#Ketil

[pineapplejazz]

[shinjisdone]

𝑇𝜎 𝑆𝜎𝑓𝜏𝜀𝜋 𝛼 𝑊𝛼𝑟𝑟𝜄𝜎𝑟’𝑠 𝐻𝜀𝛼𝑟𝜏 (Vinland Saga; Thorfinn - 𝑺𝒍𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝑨𝒓𝒄, 𝑷𝒂𝒓𝒕 2)

In which you have joined Askeladd’s band…and grow closer to the Son of Thors - though as your future seemed promising, his thirst for revenge devastated all that you had left.

[Headcanons of how it would be like to meet Thorfinn again after he shattered your heart (based on season 2; both platonic and romantic)

Sᴇᴀsᴏɴ ₁ ﹙Wᴀʀ Aʀᴄ﹚ is here

Part 1: - (Thorfinn as a slave and his struggles)

Tag list:

@luopenis , @jinsecho , @mitsureigen , @theknightssecrets , @lana-del-stan , @theghostofanficpresent ,  @night-shadowblood-writes2

[Mentions of murder, death, war, slave trade, harrasment against women and whatever awful things happened in the viking era. Slavery will be a main subject throughout the entire arc. Mostly gender-neutral examples but female-leaning ones are there, too.]

[This part will specifically mention: Slavery, mentioning of cutting a tongue off, angst, crying, belittling, mentions of the piss bucket, su*cidal thoughts, Thorfinn isnt doing good]

I Played The Game Of Life And Had A Ball...

The battered hands were whipped away from his face.

Pater took ahold of them, dragged them away by their shoulder with a harsh tug back to Ketil. The man simply blinked in surprise, back straight as he watched the slave easily give in.

"How strange." He said more to himself, "This is the first time they spoke."

Though his face bore utter shock, Thorfinn managed to meet Ketil's, up on horseback.

"Apologies, Thorfinn and Einar but the trader told me this one never once spoke a word - so I was a bit startled." A chuckle escaped him, "Well, that's why I wanted to introduce you three. They seemed strong enough for farm work but don't tell anyone of what they can do or what they learned to do as a worker."

"It's idiotic if I may share my thoughts." Pater stepped in, having shoved the new slave behind him. Wordlessly and without fight they stumbled to the back, lowering their head. The man threw them one last glance before continuing. "Their tongue hasn't been cut off, so they just refuse to speak. If you want to some worth as a slave, you ought to let your master know of your skills, let alone your name."

"Well," Ketil let out a dry laugh, "Since we don't know what they'll likely do, I will probably send them around the farm to see what they can do best. I just wanted to introduce you to a new face."

Einar's gaze flickered between Thorfinn and Ketil, clearing his throat abruptly before stepping up. "Of course, thank you, master! We will...teach them when they're send to us." Once again, Einar looked back to the blonde, who stood still.

With a nod, Ketil lead the horse back to his house with Pater watching the new slave's steps. They followed without looking back.

So did Thorfinn.

Slowly he turned around, axe in hand as he aimed for a tree. Just as he almost reached it, Einar was quick to catch up. "Hey, what was that?" With wide eyes and an unnerved gaze he watched the blonde cut again and again. "Does that person know you?"

The axe cut against the wood again.

"Hey, Thorfinn!" Einar contemplated getting in his way but the Thorfinn seemed so in trance that he feared he'd cut him down too, "They said something to you, I heard that! You said you were from Iceland, didn't you?! Someone who doesn't talk doesn't suddenly decide to!"

For a moment, he swallowed down his anger. Thorfinn doesn't respond, not when it's important, not when its from the master. He's only known him for a few days but knows enough that letting his emotions out will drain him - and he has work to do as a slave.

"Maybe they were just seeing things," He ran a hand through his hair, huffing, "Poor thing was probably tired and hungry. They looked like they've seen hell. Maybe it's best to leave 'em be..."

Another swing and the blade gets stuck.

Einar noted the freeze, how Thorfinn barely made an attempt to get the axe out - even though he's one of the strongest men he has ever seen.

The blade quivered. Down from the tip, right through the wooden handle, through the clenched fingers and the cramped arms shaking. His eyes traveled up to the man's contorted face and the tears falling down. They fell on his arms and the soil below.

"Thorfinn! Hey, what's wrong?!"

Silently, the blonde rose and turned his head. Over his shoulder, the entrance to the woods looked so serene. Not a soul to be found.

Crazy Of Me To Think I Had It All...

/It may have been the third time he has seen any emotions on his face.

But as always, he shrugged it all of. As if nothing happened, as if Einar was stupid and didn't see anything.

This time, he did not give an answer. Not an excuse. Thorfinn briefly shed tears, stared back where Ketil stood and continued to cut.

In the middle of the night, he screamed as usual. There was an ounce of normalcy left in his daily life at least.

With a sigh, he followed him again. Axe over his shoulder, and tools in Einar's hands. They figured that while Thorfinn cuts down the trunk, Einar can dig around the soil and loosen the roots.

At least, there was water. Cool, refreshing water in the well in the morning, something to look forward to, something to enjoy. The young rays of the sun, the dew around the barn that decorated the grass tips quite delicately, feeling the air outside of the barn that didn't stink of manure.

And there, among these lovely things, was the most loveliest, Arnheid, as he has come to know her, greeting him again with towel in hand.

Her attire was simple but sturdy, so she was looked after well as Ketil's slave. Her long, blonde hair open as she wiped her long, pale face. Baby blue eyes accompanied with long, blonde lashes. He felt a bit embarassed that he noticed all of it so much.

But she made every morning lovely.

Though as they began their chat, another figure appeared around the corner, a used cloth handed to them as they approach the well, too. Their eyes drooped as they were on the first day. Arnheid and Einar instinctively made space as they washed their face.

"Hey, do you know anything about the new one?" Einar whispered, and Arnheid shook her head. "No, I saw them once. But I don't know if they will stay in the house, like me."

She gestured to the master's abode where his wife was impatiently waiting. That was her cue to go inside but alongside Einar, she couldn't help but watch as the new slave's eyes met that of Thorfinn's.

He stopped still like a hunchback, a good and cold distance away from each other. Water dripped down their unexpressive face before wiping it off and disappearing from once they came.

It was brief yet to all of them it felt like an eternity. To Thorfinn it was like witnessing a creature from fables curse him with their presence.

But It Doesn't Matter Anymore...

The land is vast and rich.

Summer is slowly ending and as the rays of the sun vanish quicker with the moon, the wheat on the ground stays golden.

Meticulously cut and sown through each field. The master is careful and planning, working alongside the slave children as they laugh and cut. Their feet swollen and dirty without any shoes or gear for protection.

Yet they smile and are joyous for each day they get to live.

In peace. On a farm.

Working on one is a dream for many, they presumed. So it couldn't be so bad.

But the ripped, same clothes and the scars around their wrist couldn't convince them of such a reality. Scars earned from battle should now be replaced with honest work? As a slave? Nothing of it seemed genuine nor right.

Being send around like goods from one point of the farm to another to find suitable work wasn't genuine as well.

Fieldwork, domestic labor, animal care, wood cutting...

Whatever they could be useful for, they'd do. They were cheap after all. Almost a free ware.

So Ketil had no qualms or second guesses when taking them home with him.

Extra pair of hands was helpful for lacking ones in certain fields. The two young men could need help...but he wouldn't want to promise a third member freedom when they were so cheap. Besides, it could cause tension between them.

Pater was patient but strict. Repeating himself again and again of the role of a slave and that hard work and amicable business between master and property can lead to freedom. To a good position that fills an empty stomach. However many times he taught them, the new slave never replied.

He checked for the second time if their tongue got cut out or if there were any infections in the throat but he didn't find anything.

Master Olmar, Ketil's son, was not interested in a helping companion or maid. He is not interested in farm work or anything his father does and a slave would slow him down on his quest for England.

Arnheid was open but confused at the newbie. Ketil found that, with her help, domestic work was easy for them to learn but the extra help was unneccessary.

Somewhere, somehow...they were not needed.

It was when they were cutting wood, rising the axe to slash and cut again and again, when they were stopped.

It was the call of some workers, neither not knowing each other.

"What on earth are ya doing?! The hardwood's uneven! And there are splinters everywhere! How can you even think of giving us any of that measly stuff?!"

A man came stomping forward, leering dangerously close. Another one lazily followed. "Are you sure you're even talking to a slave?"

"Oh, I'm sure. They got the eyes of one." The man finished with a spit, before continuing the scolding.

The slave blinked listlessly, droning out the insults and ignoring the spit befalling their face. "Are you even listening to me!? Answer me, you measly slave!" Another quivering stomp and the worker rose their hand, opening their palm - before jumping back with a gasp.

Just barely and in a speed neither could follow, a small but broad figure squeezed itself between the worker and slave. A thud followed quickly and the worker shrieked. "Agh, my leg! Be careful, you bastard!" He hopped further back, holding his wet leg over his knee. Thorfinn hunched down to retrieve the bucket. "Ew, it stinks...!", He cringed and covered his nose, "Is that piss?! Ew, don't tell me its piss!"

"Apologies," Thorfinn muttered, holding his head low, "I tripped." "Gods, you threw your piss bucket at me! You'll pay for that, you dwarf!"

With wide, flickering eyes, the new slave watched as the worker hopped away as his friend reluctantly helped him, while trying to keep a good distance. Taking a step back and lowering the axe, they looked down to Thorfinn.

His back was hunched and his gaze empty as it stared holes into the air. Scars decorated his muscular arms and he seemed to have grown. Hair longer, less unruly and draping over his face like wet cloth.

He seemed to hesitate to glance back at them - yet as he did, he was just as quickly on his way, wordlessly and full of regret.

"Hey, Thorfinn!" The slave looked over their shoulder, staring at the waving brunette who called out to him. The man raised a brow as their eyes met.

And I Kept Holding On To The Power And Lost My Freedom...

Once again the day turned into night as the cycle continued on throughout the summer. Cicadas chirped nearby and to Einar - the noise so loud and distracting - it seemed once again as if they were stuck in his ear - though, he got used to it.

Chirping of critters and rustling of hay was the least of his concerns. As he laid there in the barn, watching Thorfinn rest on the other side, he couldn't help but let out what he's been thinking.

"Hey...Thorfinn," Einar paused for the blonde to give any reply but contined when he didn't receive one. He got used to that as well. "Why...were you helpin' the newbie?"

Thorfinn shifted ever so slightly, "...I don't know what you mean."

"Now, Thorfinn...you aren't as slick as you think you are. I'm not the only one who noticed that you keep on staring at 'em whenever we bump into each other. Stop that, alright? Or else you'll get in trouble with the Master."

The blonde gave a low hum, not moving an inch.

Einar took a deep breath. "...Do...you know them from somewhere? Somewhere that isn't here?"

Once again, he paused. His companion barely moved, barely breathed as he laid there, thinking, thinking, thinking...

"...I don't know."

The stars finally greeted him. His cue was Einar's booming snores. Its alright. He got used to it.

Sitting up, he went out and leaned on the entrance's pillar. The wood was cold and the lights at Master Ketil's house were out.

That's where he last saw them. Inside, through the window, listening and nodding as Ketil talked. The light of the candles illuminated their face and Thorfinn couldn't help but focus and stare.

They're taller. Bigger. The color of the hair was the same but grew longer. Their eyes may be lidded and red, but the color stayed the same.

His gaze traveled towards their body, to potential scars. Just to be sure. Did they bear the same ones? Were there any new ones?

Did they bear the same gear? The same possessions? The same trinkets? The same smile?

Was that really you?

Thorfinn wasn't sure and it terrified him. Each and every day seeing your silhouette somewhere, either far away as a figure or right beside him. Being able to see, to distinguish, to smell you.

Just like in his dreams.

Why? Why has it to be you?

Is this his nightmare come to life? Is this his punishment for all that he's done?

Why does he keep forgetting these important things but has a clear image of you? And why does this haunt him more than anything else?

It's killing him. Killing him, killing him...

He wished you were dead.

Yet still here he was, a slave, keeping an eye on this stranger, protecting them from the workers...all because they look like you.

They spoke, didn't they?

Spoke of Iceland...

It has to be you.

Why? Why?!

Why can't you be dead?!

After all that has happened...when he arrived on this farm...

When he became a slave and cuts down the trees in the forest...

A beast like him, as Einar called them...

Warriors as beasts...

When he inevitably would die out here...

He had hoped everything would die with him.

[This one is short...and somewhere along the lines my english just left my brain lol. Im not really satisfied with how these sentences turned out.

But I really feel like im on a Roll with this. I wanna continue TSAWH so badly rn haha. The current situatuon and characters are stagnant so i better get to the *rubbing my hands* important plot point of the story ]

[i-have-no-enemies]

Okay, imagine a AU in which Thorfinn didn’t become totally depressed after Askeladd died, and instead, after he becomes a slave, he is just sassy and petty, especially when it comes to Canute.

Einar says that he’s impressed that Ketil works in the field even though he’s right, and Thorfinn goes, “oh then you’re really not gonna believe what the prince does.” Referring to the fact that Canute cooks, (remembering that Canute told him to be quiet about it but simply not caring.)

Or he hears Thorgil say “nobody calls him prince anymore, we call him king” and Thorfinn just quietly turns to the person closest to him and whispers “most people actually called him princess.”

There’s so many opportunities for this sort of thing.

Don’t get me wrong, I really do love the depressed character arc, but this would just be hilarious.

[boydotgov]

someone needs to kill this fucking guy.

[lunamond]

Now that episode 18 of Vinland Saga has aired I can finally talk about one of my absolute favorite character arcs in the farmland arc.

That being Ketil. He is introduced as a "fair" and "kind slavemaster". He doesn't mistreats his slaves, even offering the opportunity to gain back their freedom.

And you can see this in the audience reception of this character. Plenty of people seemed to like him and feel bad for him when he is confronted with challenges.

However, over the course of the season as he gets more screentime, it is revealed that :

Despite Ketil himself being fair to his slaves, his own underlings (farmhands and hired guards) actively mistreat and abuse these slaves. Which at worst shows that he doesn't actually cares about his slaves and at best that he is ignorant to the state of his own farm.

Ketil is scared of his own son (Thorgil). This at first glance might seem entirely reasonable and not Ketil's fault. However, considering that Ketil seems to also fail at raising Olmar it paints a pretty bleak picture of him as a father.

He doesn’t seem to subscribe to the violence craving ideology other norse men do, which by itself might be a point in his favor.

However, the storyline with the kids stealing his grain reveals Ketil is utterly incapable of backing up his beliefs, despite as the patriarch of the family and a wealthy landowner being in the unique position where he actually could implement and enforce his convictions.

Instead he watches woefully his social inferiors (Snake and Pater - his employees, Thorgil - his son, and his wife) decide the fate of these children, a decision that rightfully should be his to make. In the end all of his lamenting about the violence expected of norse men is revealed to being mere selfpity over his own disability to fully embody this social ideal.

This is brought home by one of the mist poignant sequences in the first cours of this season:

Ketil a slavemaster crying in the arms of an his own slave, Arnheid, complaining about his own suffering due to unjust expectations

The young boy he has just beaten brutally to uphold his own fragile image

Thorgil and other man indulging in an excess of food and drink (which is quite ironic considering that the boy was beaten for stealing food to survive)

All of this of course columnates in the most recent episode, when Ketil finally sheds the fragile facade of the generous, jovial Master.

The beating of Arnheid is ultimately the moment we see who Ketil has truely been all along. We seen him obsessed with his own prosperity, continuously seeking to expand it (Thorfinn and Einar's task) and jealously guarding it from outsiders via the guests. He continously buckles under social expectations of what a man is supposed to be and only uses his own distaste for violence to selfishly pet his own ego.

However, in the end he like every other norse men will use violence to hord his wealth (beating a child) and prop up his social standing (story about iron fist). Despite his supposed kindness to slaves like Thorfinn and Einar, he ultimately regards them as his own property.

All of these factors lead to him beating Arnheid, who he ultimately only sees as his posession.

[saturnsedan]

The people wanted Fem! Ketil family so I give it to them.

[cafe-camelot]

Saw on Twitter that people compare Ketil to Askeladd???

Comparing a literal pile of shit to arguably the best character ever written??? Ok.

[potatostereo]

They roommates.

[4seasonsofart]

❀ Vinland Saga Hunger Games ❀

-> An AU where these Vinland Saga Characters end up in their version of the Hunger Games. Vote on each post to see who ends up as the winner of the Games!

-> Check masterlist to find small bits about the characters going through these challenging games.

[dailyvinland-sagapanels]

[angusfan1]

[everycanute]

[i-have-no-enemies]

Yet another thing I didn’t notice the first couple of times I watched Vinland saga

So, this is right after the farmhands leaves after Ketil refused to punish Thorfinn and Einar, because one of their buttons had been found on the field, but look at Pater’s sleeve. He didn’t just stumble upon that button, he was out there digging, doing all he could to find just the smallest piece of proof that the farmhands had done it.

We all know that Pater has always been on Thorfinn’s and Einar’s side, so it isn’t surprising, but it’s still so moving.

[whumpqin]

Asking the important things 🤨

1. which ocs are the most touch-starved?

2. which ocs are most likely to be caught eating cheese at 3 am?

OOOOO these are some good ones!!

I went a little exposition heavy so these ones are going to go under a cut so my post isn't taking up a huge chunk of space. Content below the cut!

Which OCs are the most touch-starved?

This is a rough one, considering touch starved characters are genuinely my favorite! It's a common trope I find myself writing in general LOL But to narrow it down to the most.... I think it would have to be Artemio and Caleb, and Quinn!

Artemio is that typical loner whumper that generally hangs out alone in his cabin birdwatching and tending to his own needs. Being a "devil" made him an obvious outcast in the nearby human towns and he hates having to talk or deal with them at all, if said interaction doesn't have some sort of brutal end to whoever he's talking to. But being alone in the cabin for months on end actually makes him extremely terribly lonely. So when he kidnaps finds his angelic Little Bird/Ketil, he finds it hard to keep his hands off of them bc he's not had gentle contact with anyone for so so long.

With Caleb........ being touch starved was apart of his conditioning. His Masters would constantly leave him alone for days on end and use their touch (in gentle ways... most of the time) as a rewarding system for him, Jeremiah especially. If Caleb was good, he could lay in Jeremiah's lap or even hold onto him for comfort. Aridai in general always allowed Caleb to seek them for comfort so that he would be conditioned to look for them in periods of anxiety or stress, and Caleb is always anxious or stressed. In latter days of captivity this proved a good warning sign also bc he could warn Aridai if he was seeing/hearing things.

Quinn is just. He needs a lot of attention almost constantly, honestly, and gets a bit whiny when he doesn't get it. Though he's been on his own for a large chunk of his adult life due to wanting to be self-sufficient, getting tangled up in some unfortunate underground stuff never really help him get any of the comfort that he really wanted. It's part of the reason him and Caleb make such a good pair, considering that they tend to just seek each other out and hold each other when either of them feel bad.

Which OCs are most likely to be caught eating cheese at 3 AM?

MMM this would have to go to Ketil and also Caleb, TBH

Ketil as an angel doesn't... actually eat, except to indulge in their personal vices. They rely purely on bright sunlight to revitalize themself, being an angel of radiance and peace! HOWEVER, Ketil really, really likes to indulge in sweets such as honey and the like, despite Artemio being adamant that they not eat if they don't have to. When they can finally roam the cabin freely for... reasons, it's nothing to find Ketil hunched over their stores devouring what they can when hunger strikes them regardless of the time.

Caleb tends to be a bit odd with food in general after being routinely starved to break him a bit easier and to keep him weak. That, combined with horrible insomnia, and it makes for him being up at weird times eating all sorts of weird stuff he can get his hands on. He tends to sneak off to eat unless people sit him down and eat because sometimes he forgets he's actually allowed to eat whenever he wants. It's something he'll probably never break entirely, either.

[thepalaceofharuhime]

Saw a poll about whether Ketil is a bad guy and all the comments where a bunch of dudes arguing as to why Ketil is a good guy, the nicest and purest character in the show in fact, going as far as to defend all of his actions and trying to twist and turn canon in their attempts to paint Arnheid as the villain in all of her and Ketil's interactions. Men are fucking scary.

I've seen quite a few people in the Vinland Saga fandom go "poor Einar" because of the whole Arnheid thing and umm not to spoil anybody's fun but like he's not the one suffering here... Not saying that Einar isn't being impacted emotionally, but his pain should not be in the spotlight??

Arnheid is held as a slave at Ketil's farm and has to sexually please her master (which is obviously not consensual, but for some reason that gets ignored), she's lost her son and husband, she gets treated like shit by Ketil's wife, she gets sexually harassed by the retainers and manga spoilers ahead she is literally beaten to death by Ketil for being there for her husband when he was dying... but yeah poor Einar 😕

[chiropteracupola]

The islander and his chronicle.