#the greenland sagas

[sekkitsune]

The sagas are historical, not mythological

By which I mean, yes, "myths are not stories that are untrue; rather they are tales that don't fit neatly into the historical record, which serve as the foundation of a culture". The sagas do fit neatly into the historical record.

• • •

In Eiríks saga rauða, Erik the Red's saga, there's this bit where Auðr djúpúðga, better known to many as Unn the Deep-Minded, has to flee Scotland after her son is killed and his many enemies come looking for her. So she builds a ship in secret, no small undertaking, and escapes.

Later, someone shows up in Greenland and says "I am a descendant of that same Auðr!" and everyone's duly impressed.

Now, when I read this, it was after I had already read Orkneyinga saga, where this is mentioned in passing—Auðr does this in Caithness, the part of Scotland immediately south of Orkney, and so the story is mentioned in passing as an impressive deed.

So having read first an allusion to it in Orkneyinga saga, then the details and some consequences in Eiriks saga rauða, I was impressed with "oh yeah, this fits together because it's real history."

Then, I read Laxdæla saga and it turns out the entire opening part of it concerns Auðr/Unn directly, and the historicity got even thicker.

• • •

When I was in Iceland, I stayed in the part of the country that is Egils saga land. I mentioned how… let's say, impressively violent Egil is to an Icelandic friend over chat, and he immediately replied with a list of ~49 names, the first being an Egilsdóttir, and the last name his. He just happened to have his direct line of descent handy.

[illustratus]

Thorfinn Karlsefni and Gudrid Thorbjarnardóttir by Hugh McDougal Eaton

[chiropteracupola]

we all have that one friend who convinces you to eat raw acorns and then you get horrifically sick together as a fun bonding activity

[minzapinza]

ok gonna read vinland saga fr fr now

[rhunedhel]

Opera about Freydis and Gudrid from the Vinland Saga. On Prime.

[ifindus]

Would love to hear your thoughts about Norway during his peak in the Middle Ages - The old kingdom!

Thank you so much for all the top-tier historical asks you’ve filled my inbox with 🙏🥺💖 I very much appreciate it ✨

Norgesveldet, Norway at its largest and most powerful is such an interesting topic, and I’d like to take this opportunity to talk more about Norway’s character arch and his standing in Scandinavia during this time. And along this, @95jezzica’s hc that Norway is the oldest out of the Scandis, which I absolutely love.

During the 1200s Norway is at his peak. He is the largest he has ever been, ruling over land far away, a result of his exploration and craftiness at sea. He is involved with an extensive trading network, stretching from his settlements on Greenland, Iceland, the Faeroe Islands, Shetland, Orkney, and the Hebrides, as well as large areas that today belongs to Sweden, with connections to Europe through the Hanseatic League as well as his neighbours. Many of Norway’s territories are inhabited by Norwegian settlers, who all pay taxes to the Norwegian crown, accumulating a fair amount of coin to be spent on buildings and other stately projects. He has the entire North Atlantic under his control. Norway is exporting iron, furs, fish, and fish oil to the rest of Europe. At this time, Norway is the largest nation in Europe measured by land.

At home, Norway has just finished his civil war in 1240, and with a new and stable system in place, he flourishes; the Sagas are written, churches are built, and cities are founded. A sort of government is formed, and a new law is made, establishing a more developed justice system and a more effective military system. Norway was the second kingdom in Europe to be gathered under a common law (after Castille) and establishes diplomatic connections to other countries. The administration of the Norway is solidified and he really takes his shape as a powerful and well-established nation.

Based on the actual year of founding, Norway is the oldest “nation” in Scandinavia, and I want to give Jezz credit here for influencing me towards this hc. Denmark, Sweden, and Norway have all been more or less equal throughout the Viking Age, with some periods where they were in alliances and had more complex relations. Norway was allowed to grow on the basis of Denmark being weaker etc. But we essentially have three nations who grew up together here, similar in age, development, and influence. And we see Norway really grow up through his civil war between 1130 and 1240, coming out stronger as a result. In the 1200s and 1300s he is a genuine powerful nation who has powerful connections and resources.

Then, we get The Plague, The Black Death. Norway is hit a lot harder than Denmark and Sweden. It is almost fatal to him and it nearly kills him, eventually merging his royal family into those of his neighbours, and we see Denmark especially take advantage of the situation to form the Kalmar Union.

And this all makes such an interesting character development for Norway. As a slightly older nation with a rich and proud history, being an equal or maybe even more powerful than his neighbours, at his definite peak, to take such a fall. To end up being stowed away, his existence merely symbolic at times, seeing his future as uncertain and under the total control of others. He falls. He is crippled. And he ends up being tossed around for nearly 500 years before he can finally stand up as an independent nation once more.

It really makes for such an interesting dynamic between the Scandis as well. Both Denmark and Sweden knows what Norway used to be, how powerful and proud he was, and they see what he has been reduced to after the Plague and during the union. Maybe they even start to forget who he used to be. Though sometimes, in certain situations when he is fired up, they can see remnants of the nation he once was.

They are definitely reminded of his past in 1814 and 1905.

[countriesgame]

Please reblog for a bigger sample size!

If you have any fun fact about Iceland, please tell us and I'll reblog it!

[loki-was-framed]

For the sensible people who don't get it, “Eiríkr inn rauði” is "Erik the Red" in Old Norse.

For the one person who got it and thought it was funny: nice.

[repo-net]

EO5-Styled intros for the stratums from EO1 and EO2!

I finished playing EO5 a while back, and one of the things I really liked about the game were the short narrated sequences that played when you reached a stratum for the first time. The voice actress kills the role, and just the music slowly kicking in as she introduces just what you're about to get yourself into - aaahh, it's so good.

To help practice a bit of my description writing when it comes to locations and short tidbits of lore, I decided to try my hand at doing my own renditions of these sequences for the EO1 and 2 stratums! Hopefully they look alright, eheh.

Spoilers under the cut!

EO1

Every adventurer has a dream: whether it be for glory, for riches, for knowledge, or for purpose. Without fail, all of them flock to this mighty tree.

Regardless of the purity in their heart, the first step into these vast greenlands is filled with ambition.

That very same ambition is what has led to the end of so many. And yet for you, it may just be the start…

The legendary story born from hope blossomed here.

The first stratum, Emerald Grove

Descending down the stairs, a new layer of the labyrinth welcomes you.

Darker than the last, the tropical wilderness buzzes your ear with the sounds of trickling water, and cries of a new set of beasts.

Those who basked in their success of survival of the basics; learned far too late…

… That here, nature reigns supreme.

The second stratum, Primitive Jungle

Conquering the lord of the jungle, a mesmerizing sight shines against your eyes.

A moist scent wafting in the air, with a cobalt hue that makes one forget you’re still within a forest.

A queen of the insects lies in wait here, and below even her grasp is a mystery only a handful have seen, yet one question continues to prod.

Has that secret been forgotten by age, or has it grown into something more?

The third stratum, Azure Rainforest

Layer after layer of blooming life, comes to a harsh, arid halt upon this new arrival.

These wastelands filled with long stretches of beige and grains scraping against skin, is the very home of an ancient race.

They speak of a century-old pact, fully ready to defend their turf. To hide what’s below, and to see what’s below.

Wills even in the face of death are about to be tested here.

The fourth stratum, Sandy Barrens

Only the cursed king on his throne in the abyss remembers that golden age.

A world overwhelmed by verdure and promises of revival. A time and tragedy that only one man can tell the true story of.

Structures and mechanisms that you have never seen the likes of, with memories so distant, but so near all the same.

The mysteries that have been kept under for a millenia, it is your destiny to unravel them and see for your own - the secrets of Yggdrasil.

The fifth stratum, Lost Shinjuku

Below even the origin of creation is a place past the naked eye. 

A system of organs solely out of the blood dripping from stratas above, drenching the pulsing and veiny walls with a sickening red.

Screams and wails of agony from a creature tortured by its purpose, engulfing itself in this cavern to take its revenge on trespassers that were never meant to reach here.

For descending to the roots of this labyrinth, its very core will stop at nothing to engrave you into it.

The sixth stratum, Claret Hollows

EO2

The second saga of a legend already born, or the first for the arisal of new ones.

Whoever the author may be, this story begins all the same, with an invitation from a new land to ascend to heights yet to be reached.

These grassy woods that surround the bottom of the mighty tree…

Mark the intro for an adventure unlike any before.

The first stratum, Ancient Forest

Pushing through the daunting beginning trials, an opening paves way into a new flavor of woods.

These orange lands filled with prickly tails and segwaying paths; they provoke the explorers with a dilemma.

Will you grit your teeth through thorns for instant gratification, or will you dance with the roars of beasts seemingly undentable?

Be decisive, lest you go a route that leads to a pitiful end.

The second stratum, Auburn Thicket

Biting through fragile flesh, as soon as getting past the heat of the thicket.

Grazing against the adventurers, a stinging test from the polar opposite on the journey up north.

This icy surface, disrupting the pursuit towards the top, has spelled the end of many tales thought to be on the road of destiny.

Pass by these freezing storms, and at the peak awaits a tragedy long foretold; yet this is only one of his many, many failings.

The third stratum, Frozen Grounds

Lagaard knew not what was past those snowy acres, until they arrived; and now - they continue to soar.

Like the monsters and curious souls that reside here, these pink, rosy blossoms mark the start of heights never been reached.

Through echoes heard upward, each footstep through this cherry territory serenades the adventurers.

Keep on climbing, recite a long lost grail, and you’ll be one step closer to the heavens. But tread carefully - the war ahead may overwhelm even those chosen by fate.

The fourth stratum, Petal Bridge

The world was once overtaken by Earth itself. Those fortunate enough, built a stronghold to survive.

Centuries passed. And eventually, not even the stronghold could hold its strength. 

The one constant… was him. 

Renewing it to his liking, a phenomenal palace not even fairy tales could mold. A castle glistening with gold, proudly idling above the skies where no one could reach him. No matter how long it takes. No matter how many will be lost.

Despite all the years, he’s always kept one promise burned into his mind.

“Humanity must survive.”

The fifth stratum, Heavenly Keep

Eternity - a word no mortal could understand the true weight of. 

An eternity of mistakes. An eternity of lives lost from obsession. 

An eternity of abominations created by his hand. Yet not one was worse than his first.

Over his created heaven, was a forest so eden, so seemingly tranquil; yet nothing was more dangerous. It’s a sanctuary with just a singular purpose.

A forsaken prison, to house his darkest criminal.

The sixth stratum, Forbidden Wood

[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.

[notasapleasure]

Opening sentence meme

Tagged by @colleybri thank you, lovely! :) I think I got tagged in this last year, and my number of fics/their variety hasn’t exactly changed much since then, but hey ho! A reminder to me - and some background for newer friends here - that I do sometimes write things that aren’t just the same Brassian smut again and again…

Nevertheless, the first 6 are all Brassian, all the time. Look, I know what I – and about three other people – like, and I’m just going to keep finding ways to bake that cake again and again until Tony Gilroy ruins my fun (lol good luck Tony, canon is whatever I feel like).

1. don’t need any help to be breakable

The trip to Morlana One had been uneventful.

Not strictly doing anything different from ‘Counting on You’, etc. (#3 below, see also #6), but specifically exploring the facet of Brassian that might exist in a world where the alibi was true, ish, only ‘helping Cassian back to his chair’ was a euphemism for punching him. Finishing this was a challenge to myself, and I did it, so I’ll carry on being smug about that I guess.

2. The world turning at his pace

It should have been a simple job.

One-shot van sex AU. No I don’t need to explain myself and I won’t.

3. Counting on You

The rain on Ferrix is heavy when it arrives.

Needed to keep scratching the itch of ‘Only ever just one night’ (below, #6), so this is the outlet I use mostly when I just need to write some Brassian filth. Theoretically working towards a ‘five times they X, one time they Y’ format. Eventually.

4. The Saga of the Coal-biter and the Skraeling

I was born the year Erik the outlaw discovered Greenland.

My beloved cuckoo-child that’s an excuse to process all those years of research while being self-indulgent about the blorbos. As if it wasn’t going to be niche enough, Brasso insisted he wanted to tell it in the first person.

5. Escape velocity

Cassian is working his way through the crowds at Cavo's.

Ok, this isn’t really the same Brassian fic as always, it’s the most wholesome thing I’ve written for the pair, which is tragically ironic given I’d just ‘met’ @r0b0tb0y and decided to inflict a birthday gift on them. I owe you tentacles, buddy.

6. Only ever just one night

There isn't really a knock at the make-shift door.

My first Andor fic! That I swore I wouldn’t write. Then swore would be a one-shot. Then spent ages imagining a sequel to that seemed like too much effort to write. So instead I wrote variations on it again and again.

7. Whumptober 2022: ‘You better start talking’

Francis Crawford was sitting outside Kings Cafe in the bright grey light of a crisp autumn day in Glasgow.

I did a whole set of Whumptober fics for my 1980’s rock band AU for The Lymond Chronicles (a series of historical novels set in the 16th century), and didn’t actually finish uploading them to ao3 (they're all over at @theartistknownaslymond), but this is the most recent one I uploaded. Game of Kings setting, Will Scott trying to get his confession.

8. Whumptober 2022: Blood-covered hands

When Francis came round, he was on his back in the middle of the floor.

Lymond band AU, prequel-era – got to account for those galley scars somehow!

9. Whumptober 2022: Forced to Kneel/’Hold them Down’

Francis' usual pre-gig routine was always disturbed when he was at a music festival.

Lymond band AU, Disorderly Knights – Francis having a bad day in a tent, no whipping posts needed!

10. Whumptober 2022: Toxic/Withdrawal

"Eurgh, Pippa I feel like shit..."

Lymond band AU where Joleta survives (an overdose rather than a stabbing in) Disorderly Knights.

Patterns

So I evidently love a short, sharp introduction. One of the only bits of writing advice I ever remember receiving was about writing a pithy first sentence so I guess that tracks - though this isn't done consciously at all.

I think I'm always trying to convey some relatively straightforward piece of setting detail and if possible smuggle in a question at the same time (why's the door makeshift, why was that guy an outlaw, how's there a story if things were uneventful). I want the reader to experience something sensory if possible - the sound of rain/crowds/a knock/a music festival, or the afternoon light in Glasgow, or the disorientation/unease of arriving in the middle of something - while also having a fairly clear picture of where we are temporally or geographically, or which characters are there and whose perspective we've got. You can't always get all that in a single sentence but I like my opener to fill as much as possible in using as few words as possible - or that's what I'd say if I was bullshitting an essay on it for a class in the morning :)

Tagging - though no pressure as I don't know how recently you might have done this or if you have time: @boatcats, @elwenyere , @faceofpoe , @r0b0tb0y , @stripedroseandsketchpads , @batri-jopa and anyone else who likes, feel free to say I tagged you!

[typhlonectes]

First Viking settlement in North America dated to exactly 1000 years ago

Felled trees and cosmic rays reveal when L’Anse aux Meadows was occupied

The first permanent settlement of Vikings in North America—a seaside outpost in Newfoundland known as L’Anse aux Meadows—has tantalized archaeologists for more than 60 years. Now, scientists at last have a precise date for the site: Tree rings show a Viking ax felled trees on the North American continent exactly 1000 years ago, in 1021 C.E. The result is a star example of a relatively new dating method using a spike in solar radiation that left its mark in tree rings around the world. “The precision is astounding,” says Rachel Wood, a radiocarbon scientist at the Australian National University who wasn’t involved in the new study. “The idea to use these short-term sharp fluctuations in radiocarbon … has been around for a few years, but it is great to see it actually being used to date an important archaeological site.” The Vinland sagas, a pair of Icelandic texts written in the 13th century, describe the Norse explorer Leif Erikson’s expeditions to a land referred to as Vinland. Although the texts contain their fair share of embellishment, most historians agree the sagas show Vikings sailed southwest from Greenland and reached the North American continent sometime at the turn of the millennium. The discovery of a Viking-era archaeological site in 1960 featuring the remains of distinctive Norse-style buildings, a bronze cloak pin, iron nails, and other Viking artifacts bolstered such evidence...

Read more: https://www.science.org/content/article/first-viking-settlement-north-america-dated-exactly-1000-years-ago

[illustratus]

Summer night under the Greenlandic Coast circa A.D. 1000 (Erik the Red and his crew on board a Viking ship)

by Carl Rasmussen

[bonobochick]

Trina & Spencer on the way home after their adventure in Greenland. 🥰  

They definitely grew closer during this abduction saga. 

General Hospital ep airing May 10, 2023

[247reader]

Day 25: Gudrid vìðförla Thorbjarnardóttir!

Guðríðr Þorbjarnardóttir was born in the late 10th century, to a prominent Icelandic family. Her father, Thorbjorn, was chieftain of Laugarbrekka, and he took pride in his social status; when Gudrid fell in love with an unsuitably lowborn man, he opted to remove her from the temptation entirely, and brought her along when he voyages to Greenland with Erik the Red.

One saga reports that Gudrid made a (presumably more acceptable to her father) marriage at this time, to Thorir, a Norwegian trader, but she was quickly left a widow. It’s unclear what religion Thorbjorn practiced, but Gudrid was by this time a Christian; many Norse of the period, however, picked and chose which bits of new and traditional religion they liked. Gudrid’s second marriage was a politically advantageous one: to Erik the Red’s son, Thorsteinn, brother to the famous Leif Erikson - and a man determined to continue his brother’s efforts in Vinland.

It’s unclear whether Gudrid accompanied him on the ensuing voyage, but two things are clear: Thorsteinn died of illness en route, and while Gudrid, back in Greenland, married another prominent man, the idea of Vínland never left her. She soon convinced her new husband, Thorfinn, to finance an expedition with an eye to claiming the uncharted territory.

But North America, of course, was not uninhabited land. And while the settlement flourished for a brief period, long enough for Gudrid to give birth to a son, within a few years of Snorri’s birth conflicts with the indigenous inhabitants the Norsemen called “Skraelings” were constant. Gudrid, her husband, and their son returned to Iceland, the land of her birth - but Gudrid’s last great journey was still to come. After her husband’s death, she made a pilgrimage to Rome - truly earning her epithet: Vìðförla, the Well-travelled.

[aefensteorrra]

finished reading the Vinland sagas this afternoon (the saga of the Greenlanders and the saga of Erik the red) and I can't stop thinking about them, it really feels like you're on these journeys yourself with familiar people... must read more sagas