#king harald fairhair

[ms-rampage]

5 facts about your OC

Tagged by: @thewanderer-000 thank you!! 😁💙

Tagging: @athena-lilly @the-chaos-katzlein @inafieldofdaisies

Rules: Post 5 facts about your OC.

Here are some facts for Liv since she's my new OC. Paige and Kate have had their time in my OC spotlight, giving it to my Saxon/Norse gal.

1. She was to be married to King Harald Fairhair but was able to escape the arranged married, she only agree to it so she could plot her next escape. She also had a relationship with Ubba Ragnarsson prior to her and Eivor.

2. When she gets upset or irritated, her thick Saxon accent comes out. She normally speaks with the standard Norse accent.

3. She has a list of people that she plots to kill. She's friends with everyone, but there are some people who she doesn't trust and rub her the wrong way, or have ruined her life at some point.

4. She had a rational fear of men. Arriving in England, she became acquainted with Eivor, Gunnar, Ubba, Ceolbert, and a few others. She was friends with the women of the Raven Clan. (She went through a MASSIVE character development)

5. She has 3 foxes, Runa, Evary and Ljós. Whom she refers to as her children. She's also an icon for introverts, her way of having fun during feasts is watching everyone else make themselves look like fools.

[synindoodles]

Actually enjoyed working on this one so much that I might draw Harald again hehe

[see hq or get copies]

[woahhhgwendolyn]

Being Haralds Woman Would Include...

Being his woman would almost feel unreal because of all the things he does for you and also give to you. He loves to spoil you with things because of the money he has. He loves to surprise you with wonderful jewelry and new dresses almost all the time (He would love to get new dresses just to show off your breasts because he just loves them so much, and he technically has to get you new dresses a lot because he seems to always rip them off you when you two are trying to have sex.) He loves complimenting you all the time as well. He just loves seeing you smile and get shy. That is another thing he loves, is you getting shy. He will purposely say something sexual or even do something sexual to you in public and loves to watch you get shy and nervous. He even likes to see you get shy when he just says he loves you in public. being his woman has multiple perks but the only downside of him being king of all Norway would be that he is gone a lot and has meetings a lot as well during the days and nights. But of course he always makes it up to you in the end because he would hate for you to dislike him or hate being in the relationship with him. He loves you way to much to lose you in any way.

[docpiplup]

The Bastard Kings and their families

This is series of posts are complementary to this historical parallels post from the JON SNOW FORTNIGHT EVENT, and it's purpouse to discover the lives of medieval bastard kings, and the following posts are meant to collect portraits of those kings and their close relatives.

In many cases it's difficult to find contemporary art of their period, so some of the portrayals are subsequent.

1) Magnus I of Norway (c. 1015 – 1066), son of Olaf II of Norway and Alfhild

2) His father, Olaf II of Norway (c. 995 – 1030), son of Harald Grenske and his wife Åsta Gudbrandsdatter

3) His great-great-grandfather, Harald Fairhair (c. 850 – c. 932), son of Halfdan the Black and his wife Ragnhild Sigurdsdatter

4) His daughter, Ragnhild Magnusdatter; with her husband Haakon Ivarsson

5) His sister, Wulfhild of Norway (1020 – 1071), daughter of Olaf II of Norway and his wife Astrid Olofsdotter

6) His brother-in-law, Ordulf of Saxony (c. 1022 – 1072), son of Bernard II of Saxony and his wife Eilika of Schweinfurt

7) His nephew, Magnus of Saxony (c. 1045 –1106), son of Wulfhild of Norway and Ordulf of Saxony

8) His uncle, Harald III of Norway ( c. 1015 – 1066), son of Sigurd Syr and Åsta Gudbrandsdatter

[alicedopey]

I miss him ❤️

Harald Finehair - Series Finale

[barbariankingdom]

Sverd i fjell (Swords in Rock) commemorates the Battle of Hafrsfjord and unification of Norway by King Harald Fairhair in 872 CE. The three bronze swords stand at 9.20 meters high (30 ft).

[postoctobrist]

Purely doing this because I'm autistic and think everyone wants to know, but it's not Harald Hardråde who takes Fjölnir's lands, because he died 170 years after that. It is more likely Hårfagre (Fairhair) :^) TBF to youse, I don't know many medieval English kings, either, and HHa WAS the most important one in your context

you vastly overestimate the number of Medieval English kings I know

[st-just]

Remember, medieval Iceland was an early attempt at anarcho-capitalist utopia. When Harald Fairhair declared himself King of Norway, the Norwegians who refused to bend the knee fled west to build a makeshift seastead on a frozen volcanic island. No lords, no kings, no masters. Only lawsuits. So, so many lawsuits.

-Your Book Review: Njal’s Saga

[fjorn-the-skald]

Harald Fairhair: Unification and Cultural Migration

This post was originally delivered as a virtual lecture to the New York Ancient Cultures MeetUp on September 20th, 2020. It was a group effort between myself (fjörn) and Joshua Gillingham (author of The Gatewatch). Below is the transcript I used while giving my portion of the talk. As such, I don’t have any footnotes, so I must apologize for my past neglect. I may return to add what I can, but for now I ask that you have trust in my own academic background.

Historical Sources

Poetic Propaganda?

Contemporary evidence about King Harald Fairhair, from the late-9th century, comes from his entourage of poets, who were called skáld in Old Norse. In the words of Bruce Lincoln, who wrote a wonderful (but somewhat expensive) book on this subject, they were his “propaganda corps.” But to speak of them with those terms alone would be an injustice, I think, to their actual reputation in Norse society, because they weren’t actually just hired goons spreading misleading information. Their craft actually required incredible skill, as Joshua will soon tell, and the importance of words, especially when skillfully sown, in shaping reputations cannot be understated.

The key to power and prestige in the medieval north was, more or less, a matter of public perception. This meant that poetry was a precious commodity in Norse society, because it could either enhance a person’s reputation or utterly destroy it. For instance, a skald might praise a person’s valor in battle, claiming that they had Odin’s blessing for victory and slew many of their foes without breaking a sweat. The result would be an image of a courageous warrior who ought not be lightly challenged. Yet, a skald could also slander a person, asserting that they were bested by their foe in an embarrassing or shameful way. This would therefore have the opposite effect, painting their foe as the heroic leader instead.

What made their poetry even more significant, though, was its connection to a specific occasion. Skalds acted as supposedly first-hand witnesses to great events, and it was part of their job to relay those events for others to hear. The results partially depended, rather cynically, upon who was giving them more coin—but also to protect themselves from potentially life-threatening wrath. Skalds thus recorded historical events, but often colored them to best suit their patrons. In other words, their poetry was less about recording history as an unbiased, uninvolved party, but rather about influencing public memory about an event and thus shaping the perception of the people it concerned. 

[. . .]

☞ Continue reading (6,534 words / 35 minutes reading time) at fjorntheskald.com

[broomsick]

Hi! I’m an agnostic with an interest in learning more about Norse polytheism, and I have a question about the way that the sagas and myths are interpreted.

Are the sagas (and other Norse myths) viewed as having actually happened at some point, or are they viewed more as symbolic/metaphorical, like a fable or an allegory?

Hi there! Thank you for the ask! This a topic I very much enjoy discussing, and I'll be glad to give you my thoughts on the matter.

Before I can properly explain what the sagas are, I'll determine what they aren't. They aren't to be confused with myths, such as the ones that make up nordic mythology. They are not part of that mythology for a plethora of reasons. While mythology pertains to deities we know have been worshipped as such at some point in time, the sagas are stories of human beings. More often than not, they mean to tell historical events, which represents a major difference with the myths. A saga often recounts the history of a particular dynasty, or family, and a lot of the characters who appear in them are either: 1. folk heroes, such as Wayland the Smith, who appears in the Þiðreks saga, or Sigurðr Sigmundsson, who appears in the Völsunga saga; Or 2. famous, historically attested figures, such as Erik the Red, whose story is told in the Eiríks saga rauða, or Harald Fairhair, who appears in Snorri's Haralds saga hárfagra.

This is another parrticularity which differentiates a myth and saga: the latter often brings to life real life historical figures, or even attested events. Still, these stories are steeped in folklore. They mix magic and history, and the line quickly blurs between reality and fiction. And considering that many of the sagas' authors remain unknown to this day (that is the case for the Icelanders' sagas), there is a limit to how much we can trust their writings. In fact, there is very little historical fact to be found in the sagas. However, some of the events they describe seem to hold some amout of truth! For example, it's speculated that the viking remains found in Dorset could have been the bodies of captured men who appear in the Jómsvíkinga saga. And Eirik the Red did in fact sail from Norway to Greenland and North America, making him and his crew the first Europpeans to land in the Americas. And when it comes to the stories of famous Scandinavian dynasties, the sagas serve to explain, using both fact and fiction, how this or that famous king has earned a throne.

Now, what makes these stories interesting to us as pagans? Well, as is often the case, the answer varies from one practionner to the next. To read the sagas is not a necessary part of the nordic pagan path. But to me, it helps to get to know the faith a little better. It allows us to better understand the cultural and historical context behind certain beliefs ad practices. They often showcase the very last accounts of ancient festivals, rituals, or famous temples. They are a tool of choice for many scholars, who, of course, are still forced to try and tell truth from fiction. But they're a fun read overall, and I highly recommend looking into them!

As for the myths, by which we mean the stories which compose what's called norse mythology, they are generally viewed as metaphors. They're a way for us to see our Gods come to life, and to find out some of their most prominent characteristics. The amount of credit you choose to put into mythology is entirely up to you, but I can confidently say that most pagans don't take them at face value. They're a fun way to help us imagine what the Gods might be like! For example, most agree that Týr is brave, Freyja, headstrong, and Frigg, caring. These are examples of details we can try to figure out if we read between the lines of these myths. What's most important to keep in mind, however, is the fact that many of these myths were heavily influenced by their authors. For example, Snorri, famously a Christian priest and Icelandic politician, would manipulate certain stories to better serve his political goals. It's widely accepted for example, that elements of the myths such as Angrboða and some other such lovers of the Gods were most likely invented during the 12th century, era during which a lot of the myths we know today were being compiled by priests. These changes often served to fill in the gaps left by a tradition of exclusively transmitting folklore orally. We can only speculate as to how much of the myths were truly part of pre-Christian oral tradition, which makes it even more relevant to exercise skepticism around mythology.

[usagi-zakura]

So...lately I decided to try something different...

I had a sudden urge... to create a handpuppet. Specifically one of the Norway-dragon I made a while ago. Why this one specifically? I don't know... but I wanna try!

I started by looking up tutorials on Youtube and it did not disappoint... Puppet Nerd had some great tips to get me started though I didn't follow his advice 100%... I still wanted to make this my own.

It all started with this sketch...

I moved on to making this base. Then I had to take a break because for some reason nobody sells blue fleece anymore for some reason?? At least not of the kind that actually fits with the red and white I already have...

Until I found a fleece carpet. Its not 100% the right type of fleece but its blue! So finally I was able to get started on his "skin"

Then came the question about how to make his mane... now making it out of faux fur... but then how would I make the stripes???

Well I decided to instead make things a whole lot harder for myself... and made it out of yarn...

Each strand is basically just tied up in knots on the inside of the fleece... yes it took forever...

Afterwards I went over it with a pet brush to make it look smoother and...less like yarn.

I then created his body, and did the same yarn method on the top of the front, to create a lion's mane.

This is where I'm at right now. He is constantly asking for hugs, as someone who doesn't like hugs its a bit uncomfortable...but I accept it because he's so very soft... (I stuffed his body and face with cotton filling in addition to the foam "skeleton" to make him look less pointy and more plump. That was a good call...except it makes his mouth a tad bit harder to move...but its still perfectly usable.)

His paws are biiiig... Armrods have been ordered.

I debated with myself I should give him more traditional puppet eyes, I even got some styrofoam balls to make them out of... but after checking how it would look with just pieces of paper I decided I prefer my usual method of creating puppet eyes... painting on a piece of fleece. The freckles are made with needle felting.

I also intend to give him legs, wings and feet, as the sketch implies. I haven't quite decided if I'm gonna do the antlers yet...cuz I haven't entirely decided what the best method to do that... For a while I pondered if I should do his crown too and if so how...then I remembered I have worbla-plastic, a heat gun and gold paint...I can easily make him a custom crown!

He has already been given a name btw...that isn't just Norway-puppet or Norway-Dragon...his name is Harald Hårfagre the second, named after a famous king (known as Fairhair in English) because...well have you seen his mane?? Its fabulous... best yarn hair in Norway. But you can call him Hairy Harry.

[ms-rampage]

Anymore Lore on Liv x Ubba or King Fairhair?

So I’m gonna answer both of these.

More info below the cut!

Liv & Harald

Ship name: Livald. Haraliv.

Not my photo by the way

For King Harald Fairhair, this “relationship” was arranged by both their fathers years earlier.

This was arranged because Edmund owed Harald’s father (Halfdan the Black according to the AC wiki) a favor, and as a way to strengthen both their families since Edmund is an apparent relative to King Burgred (hence why he was considered a traitor to the crown for fleeing Mercia/England, and marrying a Norse woman).

When Liv escaped Kjotve the Cruel, she was visited by Harald, and brought up their arranged marriage.

“What are you talking about, Your Grace?.” she asks, confused as to why King Harald would give her the time and day to visit her. Especially after she escaped the hand of Kjotve after all the abuse and torture he and Gorm did to her.

“I apologize for my unannounced visit, milady.” he says, “I don’t know if this was explained to you, but I’m sure your father will explain it.”

Liv plays with the sleeve cuff of her dress, “My father died, a long time ago.”

“My apologies for your loss. Your mother?.” he asks in the most sincere voice.

“She died 72 moons ago. 6 years ago.” she answers nervously, she never knew how to use the whole “many moons” type of thing.

“I’m sorry about your parents, but many years ago, my father and yours made an arrangement for both our families.” he explains to her.

“What arrangement?.” she asks, awkwardly shifting away from him, but not making it noticeable.

“We are arranged to be married, to strengthen both our families because your father, Edmund, was related to the Mercia dynasty.”

Raising her eyebrows, she never knew this information about her father, but then he died when she was 6 years old, so she didn’t know him very well, her mother never mentioned it to her. Unknown if she knew of this arrangement.

“My father? I- I didn’t know any of this. I've never been told about this.” she tells him, feeling like she was on the verge of crying. She started to feel overwhelmed, and Harald saw this. “Marry me, and you won’t have to be scared. You’ll always be protected, and you will be my queen.” he tells her, taking her hands in his. He has this gentle look in his eyes, but it seemed kinda off.

In a way, Liv did believe him, but she wanted to see it to believe it. She reluctantly agreed to take his hand and marry him. But this was just a plot for her to plan her next escape, if given the chance before she was married to him.

***********

Liv & Ubba

Ship name: Libba. Lubba. Livba

They met at a feast held by the Raven clan, Liv isn’t one to be social. She's an introvert. She's one to stand in the corner of the room and watch everyone else have fun. That's her way of having fun.

The drunkards making fools of themselves dancing, eating and singing very loudly. Celebrating very loudly. He approached her, as she was trying not to be seen, but who can miss her with 3 foxes by her side, and her bright copper hair. Not to mention, her lack of tattoos, her long beautiful dresses, and not looking like a viking, but having the mentality of one.

As he approaches her, she tries to not acknowledge him, but not wanting to be rude she gives him a smile. Drinking her mead, and looking down at her furry companions.

“Having fun?.” he asks her, leaning against the wall. Giving her a slight smile, how this man is Ivarr’s brother is beyond Liv’s knowledge. He’s handsome, tall. Taller than her by many, he towers over her and with his big build.

“Yeah, I am.” she responds, giving a smile back.

“Not gonna dance?.” he asks her, a hint of flirtatious in his tone, probably because he's been drinking, and probably wants to get with Liv.

“I’m not much of a dancer.” she tells him, feeling a little embarrassed. Looking away from him.

He lets out a laugh that can’t be heard over the sound of everyone else singing, laughing, and being loud in general. “Neither are these drunken fools.” he tells her as she finishes off her mead and sets down the cup. Finishing her 3rd cup. Feeling a little tipsy and very social.

“I don’t think they will remember anything tonight.” she tells him, feeling the mead hit her as she starts to move a little closer to Ubba. “They’re only good singers when they’re drowning in their mead.”

He takes her hand, “Dance with me.” Unable to protest against him, she follows him, not like she has any choice, she joins him and the others in the group dance of drunks. She had a great time, standing in the corner got a little boring anyway. Dancing and laughing with the members of the Raven clan.

Ubba lifted her up a few times in mid-dance, neither of them could remember, but according to Tove and Petra, Liv and Ubba did share a kiss that was interrupted by Ivarr, and his drunken state.

[zvaigzdelasas]

Citing their past as a Norwegian territory as well as frustration with British governance is nothing new for the Orcadian island group who, in fact, are now doing so “for the third time in half a century” according to Yahoo! Life. Last week, Orkney Island Councillors voted to explore not only “alternative forms of governance” but also options of “greater subsidiarity and autonomy” and “Nordic connections”. In 2020, a ‘similar motion’ was passed by Orkney’s neighbour, the Shetland Islands, who were also part of the same Norse kingdom historically.[...]

other complaints from Orcadians including ‘underfunding’ from Britain have left many sympathising with this latest motion. Orkney Councillor Owen Tierney said: “I have been a councillor now for 11 years and I have seen it all. It has been disappointment after disappointment”.[...]

The BBC News reported that Orkney will explore the concept of becoming Norwegian territory again for the first time since 1472. Stockan said: “We were part of the Norse kingdom for much longer than we were part of the United Kingdom. On the street in Orkney, people come up and say to me when are we going to pay back the dowry? When are we going back to Norway?[...]

Indeed, the Orkney Islands were under Norwegian rule for over 600 years while Orkney by extension to Scotland and its entry to Great Britain has been part of that arrangement for just over 300 years. Orkney’s Nordic heritage, which stretches back over 1,000 years, started in the eighth century when the islands saw an influx of Viking raiders. By 875, Orkney was annexed by Norwegian King Harald Fairhair and the island along with Shetland became an earldom. Undiscovered Scotland: “Saint Magnus Erlendsson, Earl of Orkney, sometimes known as Magnus the Martyr, was Earl of Orkney from 1106 to about 1117.” [...]

“The islands were used as security for the future wife of King James III of Scotland, Margaret of Denmark.” Remnants of Orkney’s Norse heritage can still be felt by way of their language. Historically, the “sixth Scandinavian language” known as Norn was spoken by Orcadians and those in Shetland and Caithness as it evolved from Old Norse. Sadly, the last native speaker died in 1850, however the Scots language of Orkney features Norn motifs and place names still have Nordic hints scattered throughout.[...]

It is not the first time that the Orkney Council has passed such motions but the key difference of this one is that it mandates the exploration of reviving “Nordic connections”. This means that Orkney could even pursue a connection to other countries like Denmark or Iceland.

11 Jul 23

[woahhhgwendolyn]

Harald Taking Your Virginity Would Include...

In a way Harald would be very gentle with you while also getting what he wants out of doing this with you. He would make sure that you were comfortable, and you really wanted to do this with him before he even starts to touch you everywhere. When you nod and tell him you want to do this with him, he immediately starts going for your mouth and starts to make out with you but of course starts very slowly because he knows you have never even made out with any other man before. After a couple of minutes go by of making out kind of slowly, he starts to go by a little faster but also adds in a little bit of touching you a bit making sure that you comfortable with it. When he starts to roam all over your body with his hands he goes to the back of your dress and unties it. When he unties it he slowly takes it off of your shoulders and lets the dress drop all the way down to the floor. Because he did not want to make you uncomfortable, he picked you up and then set you on the bed in front of him then he started to take off his clothes beginning with his shirt. When he got his shirt off, he came down to you and put his knees on the floor to be on the same level as you then he started making out with you again still trying to make you feel comfortable. When you were making out with him, he put his hands on your thighs and started to spread them open because he had wanted to eat you out before he fucked you. When he did that you closed your legs really fast and told him that you were kind of insecure of yourself down there and he told you that it was completely fine and that there was nothing to be worried or insecure about. And that was enough for you to hear from him so you spread your legs open again and let him go between your legs. He had set you down more on your back while you put a pillow under your head to make it more comfortable while you laid on the bed. After he had laid you down on the bed he had gotten back down to his knees and went in between your legs and started to kiss the inside of your thighs and then finally kissing your clit and the rest of your pussy. He had started to lick your clit and suck on it as well. When he was sucking on your pussy like that, he had felt himself get hard, so he had to palm himself through his pants to be able to get through just a little longer while he ate you out. While he was eating you out, he had to basically hold you down because you had kept moving your hips up and down to get more of his tongue on your clit. After a couple minutes of him eating you out he had stopped because he thought that you were ready to be fucked for real now and so he got up and chuckled a bit when you had whined because he wasn't licking your pussy anymore. But even though you were whining that he left your pussy he got up and started to take off his pants slowly and then step out of them and out them on the floor next to his shirt. When he got his pants off, he had laid onto your back again and laid on top of you. When he did this, he had looked at you and had asked you if you still had wanted to do it and you nodded to him saying yes to him. After you had said yes, he had aligned his cock up with your pussy and had slowly put it in you. When he had put it in you both gasped because of the feeling of it. You were surprised actually because you thought that it would hurt. I mean you were really tight, and he was big inside of your pussy so you thought for sure that it would hurt for a little when he had put it in you. But it did not. It was more like that when he put it in it only hurt for a couple of seconds then it started to feel really good. He had gone slow in you for a couple minutes and tried to make sure that you were feeling good as well and then after those few minutes he had started going faster and faster inside of you and he started smiling when he saw you under him starting to moan a lot because of him inside of you. When he was going faster in you, he had started moaning a lot and loud as well. You knew that the people on the outside of your tent were hearing you both fucking hard.

He started going really hard in you when you had felt something in your stomach and it is something you had never really felt before so you thought that it was weird but Harald had noticed that you started becoming tighter around him so he went a little deeper and faster in your pussy because he thought that it meant you were going to cum soon and he was going to cum soon to so he wanted to go deeper and faster inside of you so that you both could cum together. And he was right because when he had started going deeper and faster in you, you had started twitching and screaming because he had felt so good in you. After a couple more of your twitches and becoming tighter around Harald you both had cum and started breathing heavily. After he cummed in you he had fell on top of you breathing heavily and smiled at you and looked at you because of how much he loved you. After a couple of minutes, you both laid down and started cuddling each other. You both got tired eventually so you both went to bed after cuddling for a while.

[mirkwoodest]

hey you're posting about vikings you just woke up the nerd in me who adores the saga of ragnar and his sons and also i want to share my knowledge. so. you get a little vikings themed infodump. you know the scene where harald fairhair sings my mother told me during a raid? well i absolutely lost it when i heard it because it implies something fucking hilarious. so, before harald becomes king, and kind of after, he gets into a fight with a fellow called kvedulf. the specifics aren't important but kvedulf ends up fucking off to iceland to get away from harald because it gets blood-feud hot, and his son skallagrim and skallagrim's son egil fuck off with him.

egil wrote my mother told me, allegedly at seven years old. harald fairhair just casually singing a song written by his nemesis' baby grandson whilst on a raid. i don't know who made that decision but I've been chewing on it ever since. i want their number so i can ask questions.

thank you so much I am holding this fun piece of trivia like a fragile baby bird

[sonderlivra]

30 Days of Bytham

(Basim ibn Ishaq/Hytham)

Day 3 - Prompt #17 - Royal

"There he is, the great royal himself," Sigurd sneers. "Harald Fairhair."

Beside him, Eivor shifts her weight from one foot to another. "More like a royal pain in the—"

"Behave," Basim murmurs, smiling when Sigurd barks out a laugh and even Hytham can't hold back his wheezing chuckle. 

"Oh that's rich, coming from you!" Sigurd turns to Eivor gleefully. "Have I told you of my time at Constantinople, Sister?"

"You have yet to regale me with those tales, Brother," Eivor grins, eyes fixed on Basim, who shrugs with an exaggerated wave of his hands. "Sigurd will drag my name into the dirt, you must not trust everything he says, Eivor."

"And what of your Acolyte?" She asks, eyebrow raised at Hytham.

"Well," Hytham hedges, smile widening when he feels the hand squeezing his waist under his cloak, "all I can say is that not even a king's ransom would move Basim's name from where it already rests."

"And where does it rest?"

"Where does what rest?"

Eivor tuts impatiently. "Basim's name!"

"Why, Eivor," Hytham says sweetly, "I believe it rested on your tongue mere moments ago."

It does what Hytham hoped for: Basim laughs, loud and hearty, warm and golden, richer than the shiniest royal treasure.

-------------

Posted on AO3 here.