"Paint White Christ red in the blood of his followers"
'The devil has led this people too far astray... the people have betrayed their own country. And the harm will become common to this entire people'. -An Anglo-Saxon explaining the origin of the Viking Raids.
Statue of Hávarðr I. the Mad.
You might have thought that the story of the great King Hávarðr ended here. But for the keen observer you might have noticed that not all of the Way to the North was united. What about the people in the North? Hávarðr was driven by power. It was something about him, not only was he the strongest and most deadly man in the entire known world, but it was something god like over him. He had come out of nowhere, taken a Kingdom of his own, to then subjecate all of southern Norway and to then invade the West Saxons which would forever scar these so called Germanians who left the Gods of the Old. But he was as wise as he was strong, once he returned home he understood he had to consolidate his line and his power. Because of his lustfullness and love of women he had created plenty of women, some might even say he spread his seed more around than Yggdrasil - the life tree. Because of this advantage he decided to forge alliances with the other Norse powers. Because of his fame and power every Norse King wanted to be associated with Hávarðr and share his kin. The Danes, Geats, Sveas and the Norse kingdoms in the British Isles agreed to marry their sons and heirs to Hávarðr's daughters. Even the legendary king Rurik of the Rus agreed to give away his only daughter to Hrafn, the heir of Norway. With dynastic ties, and potential alliances, all over the Norse world, Hávarðr was ready once again to carve out his destiny, once again to defy the will of the Norns
1 and go his own path. And in the North, it was still two so called "Jarls" who resisted his rule.
The first Bishop to enter Norway, who would later be executed along with Bishop Renaud.
The immidiate years after the return of the Great Norwegian Army, consumption
2 would spread to the lands of the Norwegians. The followers of Christ would say that the heathens of the North was finally punished by God for their misdeeds. This led to a surge of Bishops and other servants of this peaceloving God to try to convert the proud followers of the Norse Gods. They would not succeed however, as everytime they set their foots inside the realms of the cold North they were outright arrested. Those who were lucky would only end up as prisoners for years, most however would feel the wrath of the heathen gods. As the preachers of White Christ spoke of eternal pain in the afterlife, the Norse sure showed them eternal pain in this life. At the worst times it was not unusual to find these, so called, men hanging in trees after their in the trees, sacrificed to the gods
3.
Hålogaland, the last enclave who resisted the unified Kingdom of Norway.
After the glorious executions of the followers of White Christ our King would himself catch consumption. As he surely was terrified of not being able to die a warriors death and instead had to die of a disease only the cowards and women die of, he set out to the North. Here in Hålogaland it was two self proclaimed Jarls who resisted his rule. He then invaded the Jarldoms of Hålogaland and Nordland with and impressive army that would even make the wealthy Danes and Swedes envious. It would prove to be a harsh campaign however, the armies of the north was easy enough to beat, but it was one thing Hávarðr didn't manage to bring under his mercy - the nature. The climate here was very different than further down south. Not only did they have to cross mountain after mountain and countless of fjords, where the armies of the north would hide and strike, but during the winter it was constant snowstorms and during the summers wind storms. It was like the gods themselves sent their fury down on Hávarðr and tested his strength and willpower, and his illness din't make it any better. Not to speak of that he had just recieved words that his newborn son, Maugr, had died of consumption. This greatly enraged Hávarðr and he cursed the gods. Legend says it he went berserk and thought he was a wolf and set out far away to fight the nature. He did not succeed however, as even with all his strength nature was the only thing n the mortal realm he could never defeat. But when winter settled he ordered his armies to once again march, and the north fell in 883, and now the entire Way to the North was unified under the banner of Hávarðr . Now he also lost his disease, clearly the gods wanted to test him and once he conquered these on the verge of death they lifted his curse and let him once again be well off.
Norway and the land of the Norse and Finns.
Hávarðr was now truly a legendary figure, so legendary that even traders from all of the world visited him. Some said they had been in a place called Hindustan, and the tales baffled even the eldest and wisest. Hávarðr and most of the Norsemen assumed that such stories was made up, it could not exist such rich places with such huge animals. But he did get an enouch. He was from the Kingdom of Greece
4. He would prove to be so loyal and skilled that Hávarðr replaced his chancellor, the war horse, with this enouch. His fame was also so great that many tried to test it, one even challenged him to a holmgang
5. As fearless as Hávarðr was, he of course accepted the holmgang. Hávarðr would loose, but be rest assured, he who won did not win in honest battle! Hávarðr could simply not loose, everyone knew it, he was the son of Odin and blessed by Tyr! Oh no, his challenger resorted to the trickery of Loke and had a hidden needle that greatly wounded Hávarðr so he had no choice but to yield. After the unification of Norway most of Hávarðr foes fled to the Norwegian colonies in Norðreyjar
6. King Haraldr Fairhair of Kent, the trusted friend and companion of the Norwegian King, advised the King to annex these parts. Both to get rid of the traitors and those resisting his rule, and to gather all Norwegians under his realm. Hávarðr however said it was no glory in fighting cowards and milkdrinkers, and had much grander plans..
Once again around Yule the King of the thousand songs ordered a grand Blot in honour of the gods, and to gain their blessing in his next campaign. Here his new concubine, a beautiful lappish womanwho had been the wife of the Jarl of Nordland, told Hávarðr that she would not go with him to the haystack unless he waged war in her honor and burned down the villages of the Anglo-Saxons and Celts. After the human sacrifices, which was the last Bishops and political prisoners, he set sails to the Kingdom of Mercia with his longboats and 3500 strong army. Before the brave warriors departed it was a grand feast in their honor, and the lucky would feast in the halls of Valhall with their ancestors. In September they ran over Lincoln and looted it for all that was shining. Everything to gold ducats, to silver plates to ivory combs. It did not stop here however, they sailed further north. This time they landed in the Celtic lands of Scotland. They showed the same type of brutality here. It must truly have been a glorious sight the Norse swarmed the Scottish country side and burned everything in their way. The Kings in south England was growing unready, as Hávarðr had promised them indepence but had not yet gained it, he promised them that after this campaign they would recieve their well earned freedom.
The Ruins of St. Andrews.
When the Vikings landed on Fife in the land of the Scots, the King learned his secondborn son, Trolli, had come under the sway of White Christ. This enragened him so much, that he went to the nearest Cathedral, St. Andrews, and burned it and the settlements around it to the ground. No one was spared, everyone fell under the blades of the furios Norwegians. Children and women was also cut down. After the pillaging and raping of Scotland, the Norwegians now set sail for Ulster in the island of Eire. Here they met minimal resistance, but even so King Haraldr Fairhair was killed in battle. But where weak men would have mourned the loss of a close friend, Hávarðr and his men celebrated the death of Haraldr, as he had lived a glorious life and been one of the greatest warriors of all time, one who would even be to the envy of Tyr the god of war. They were sure he would feast in Valhall and that they would one beautiful day meet him once more, and ride into the very last battle with him. Now all the ugly women they had taken with them had been gone and replaced with the pretty ones
7 and all their chests and ships were filled with gold and other riches they once again returned home. The invasion of Mercia, Scotland and Eire would shock the Christian world. Never before had the Vikings attacked them with such brutality, and such efficieny. It is said the Anglo-Saxon and Celtic Lords beheaded the dead bodies of the dead warriors, now feasting and fighting in the afterlife, and put them on poles to show the Norse and their people what would happen to the invaders. But instead of being a morale boost, everytime the people and soldiers saw the heads of the feared warriors their bones shackled and their clotches were colored yellow. So feared were they, the glories were told all the way from Eire to Greece. But this was only an appertizer, as the King and his men had much greater thoughts, they would go on a campaign that are still spoken of today. They would dye the ground red and attack right in their strongholds, make such bold actions no man thought was possible - Norse or Christian.
The newly independent Kingdoms of Kent and Hwicce.
Once he returned home he ordered the Kingdoms of Kent and Hwicce to be made independent as promised. Both to honor his late friend Haraldr, and to deal with the talks of rebellion in his Anglo-Saxon realm. The lords of East Saxony asked him why they weren't also granted indepence, our King replied that he would unite all of East Saxony, and make it a Kingdom before it should be indepenent. The nobles agreed on his words, much to do with that they feared their King and knew what he would do if they defied him. Blood eagle was not a pleasant death, even if it granted them a place in Valhalla. That was shown when the nobles of Oppland, Trøndelag and Naumadal rebelled against their Lord. He brutally took down the rebellion and performed the blood eagle, or hanged them in the trees, of those who conspired against them. He also took his chance now, as he abolished the laws of practically speaking independent realms within his realm, and centralized his power. With these new powers he also took personal possesion of the rebellios areas, and secured his position as lord of Norway.
King Ivar the Boneless of Sudreyjar getting baptized.
In 895 Hávarðr third son, Styrkir, said he wanted to join the Varangians in Miklagard
8, this surely touched the aging heart of the King. His own son would go out to the big world and seek wealth and fortune and above all else; violence. His mind no longer was focused on Trolli becoming a weakling, a follower of the pacifist Christ, but Styrkir would truly be a great warrior. Eternal glory awaited his kin! Even with all these good news, darker times came over the Norse Kingdoms. The legendary King Ivar the Boneless of Sudreyjar, son of the eternal Hero Ragnarr Lodbrok, agreed to be baptized, and became a devout Christian who swore to make all of the British Isles Christian and fend off the Norse. I however doubt he had these motives as the white christ lovers claim, he was surely a Norse at heart and saw his oppurtinity to gain land and fame. Nevertheless it resulted in yet another war, only 3 years since the Norwegians left Scotland, they were once again forced to come back.
The deciding battle of Burgh.
Danelaw and the Norse lords in the newly conquered British Isles was under attack from the forces of the South Isles, Scotland and Ireland. The Kingdoms of Jorvik, Hwicce and Kent quickly sent out their forces. They were crushed under the power of the Christian forces. But when the Great Norwegian Army once again came to Scotland, the Celts became gripped with fear. They remembered what they had done to their homes 3 years earlier, and what they did to Wessex before that. The Celtic-Norse armies however was much larger, and they attacked the new reinforcement. They were sure of victory, because they had Jesus on their side. They forgot on the other hand that White Christ is not a god of war, but of peace, and that the Norwegians were the fiercest and most deadly warriors of the entire known world. Once again the extremely professional forces of Norway beat a much larger army. With the Christian forces having over twice their losses. When the Christians retreated in fear of the vile Vikings seeking Valhall, and seeing their homes and wives getting burned to nothing. They were days later caught up, and exterminated. The Norwegian King said in his bloodlust that none should be spared, and they travelled all over Scotland pillaging all of their lands, and killed everything who walked on two legs, and planted their seeds in everyone who had breasts.
Prince Styrkir, moments before his death.
Suddenly warriors arrive. Their armors are as thick as the skin of the polar bears, and their arms bigger than oak trees. They recieved news about Styrkir, the Varangian son of Hávarðr. They said he had fought bravely in the face of Bulgarian enemies and slew countless of enemies before he was eventually overwhelmed. They said he fought like a bear, like a god. This deeply depressed the great warrior of Norway, and he ordered his men to go back to their homes. He had to mourn his son, and hope that he would one day meet him again. He also decided that he was now too old to be bersekr, as he had no longer the powers nor the spirit to be one. He would return in 899 after he and his warriors had returned to their powers, and slayed the two last major armies in Scotland, ending the Christian invasion forever.
Hávarðr annexing the Northern Isles.
When they came back to Yule in 899, the Eternal King ordered a grand Blot again. This time as the last one, he would sacrifice the Christian Bishops who dared enter his realm to the gods for blessing. With this he moved on to annex the Norwegian colonies of Nordreyjar, to counter the new Catholic presence in Scotland, and prevent them for falling into the hands of White Christ. He would also make it into a Jarldom, and hand it over to the Chief of Shetland. He then announced that he would commence on his very last raid. As he said it himself: "I will paint White Christ red in the blood of his followers". His plans were simple, yet daring. They would attack all the major areas of the Christian world. First they would sail down into the Seine River and loot the capital of West Francia - Paris. Then hit the capitals of the Christian world of Rome and Miklagard. Then finally he would sail into the Black Sea and into the heartland of the East Francian Kingdom and burn it. It was truly a glorious endevaour, and thousands of young Norse warriors joined him and seeked glory, fortune and death.
Illustration of the legend battle between the sea monster and King Hávarðr I. the God Slayer.
While his army of over 4000 men looted Paris, Hávarðr came into contact with an ancient cult, worshipping gods even older than his own. He joined them, but while they tried to sacrifice him, he escaped and commanderered a longship. Legends have it that he faced off against a terrible sea creature, a Jotunn sent out to enslave humanity and bring upon Ragnarok. He however, in all his might and power, slew this faul creature and were granted powers from the gods as a thanks for killing it, powers so big that he would be called a god killer. legend even say that he met Odin, the Allfather, later on after looting a monastery. If this is true, or something made up is unknown
9. However, it is little doubt that a man of such a character as the father of our nation would be able to slay monsters and gods, and he was truly divinley blessed. The raiders continued unopposed, and raided all of Paris and it's surrounding area, and did the same to Rome. No one dared to oppose them, all of the Christian world feared the Norwegian warriors. They had heard the tales of their actions in the British Isles, but could now be so lucky to bear witness to it in their own homes. The wolf pack now et course to the ancient capital of the Greek Kings, this however is where disaster stroke.
The sack of Paris, Roma and battle of Philippoplis.
The Vikings entered Miklagard unopposed, but they heard reports of thousands of warriors gathering around them. Keen on testing these men they quickly set out to fight them. The first battles ended gloriously, as the Vikings slew them. However, they hadn't thought of the cunninges of the Greeks. The Greeks lured them into a trap, into a disastrous battle of Philippoplis. Here a 3300 strong army waited for them, and was soon to be reinforced with 400 troops from the west and 900 from the east. Most Norwegians would finally meet their long sought death. The battle raged on for days, only 244 Vikings managed to return home. Thousands had died, and one of them was King Hávarðr I. the God Slayer! He had charged alone into the center of their army, and had been surrounded for hours, then someone manged to wound him, still he rallied all his forces and fended them off. He was furios, he was vicious, but his own men took him back. His wound would grow, and he became infirm. Days later he died of his wounds. And he was burned on his flying longhsip, and sent up to Valhalla to his son Styrkir. It is said that the Northern Lights was over the entire world, even in Miklagard, for days and that it was the gods themselves who created it to mourn the death of such a legendary figure.
Death of the Eternal King, and his heir Hrafn. Also the realms of Northern Europe.
Hrafn ordered the men to come back home, and to mourn the loss of their Father. The Father of Norway. He would however have difficulities to face, especially with the Danes expanding eastwards taking all of Sweden and the lands of the Finns and Samis. Even worse half of Norway, the lands many brave Norse and his father had given their lives to protect, was now under the control of his brother who was a follower of White Christ, and wanted to baptise all Norsemen and women. Fortunately, Hrafn was a worshiper of Loke and would use all his cunning and trickery to meet the new dangers.
1: Norns were divine beings the Norse thought controlled the faiths of human beings, and would cut of the life thread when they see fit. What it means in this contex, is that he was halfly-divine and managed to decide for his own, as opposed to normal mortals who had their fate decided by the norns and gods. Keep in mind, the this is exeggerated on purpose.
2: Old word for Tuberculosis.
3: An actual Norse ritual of sacrifcing people and animals to their gods, in reality it was a way of torture and execution.
4: Here Kingdom of Greece = Byzantine/East Roman Empire, and not the in game de-jure Kingdom of Greece.
5: A duel between two warriors on a tiny isle, either to show who is the strongest or to settle disputes.
6: Northern Isles: Orkney, Shetland and Faroe Islands.
7: Norwegian folklore that vikings took all their ugly women to Britain, and brought back the pretty ones home.
8: Constantinoples.
9: It was actual in game events, got kidnapped by worshippers of ancient gods, joined them, they tried to sacrifice me, could choose between dying and gaining piety or escapig. Of course I escaped, ended up with the character fighting a sea monster that would devour the world. Gave me the trait "god slayer" which had some very poweful bonuses. Later on an event said that I meant a man who claimed to be Odin, I tusted him an gained the trait Zealout and piety and gold. In game it is true, but I interpertate it as the sagas boasting about the powers of their King.
