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Excerpt from The Rune Masters of Odin
Copyright © 2024 by Rodney R. Baker. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. ISBN: 97988772887393
In the beginning, Odin formed the earth, seas, and sky. He made two beings
resembling himself and the other gods, one male and one female, and gave
them blood, sight, and the ability to speak and feel.
In his quest to gain wisdom and knowledge, Odin traded one eye to drink
from the Well of Wisdom. To obtain knowledge of the occult, he sacrificially
speared himself to a tree. At the end of nine days, he had acquired understanding
of the magical powers of the runes.
This knowledge of the runes to control the forces of nature and to foretell
the future he gave to those who would serve him.
Norse Mythology
Prologue
The Viking Age in Norway and the rest of Scandinavia dates from the end of the 8th Century and continues into the 9th and 10th centuries. The Viking Age label includes the farmers and others who earned their living working on the land, but the term is more often associated with those seeking their fortunes on the sea. This included the fierce Viking warriors and pirates who invaded much of Europe and beyond as well as the trader Vikings and explorers who found new worlds in search of trade profits along the shores of Iceland, Greenland, and the North American lands in Canada.Norse craftsmen even built uniquely designed boats for warriors and pirates, for traders and explorers, and for local transportation and fishing along the coasts. The larger drakkar or longships used in battle were designed for fast and sleek travel. They were propelled by oars and a large single sail, were around 80-100 feet long, had shallow bottoms, and could travel inland on rivers and lakes carrying 60-80 warriors. The knarr ships were the Viking vessels better suited for carrying trade goods for ocean travel with their wider and higher deck, broader flat bottom, and larger cargo hold. They relied more on sail power using a single square sail and had a crew of six to eight men who used oars for additional propulsion. Their shorter length of about 50-60 feet also made the knarr a better ship in rough water. The karve was the smallest and most versatile of the Viking ships used for transporting people and cargo along the coast. With its smaller size, narrow design and shallow draft, it was easier to navigate the narrow inlets along the coast. Ranging in size and propelled by oars with 6-16 rowing benches, a sail could and often was added. When equipped with nets to catch herring or using lines, hooks, and spears to catch larger fish, the karve was the largest fishing vessel operating along the coast along with the many smaller fishing boats that lined the village harbors.Life for most in the Viking age was simple. You either hunted the forests, farmed the land, fished the waters, or had merchant or leader roles in the village to manage trade activities. But you also had to cloth, feed, and shelter yourself. This was easier to do in family units, especially on farms where someone had carpentry skills to build and maintain a longhouse, someone knew how to prepare the land for harvest, someone knew how take wool from sheep and turn it into clothing, and someone knew how to dry or smoke meat and cheese for storage over the winter…or used those items to trade for other items needed. And since there were no schools, children learned what they needed to know from their parents.Seaport settlements or villages and their harbors flourished along the coasts of Norway. The abundance of fish provided an important source of food to village settlements The many farms near the harbors and villages were important to the trade with their grain being a desired food as well as trade commodity, especially barley and rye which could not be grown in Iceland. Other valued trade items in Iceland, especially for those from Norway who wanted to establish new homes and farms there, included timber to build longhouses as well as iron tools, millstones, and grinding stones. Animal skins and leather were also popular in trade.Historical accounts of 9th century Norway agree that there were many political entities labeled as fylki or kingdoms throughout the country, each with their own king. There is little agreement, however, on how many there were with estimates ranging from 20 to 29 small and large kingdoms. The many kingdoms were often formed with the natural barriers of the mountains and fjords on the west coast with settlements remote from each other and almost inaccessible by land. Some of the petty kingdoms could have been as small as a group of villages with a respected or feared family and the head of that family demanding or being given the title of king.It was perhaps inevitable that there would be talk of a single king uniting and ruling all of Norway. In the middle of the 9th century, King Harald Hårfagre succeeded to the throne after the death of his father, Halfdan the Black, and began pursuing the goal of becoming king of all Norway. Many were not happy, however, with the idea of a single king of the country who levied taxes on landowners and sought a tribute from the traders on their profits to support the king’s army and his other expenses. That dissatisfaction in fact resulted in many individuals and families who sought travel with the traders to start new lives and build settlements in what was being called the New World, especially Iceland.Also receiving historical attention in the 9th century were the legends of Norse mythology with rune masters honoring Odin and the other gods. Rune masters invoked the magic of Odin’s runes in spells for multiple purposes ranging from successful harvests to blessings for the safety of the trade ships to protection from all dangers on the land.The Viking Age was also a time for the beginning ascendency of Christianity in the Viking countries. Traders would encounter Christian communities in their travel to lands to the south and east of Norway, and many of those communities would not trade with pagans. The practical trader would adopt Christian customs and rituals during those visits. Since the traders were already used to honoring many Norse gods, honoring one more god who could promise protection for their ships was easily justified. The new religion presented difficulty for many in giving up the old gods, however. Some would honor both the old and the new gods. Although it was traditional to ask a rune master to provide a spell of protection and success for the trade ships and their crew, blessings would also be sought from the church for the same ships to help insure a successful trade outcome.According to Norse mythology, the first rune masters acquired the knowledge and magic of the runes from Odin himself. Later, the rune masters themselves trained other rune masters to serve Viking Age communities. Odin not only shared the knowledge of the runes to control the forces of nature with those who served him but also taught them the magic of the runes in foretelling the future.
Chapter 1
Stavaslad, a village harbor on the
southwest coast of Norway – 840 A.D.
The early morning sunrises during the summer were giving way to later sunrises in the fall over the coast of Stavaslad. Fishermen were first to stir in the harbor as they set out to catch cod and herring that they would later trade for cheese, curds, and smoked meat that nearby farmers brought to the village. Those that lived further inland and hunted the forests might also bring animal skins to the village that could be used for clothing during the upcoming winter months.
Although the day started like many others in the village, next week’s Vetrarblot celebration of the harvest added increasing anticipation to each day. Merchants set out their wares to attract buyers who would venture into the village after the morning chores, but they also began asking villagers and farmers to increase their deliveries of smoked meat and cheese and especially ale for those expected to be celebrating in the village square. Since the holiday would be following a successful harvest, food would be plentiful. Everyone would wear their finest clothes. Singing, dancing, and storytelling would fill the evening, and more than one villager or farmer from the surrounding area would be drunk from ale before the night ended.It was only the absence of the seven trading ships that left Stavaslad before last year’s Vetrarblot that marred the celebration plans. No one had heard from nor expected any word of their voyage since the village rune master, Ingvild, had asked Odin to bless the safety of the ships and their crew and the success of the trade, but it had been hoped that their trade and return would add to the festivities. No one wanted to voice the concern that they might never return although the loss of a ship or two to the fierce ocean storms they would encounter would not be unexpected. Although most of the ship captains and their crew had made multiple visits to the shorter trade sites west to the Shetland Islands and to the Faroes, this was the first venture from the Stavaslad harbor to travel further west to an island reported to have waterfalls, volcanos, and strange natives that had only been viewed by a few but with a promise of a rich trade in ivory and furs.In the longhouses of the trader families, hopes still ran high for the return of the trading ships, especially in the Gudbrand farm longhouse. Two of Gudbrand’s grandsons, Asgeir and Arnuf, captained trading ships seeking the island to the far west. Both had been among those taking their ships to the Shetland and Faroes but were now using vague reports of guidance by stars and ocean currents to reach their destination. Asgeir was the older and more experienced ship captain and was especially talented in guiding his ship by the stars. That gave him the unofficial title of leader of the trading ships.Others in Gudbrand’s longhouse waiting word of the trading ships included his son Vidar and Vidar’s wife, Gunhilda, and their 19-year-old daughter, Caryn. They diligently went about their chores each day and chose not to talk with one another about the fate of the trading ships.
Chapter 2
Caryn woke up hearing her mother start the dagmal or morning meal and tossed aside the furs that kept her warm in the open sleeping areas built into the sides of the large single room of their longhouse. She knew that her grandfather and father were already outside completing their morning chores. She added a woolen tunic and shawl to her linen dress and pulled on thick wooly socks and soft leather shoes for her feet. She also covered her long golden hair with a wool scarf knowing there would be a chill in the air as she went outside to feed the chickens and collect their eggs. After bringing in the eggs she found, she finished her chores by fetching wood from the lean-to building next to the house for their open hearth and the cauldron over the hearth fire in the middle of the longhouse.
During the morning meal, her grandfather and father talked about building another outside protected enclosure to house more of their goats and sheep before the winter came. They also discussed whether they had enough hay to feed all of the milk cows during the upcoming winter and how many of the bulls they needed to slaughter to dry or smoke their meat to store for the winter to save the hay for the milk cows. Her mother only added her thoughts about storing cheese and curds for the winter.Caryn had little interest in the discussion but was looking forward to the end of the meal when she could make her daily visit to see Ingvild, always a highlight of her day. The rune master’s small longhouse was close by, and the entire Gudbrand family always made sure she had whatever help she needed. Sometimes her grandfather or father would join Caryn on her visit to do some carpentry work for Ingvild or gather and cut oak tree limbs for her open-hearth fire and cauldron.Before Caryn left, her mother gave her some unleavened bread and buttermilk left over from their morning meal to take to Ingvild. As she made her way to Ingvild’s longhouse, Caryn once more thought how important Ingvild was in her life. She knew that the entire village sought her wisdom and rune skills. But Caryn only knew that Ingvild was the kindest and wisest person she knew and always made her feel welcome. And there would always be a warm herb drink for her when she visited.Arriving at the longhouse, Caryn knocked lightly and entered knowing that Ingvild was expecting her. She saw Ingvild sitting by the hearth fire that warmed the single room of the small longhouse and Ingvild greeted her as she usually did.“Good morning, Caryn. Are you well?”“I am, Great Mother. I bring you some bread and buttermilk from my mother.”“Please place them on the table. And if you will crush the herbs for our drink, I will heat the water.”Ingvild returned shortly with the hot water and poured it into their cups to which Caryn had added the crushed herbs. They drank their warm beverage in silence.“You are quiet today and seem troubled,” said Ingvild.Caryn knew she could never hide her feelings from Ingvild.“It is just that I am worried about my brother and uncle and the trading ships they command. We had hoped that they and the other ships would have returned by now. But I cannot speak of those concerns to my grandfather, father, or my mother. They do not wish to talk about it.”“Do you believe they don’t care?”“No. I believe that they are also worried. It’s just that…I don’t know.”“Perhaps they don’t want to worry you by talking about it.”“Maybe.”“What else do you think it might be?”“Sometimes I think they believe that talking about it might dishonor you or anger Odin who you asked to bless the ships and the safety of the crew.”“Do you believe that?”“Not really.”“Do you remember what we talked about when I told you I would be preparing a galdor or spell asking Odin to bless and protect the ships and crew and grant them a successful voyage and safe return of the ships?”“You said that you honored Odin by asking him to protect the ships and if the ships returned safely that we should thank Odin.”“Did I say we should be unhappy with Odin if all of the ships did not return safely?”“No. You said that if even one ship did not return, it would be Odin’s decision that it should be so and that we should accept that decision.”“Can you think of a reason that Odin might have for not granting a spell of protection for the ships or their safe return by all?”“I cannot, Great Mother.”“Perhaps we could both think about what that reason might be and talk more about it the next time you visit.”“Yes, Great Mother.”“When you return to your longhouse, be sure to thank your mother for the bread and buttermilk.”“I will not forget.”Leaving Ingvild and walking back to her longhouse, Caryn reminded herself that this was not the first time Ingvild asked her to think more about a question that Caryn raised with her with thesuggestion they talk about it later. And Ingvild would expect her to have a possible reason why Odin might not have all of the ships returning safely after Ingvild had asked for his blessing for the ships. Caryn was not sure she would be able to think of a reason, but she knew she would have to make sure that she would take some time to think about the question before visiting Ingvild tomorrow. * * *
Later in the day, a woman cleaning fish at the harbor saw a ship on the horizon. As it came nearer and other ships appeared, the woman realized that the trade ships were returning from their long voyage and hurried to tell others. The news spread quickly throughout the harbor and village, and a festive spirit arose in anticipation of seeing the traders, hearing their stories, and drinking a cup of ale or two with them.
Chapter 3
When the news of the return of the trade ships reached Gudbrand and Vidar, they left for the harbor to greet the ships with the others who would be waiting for their arrival. Caryn wanted to go with them, but her mother suggested it would be better if they began to prepare a special nattmal or night meal to welcome home Asgeir and Arnuf. Caryn gathered some onions, leeks, and peas from the garden and added it to the lamb stew that Gunhilda had started along with some garlic and thyme they were saving for a special occasion. The longhouse soon started to take on the odors of the food they were cooking. Both Gunhilda and Caryn changed into clean linen dresses and woolen tunics as they waited for the rest of their family to return from the harbor.
Caryn remembered that Asgeir had promised to find her a gift from the far west island and was wondering what her brother would bring her when her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of people talking outside of their longhouse. She guessed that some of Asgeir and Arnuf’s friends had decided to walk back to the longhouse with them to hear more of their stories of the voyage and were saying their good-byes. When Asgeir finally entered with his father and grandfather, he first greeted his mother and explained that Karita had met Arnuf at the harbor and that he was going with her to her longhouse to also greet her parents and would be here shortly.Caryn smiled knowing that it was always thought that her uncle and Karita would marry someday.Asgeir turned around and asked, “but where is that little girl who was my sister? Had she something more important to do today than greet her brother? And who is this young woman in the longhouse?”“You know it is me, Asgeir,” said Caryn and ran up to her brother and hugged him.“You have grown very tall while I was away, and your hair is longer. You are indeed no longer a little girl, Caryn, but a young woman. Let me see if I can find that gift I brought for you. It is somewhere in my pack. Ah, here it is still covered in the fur I was given.”Caryn carefully opened the soft fur wrap and found a leather necklace holding a small bear carved from a piece of ivory.“Oh Asgeir, I love it. The bear is so lifelike.” “I received it in trade from a skraeling, that’s what we call the natives on the island, who said the carving was a talisman given powers of the spirits by an angakkug to protect the owner. The angakkug is apparently some kind of shaman or religious leader who communicates with the spirits of the land.”“I will wear it and cherish it forever, Asgeir. You will have to tell me more about it and about the island you found.”“Later,” said Asgeir, “but I hear Arnuf at the door, and I am hungry for the warm meal you and mother have prepared for us after the months of eating cold food at sea.”At that point, Arnuf entered the longhouse and greeted his aunt and Caryn, also with a comment about the delicious food odors in the longhouse and looking forward to a warm meal.While eating, Asgeir and Arnuf described the difficulty they had in reaching the island which made the journey longer than expected.“We first approached the west coast of the island too far north,” said Asgeir. “It had ice floes in the fjords, and we had to sail further to the south to be able to find suitable landing areas. For our next voyage to the island we will know to sail in a more southerly direction and that should also help us avoid some of the strong storms and ice in the north ocean.”“It is a very large island,” said Arnuf, “but it is difficult to estimate its size. We traveled a long distance south along the coast looking for favorable landing locations. Unless it is a very narrow island from its west to east coast, it may in fact be close to the size of Denmark.”“Surely not that large,” said Vidar.“It could be, father,” said Asgeir. “We did not have time to sail around the southern part of the island to see how wide it might be. The skraelings confirmed it is an island but could not adequately describe its width for us.”
Both commented on the potential of the island for being a highly profitable trade destination.“We brought back many animal hides, ivory, and other items,” said Asgeir, “but the white and blue fox hides we received in trade will especially be highly prized in the trade market.”After the meal and the dishes were cleared, Asgeir and Arnuf were encouraged to talk more about what they had seen and done on their journey.“The skraelings we met on the island were shorter than us and had dark skins with tangled hair and broad cheeks,” said Asgeir, “and they wore animal hides. They were hesitant to meet us at first, but we overcame that with our gifts. It was easy to use gestures to communicate our interest in trading tools or other items for skins and ivory, and they clearly had experience in trading with each other to make them astute and clever traders in their interactions with us. By the time we left we had also learned some words in each other’s language, and we were welcomed back by most we met with.”“As we became more friendly with each other,” said Arnuf, “we were invited into their tent dwellings, also covered with animal skins. The top of the tents had openings so that they could have a small fire in the tent for warmth with the smoke escaping throughthe top of the tent, much like the openings in the roof over our hearth fires in our longhouses. And just like our longhouses the tents always smelled of smoke.”“Although they fished the waters in boats and hunted small animals as we do,” continued Arnuf, “the countryside was much different. There were very few trees and the trees you could find were small and scrawny. They also had many waterfalls.”“I was most interested in one of the volcanos we could see in the distance,” said Asgeir. “The skraelings believe that the spirits of the land must always be pleased. If the spirits were offended with them, they feared the volcanos would shake the ground, spit fierce fires into the sky, and melted rock would spill over the top of the volcanos and burn the land.”“Did you see the volcanos spit fire into the sky or feel the ground shake?” asked Caryn.“No,” said her brother, “and from the stories I heard I would not want to be around when they did.”Asgeir could not hide his yawn and confessed to some weariness from the long day.“We will have time tomorrow,” said Gunhilda, “to hear more stories. For now, let us get some sleep. We must also plan for the opening of the Vetrarblot celebration in two days. And village Chief Stavason has asked that Asgeir and Arnuf be introduced during the evening ceremonies.”As Caryn readied for bed and pulled the furs over her, she was pleased that her brother and uncle were safe and looked forward to her visit with Ingvild in the morning to tell her all that she had learned from them about the strange island to the west. It was then that she remembered that she had not taken time to think of a reason why Odin might not have all of the trader ships returning safely after Ingvild had asked for a blessing of protection. She started thinking about the reason but fell asleep before deciding what she would tell Ingvild.
Excerpt from The Rune Masters of Odin
Copyright © 2024 by Rodney R. Baker. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. ISBN: 97988772887393
In the beginning, Odin formed the earth, seas, and sky. He made two beings
resembling himself and the other gods, one male and one female, and gave
them blood, sight, and the ability to speak and feel.
In his quest to gain wisdom and knowledge, Odin traded one eye to drink
from the Well of Wisdom. To obtain knowledge of the occult, he sacrificially
speared himself to a tree. At the end of nine days, he had acquired understanding
of the magical powers of the runes.
This knowledge of the runes to control the forces of nature and to foretell
the future he gave to those who would serve him.
Norse Mythology
Prologue
The Viking Age in Norway and the rest of Scandinavia dates from the end of the 8th Century and continues into the 9th and 10th centuries. The Viking Age label includes the farmers and others who earned their living working on the land, but the term is more often associated with those seeking their fortunes on the sea. This included the fierce Viking warriors and pirates who invaded much of Europe and beyond as well as the trader Vikings and explorers who found new worlds in search of trade profits along the shores of Iceland, Greenland, and the North American lands in Canada.
Norse craftsmen even built uniquely designed boats for warriors and pirates, for traders and explorers, and for local transportation and fishing along the coasts. The larger drakkar or longships used in battle were designed for fast and sleek travel. They were propelled by oars and a large single sail, were around 80-100 feet long, had shallow bottoms, and could travel inland on rivers and lakes carrying 60-80 warriors. The knarr ships were the Viking vessels better suited for carrying trade goods for ocean travel with their wider and higher deck, broader flat bottom, and larger cargo hold. They relied more on sail power using a single square sail and had a crew of six to eight men who used oars for additional propulsion. Their shorter length of about 50-60 feet also made the knarr a better ship in rough water. The karve was the smallest and most versatile of the Viking ships used for transporting people and cargo along the coast. With its smaller size, narrow design and shallow draft, it was easier to navigate the narrow inlets along the coast. Ranging in size and propelled by oars with 6-16 rowing benches, a sail could and often was added. When equipped with nets to catch herring or using lines, hooks, and spears to catch larger fish, the karve was the largest fishing vessel operating along the coast along with the many smaller fishing boats that lined the village harbors.Life for most in the Viking age was simple. You either hunted the forests, farmed the land, fished the waters, or had merchant or leader roles in the village to manage trade activities. But you also had to cloth, feed, and shelter yourself. This was easier to do in family units, especially on farms where someone had carpentry skills to build and maintain a longhouse, someone knew how to prepare the land for harvest, someone knew how take wool from sheep and turn it into clothing, and someone knew how to dry or smoke meat and cheese for storage over the winter…or used those items to trade for other items needed. And since there were no schools, children learned what they needed to know from their parents.
Seaport settlements or villages and their harbors flourished along the coasts of Norway. The abundance of fish provided an important source of food to village settlements The many farms near the harbors and villages were important to the trade with their grain being a desired food as well as trade commodity, especially barley and rye which could not be grown in Iceland. Other valued trade items in Iceland, especially for those from Norway who wanted to establish new homes and farms there, included timber to build longhouses as well as iron tools, millstones, and grinding stones. Animal skins and leather were also popular in trade.
Historical accounts of 9th century Norway agree that there were many political entities labeled as fylki or kingdoms throughout the country, each with their own king. There is little agreement, however, on how many there were with estimates ranging from 20 to 29 small and large kingdoms. The many kingdoms were often formed with the natural barriers of the mountains and fjords on the west coast with settlements remote from each other and almost inaccessible by land. Some of the petty kingdoms could have been as small as a group of villages with a respected or feared family and the head of that family demanding or being given the title of king.
It was perhaps inevitable that there would be talk of a single king uniting and ruling all of Norway. In the middle of the 9th century, King Harald Hårfagre succeeded to the throne after the death of his father, Halfdan the Black, and began pursuing the goal of becoming king of all Norway. Many were not happy, however, with the idea of a single king of the country who levied taxes on landowners and sought a tribute from the traders on their profits to support the king’s army and his other expenses. That dissatisfaction in fact resulted in many individuals and families who sought travel with the traders to start new lives and build settlements in what was being called the New World, especially Iceland.Also receiving historical attention in the 9th century were the legends of Norse mythology with rune masters honoring Odin and the other gods. Rune masters invoked the magic of Odin’s runes in spells for multiple purposes ranging from successful harvests to blessings for the safety of the trade ships to protection from all dangers on the land.
The Viking Age was also a time for the beginning ascendency of Christianity in the Viking countries. Traders would encounter Christian communities in their travel to lands to the south and east of Norway, and many of those communities would not trade with pagans. The practical trader would adopt Christian customs and rituals during those visits. Since the traders were already used to honoring many Norse gods, honoring one more god who could promise protection for their ships was easily justified. The new religion presented difficulty for many in giving up the old gods, however. Some would honor both the old and the new gods. Although it was traditional to ask a rune master to provide a spell of protection and success for the trade ships and their crew, blessings would also be sought from the church for the same ships to help insure a successful trade outcome.
According to Norse mythology, the first rune masters acquired the knowledge and magic of the runes from Odin himself. Later, the rune masters themselves trained other rune masters to serve Viking Age communities. Odin not only shared the knowledge of the runes to control the forces of nature with those who served him but also taught them the magic of the runes in foretelling the future.
Chapter 1
Stavaslad, a village harbor on the
southwest coast of Norway – 840 A.D.
The early morning sunrises during the summer were giving way to later sunrises in the fall over the coast of Stavaslad. Fishermen were first to stir in the harbor as they set out to catch cod and herring that they would later trade for cheese, curds, and smoked meat that nearby farmers brought to the village. Those that lived further inland and hunted the forests might also bring animal skins to the village that could be used for clothing during the upcoming winter months.
Although the day started like many others in the village, next week’s Vetrarblot celebration of the harvest added increasing anticipation to each day. Merchants set out their wares to attract buyers who would venture into the village after the morning chores, but they also began asking villagers and farmers to increase their deliveries of smoked meat and cheese and especially ale for those expected to be celebrating in the village square. Since the holiday would be following a successful harvest, food would be plentiful. Everyone would wear their finest clothes. Singing, dancing, and storytelling would fill the evening, and more than one villager or farmer from the surrounding area would be drunk from ale before the night ended.It was only the absence of the seven trading ships that left Stavaslad before last year’s Vetrarblot that marred the celebration plans. No one had heard from nor expected any word of their voyage since the village rune master, Ingvild, had asked Odin to bless the safety of the ships and their crew and the success of the trade, but it had been hoped that their trade and return would add to the festivities. No one wanted to voice the concern that they might never return although the loss of a ship or two to the fierce ocean storms they would encounter would not be unexpected. Although most of the ship captains and their crew had made multiple visits to the shorter trade sites west to the Shetland Islands and to the Faroes, this was the first venture from the Stavaslad harbor to travel further west to an island reported to have waterfalls, volcanos, and strange natives that had only been viewed by a few but with a promise of a rich trade in ivory and furs.
In the longhouses of the trader families, hopes still ran high for the return of the trading ships, especially in the Gudbrand farm longhouse. Two of Gudbrand’s grandsons, Asgeir and Arnuf, captained trading ships seeking the island to the far west. Both had been among those taking their ships to the Shetland and Faroes but were now using vague reports of guidance by stars and ocean currents to reach their destination. Asgeir was the older and more experienced ship captain and was especially talented in guiding his ship by the stars. That gave him the unofficial title of leader of the trading ships.
Others in Gudbrand’s longhouse waiting word of the trading ships included his son Vidar and Vidar’s wife, Gunhilda, and their 19-year-old daughter, Caryn. They diligently went about their chores each day and chose not to talk with one another about the fate of the trading ships.
Chapter 2
Caryn woke up hearing her mother start the dagmal or morning meal and tossed aside the furs that kept her warm in the open sleeping areas built into the sides of the large single room of their longhouse. She knew that her grandfather and father were already outside completing their morning chores. She added a woolen tunic and shawl to her linen dress and pulled on thick wooly socks and soft leather shoes for her feet. She also covered her long golden hair with a wool scarf knowing there would be a chill in the air as she went outside to feed the chickens and collect their eggs. After bringing in the eggs she found, she finished her chores by fetching wood from the lean-to building next to the house for their open hearth and the cauldron over the hearth fire in the middle of the longhouse.
During the morning meal, her grandfather and father talked about building another outside protected enclosure to house more of their goats and sheep before the winter came. They also discussed whether they had enough hay to feed all of the milk cows during the upcoming winter and how many of the bulls they needed to slaughter to dry or smoke their meat to store for the winter to save the hay for the milk cows. Her mother only added her thoughts about storing cheese and curds for the winter.
Caryn had little interest in the discussion but was looking forward to the end of the meal when she could make her daily visit to see Ingvild, always a highlight of her day. The rune master’s small longhouse was close by, and the entire Gudbrand family always made sure she had whatever help she needed. Sometimes her grandfather or father would join Caryn on her visit to do some carpentry work for Ingvild or gather and cut oak tree limbs for her open-hearth fire and cauldron.
Before Caryn left, her mother gave her some unleavened bread and buttermilk left over from their morning meal to take to Ingvild. As she made her way to Ingvild’s longhouse, Caryn once more thought how important Ingvild was in her life. She knew that the entire village sought her wisdom and rune skills. But Caryn only knew that Ingvild was the kindest and wisest person she knew and always made her feel welcome. And there would always be a warm herb drink for her when she visited.
Arriving at the longhouse, Caryn knocked lightly and entered knowing that Ingvild was expecting her. She saw Ingvild sitting by the hearth fire that warmed the single room of the small longhouse and Ingvild greeted her as she usually did.“Good morning, Caryn. Are you well?”
“I am, Great Mother. I bring you some bread and buttermilk from my mother.”
“Please place them on the table. And if you will crush the herbs for our drink, I will heat the water.”
Ingvild returned shortly with the hot water and poured it into their cups to which Caryn had added the crushed herbs. They drank their warm beverage in silence.
“You are quiet today and seem troubled,” said Ingvild.
Caryn knew she could never hide her feelings from Ingvild.
“It is just that I am worried about my brother and uncle and the trading ships they command. We had hoped that they and the other ships would have returned by now. But I cannot speak of those concerns to my grandfather, father, or my mother. They do not wish to talk about it.”
“Do you believe they don’t care?”
“No. I believe that they are also worried. It’s just that…I don’t know.”
“Perhaps they don’t want to worry you by talking about it.”
“Maybe.”
“What else do you think it might be?”
“Sometimes I think they believe that talking about it might dishonor you or anger Odin who you asked to bless the ships and the safety of the crew.”
“Do you believe that?”
“Not really.”
“Do you remember what we talked about when I told you I would be preparing a galdor or spell asking Odin to bless and protect the ships and crew and grant them a successful voyage and safe return of the ships?”
“You said that you honored Odin by asking him to protect the ships and if the ships returned safely that we should thank Odin.”
“Did I say we should be unhappy with Odin if all of the ships did not return safely?”
“No. You said that if even one ship did not return, it would be Odin’s decision that it should be so and that we should accept that decision.”
“Can you think of a reason that Odin might have for not granting a spell of protection for the ships or their safe return by all?”
“I cannot, Great Mother.”
“Perhaps we could both think about what that reason might be and talk more about it the next time you visit.”
“Yes, Great Mother.”
“When you return to your longhouse, be sure to thank your mother for the bread and buttermilk.”
“I will not forget.”
Leaving Ingvild and walking back to her longhouse, Caryn reminded herself that this was not the first time Ingvild asked her to think more about a question that Caryn raised with her with thesuggestion they talk about it later. And Ingvild would expect her to have a possible reason why Odin might not have all of the ships returning safely after Ingvild had asked for his blessing for the ships. Caryn was not sure she would be able to think of a reason, but she knew she would have to make sure that she would take some time to think about the question before visiting Ingvild tomorrow.
* * *
Later in the day, a woman cleaning fish at the harbor saw a ship on the horizon. As it came nearer and other ships appeared, the woman realized that the trade ships were returning from their long voyage and hurried to tell others. The news spread quickly throughout the harbor and village, and a festive spirit arose in anticipation of seeing the traders, hearing their stories, and drinking a cup of ale or two with them.
Chapter 3
When the news of the return of the trade ships reached Gudbrand and Vidar, they left for the harbor to greet the ships with the others who would be waiting for their arrival. Caryn wanted to go with them, but her mother suggested it would be better if they began to prepare a special nattmal or night meal to welcome home Asgeir and Arnuf. Caryn gathered some onions, leeks, and peas from the garden and added it to the lamb stew that Gunhilda had started along with some garlic and thyme they were saving for a special occasion. The longhouse soon started to take on the odors of the food they were cooking. Both Gunhilda and Caryn changed into clean linen dresses and woolen tunics as they waited for the rest of their family to return from the harbor.
Caryn remembered that Asgeir had promised to find her a gift from the far west island and was wondering what her brother would bring her when her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of people talking outside of their longhouse. She guessed that some of Asgeir and Arnuf’s friends had decided to walk back to the longhouse with them to hear more of their stories of the voyage and were saying their good-byes. When Asgeir finally entered with his father and grandfather, he first greeted his mother and explained that Karita had met Arnuf at the harbor and that he was going with her to her longhouse to also greet her parents and would be here shortly.
Caryn smiled knowing that it was always thought that her uncle and Karita would marry someday.
Asgeir turned around and asked, “but where is that little girl who was my sister? Had she something more important to do today than greet her brother? And who is this young woman in the longhouse?”
“You know it is me, Asgeir,” said Caryn and ran up to her brother and hugged him.
“You have grown very tall while I was away, and your hair is longer. You are indeed no longer a little girl, Caryn, but a young woman. Let me see if I can find that gift I brought for you. It is somewhere in my pack. Ah, here it is still covered in the fur I was given.”
Caryn carefully opened the soft fur wrap and found a leather necklace holding a small bear carved from a piece of ivory.
“Oh Asgeir, I love it. The bear is so lifelike.”
“I received it in trade from a skraeling, that’s what we call the natives on the island, who said the carving was a talisman given powers of the spirits by an angakkug to protect the owner. The angakkug is apparently some kind of shaman or religious leader who communicates with the spirits of the land.”“I will wear it and cherish it forever, Asgeir. You will have to tell me more about it and about the island you found.”
“Later,” said Asgeir, “but I hear Arnuf at the door, and I am hungry for the warm meal you and mother have prepared for us after the months of eating cold food at sea.”
At that point, Arnuf entered the longhouse and greeted his aunt and Caryn, also with a comment about the delicious food odors in the longhouse and looking forward to a warm meal.
While eating, Asgeir and Arnuf described the difficulty they had in reaching the island which made the journey longer than expected.
“We first approached the west coast of the island too far north,” said Asgeir. “It had ice floes in the fjords, and we had to sail further to the south to be able to find suitable landing areas. For our next voyage to the island we will know to sail in a more southerly direction and that should also help us avoid some of the strong storms and ice in the north ocean.”
“It is a very large island,” said Arnuf, “but it is difficult to estimate its size. We traveled a long distance south along the coast looking for favorable landing locations. Unless it is a very narrow island from its west to east coast, it may in fact be close to the size of Denmark.”
“Surely not that large,” said Vidar.
“It could be, father,” said Asgeir. “We did not have time to sail around the southern part of the island to see how wide it might be. The skraelings confirmed it is an island but could not adequately describe its width for us.”
Both commented on the potential of the island for being a highly profitable trade destination.
“We brought back many animal hides, ivory, and other items,” said Asgeir, “but the white and blue fox hides we received in trade will especially be highly prized in the trade market.”
After the meal and the dishes were cleared, Asgeir and Arnuf were encouraged to talk more about what they had seen and done on their journey.
“The skraelings we met on the island were shorter than us and had dark skins with tangled hair and broad cheeks,” said Asgeir, “and they wore animal hides. They were hesitant to meet us at first, but we overcame that with our gifts. It was easy to use gestures to communicate our interest in trading tools or other items for skins and ivory, and they clearly had experience in trading with each other to make them astute and clever traders in their interactions with us. By the time we left we had also learned some words in each other’s language, and we were welcomed back by most we met with.”
“As we became more friendly with each other,” said Arnuf, “we were invited into their tent dwellings, also covered with animal skins. The top of the tents had openings so that they could have a small fire in the tent for warmth with the smoke escaping throughthe top of the tent, much like the openings in the roof over our hearth fires in our longhouses. And just like our longhouses the tents always smelled of smoke.”
“Although they fished the waters in boats and hunted small animals as we do,” continued Arnuf, “the countryside was much different. There were very few trees and the trees you could find were small and scrawny. They also had many waterfalls.”
“I was most interested in one of the volcanos we could see in the distance,” said Asgeir. “The skraelings believe that the spirits of the land must always be pleased. If the spirits were offended with them, they feared the volcanos would shake the ground, spit fierce fires into the sky, and melted rock would spill over the top of the volcanos and burn the land.”
“Did you see the volcanos spit fire into the sky or feel the ground shake?” asked Caryn.
“No,” said her brother, “and from the stories I heard I would not want to be around when they did.”
Asgeir could not hide his yawn and confessed to some weariness from the long day.
“We will have time tomorrow,” said Gunhilda, “to hear more stories. For now, let us get some sleep. We must also plan for the opening of the Vetrarblot celebration in two days. And village Chief Stavason has asked that Asgeir and Arnuf be introduced during the evening ceremonies.”
As Caryn readied for bed and pulled the furs over her, she was pleased that her brother and uncle were safe and looked forward to her visit with Ingvild in the morning to tell her all that she had learned from them about the strange island to the west. It was then that she remembered that she had not taken time to think of a reason why Odin might not have all of the trader ships returning safely after Ingvild had asked for a blessing of protection. She started thinking about the reason but fell asleep before deciding what she would tell Ingvild.