prized. Although many Norse heroes were outlaws, they were also very powerful and had many allies and friends. Normally they lived short but exciting lives. A companion could be an outlaw in another province, being shel- tered by a local nobleman, but this requires some careful thought as the character's life could become difficult if he moves from his sanctuary. Thrall/Ambatt (~2): You are a slave, and as such you are another man’s property. You have few rights, being unable to own land. Should you be caught lawbreaking, you will be beaten, maimed, or killed. Leysingi (-1): You are a freed slave, although still dependent on your former owner and family for a number of genera- tions. You cannot institute legal proceedings against your former owner, and if you win money in a court case you owe a portion to him. This is the equivalent of the Obligations Flaw. Wanderer (-1): You are not tied to any liege or community, and as such you have no rights according to most Scandinavian laws. Since horses are rare in Scandinavia, the CHARACTER CREATION wanderer does not begin the saga with one, although he does possess a pair of skis. Carl (0): The standard freeman of Norse society. Most Norsemen are farmers, but ‘many have trades which enable them to work around the farm repairing fences and plows, and the like. Bondi (0): You are a free man, and either you or your family own a farm. Because of this you have an Obligation (equivalent to the Flaw) to spend either the harvest or the sowing season helping your family work the land. This Virtue isthe same as the Prosperous Peasant Virtue, except that your yearly income amounts to only 250 pfenning. Mendicant (+1): As the Church contin- to push into the heartland of Scandinavia, more and more mendicants are moving among the population, spreading the word of God. There is no difference between, 65Utima THULE: MYTHIC SCANDINAVIA the mendicants in Scandinavia and those found elsewhere. Smithr (+1): You have a reputation as a craftsman. You are considered to be part of the carl class, but command a great deal of respect because of your talents. Accom- plished blacksmiths and ship-builders are especially honored, though other trades of note are rune-carvers (making memorial stones), masons, and woodcarvers — basical ly any manual trade. You begin play with the Reputation “Skilled” at level 2, but you had better have the skill to back this up or it will quickly be lost. Odalsbindi (+1): Also called a hauldr in Norway. You are a landowner with hereditary right to your land. You rarely have the oblig- ations of a bondi because you have a number of tenant farmers andior slaves to do much of the work. Odal rights are fiercely maintained as they distinguish a family claim, and cannot be usurped by jarls or the konung. Equivalent to the Prosperous Peasant Virtue. Skald (+2): Skalds are the poets and sto- rytellers of the Norse and respected members of a community. Their ability to memorize thousands of lines of poetry is legendary, and they can recite long passages at will. A skald character gains the new Virtue Audio Bidetic Memory (see page 73) as part of being a skald. He also begins the game with an automatic level in Storytelling, represent. ing a small repertoire of tales. Ifthe character has any Play (Instrument) skill, he begins the game with an appropriate instrument. Landsmathe (+2): As one of the lands- ‘menn you are a part of the lowest rank of the ruling class. You must be able to maintain and field 40 armed men in the levy. This position is not hereditary, but is gained through an cath of loyalty to the king. This Vircue is sim- ilar to the Lesser Noble Virtue. Butescarl (+2): A mercenary leader paid by a town so that its citizens do not have to take part in the king's host. This is the equiv- alent of the Mercenary Virtue. Styrimathe (+2): You are captain of a ship. You have little actual wealth, as it is tied up in your ship, although with it you have the poten- tial to gain money through trade or piracy. You may choose either a Snekke or Smabyrding (see pages 45 - 46) as your beginning ship. You have acrew of 8 to 12, all of whom are sailors, not sol- diers, and who must be paid for their services You must hire a separate fighting force to protect ‘your possessions. Your social rank is that of carl Bryti (+3): You are a steward of the royal estates. You receive a wage of 40 pfennig a ‘month, and wield the authority of the king in most matters (as the Temporal Influe Virtue). You are often looked upon as a neu- tral, mediating in disputes. Gothi (+3): You are a chieftain; the leader of a district. This contains at least one ‘major settlement, and probably several small- er ones. In pagan lands, you are responsible for conducting the public rituals of the local gods. Your position is not hereditary, but you are elected into the office for life. You do not own the land that you oversee, but have possession of a large family farm, which generates about500 pfennig per year. You must perform the duties of a magistrate quarterly at the Thing. Hersar (+4): You possess a lordship at the king’ pleasure. The lands you own are yours by grant from the king, and are handed back upon your death for redistribution. Apart from that, you have all the benefits and “obligations of the Landed Knight Virtue. Lesser Jarl (+5): You are a fully indepen- dent lord, holder of a hereditary title. You, your family, and other jarls are the ruling powers in the region in which you live. You effectively have the Landed Knight Virtue, but are awarded greater respect than a hersat Grog Status Virtues ond Flaws Most grogs are catls at the lower end of the social class. Because thralls were forbid- den to carry weapons, itis unlikely that any grog will be from that class. Unlike other sagas, Norse grogs are not necessarily the lower end of the pecking order, used only as ‘muscle for the magi and to do their physical labor for them; Norse grogs are members of the same community as the other characters and can hold important positions within a jarl’s retinue. Of course, the vast majority of. ‘grogs are merely farmers who take up arms ‘when their jarl calls them for war. Gestr (-1): Part of a lord’ retinue (along. with the hird). As one of the gestir you have special quarters and your own leader. You act as a policeman for your lord, run errands for him, and do other menial tasks. You have a Bad Reputation as a “Hired Sword,” gaining none of the usual special benefits associated with being a member of the retinue of a lord. Dreng (0): The equivalent of the Standard Grog Virtue, the dreng refers to a young warrior. You are a member of the hird, and have taken an oath of loyalty to a lord. In peace time you act as an official for your lord, forming embassies, exacting tribute, recover- ing dues, and acting as a messenger. You have 67 a spear, an iron cap, and a shield given to you by your lord. Lithsmann (0): You are a professional member of your lord's hird. Your primary duty is to man your lord's ships. Lithsmathe (+1): You are the comman- der of the fighting contingent of a ship (the equivalent of the Grog Leader Virtue), and a highly respected member of the lord's hind. Tinglith (+1): You are a member of your lord's personal guard — the equivalent of the Custos Virtue. This is also known by the Saxon term huscarl Thegn (+1): You are a leader of men in the dreng — the equivalent to the Grog Leader Virtue, but applied only to soldiers. Bersarkr (+1): You are known as a feared warrior and distinguish yourself in battle by your berserk fury, during which you roar loud- ly, bite your shield, and become virtually invulnerable. You do not wear armor other than a bear skin, and have the benefits of the Tough Virtue as well. You have the Reputation “Fearsome” beginning at ascore of 1. However, though feared, you are considered somewhat unreliable. Bersarkr usually travel in bands of up to 12, but sometimes wander alone. You must have one of the following Virtues or Flaws to justify your reputation: ‘Shapeshifter, Berserk, Fury, or Lycanthrope. Ulfednar (+1): You are a feared warrior famed for your ferocity. You are distinguished bby wearing a wolf skin (vargstakkar) over a mail shirt (which you gain for free) in battle. Unlike a bersarkr, as an ulfednar you fight alone. It is likely that you have the ‘Shapeshifter Virtue, though even if you do not you will be treated by others as if you do (Reputation as a “Werewolf” at an initial score of 1). You have the Long-Winded Virtue. Svinfylking (+1): You are one of the boar-warriors, a group of fighters known for their wedge formation in battle, with two champions at the rami, or snout, of the wedge. You are trained in the skills of disguise and escape, and make a superlative scout. Rolls involving Rogue and Survival Skills in select- ed areas receive a +3. modifier. Examples might include wildemess survival in a partic CHARACTER CREATIONUttima THULE: MYTHIC SCANDINAVIA ular terrain, stealth, and disguising yourself at a moment's notice. Abilities Changed Abilities Some standard Abilities are not particu- larly well suited to a Norse campaign; the changes needed to bring them into line are explained below. Storytelling: Skalds can use Storytelling in a manner similar to Lectio, the written text replaced with memorized stories. Skalds ‘may teach Abilities (but not those connect- ed to the usage of magical runes) using the same rules as learning from Lectio but substi- tuting Storytelling for that skill. The skald employs a well-known tale to teach others, both by example and by practice of the knowledge sought. The quality of a charac tercreated story is determined by using Communication + Storytelling as the required roll. To accommodate this, a new Speciality of Teaching is available to charac- ters with this Skill, Vitkir and Finnish wind wizards with the Storytelling skill can use it to teach magical Abilities, such as Rune Casting and Rune Binding, using the same rules as Lectio, but substituting Storytelling skill. Speak (Language): There are two lan- guages spoken in Mythic Scandinavia: the Norwegians speak Wester Norse, and the Danish and Swedish speak Easter Norse. Both languages evolved from a common tongue, Old Norse, and a speaker of one lan- guage can be considered to have fluency in the other at half his normal level (rounding fractions up). Finnish and Sami are separate and unrelated languages. Scribe Runes: This Ability is a necessary part of any runic spell-casting, A non-vitki character with this Ability cannot perform feats of magic, but can simply write down sen- tences using the runic script common throughout Mythic Scandinavia. The Vikings had an oral tradition for much of their history, and books are unlikely to be written in runes. Lectio: There are virtually no books writ- ten in Norse runes. However, with the coming of the Church, books written in Latin have made their way to many of the large towns and Cities and it is now possible to study these at sev- eral monasteries around Mythic Scandinavia.Books in Arabic and Greek are also available in the larger cities, having been imported from Byzantium (Miklagard) and the Holy Land. New Abilities Exceptional Talent Shapechanging: All vitki can purchase the Exceptional Talent Shapechange, but they cannot assume any form they wish. Instead, they must be limited to the follow- ing animal shapes: raven, beat, wolf, and horse. While in an animal form the vitki retains his own memories and personality traits, although he does gain an extra Personality Trait of level 3 with the name of the animal form. (Thus, a vitki who has changed to a bear form will have the per sonality trait “Bear” at level 3.) A vitki may not speak in animal form except in the animal's natural tongue. He may not make use of runes, nor may he use non-natural skills (Climbing and Athletics, for exam- ple, are usable but Etiquette and Boating are not). The table in the insert shows the length of time a character may remain in shapechanged form, based on a Stamina + Shapechange roll. Under normal circum- stances a simple die is rolled and the Normal column is used, but under difficult circumstances a stress die is rolled, using the Under Stress column to determine the results. The character may choose to revert back to his human form at any time he wishes prior to the maximum time allowed in the beast form. Characters cannot 9 Shapechange ‘Ouration CHARACTER CREATION Duration The character may not change shape again until the next sunset or sunrise, whichever comes first The character may not change shape until the next scene in the story One hour One day One weekUrtima THULE: MYTHIC SCANDINAVIA change from one animal form to another without first reverting back to their origi- ‘nal human form. Academic Knowledge Norse Law: The Norse system of civil law bears little resemblance to that of the rest of Europe, which follows the Roman system (though Church law applies regularly in Christian Scandinavia). A character with knowledge of Norse law understands such things as the rights of slaves, the payment of ‘weregeld, how much is an appropriate fine, and how toadminister a Thing, Jars are expected to have a knowledge of the law, as are most vitki. Vitki (and other characters with the storyguide’s permission) are allowed to take this Ability without the Virtue Educated. Specialities: weregeld,thralls, contests. (Intelligence) Arcane Knowledges Rune Casting: Every vitki has the ability to divine the future using the runes without cast- ing a spell, but the answers divined are often vague or couched in riddles. The user picks a certain number of runes from a face-down rune set of carved rune stones or chips and lays them out in a specific pattern upon a white cloth laid on the bare earth, and then interprets the mes- sage vouchsafed him from Odin, To successfully read the meaning, the vitki must make a Perception + Rune Casting roll against an ease factor determined by using the examples in the Divination Virtue on ArM4 page 45. A botched roll results in the vitki completely misinterpreting the answer. (Perception) Rune Script: The easiest way to invoke the power of multiple runes is to make a rune script. This involves writing a group of runes onto a piece of bark, a leaf, or similar perish able material, to invoke their power. See “Rune Scripts” on page 81 for more details. (Intelligence) Rune Binding: A way to make semicper- manent magic items using the runes is to cre- ate a rune binding. A rune binding is either a 70 physical object designed to resemble certain runes or a patter carved into an object. See “Rune Bindings” on page 83 for more details. (Intelligence) Casual Knowledge ‘Theology (Norse): The study of the Norse gods and their roles in the lives of men, from legends relating to specific gods, to ritu- als involved in worshipping them, and their particular strengths and weaknesses are cov- cred by this knowledge. There are no written texts on the gods, all knowledge being passed on by word of mouth. Specialities: particular god or goddess. (Intelligence) Wilderness Skill Skiing: The snowy winters of Scandinavia make travel by foot hard. To get around the Norse use skis; a large ski on the right foot, and a smaller ski on the left, used to propel the skier forward, much like an ice skater or skateboarder. Specialties: speed, avoiding hazards, grace. (Dexterity) Forbidden Abilities The following abilities cannot be learned by starting Norse characters. Some can be picked up during a campaign, given favorable circumstances. (Certémen (ArM 55) Enigmatic Wisdom (ArM4 58)Finesse (ArM4 53) Magic Theory (ArM4 58) ( — does not cover rune magic) Penetration (ArM4 53) Parma Magica (ArM4 55) Rare Abilities The following abilities are rare among ‘Norse characters, unless they've spent a great deal of time abroad or in a Church school in one of Scandinavia's growing cities. Artes Liberales (ArM4 57) Chirurgy (ArM¢ 56): Not rare in Mythic Scandinavia, but normally performed by women; men using this Ability may be sub- jected to ridicule by other Northmen Civil and Canon Law (ArM4 57): Rare amongst non-clergy or non-noble characters Medicine (ArM4 58) Philosophiae (ArM4 58) Pick Locks (ArM4 55): Locks are rare in Scandinavia, with many doors secured simply be a drop bar; a new speciality of this skill is the ability to open such bars Theology (ArM¢ 58): Although Christian Scandinavians may possess this skill, it is still rare among the population Changed Virtues Variable Virtues Faerie Blood: The sidhe and goblins described on ArM4 page 39 should be replaced by Ijossalfar and svartalfa. Magic Item: The magic items described on A1M4 page 40 are based on the Hermetic sys- tem; Norse characters can have rune bindings instead. The cost of the binding is given in the insert to the right. Rune bindings for non-vitki characters should be created by the storyguide (keeping the exact level of the particular runes secret) from a description by the player. The ‘minimum cost for this Virtue is 1 point. 1 CHARACTER CREATION +1 General Virtues Alchemy: Alchemy cannot be leamed by Norse characters who have not had contact, whether first or second hand, with the culture of the Arabs, who invented the process. (ArM4 40) Premonitions: To the Norse, one’s fylgja, is responsible for warning against danger. Someone fortunate enough to be in touch with her fylgja knows how to heed its warn- ings. This is the equivalent of the Premonitions Virtue on page 42 of ArM4, manifested differently in the Northlands. There are three ways that a person might receive a warming from her fylgja. The first is that it might appear to her in a dream involving a particular animal indicating that her fylgja is trying to tell her something, Fylgjur might also appear during the day in the form of animals that no one else can see, occasionally in a situ- ation resembling in a symbolic way the danger- ‘ous event. The final way that a fylgja might help its owner with a warning isto get under her feet Magic Item Cost Number of Runes Virtue Points +0 +1 +2 8 Virtue Points zi 0 +1 +2 8 +4 +5 +6 2 6 4 5 Uses per Day 1 2 3 6 2 4 50 Continuous Levels of Power: Every 5 points invested into a rune increases the cost by 1 Virtue point. No bindings purchased through this method may contain level 1 runes. Duration: A character may increase the lifespan of the rune binding (beyond a base of two years) by purchasing extra years at the cost of 1 Virtue point per year.UrtIMA THULE: MYTHIC SCANDINAVIA and trip her up. Should a person stumble for no apparent reason, her fylgia may be trying to tell her something. This last is the only way that a fylgja can affect the physical world. (ArM4 42) +3/+5 General Virtue Troll Blood (formerly Giant Blood): Norse giants are fierce creatures, rarely seen. by men and feared by the gods. It is very unlikely that any human has actually ever bred with one. Trolls, on the other hand, are more common than giants, and having troll blood is a trait of several Norse heroes. Some troll-born characters (known as troll-men) are also known for their strange ‘magical abilities. A companion or magus with Troll Blood also has the +2 Virtue Latent Magic Ability for no cost. The character may choose the nature of his latent power with the approval of the storyguide. All other benefits and penalties remain the same as for Giant Blood. New Cost: +3 (grogs), +4 (companions), +6 (magi) (ArM4 45) +1 Hermetic Virtues Deft Rune (formerly Deft Art): You are particularly skilled at using a particular rune. When using that rune (either singly or in a script or binding) your botch dice are reduced by one (toa minimum of one die) and all penal- ties to your casting rolls are halved. Only vitki characters may have this Virtue. (ArM4 34) Extra Chants (formerly Extra Arts): The wind wizard begins the game with 5 extra points to distribute between his Chants. This Virtue may be taken more than once. (ArM4 34) Fast Caster: You can create a rune script quicker than normal. Rather than using the standard creation times for a rune script, you have a natural flair for quick but accurate runes, and can perform the task in half the ‘normal time, rounding down. When creating single rune, the vitki may add +3 to any fast cast roll. New cost: +2 (ArM4 34) +4 Hermetic Virtues Magical Affinity: Affinity With (specif- ic) Chant: This allows a wind wizard to develop an affinity to one of the four Chants hhe uses to perform magic. The character develops a Talent in the Affinity which begins at level 1 and can be increased with experience points. (ArM4 34) Changed Flaws 1 General Flaw Missing Eye: Along with the penalties described on ArM4 page 47, a Norse char- acter having only one eye, especially a vitki or bersarkr, is likely to be thought of by pagans as being devoutly dedicated to the god Odin, who plucked out his own eye in return for a drink from Mimir’s Well. If the character lost an eye by accident, he will have the reputation “Blessed by Odin” (Pagan Norsemen) 2. If he removed his own eye as a sign of his loyalty to Odin, he will have the reputation “Dedicated to Odin” (Pagan Norsemen) 2, and will be expected to be brave, loyal, and wise at all times. (ArM4 47) 2—2 Hermetic Flaw Short-Lived Runes: Your rune bindings do not last as Long as normal, and function at ‘one magnitude of Iss lower than normal. So, a rune binding with an Iss 20 rune in it lasts for only the duration of a normal Iss 15-level rune, one season rather than one year. New Virtues and Flows +2 Virtue Hamfarir: Hamfarir literally means “shape-faring,” or “going abroad in the shape of another.” All seithkonur, and a few others, have the ability to borrow their fylgja’s body and travel around in it. Possession of this Virtue grants the character an Exceptional Talent, Hamfarir, a a score of 1, which can be increased in the usual way. The process of transferring the mind into the fylgja requires an Intelligence + Hamfarir roll of 9+. If this roll is successful, the sei- thkona’s body lapses into a trance, while her mind wanders in fylgja form. In this shape she is immaterial and invisible, and can move at incredible speeds, managing up to a day's travel in a single hour (as a guide she can move nine times faster than the animal type of her fylgja). However, if she wishes to be able to see anything of the physical world, she must travel at a more moderate pace. While in this form her presence can be felt by those Magic Sensitivity, and she can only be seen by those succeeding at Second Sight rolls. Intéllego Mentem magic can also reveal her presence, while other Mentem magics can affect het as they would any other spirits. While in this spiritual state, the sei- thkona can spy upon the physical world, able to hear and see everything that goes on. ‘While in the form of her fylgja, the seithkona has no difficulty understanding speech in lan- ‘guages she herself understands. She can also 3B borrow the fylgja’s spirit ability to understand any spoken language, but the level of fluency achieved is the equivalent of a Speak Languages Knowledge of level 3. She cannot read writing in this form except in languages in which she is already literate, as fylgja do not themselves understand writing. A sei- thkona in the shape of a fylgja cannot affect the material world in any way, nor can she be affected by the physical world. ‘A seithkona in fylgja form can attempt to enter the dreams of a sleeping person. This requires a Int + Hamfarir roll, resisted by the Stamina +3 of her target. If the seithkona successfully enters another’s dreams, she can give that person a vivid dream in which an animal speaks to him in her voice, a dream he will remember when he wakes. The hamfaring seithkona can remain out of her body @ number of hours equal to her Hamfarir score. If unable to return in this time, hr body starts to lose fatigue levels at the rate of one every 20 minutes. Should she fall unconscious in this way, she immediately loses control of the fylgja and returns to her body, but loses a point of Stamina permanently. In. this situation, her fylgja remains wherever she left it; if itis trapped and she cannot free it, then she loses the ability to use both her ‘Hamfaric and Premonitions until itis freed. Runic Affinity: You have a special affin- ity with one specific rune and gain a new Talent: (Specific Rune) Affinity. All rolls involving that rune are made with a bonus equal to your score in the Affinity. The Affinity skill begins at level 1. This Virtue may be taken more than once for different runes. Only vitki characters may choose this Virtue. +3 Virtues Audio Eidetic Memory: Similar to Visual Eidetic Memory (ArM4 45), you have an excellent memory for words and noises and can memorize thousands of lines of prose. When trying to recall a general conversation or other noise, the character gains a +3 CHARACTER CREATIONUuTima THULE: MYTHIC SCANDINAVIA bonus. More exact details can be remembered on a similar roll but with a +6 bonus. Exceptional Talent: Shapechanging: The ability to change from human form into that of another creature. Gives the character the Shapechange talent at level 1. Only vitki and characters with the Latent Magic Virtue (Sample Magical Qharacter) Characteristics: Int +2, Per 0, Pre +1, Com +1, Str 0, Sta 1, Dex +1, Qik 0 Age: 26 Size: 0 Confidence: 2 Virtues and Flaws: Patron (Jarl Togsvig) +3, Raven of Odin +3, Temporal Influence +2, Deft Rune (Bjarkan) +1, Higher Purpose (prove that Odin is more powerful than the Christian god) +1, Dark Secret (has slept with lords eldest daughter) -1, Expenses (being blackmailed) -1, Low Self- Esteem —1, Tormenting Master 1, Curse of Venus -2, Plagued by Angel —4 Personality Traits: Charming +2, Thougheful +1, Persuasive +2 Weapon/Attack Init Atk Df Dam Fat Braviing (Fist) a} ssigeD deer hoeedh ed 2 Soak: +2 Fatigue levels: OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Unconscious Body levels: OK, 0, 1, ~3, -5, Incapacitated Abilities: Area Lore 2, Charm 2, Etiquette 3, Folk Ken 2, Guile 1, Intrigue 1, Legend Lore 3, Norse Law 2, Rune Binding 2, Rune Casting 4, Rune Script 2, Scribe Latin 2, Seribe Runes 3, Speak Western Norse 5, Theology (Norse) 1 Magical Arts: Bjarkan 6, Is 3, Tyr 4, Ur 3, Jera 2, Mathe 2, Yngvi 1 Equipment: Fur cloak, bag of rune stones, sharp knife Encumbrance: -0.5, Hogni serves Jarl Togsvig as his advisor and have done so for sever- al years. Hogni’s magical talents rest with aiding the jal’ warriors, both with healing and with increasing their combat prowess. When not working for the jarl, he aids the villagers. After the last Yule feast, he spent the night with Jarl Togsve's eldest daughter. Although he thought he wasn't seen, he is being blackmailed by an unknown person. Since a priest of the Hlitachrist moved into the neighboring village, Hogmi has found himself tormented by one of his bound spir- its, Friendly to most, Hogni has a distrust of the Finn who aids his lord on occasion. “4 may take this Virtue. The exact description of this skill is detailed above, at page 69. Raven of Odin (Hrafn Odin): You have made a name for yourself for your wisdom, advice, and sense of justice, and have been chosen as a Raven of Odin. Like the quaesi- tor in the Order of Hermes, you are awarded special privileges, such as free board at the homes of noblemen, the right to question a nobleman’s decisions, and protection from the law for minor infractions, but you're expected to be able to deal with legal matters and give advice when called upon. With the coming of the Catholic Church, Christian priests are beginning to fill the roles traditionally held by viekir and there are fewer hrafns than in centuries past. The privileges of hrafns have also been degraded. Most who take this position add the suffix “the Raven” (Hrafn) to their first names, denoting their status to others. Ravens whose given first name is Hrafn generally avoid using the suffix. This Virtue is only open to vitkie Variable Flaw Blood Feud: Your family is involved ina blood feud. The opposing family or families are roughly equal in strength to your family and its allies. The cost of this Flaw depends on the nature of the feud: =1 Blood has not yet been spilled -2 A few deaths have occurred 3 The feud is a full-fledged bloodbath =1. (additional) The feud is fuelled by supernatural powers‘You are likely to be attacked or ambushed by opposing clansmen, and your family ‘expects you to join raids against its enemies. —1 Flaw Forbidden Rune: Through some quitk of fate, you are absolutely unable to learn one specific rune. This Flaw can be taken more than once, and is only open to vitki. Jarl Togsvig’s Lands The lands of Jarl Togsvig and the sample characters in this section can be used as the basis for a saga, or merely as somewhere a troupe can visit on their travels Jarl Togsvig's lands consist of his personal stead and three fishing villages nestled on the sides of a fjord. A total of just over 1,000 peo ple swear allegiance to Togsvig, paying taxes and supplying men for the army as required. The Jarl’s Family Jarl Togsvig's family has ruled the lands around his home fjord for many generations and he is proud to say that his great-great- sgreat-grandfather fought at the Battle of Stamford Bridge, the last great Viking raid into Europe (albeit one in which the Vikings were defeated). Togsvig is still active, although he is now in his 50th year. Once a good warrior, he contents himself with run- Ys: 5 CHARACTER CREATION ning his demesne, hunting, and teaching his sons the arts of war and polities Togsvig is married to Ragnhild, the daughter of a local hersar and now Togsvie's vassal. Ragnhild is considerably younger than her husband, having just reached her late- 30s. The couple have been married for 20 Mika Inakinnen, Finnish ind (izard (Sample Magical Qharacter) Characteristics: Int +2, Per +1, Pre 1, Com 0, Str , Sta +1, Dex +1, Qik +2 Age: 23 es Confidence: 3 ‘Virtues and Flaws: Ways of the Mountains +4, Faerie Friend (ait spirit) +2, Secret Hiding Place +1, Special Circumstance (whistling) +1, Susceptibility to Divine ~4, Common Fear (buildings) -2, Sheltered Upbringing -2, Outsider 2 Personality Traits: Distant +1, Flighty +2 WeaponfAttack Init. «Atk» = Din. Dam Fat Brawling (fist) Pied Ag 0 Soak: +3 Fatigue levels: OK, 0, 1, -3, 5, Unconscious Body levels: OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Incapacitated Abilities: Athletics 1, Awareness 1, Climb 2, Craft (Knot Tying) 5, Faerie Lore 1, Hunt 1, Jotunheim Mountain Lore 2, Legend Lore 2, Play Flute 2, Speak Finnish 5, Speak Western Norse 3, Survival 1, Swim 1, Weather Sense 3 Chants: Summon 3, Insight 3, Control 7, Remove 4 Equipment: Flute, warm robe, six knotted ropes (three with 6 nots, one with 5 knots, one with 3 knots, and one with 2 knots) Encumbrance: 0 ‘Bor in Finland, Mika traveled through Scandinavia wntil hereached the Jotunheim Mountains. The mountains are some of the wildest terrain he’s ever encountered and he feels at home camped under the stars. The local lord, Jarl Togsvig, has asked for his aid on several ‘occasions and he maintains good relations with the jarl and his peo- ple. Because of his dislike of buildings and his upbringing, he has located a cave high in the mountains that he calls home. he is very ‘much the outsider, and is likely to remain that way in the close-knit Nordic community, although Eindrdi the skald has made attempts to get to know him.ULTIMA THULE: MYTHIC SCANDINAVIA Wandrard the Cnruly, Bersarkr (Sample Companion) Characteristics: Int 0, Per +1, Pre +1, Com 0, Str +2, Sta +1, Dex +1, Qik 0 Age: 22 Size: 0 Confidence: 3 Virtues and Flaws: Faerie Friend +2, Reserves of Strength +2, Berserk +1, Large +1, Tough +1, Weakness (alcohol) -1, Social Handicap -1, Fury (insults to your lord) -3, Sense of Doom (die fighting a giant) ~3 Personality Traits: Angry +2, Brave +3, Loyal +3, Anti-Social +2 Weapon/Attack Init Atk Din Dam Fat Weapon/Attack Init. Atk Dfn Dam Fat AveRoundShied +5 +6 #7 +8 +5 ThrowingAxe +3 43 #2 47 43 Axe 43044 43-48 44 Brawling(fiss) «= «4343 #14344 Soak: +8 Fatigue levels: OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Unconscious Body levels: OK, 0, -1, -3, -5, Incapacitated Abilities: Athletics 2, Awareness 1, Brawl 3, Carouse 2, Jarl Togsvie’s Court Lore 1, Faerie Lore 1, Leadership 1, Shield & Weapon 4, Single Weapon 3, Skiing 2, Speak Western Norse 5, Survival 2, Swim I, Thrown Weapon 3 Equipment: Full fur armor, one-handed axe, throwing axe, round shield Encumbrance: -0.5, ‘Vandrard’s erpose in life i to die in battle. He has dedicated himself to Odin and Jarl Togsvig and is determined to serve both foichfully and withoue question. His unruly nature and foul socal habits mean he does not have many friends, but he is happy drinking and preparing his weapons forthe next fight. He has a litle respect for Bodvar, but he is only half the man Vandrard is. Since Hogni prophesied your death atthe hands ofa giant he has listened more intently to Eindrid's stores Gindridi Oddsson, Skald (Sample Companion) Characteristics: Int +2, Per 0, Pre +1, Com +2, Str 0, Sta +1, Dex 0, Qik -1 ‘Age: 25 Size: -1 Confidence: 3 Virtues and Flaws: Skald +2, Famous +2, Cautious with Storytelling +1, Free Expression +1, Troupe Upbringing +1, ‘Mimicry +1, Small-Frame -2, Noncombatant -3, Arthritis —3 Reputation: Excellent Storyteller 4 (Jarl Togsvig’s lands) Personality Traits: Inventive #2, Brave—1, Dependable +1, Smooth Talker +1 Weapon/Attack Init. «Atk = Din. Dam Fat Bravling (fist) iia re ener Soak: +1 Fatigue levels: OK, ~1, ~3, -5, Unconscious Body levels: OK, -1, -3,-5, Incapacitated Abilities: Awareness 1, Carouse 2, Charm 2, Etiquette 2, Faerie Lore 2, Folk Ken 3, Guile 2, Legend Lore 2, Mimicry 3, Scribe Runes 3, Sing 2, Speak Western Norse 5, Storytelling 4 ‘Equipment: Half fur armor Encumbrance: 0 indi hasbeen rane in the wey ofthe kad by his ater, clo a sald and has spent many yeas memorizing poems and sures. Hl tals lays arrac good auence ard only last ear Jarl Tosi apoined ind this hal. Since then he’s ad the as protection and has been rewarded well for his tales. He hasbeen ying o get lose to Mia the Fw to leam the sores of hs pele, but has hil sucess. 76years and have four children: sons Thorbjorn (19) and Rolf (14), and daughters Astrid (16) and Ingrid (11). Thorbjom is the designated heir, and has spent the last three years at school in Trondheim, learning how to read and write, as well as other subjects. Astrid, who has reached the age of consent, has yet to marry and this is causing her father some heartache. Unbeknownst to Togsvig, Astrid has been cavorting with his vitki, Hogni. Were this to become common knowledge, one of ‘vo outcomes is likely. The jarl could demand Hogni marry her, but as Astrid would be of more use married to some nobleman to forge an alliance this is unlikely. A more likely out- come is that Hogni will be punished, possibly by branding, and Astrid sent to a monastery. One member of the hird has discovered the affair, and has decided to make a little extra money by blackmailing Hogni. The Jarl’s Stead The jarl's longhouse is similar in design to the smaller houses of carls, but on a larger scale. Much of the area is given over to a feasting hall, where the jarl, his family, and the dreng eat their meals. As is common in Scandinavia, his tinglith, his advisors, and his skald also make the common area their bed- room, having sleeping spaces along the walls with storage space underneath. Personal space is a rare commodity in such tight-knit ‘communities, and this keeps them close to their lord in case of trouble or if he should wish to speak to them. ‘At the back of the hall are the rooms of ‘Togsvig and Ragnhild, and his three children (Thorbjorn being in far-off Trondheim). In most carls! houses, everyone sleeps in one area divided only by blankets or drapes, but ‘Togsvig is wealthy enough to have a litle pri- vacy. Other rooms include the treasury, a storeroom, and the rooms of the jarl’s most trusted bodyguards. Outside the main hall are several other buildings, notably the storage hut, the food store, the animal house, several workshops, the vitki's house, and the 7 thralls' hut. Although Togsvig pays lip-sei vice to the Hvitachrist, he still believes in the power of the old gods and maintains a number of non-Christian thralls. He maintains a boat house on the fjord hous- ing a snekke and a knarr. Fields, main- tained by the slaves, contain barley, flax, wheat, rye, and vegetables. Other neces- sary foodstuffs (especially fish) are gath- ered from the local villages, although fresh meat comes from hunting or from the jarl's stocks of cows. ‘Among the craftsmen who live at the stead are a carpenter, a blacksmith, and a pot- tet. There is also a longhouse for the 70 mem- bers of the jarl’s dreng, who eat in the main hall, but have their own quarters for sleeping, to differentiate them from the tinglith. Adventures on Jarl Togsvig’s Lands A Quiet Affair: Hogni, the vitki, has finally had enough of being blackmailed for his “little mistake” and hires the troupe to subtly uncover the blackmailer and persuade him to keep quiet for free. Hogni has little ‘material wealth, but can offer rune magic as payment. The blackmailer, a member of the hird, can be someone as lowly as a minor advisor o soldier, or as powerful as the jarl’s senior tinglith. CHARACTER CREATIONUrTIMA THULE: MYTHIC SCANDINAVIA Bodvar Alkisson, Inuscarl (Sample Grog) ‘Characteristics: Int 0, Per +1, Pre +1, Com 0, Str +2, Sta +1, Dex +1, Qik 0 Age: 19 Size Confidence: 3 ‘Virtues and Flaws: Tasted Dreng-+1, Temporal Influence +2, Dependent (joung caught) -1, Hated (wie ler) “1, Los Love (wi) -1 Personality Traits: Brave +2, Loyal +3, Cruel +1, Protective +1 Weapon/Attack Init. Atk Dfn Dam Fat Weapon/Attack Init Atk Dfn Dam Fat Longsword /RoundShield +4 +6 +8 46 +3. Brawling(fist) +1 +1 40 420 41 Throwing axe AL 42 4046 HL Soak: +7 Fatigue levels: OK, 0, -1, ~3, -5, Unconscious Body levels: OK, 0, 5, Incapacitated Abilities: (Area) Lore 2, Athletics 1, Awareness 2, Brawl 2, Carouse 2, Jar! Togsvig’s Dreng Lore 2, Folk Ken 1, Hunt 1, Intrigue 1, Ride 1, Shield & Weapon 4, Skiing 1, Speak Western Norse 4, Swim 1, Thrown Weapons 2 Equipment: Half leather scale, longsword, throwing axe, round shield Encumbrance: ~2 Bodvar's father was a member of Jarl Togsuie’s hird and he knew that he too would take his place beside his jar as a warrior. When he was 16 he maried a local girl but she was killed during a raid by a vival hersar. Bodvar has spent the last three ears planning the hersr’s death in his mind. Bodvar is rusted by Jar! Togsvig and can speak his mind freely to him. Wary of upset- ting Vandrard, he rarely speaks to him. Bodvar has been consulting with Hogni about the guilt he fels over his wife's death Fridgeit Finnbogisson, Farmer (Sample Grog) Characteristics: Int +1, Per +1, Pre +1, Com 0, Str +1, Sta +2, Dex 0, Qik 0 Age: 20 Size: 0 Confidence: 3 Virtues and Flaws: Standard Dreng 0, Animal Companion (dog) +1, Close Family Ties +1, Weather Sense +1, Poor Hearing -1, Poor -2 Personality Traits: Brave +1, Proud +1, Pragmatic +2 Weapon/Attack Init. «Atk =Dfn. Dam ~— Fat Short Spear +743 4444 Brawling (fist) +1) Heed ee 3) Soak: +5 Fatigue levels: OK, 0, -5, Unconscious Body levels: OK, 0, -1, ~3, -5, Incapacitated Abilities: Animal Handling 3, (Area) Lore 2, Athletics 1, Awareness 1, Bargain 2, Brawl 1, Carouse 1, Charm 1, Craft Woodworking 3, Hunt 2, Single Weapon 3, Skiing 2, Speak Western Norse 4, Wagoneering 1 Equipment: Half heavy leather, short spear, dog Encumbrance: -1 Fridgeir ouns a small frm on Jarl Togsva's lands which barely keeps him and his family alive. He spends more time with his dog than he does his wafe, although he loves her dearly, and this isthe source of gossip. Once or twice he's been called upto fght when his lands were raided, an he keeps his eusty spear handy. Nota erue wrvor, he has few dealings with the members ofthe jar’ hird. 78iter | L > Norse Magic Kunic Mogic ‘There are three basic ways that Norse vitki use runic magic: single runes, rune scripts, and rune bindings. Although casting a single rune is relatively simple, its power has great limitations, especially in duration. Rune scripts and rune bind- ings are where the real strength of the vitkir lies, as they can be extremely complex and powerful To form and activate a rune che vitki needs something upon which to carve or scribe the rune, and knowledge of what it will do when activated. ae Single runes can be created on almost any surface (even scratched into shifting sand), but rune scripts and bindings require materials with some permanence. A script can be drawn on something asimpermanent as leaves or bark because its magic is limited in duration; yet a binding can last for ‘many years ifthe material is enduring Each vitki will have his own style of carv- ing and his own ritual incantations to make the rune power manifest itself. Many of these styles are passed from master to apprentice in a line dating back to the beginning of the Viking Age. Stil, all users of a particular rune for a particue Jar purpose will follow similar patterns.Unrima THULE: MYTHIC SCANDINAVIA Single Runes Most single runes cannot be used to phe- nomenal effect on their own, inevitably needing the Dagr (growth), Nauthr (delay) or Iss (preservation) runes to give them more power. For instance, without Iss a hailstorm summoned with the Hagall rune would last but a single round, assuming there was already suitable cloud cover in place. If Nauthr was used in conjunction with Hagall then the hail would be “encouraged” to fall for a longer time, running a more natural course. Carving a single rune takes one round and it takes effect during the Magic phase of combat. A rune’s effects last for either one round (normally the round following for Attribute modifiers or protection) or for an instant (for damage-causing effects). The time between casting and using can be altered slightly, as shown on the insert below. The delay does not increase the duration of the effect, only the time before the power is actu ally activated. This is useful for carving runes for the use of other people who need them in the near future, such as a carl asking for help increasing his Etiquette when he presents Carving Single Runes ‘Time Delay Increase in Level Tround 42 2 rounds +5 3 rounds +7 4 rounds: +10 5 rounds +15 Range Increase to Ease Factor Personal. no increase Touch 42 Reach. +5 Near +10 Far +15 himself before the local jarl in a few minutes’ time. Five rounds is the longest a single rune’s power can be held before it dissipates, released or not, and once the rune has been scribed with a specific time delay in place, that delay cannot be altered. The default range ofa single rune’s power is Personal, and increases to range also increase the complexity of casting the rune, as shown in the insert below. Runic effects that are centered on an individual, but which affect others around him (for example, improving a speaker's Oration), have an area of effect of 5 paces. To craft a single rune a vitki rolls a stress die + Intelligence + Scribe Runes + (Specific) Rune Lore + aura. The ease fac- tor is equal to the level of effect required plus modifiers for increased range or delayed activation, or others the storyguide may specify Boosting Runes In order to break down an opponent's magic resistance, a vitki may try to boost his runic effect, hoping to overload the defend- ing magic. When using a single rune the vitki may increase the ease factor by as much as he wishes. Ifthe vitki fails to carve the rune suc- cessfully, he automatically takes non- Soakable damage equal to the difference being the attempted pease factor and the power level of the intended effect (with 25 being the maximum effect level). Ifthe roll is successful, the rune’s increased power level is used to defeat the opponent's magic resis- tance score, If the runic effect manages to break through an opponent's defenses, the damage done, penalty caused, or other effect occurs at the intended casting level, not at the boosted level. The levels of rune scripts and rune bind- ings can be boosted in the same way, with the reminder that the levels have to be boosted when the script or binding is created, not when it’s used.Rane Scripts ‘A rune script is the combination of two or more runes in a semi-permanent form, ded- icated to a single specific purpose and event. The more specific the defined purpose of the script, the better the chance of it working, Uses such as “To protect me from harm in my next fight” are too vague, whereas “To protect me from harm in the battle against Jarl Togsvig near Oslo on Thursday” would work. ‘As a general guideline, the definition of the script should include proper nouns in place of pronouns, should be of a form that a stranger could fully understand the particulars of the phrase, and should have direct links to the rune being used (that is, a script containing the Reith rune should contain the word “journey” or “trip” somewhere in its defining phrase if used for that purpose). In addition, most vitki are careful when creating rune scripts for others to ensure that the other party will not abuse or misdirect the power. A warrior making a dubious request for bonuses to his strength, fitness, and abili- ty to absorb damage because he is looking for a friend lost in the woods would probably be refused, whereas one wanting improved eye- sight and the ability to withstand the cold might receive aid from a vitki Even with effective wording, rune scripts last until either a single task is completed (a battle, a journey, a drinking contest) or a week has passed (For long journeys or sieges), whichever is sooner. Adding the Yr rune to the seript can extend its duration by one day per point of the Yr rune modifier. The Iss and Nauthr runes cannot be used to extend the life of rune scripts (but see “Rune Bindings” below). Unless otherwise stated, the power of. a script is constantly in effect. ‘Asa gift from Odin, once the magic of a script has worked, the material the script was written on must be destroyed and Odin thanked for his help. Any vitki who fails to thank Odin receives a-1 penalty, cumula- tive, on all future rune magic attempts until he thanks Odin in an appropriate manner. Non-vitki who use a script written by some- 81 one else and neglect to thank Odin afterward suffer a -I to all rolls for the following three hours, and the vitki suffers his normal -1 penalty unless he then retrieves and destroys the script properly. For this reason, vitkir are careful in choosing those for whom they craft rune scripts, and will even risk the anger of their patron jarl or konung to refuse a request for a script if it is likely the enchantment will not be properly disposed of, The magic in a lost or stolen script begins to fade immediately after it leaves the control of its creator or intended user, and disappears completely within an hour. Still, many users of rune scripts insist that their name be included in the enchantment to ensure that it can’t be used by another, even fora short peri- cod, Ifa rune script is destroyed before its magic. is activated, the energy dissipates harmlessly. In theory, scripts can contain any number of runes, but common practice is to use an odd number greater than one. In game terms, the most runes a vitki can use in a script is double his Rune Script score. Creating a rune script is not as simple as crafting a single rune, and it takes time equal to the total level of the script in minutes. The range of a script’s power is severely limited, either to the person carrying the script, of to a well-defined area of limited size (a few hun- dred square leagues at the very most). Runic effects that affect other people through the user have a range of 5 paces from the carrier, as with single runes. Scripts designed to affect persons, build- ings, or constructs can either be placed on Norse MAGIC Rune Script Range Modifiers Range Increase to Ease Factor 5 paces or less no modifier Tens of paces +2 Hundreds of paces +5 5 or less miles +10 Tens of miles +15 Hundreds of miles +20UrTIMA THULE: MYTHIC SCANDINAVIA he army of Jarl Togsvig is on the march, descending on the lands where a vith lives. The vithd roughly knows the row they wil take through the mountains and decides to delay them with a storm tuntl his own lord's army is ready to fight. Script Purpose: “To delay the army of Jarl Togsvig by storms in the Jotunheim Mountains until Freyrsday.” Rune Script: Hagall 10 (hail) + Dagr 10 (growth) + Nauthr 5 (delay) = 25 ‘With Hagall, the vitki wants to cause a storm that is too dangerous to travel through — he is not particularly interested in harming the jarl as he isnot a violent man. Dagr gives him a fast, but not supematurally fast, forming storm intended to look like a natural weather occurrence. Nauthr is needed to keep the storm from fading like a natural storm. Although the vitki could hhave used Iss to make the storm last a week, most vitki would consider such an act almost blasphe- ‘mous. This rune script should be created and hid- den in the area the storm will cover. alfdan Troll-Fearer has to vist a friend near Stavanger, but does not relish traveling through trollinfested country. He wants a vitki to ive him protection for his journey. Script Purpose: “To aid Halfdan Troll-Fearer on his journey to his friend’s house in Stavanger, and protect him from trolls along his route.” Seript: lor 10 (horse) + Ur 10 (auroch) + Thurs 10 (thorn bush) = 30 lor gives a moderate increase in movement allowance to reduce Halfdan’s time in troll coun try. Ur gives him a little more bravery for his journey, and Thurs grants him a Soak bonus of 10. Note that the wording of this script’s purpose means that these bonuses will not apply against any other threats Halfdan might face on the trip, but a more vague wording might not have worked at all This script would be carried in a secure place or worn in a secure manner by Halfdan through- out his journey. Gyamples of Rune Scripts coung Leif Broken-Nose has been invited to a feast at his lrd’s court and he knows chat there will be many wnatiached women present. Being sin- gle, he asks a vitki to help him find a suitable wife. Script Purpose: “So that Leif Broken-Nose may attract the eye of a suitable girl at Jarl Eirik’s feast this coming Wodensday.” Seript: Gipt 10 (gift) + Kaun 5 (sight) + Mather 10 (mankind) = 25 Giipt gives a bonus to forming a relationship and ensures that Leif has a chance of making a permanent bond with a woman — it would be cused if Leif tries to arrange to meet the woman on another occasion, making her more inclined to accept by adding to Leif’s Charm score. Kaun gives him a better chance to see beyond the ‘woman's beauty and note her true self by granti- ng a small bonus to his Perception skill. Matht gives a bonus to his communication rolls to help hhim say the right thing and avoid embarrass- ‘ment. Leif would carry this script on him at the feast but had best keep it out of sight, lest the ‘woman suspect trickery. hile traveling to couat, the vitki Thorbjom hears rumors that the area where he lives is being attacked by trolls. He decides to use a rune script to protect his home from damage Script Purpose: “To protect the home of Thotbjor the vitki, which lies on the edge of Oslofjord, from physical harm while he is away at court.” Script: Thurs 10 (thorn) + Othal 10 (property) + range modifier of +15 = 35 Thurs gives the house additional armor to withstand the attacks of the trolls. The house is only worth a few dozen pennies, so the Othal rune is not very high. The range modifier is +15 because Thorbjom’s house is some 20 miles from his current location. Because it is ranged, Thorbjorn need only carry this rune script him- self, or even bury it is a safe place, rather than placing it in his home. 82them or within a few paces. However, if the script is designed to affect a remote target, the Mathr (mankind) rune must be added for humans, the Othal (property) rune for inani- mate objects (including land), the Fe (fertili- ty) rune for tame or domesticated animals, and the Ur (auroch) rune if the target is a wild animal ‘The ease factor when creating a rune script is increased by an amount dependent on. the range of the target at the time of casting (see the insert on page 81). ‘Whereas Hermetic magi require arcane connections to remotely target spells, vitkir need only know the exact name ot location of the target, or an extremely accurate descrip- tion, for their spells to work. To craft a rune script, thevitki rolls a stress die + Intelligence + Scribe Runes + total of (Specific) Rune Lores involved + Rune Script + aura. The ease factor of the roll is equal to the sum of the difficulties of the runic effects plus any modifiers, such. as for range. ‘Should a botch occur, the vitki must roll botch dice equal to the number of runes in the script, plus any additional dice for auras. Rame Bindings Rune bindings are the most powerful of runic enchantments. They are basically rune scripts that need no specific operating condi- tions when created, and that can last for many years if created well. The maximum number of runes that may be bound into a rune binding is equal to one more than the caster’s Rune Binding The Iss level of a binding determines its creation time and initial duration. Adding a nYrrune to a binding extends the duration by fan amount dependent on the Yr level. A binding without the Iss rune lasts for only a day and its duration cannot be extended by the addition of the Yr rune. Spending more time creating a rune binding than the minimum requirement con. 83 fers a bonus to the casting roll: for every time interval above the required creation time a bonus of +3 to the casting roll is gained. Thus if a vitki created a binding with Iss 10 (mini- mum creation time one week), but spent a season crafting it, it would still only last one month but he would receive a +6 bonus to the casting roll. Better-made enchantments generally last longer as well. For every 5 whole points the casting roll is over the ease factor of the bind- ing, the binding lasts for an additional period of time equal to the creation time or the dura- tion dictated by the Iss level, whichever is lower. ‘After a binding’s duration ends the mate- rial on which itis written crumbles to dust (if the binding occupies only a small part of a large surface, only the area immediately under the runes is destroyed — merely enough to completely efface the runes from the surface). Most rune bindings can be used a limit- ed number of times per day, and the higher Norse MAGIC “TON 4 yy 1B e ‘Rune Binding ‘Duration Table Iss/¥r Level Creation Time Duration 0 hour I day 5 I day 1 week, 10 L week 1 month 15 Imonth 1 season 20 1 season 1 year 5 1 year 10 years Extension 1 hour I day 1 week 1 month 1 seasonUrtiMa THULE: MYTHIC SCANDINAVIA the number of uses the higher the ease factor when casting, as shown on the Frequency of Use Table below. For effects that produce bonuses or penalties to Attributes or Abilities the power lasts for 10 minutes each time it is activated. Certain uses (such as aiding pregnancy and childbirth) must be used throughout an extended period, and thus they require continuous use. Other effects created by a rune binding (such as a large fire, a storm, or even a disease) last until they naturally fade, and require only a single activation, ‘A rune binding is an extremely personal item and can only be used by the person or object for whom it was made, unless the vitki who manufactured it left those details delib- erately vague. Likewise, the binding only works when worn, carried, or placed inside by the intended target — rune bindings cannot be remotely targeted. To create a rune binding roll a stress die + Intelligence + Scribe Runes + total of (spe- cific) Rune Lores involved + Rune Binding + aura. The ease factor is the sum of the diffi culties of al of the runic effects plus modifiers such as those for frequency of use. A caster who fails a binding roll may try ‘again to create the same binding immediately thereafter with a non-cumulative +3 bonus. On a botch, the vitki rolls a number of botch dice equal to the number of runes bound. Frequency of se Table ‘Uses per Day Ease Factor Modifier 1 0 2 +1 3 +2 6 3 12 +4 24 +5 50 +6 Unlimited +10 Continuous 415 84 Learning & Teaching Kunes Know how to cut them Know how to read them Know how to stain them Know how to prove them Know how to evoke them Know how to sacrifice them Know how to send them Know how to slay them, — From the Havamal The runes are items of power and their knowledge cannot be gained from reading musty tomes, There are only three known methods of increasing knowledge of the The first is use; a vitki who success- fully uses the runes during the course of a story may spend experience points to increase his knowledge of them. Only one experience point may be spent on a given rune per story. Vitkir cannot practice with runes in order to increase their rune levels. Secondly, knowledge of the runes can be increased through private study with another vitki, who has reached at least level 5 in the appropriate Rune Lore and has a rating high- et than the student. Most vitkir will only teach another vitki their runes in return for similar knowledge. To lear from a teacher takes one season, regardless of the experience or quality of the teacher. Unlike learning Hermetic Arts through Disputatio, the lessons are based on knowledge and not a question-and-answer arrangement. The student must still generate a Study Total equal to the tutors Communication + Storytelling + the stu- dent's Intelligence + 6. The experience gained equals the Study Total. The maximum gain in one season is three full levels. The increase may not bring the student's score to a higher value than that of the tutor, and onlycone pupil per season can be instructed by that tutor. The third, and final, method is to use the substance known to Hermetic magi as vis and to vitkir as makt (see page 114). Although vitkir have few other uses for vis, they know that it contains power that can enable them to achieve knowledge of the Vitkir gather vis from faerie sites or from the corpses of supernatural creatures. Viekir cannot detect vis through magic, nor do they harvest it as Hermetic magi do. However, unlike Cunning Folk, the vitkit can use raw vis, a point that may bring them into conflict with Hermetic magi who hear of this practice. In order to locate vis, the vitki must rolla a quality die + Perception + Legend Lore + Magic Might (of the crea: ture) if the vis comes from a creature, or + Perception + Faerie Lore + magical/faerie aura if the area is a faerie haunt. The ease factor of either roll is 24+. The number of pawns gathered is based ona roll of (Perception + Faerie Lore + faerie aura)/5 pawns per season for searching a faerie area, and as many pawns as the corpse contains if it comes from a creature. Vis from faerie sites is inevitably in the form of herbs, while vis from creatures may involve any part of the carcass, Once the vitki has enough vis at hand, he brews it into a potion that also includes ‘mead and some of the vitki’s own blood. ‘Any type of vis can be used for this purpose, as vitkir do not differentiate between the various forms, and a maximum of five pawns can be used. During the brewing phase, which takes one week and requires the vitki to be continually present, the essence from the vis seeps into the liquid, imbuing it with power. The potion is then drunk in seclusion and the imbiber falls into a trance-like state, during which he is aware of his surroundings but may take no actions without ruining the potion’s effects. The effects last for one week, and while in this state the vitki witnesses visions of the rune and its many uses. Once awakened, the vitki spends the rest of the season con- Norsz MAGIC templating these revelations to increase his knowledge, ‘The amount of experience a vitki learns from this process is the total of a stress die + the number of pawns in the potion + the aura bonus of the area in which the potion was brewed. That experience is then applied as experience to the appropriate Rune Lore; a maximum of three whole levels can be gained by this method, so any excess points are lost. Learning Through Sacrifice A special situation arises when a vitki has learned all the runes of a particular aett to level 2 or greater. There exists an option- al dedication ritual that can boost the power of such a vitki, but the ritual has its risks. If successful, the vitki gains a deeper under standing of the runes within that aett and their interrelationship, giving him a bonus on rune castings containing only runes from that actt ‘The vitki must reenact the ritual sac- tifice of Odin by being hanged from an ash tree by his neck and stabbed in the side Witki’s Summary of Formulae Casting single rune Intelligence + Scribe Runes + (specific) Rune Lore + Aura + any modifiers + stress die (ease factor: level of effect required + modifiers) Casting rune script Intelligence + Scribe Runes + total of (specific) Rune Lores involved + Rune Script + Aura + any modifiers + stress die (case factor: sum of difficulty ofall runic effects + modifiers) Casting rune binding Intelligence + Scribe Runes + total of (specific) Rune Lores involved + Rune Binding + Aura + any modifiers + stress die (ease factor: sum of difficulty ofall runic effects + mod- ifiers)UrTIMA THULE: MYTHIC SCANDINAVIA with a spear (automatically placing him at Light Wounds). Because the ritual isn’t supposed to kill the vitki, he first imbibes a potion (the preparation of which is a quest in itself) which places him into a coma. During the nine-day ritual the vitki then needs little air, water, and food, but his wound will not heal at all during this time. ‘As he is defenseless, loyal guards are normally placed around the sacrificial ‘Vis Potion In recent times young vitkir, eager for power, have cre- ated a potion to boost the chances in learning the sacred ‘magic. The potion includes makt (vis) and a liberal sprin- Kling of other materials including human blood (a small quantity), mead, and a variety of plants and herbs. Properly brewing the potion requires a roll of Intelligence + Alchemy + faerie aura of 9+. The brewing process takes ‘one complete season, during which the procedure must be supervised by the vitki, ‘When drunk, the potion gives a bonus to the sacrifice roll of +1 for every five whole levels of the brewing roll. ‘One pawn of raw vis will be consumed for every five levels of the potion, requiring the vitki to guess the strength of his brew before the roll is made, and include what he thinks is a sufficient amount of vis. If there is insufficient vis for the potion’s level, the strength of the potion drops to a level appropriate to the amount of vis expended; if there is too much vis, the excess is lost. For example, ifa vitki brewed a potion with five pawns of vis in it, that quantity of vis would be enough to power a level-25 potion. If he only rolled a total of 20, the extra pawn invested would be wasted and the potion would remain at level 20. If he rolled well and scored 36, the potion would be only level 25, as that is the maximum level, possible for the amount of vis invested. There is no easy road to power with the runes, and using a vis potion has a major drawback. Once the ritual is complete the vitki must roll as many botch dice as his potion gave bonuses. Any botches result in permanent physical or mental flaws, the severity of which is equal to the number of botches rolled. This is in addition to the potential penalties for botching the ritual itself. 86 place. If the vitki’s body is moved or wounded, or has magic cast on it, the ritual is disrupted and he must make a stressed Stamina roll of 9+ to avoid taking two Body levels of non-Soakable damage. If the roll botches, the vitki also suffers perma- nent mental damage, such as gaining a delusion or compulsion. ‘After nine days the vitki awakens in a disoriented state that lasts for a simple die worth of days, and had better have a loyal follower to cut him down or he will soon die of asphyxiation. The vitki will be extremely tired, hungry, thirsty, and will still be wounded; he takes four auto- matic Fatigue levels after undergoing the ritual. In order to actually lean the secret while on the tree, the vitki must roll a stress die + Intelligence + Stamina + the sum of the scores in the eight runes in the aett against an case factor of 35+. The potion that preserves the vitki’s body and prepares him for the mystical insights he seeks contains several ingredi ents that are extremely hard to acquire There is no set list of ingredients; each vitki must undertake a quest to discover the formula for himself. Such a quest typ- ically involving visiting the alfar or dverge, or even magic-using trolls or giants, for mystical insights. The list should include such mythical ingredients as the breath of a fish, stubble from a woman's face, a liar's promise, or the ears of a bird. A period from a few seasons to a few years is typical for such a quest, but the vitki doesn’t have to repeat this quest if he decides to undertake the ritual a sec- ond or further time. If the vitki successfully completes the dedication rite, he gains the Virtue Special Circumstances (Knowledge of [Name's] Aett), which confers a +3 bonus to any rune script or binding constructed using runes sole- ly from that aett. Naturally, this advantage can only be gained three times; once for each aett. If the roll fails, the vitki learns no knowledge and has performed the sacrificefor nothing. A botch can spell disaster for a vitki; the vitki suffers a massive shock as he perceives knowledge he wasn’t ready for and suffers a Mental Flaw as a result. The specific Flaw should be decided between the storyguide and the player, but should generally be worth no more than 3 points (Delusion, Compulsion, Fears, and Terrors fic well) This ritual can only be attempted at Yuletime, the traditional time for oath-tak- ing, with the vitki hanging himself from the tree just before the end of the old year so that. he hangs upon the tree over the changing of the years If the vitki succeeds in performing the ritual once and attempts it a second or third time, he must make a pledge of his loyalty to Odin, who grants the knowledge of the runes. Exactly what the pledge involves is up to the individual vitki, but could consist of branding a single rune into flesh, the removal of an eye, or similar dis- figurement. A vitki who fails to perform an appropriate sacrifice (one involving little ‘or no real sacrifice) suffers a -5 penalty to the roll to learn the new knowledge, an additional two botch dice for his insult, and the character becomes chronically unlucky, a condition that can be reduced in severity when the appropriate sacrifice is made, but can never be completely alleviated. (One way for the vitki to pledge himself to Odin without immediate pain or dist urement is to take a blood oath of service. A blood oath to Odin is not a commitment a vitki should take lightly; essentially, che vitki sheds one Wound level of his own blood at a blét and makes a solemn oath to Odin, promising the god one unlimited favor which will be called due in the future. Usually this involves a near-suicidally heroic quest (on a level with Beowull’s pur- suit of Grendel’s mother, for instance). The favor is absolutely non-negotiable; if the character does not immediately set off to do Odin’s bidding when asked, he dies on the spot, to find himself at Odin’s mercy in the afterlife. 87 Apprentices Rune crafting cannot be leamed by every- one. When he searches for an apprentice, a vitki looks for strength of will, an eagerness to learn, a cautious attitude to power, and the ability to communicate easily with others. Those sought out to begin rune training are normally aged between 5 and 10, for at this age they have not grown set in their ways, nor have their minds been dulled with age. In order to train a laering (apprentice), a vitki must have a minimum of 5 in the Scribe Runes, Rune Script, and Rune Binding Abilities, he must know at least three runes at level 5 or higher, and he must have the Storytelling Skill at 1 or greater. The vitki must dedicate one season per year to training his laering, and each year the laering gains 4 experience points towards his vitki abilities. If the master is particularly generous, he may spend more time teaching his laering; for every extra season spent this way, the Iaering gains an extra 3 experience points to place amongst his vitki abilities. ‘The apprentice vitki can spend his points in any way he desires, with the understanding that he won't complete his apprenticeshi until he has reached the minimum Ability levels for a starting vitki (see page 62), and with the restriction that he can only raise rune scores above 0 for runes that his master has at level 5 or more. The laering will also travel with his mas- ter leaning the arts of communication, nego- tiation, and social interaction that will form a major part of his life once he is released from apprenticeship (gaining 5 experience points to spend on these Abilities). Norse MAGIC@ienicamre Qtivecmean Rawic Power Wounded I hung on a wind-swept gallows For nine long nights, Pierced with a spear, pledged to Odin Offered, myself to myself. The wisest know not from whence spring The roots of that ancient beam. They gave me no bread, They gave me no mead, looked down; With a loud ery, took up the runes, {from that tree I fll — From the Havamal Rune Effects Table Level Magnitude Monetary Amounts Creature Size 5 1 1-10 pfennings Aor-3 10 2 10-100 pfennings 2or-1 15 3 100-1,000 pfennings Or +1 20 4 1,000-10,000 pfennings +2 or +3 25 5 10,000-100,000 pfennings +4 or +5 Many runes have standardized effects. This table lists common runic statistics based on the levels at which they are cast. Magnitude is often used asa bonus to Attribute or Ability rolls. Monetary Amount comes into play in con- junction with runes concerned with wealth. Creature Size sometimes determines how poerful a rune must be to affect a certain animal or beast. 88 ana atta One of Odin’s gifts to mankind were the 24 runic letters known as the Futhark (after the word spelled by the first six ~ see appen- dix page 130), which could be used by the average man in monumental inscriptions, business correspondence, or in decorating objects, and by the initiated (vitkir, singular: vitki) to perform magical feats. In order to penetrate the mystery of the runes, Odin used his own spear to impale himself on the World Tree, Yggdrasil, hanging for nine days until the secrets revealed themselves to him, The sacrifice was painful, even for a god, and reenacting the sacrifice can give the vitki additional insight into rune use (see “Learning Through Sacrifice” on page 85). Using the Runes Each rune has multiple powers associated with it, but each inscription of a rune can only be used to generate a single effect that is declared when the rune is created; to invoke ‘wo powers of asingle rune, it must be employed multiple times in a rune script or binding, ‘A number of effects are common to a number of runes, and those are summarized on the Rune Effects Table. The most frequent use of individual runes isto give a bonus to some roll equal to the magnitude of the rune, that is, one fifth the level at which the rune was cast, rounded down, The power level of the rune measures how difficult it is to create, as well as the amount of power contained within the rune.‘Adding a second runic enchantment to an. already increased Ability or Attribute cannot double a runic effect. Thus, ifa vitki has a rune binding that increases his Strength, no other enchantment can add to this, although a second runic enchantment will work if it is of higher level than the original by replacing the original. ‘The same applies to Attributes and Abilities that add to a single de rol; if vitki has bonus- cs to his Perception Attribute and his Awareness Ability, only the highest bonus applies to a roll that uses Perception + Awareness. Lasting Effects Ie must be noted that certain effects induced by runes do not wear off after a rune's power fades. A man and woman who become lovers after certain runes aid their relation- ship do not become strangers when the runes fade. Their minds are no longer swayed by the runes, but will stil be affected by the confi- dences exchanged, the memories acquired, and the strength of the relationship formed. They may have to deal with the fact that one partner might not have the glib tongue he once displayed or some other change, but they may still weather that storm. Likewise, a couple split by an Iss rune do not go immediately back to loving each other once the rune fades; it has done its job of influencing their minds. There is always a chance that they will reconcile through nat- ural means, of course. ‘Someone physically or mentally damaged by a rune’ power remains hurt until healed, either by more runic magic or naturally through time, while wounds healed by @ rune remain healed and do not sar bleeding once the rune ceases working. Ofcourse, in this case the rune’ effects ‘need to last until the wound is fully healed. Runes can also cause permanent side effects without this being part of their power. A skald who impresses a jarl through poetry, aided by a rune of communication, may find himself gaining a permanent reputation boost from a temporary runic effect, an increase he could then lose depending on his natural abil- ity to impress his listeners unaided, 89 Rune Descriptions Below are the descriptions of the runes and the powers that they access. This is not an exhaustive list, and vitki players are encouraged to find new uses for the runes, within the limits of their power range. The storyguide has the final decision on an effect’s exact power level and whether a given rune can impart a particular power. Players and storyguide must remember that the runes invoke subtle powers, not the spec- tacular effects of Hermetic magic, and they generally cannot go against the laws of nature. The runes are split into three groups known, as aetts, each dedicated to a different god and containing eight runes. The majority of runic effects are beneficial, and these are created by scribing the rune in the upright position shown, in the tables on pages 91 and 130. Some nega- tive effects can be generated by scribing the rune in an inverted, or “rolled,” orientation. ‘While all the runes are useful in certain situations, a number of them (including Iss, ‘Nauthr, Dagr, and Yr) are of particular impor- tance, as they are necessary for the crafting of effective rune scripts and bindings Freqr’s Att Fe (FAY): Cattle ‘This rune means wealth earned through expenditure of energy, in terms of cattle as well as movable wealth. Fe is the rune of Freyr, the god of fertility, in itself a form of wealth. Upright: There are two ways to profit through use of this rune: by using other abili- ties to either take or win the money, or through investment or chance finding. The Rune Effects Table on page 88 shows the size of monetary rewards that can be gained or found using the Fe rune. The wealth granted by this rune can be in money or cattle, but not in lands or goods such as weapons: the Othal rune covers them. Unless Runes & THEIR POWERUntima THULE: MYTHIC SCANDINAVIA Dagris used in conjunction with Fe in a binding, wealth gained by way of this rune is fleeting: almost as quickly asthe caster gains his wealth he will either lose itor find it necessary to spend it When trying to detect wealth, a bonus equal to Fe’s magnitude can be added to Perception rolls, and can be added to Communication, Presence, Area Lore, or Legend Lore rolls (for discovering information about treasure) at the storyguide’s discretion. Fe’s magnitude can be added to rolls involving gaining wealth that do not involve physical combat, including rolls involving gambling, bargaining, or charming someone, if monetary gain is the objective. The bonus can also be applied to rolls involving domes- ticated animals, including Animal Ken and ‘Animal Handling. At level 15 or above, Fe can be used to speak with domesticated animals. Each invo- cation of the rune can be used for only one of the three types of beast: land, air, and sea Gxample Powers + A vitki is being chased through dense undergrowth by hostile guards and needs to escape. A movement rune ‘would be useful, as would one that affects the guards? Perception, but he doesn't have high scores in such. runes. The vitki realizes that the Thurs rune (which he is skilled with) represents a thom bush, and the player asks his storyguide if he can use the rune to ‘make a passage appear through a nearby hedge. The storyguide decides that the interpretation of the rune’s association with the desired result (a thorn bush rune to part a thorn bush) is strong, and doesn’t con- travene the stated powers of the rune, nor is ita par- ticularly showy effect. He sets the difficulty level at 15, as the hedge is fairly thick, and states that the hedge will part for one round, giving the vitki just enough time to nip through if his casting is successful. * A vith is leading an attack on the lair ofa troll that has been troubling villagers in the area. He plans to capture the troll and bring it back to the village, so the locals can see it being killed. He organizes the sgrogs and gives them a lage fishing net for this task. ‘The player knows that the chance of the grogs actual- ly working together to catch the beast is fair, but not spectacular. If the vitki had skill with the Mathr rune, which aids people working together toward a common goal, he could use that, but since he doesn't, he must adapt his known runes to fit the situation. He decides to invoke the Reith rune in a script and then give the grogs a plan of action to follow, asking the storyguide to allow them a bonus on their attack rolls with the net as they know what to do and when. Reith does deal with planning and strategy, but the description doesn't mention granting bonuses to combat rolls. The storyguide can either disallow the use of the rune, saying that combat bonuses do not fll in Reith’s sphere of influence, orhe can allow the planning bonus, to aid the grogs so long as they are carrying out the pro- posed action exactly as planned, in which case a bonus equal to the rune’s magnitude would be appropriate. ‘A vitki in combat wants to scare off his opponents by using the Kaun rune to create a lange fireball. Kaun. does cover fire and heat, but the effect isn't in keep- ing with the nune’s general subtlety; the storyguide rules that the rune cannot perform such magic. However, he does suggest that the vitki can ignite nearby dry brush and attemp to scare his foes by making the fire spread towards them, ignoring the wind direction. (OF cours, this would require multiple castings of the rine and possibly even a scrip, especialy ifthe fie is to con- tinue spreading against the wind for more than one round. ‘Ac the start of a battle a vitki is asked to give combat, bonuses to his fellow warriors. Not having specialized in combat runes, he realizes that the bows of most of the warriors are made of yew wood, and the player asks the storyguide ifthe vitki can use the Yr rune (which represents yew tree) toaid them. The storyguide rules, that the connection is strong, but reminds the player that the vitki will either have to cast an individual Yr rune for every archer, or create a script of binding with, an area of effect large enough to encompass all the Vitki’s allies, but not so large as to also grant bonuses to those of his enemies who also carry yew bows. 90When Fe is used to remotely target an ani- imal, the Size of the animal that can be affect- ed is determined by the Rune Effects Table. Fe also means something fought for, rather than gained, and indicates a triumph over opposi- tion, and Fe's magnitude can be added asa bonus ‘on a single die roll to overcome an opponent, ‘whether it be a man, group, or natural obstacle. ‘Women trying to become pregnant some- Runes & THEIR POWER is itself a form of spiritual wealth. Men hoping to impregnate women can also employ the rune. Trolled: When used in a trolled posi- tion, Fe indicates the loss of wealth. A bonus equal to Fe’s magnitude can be added to rolls involving bargaining, law (when the potential punishment is a fine), or even hexing (if the target is cattle or other ani- mal wealth), Fe can also mean emotional turmoil and a penalty equal to the rune’s magnitude can Runic Power Summary times invoke Fe as a fertility charm, as a family Freyr’s Aett Jera(2) Harvest. harvests, justice, marriage, Rune Meaning — Areas of Power Yr(t) Yew Tree patience, extending runic Fe(F) Cattle wealth, domesticated ani- ‘effects, warriors, communi- mals, triumphing over oppo- cating with the dead sition, fertility, discord Perta(E) Dice Cup childbirth, gambling, hid- Ur(N) — Auroch —_ protection, strength, den things, illness, detecting endurance, wild animals, poison, concealment challenges, bravery, Thwar (¥) Elk magic protection, defense, willpower, health, unexpect- self-sacrifice, hunting, har- ced events, aging ‘mony, discord Thurs (+) Thorn Bush luck, defense, plants, ange, S61 (4) The Sun light, heat, health, triumph- lust, offense ing over evil/good Ass(F) Mouth communication, teaching, travel, honesty, perception, Tyr’s Acett divination Reith (R) Cart Wheel travel, communication, Rune Meaning —_Areas of Power Kaun (€) Torch perception, heat, light, aging Tyr (T) — TheGod Tyr danger, business, competi- Gipe (X) Gif peace, love, aid, personal tions, honesty, injustice sacrifice Bgakn (B) Birch Tree health, youth, children, Vend (P) Joy ‘happiness, cooperation, childbirth, illness, infertility ‘relationships Tor (M) Horse horses, travel, loyalty, weakness Mathr (4) Mankind — communication, duty, inventiveness, cooperation, Heimdall’s Aett affecting remote targets, cru- elty, foreign lands Rune Meaning Areas of Power Lig (T) Water water, ships, movement, Hogall (N) Hail causing damage, movement, hidden senses, seduction, changing minds, illness, ‘weather control enduring hardships, endurance, wealth, relation- ships, delaying runic effects, slowing natural effects cold, rune binding, relationships mutability Yogvi (©) TheGad Yngvichildbirth, fertility, family, security, extended tasks Dagr (0) Day growth, speed, light, time ‘Othal () A Possession family, inheritance, protect- ing goods, cuses, acting alone Nauthr (#) Necessity Iss(I) Ice 1UtTima THULE: MYTHIC SCANDINAVIA LAZAR be given to a target’ rolls affecting communi- cation. If combined with a preservation rune (such as Iss), the long-term effects can break Lup marriages or life-long friendships Ur (OOR): Auroch The auroch is a large and powerful breed of cattle that roams Mythic Scandinavia. These beasts stand as tall as men, and sym- bolie stamina and strength (including strength of will). Successfully hunting an auroch made a boy into a man, and so Ur also ‘encompasses manhood and male sexuality, as ‘well as major changes in a person's life. Upright: The Ur rune is a powerful pro- tective device and gives aid against magic and Abilities designed to affect the target's mind or emotions. The value of the magic resis- tance against mind-affecting magic is the level of the Ur spell cast. Spells and enchant- ments with a level lower than that of the rune cast simply do not work. Ur’s magnitude can 92 be used as a bonus to resist Charm and other appropriate Abilities. The magnitude of the Ur rune can be added as a bonus to someone's Strength or Stamina Attribute, or to the Bravery Personality Trait, ‘A magnitude bonus can be applied to rolls involving wild animals. At level 15 or above, Ur can be used to speak with wild or magical animals. Each invocation of the rune can be used for only one of the three types of beast: land, air, and sea. When Ur is used t0 remotely target an animal, the Size of the ani- mal that can be affected is determined by the Rune Effects Table on page 88. In its aspect of vitality, the Ur rune can be used to resist the effects of natural aging. It cannot be used to slow aging; i just helps the user better weather its effects, Ifthe rune has been worn for at least a year (as part of a rune binding) the power of the rune can be used to offset any one specific affliction (with the exception of Decrepitude points) the charac- ter may have that deals with his physical well-being, reducing it in intensity by an amount equal to the rune’s magnitude. When used in a rune script or binding the Ur rune can also provide a bonus equal t0 its magnitude to resist maladies. Itcan also be used, alone or in a script, to remove a number of Fatigue levels equal to the rune’s magnitude ~ 2 ‘A bonus equal to Urs magnitude can be applied to one die roll involving a challenge that leads toa major change in life, such as winning a girls heart, convincing a jar to let a person become hrs huscarl, or fighting a fist combat to the death, The willpower aspect of Ur allows diffi cult tasks to be achieved through guts and sheer determination; lost Confidence points equal to the magnitude of the rune =I can be restored through use of Ur, although no per- manent change in a character's Confidence level can be made through this magic. Trolled: When trolled, Ur indicates a lack of willpower, as well as ailing health. Although it cannot be used to kill outright, a penalty equal to the rune’s magnitude can be applied toa victim’s chance of resisting the ravages of diseases. Ur can also be used to removeConfidence points from a vietim, leaving him ‘unwilling to take risks to complete a job. Sudden and unexpected turns of events also fall within Ur’ realm, and it can be used to give a penalty equal to its magnitude to die rolls for activities at which the victim would normally expect to succeed. Thurs (THURZ): Thorn Bush The Thurs rune isa symbol of protection and represents the thorn bush, a plant with the potential to cause great damage if han- dled incorrectly. Thurs is also a rune of luck, both good and bad. Thor, the thunder god, is also tied to this rune, as he was the protector of the common man. Anger and lust are also aspects of Thurs. Thurs is also one of the few runes capable of inflicting harm by itself. Upright: Thurs can be used to simulate the Virtue Luck, by granting the target a bonus equal to the magnitude of the Thurs rune to any rolls during around. However, the Fates must be balanced, and within one day ‘equal penalties must be taken on similar rolls. Defensively, the power level of the rune can be used as a Soak bonus for people or an armor bonus for a building. Thurs can also temporarily blunt the ‘weapons of an enemy, giving him a combat penalty equal to Thurs’ magnitude. Unless the weapon can be seen by the vitki at the time the Thurs rune is cast, an Othal (prop- erty) rune must be used in conjunction with ‘Thurs for this purpose. ‘When used by a commoner when dealing with a senior or authoritative figure, ‘Thurs Runes & THEIR POWER be Soaked by armor, and heals exactly as a normal wound would. ‘When bound or scripted into a weapon, the weapon becomes enchanted with a dam- age bonus equal to Thurs’ magnitude. Thurs can increase one’s Angry or Lustful Personality Trait by an amount equal to the rune’s magnitude. While this may sound unpleasant, many Bersarkr carried trolled Thurs runes to enable them to enter a berserk state more easily. The increase to the Lustful Personality Trait could be used (carefully) to save a person's love life or to start one. ‘When used by a commoner when dealing with a senior or authoritative figure, the reverse of Thurs can be used to give its user a penalty equal to the rune’s magnitude on a roll involving communication with that person. Ass (AHSS): Mouth ‘Ass represents speech. The Vikings had an oral culture, and the ability to speak clear- ly and to be understood was vital for recount ing historical deeds and great tales. Odin, the chief god, is said to have invented poetry, and many skalds carried a non-magical Ass rune with them as a token of thanks to Odin. Upright: Ass can be used to benefit speech, by adding a bonus equal to the rune’s Aiss ‘Rune ‘Divination Level of Ass Rune Knowledge Gained canbe wed to gv its er a Bons equa to e aa the rune’s magnitude on aro involving com- ‘munication with that person, such as leader- uD Pale een ship, Charm, Folk Ken, or even Disputatio (carth, fire, magic) ae ails 15 “Target creature's exact species ‘Thurs’ magnitude can be used as a bonus (human, svartalfar) tools involving any plants 20 “Target creature's common name ‘rolled: Offensively, the energy of Thurs (as opposed to its true name) can be hamessed to damage an opponent, 6 ee ccame causing damage equal to its power level at a range of 10 paces. When used successfully, a wound similar in nature to that caused by a spear appears on the victim. The wound can In order to know any secrets, the creature's common name must first bbe deduced by some means. 93