Prelude
In the year the Christians designate as 1453 on the evening of May 28 I knelt in Hagia Sophia beside Imperator Constantine, who I assumed was about to go down in history as the last Roman Emperor. Outside the great Cathedral Aud had begged off from attending the services by saying she had some questions to ask of some Turkish prisoners who had been taken when an earlier assault failed. I assumed she was simply securing some Turkish uniforms so that we could make our escape. Fortunately, all of my assumptions were wrong!
When the service ended and the Emperor and the would be defenders of Miklagard said their tearful goodbyes to one another I stepped outside and from the shadows I heard Aud whisper, “Ole! Over here!” I quickly made my way to the sound and while my eyes were still adjusting to the darkness she thrust a foul smelling sack into my hand. “We will move in opposite directions around the wall. Place one head in each catapult and fire it into the Turkish lines. Move widdershins around the wall and I will meet you in the morning.” With that she was gone into the night.
I was too shaken to argue and too desperate not to try anything to save the city. I did the grim work she had assigned and I met her atop the walls of Miklagard in the hour before dawn. As the Turks said their morning prayers a bright light appeared in the heavens. Rainbow colored beams of light radiated from that light and along each rainbow bridge three white figures moved from heaven to earth. “Each head established a bridge for three einharer,” Aud whispered as she slid her arm around me. “The Christians will think that angels have come to save them and this day will forever be remembered as the day of the miracle of Constantine. In the meantime we must return to Trondelag, to our ancient homeland. I suspect when they see the blood eagles I carved on the Turks we will be … shall we say… unwelcome.”
Six months later I huddled around a campfire in the mountains on the border of Trondelag and silently cursed Aud as she tended to the fire. “Aud? What are we doing here? Why are we huddling around a campfire in a howling wilderness? Oh! I remember. It’s because you had to go all heathen on me and carve blood eagles for the first time in over 600 years!”
Aud smiled and said, “Olaf dear, those blood eagles were necessary to save Miklagard. I have no regrets. Miklagard is the last place on earth where we can gather our people and call them back to their ancient virtues. It will take a generation before it is safe for us to return. In the meantime I needed to come here to find out how I can repay the goddess.” When I asked which Goddess Aud replied, “Freya of course”
Just then an eerie female voice whispered on the wind, “What child calls my name?”
“Aud stood and said, “Tis I great goddess! Tis Aud Siggurddottir who calls. How may I thank thee for thy help in Miklagard?”
The voice chilled me to the bone when it answered, “In 33 years from this night be in Caen in Normandy. In 34 years be in Dublin. In 35 years be in Jorvik. In 36 be in Copenhagen. In 37 be in Stockholm. In 38 years take the recruits you find in those places and return to Miklagard. Offer the soldiers my Valyries shall recruit as a new Varangian guard. Negotiate a deal for them to receive land in their retirement and the right to observe the faith of their fathers and mothers in their own communities.” Then in a twinkling a lady even more lovely and radiant than Aud appeared before the fire holding a golden apple and offering one to each of us. “The strain of Idun’s original seed weakens in your apples. Take these. Eat and save the seeds. Plant a tree in each new place you live and press the first fruit for the juice… and stop making Olaf drink that foul alchemical potion. I expect he will either return to the ancient faith or at least tolerate your practice of it after tonight.” I tried to stammer a response but Freya placed her index finger to my lips and simply said, “Shhhh… there is no need to speak Olaf. I am a goddess of fertility and you may thank me by tending to your wife.”
With that she was gone and her finger was replaced by Aud’s lips. We ate our apples the next morning while sitting stark naked in the snow. We didn’t feel the least bit cold either.
39 years later we were back in Miklagard, known to the Christians as Constantinople, with a force of some 30,000 men and 30 cannon purchased on the open market. I was an advisor to Emperor Constantine XII and I had advised him to prosecute a war against the Turks at the earliest opportunity.
In the year the Christians designate as 1453 on the evening of May 28 I knelt in Hagia Sophia beside Imperator Constantine, who I assumed was about to go down in history as the last Roman Emperor. Outside the great Cathedral Aud had begged off from attending the services by saying she had some questions to ask of some Turkish prisoners who had been taken when an earlier assault failed. I assumed she was simply securing some Turkish uniforms so that we could make our escape. Fortunately, all of my assumptions were wrong!
When the service ended and the Emperor and the would be defenders of Miklagard said their tearful goodbyes to one another I stepped outside and from the shadows I heard Aud whisper, “Ole! Over here!” I quickly made my way to the sound and while my eyes were still adjusting to the darkness she thrust a foul smelling sack into my hand. “We will move in opposite directions around the wall. Place one head in each catapult and fire it into the Turkish lines. Move widdershins around the wall and I will meet you in the morning.” With that she was gone into the night.
I was too shaken to argue and too desperate not to try anything to save the city. I did the grim work she had assigned and I met her atop the walls of Miklagard in the hour before dawn. As the Turks said their morning prayers a bright light appeared in the heavens. Rainbow colored beams of light radiated from that light and along each rainbow bridge three white figures moved from heaven to earth. “Each head established a bridge for three einharer,” Aud whispered as she slid her arm around me. “The Christians will think that angels have come to save them and this day will forever be remembered as the day of the miracle of Constantine. In the meantime we must return to Trondelag, to our ancient homeland. I suspect when they see the blood eagles I carved on the Turks we will be … shall we say… unwelcome.”
Six months later I huddled around a campfire in the mountains on the border of Trondelag and silently cursed Aud as she tended to the fire. “Aud? What are we doing here? Why are we huddling around a campfire in a howling wilderness? Oh! I remember. It’s because you had to go all heathen on me and carve blood eagles for the first time in over 600 years!”
Aud smiled and said, “Olaf dear, those blood eagles were necessary to save Miklagard. I have no regrets. Miklagard is the last place on earth where we can gather our people and call them back to their ancient virtues. It will take a generation before it is safe for us to return. In the meantime I needed to come here to find out how I can repay the goddess.” When I asked which Goddess Aud replied, “Freya of course”
Just then an eerie female voice whispered on the wind, “What child calls my name?”
“Aud stood and said, “Tis I great goddess! Tis Aud Siggurddottir who calls. How may I thank thee for thy help in Miklagard?”
The voice chilled me to the bone when it answered, “In 33 years from this night be in Caen in Normandy. In 34 years be in Dublin. In 35 years be in Jorvik. In 36 be in Copenhagen. In 37 be in Stockholm. In 38 years take the recruits you find in those places and return to Miklagard. Offer the soldiers my Valyries shall recruit as a new Varangian guard. Negotiate a deal for them to receive land in their retirement and the right to observe the faith of their fathers and mothers in their own communities.” Then in a twinkling a lady even more lovely and radiant than Aud appeared before the fire holding a golden apple and offering one to each of us. “The strain of Idun’s original seed weakens in your apples. Take these. Eat and save the seeds. Plant a tree in each new place you live and press the first fruit for the juice… and stop making Olaf drink that foul alchemical potion. I expect he will either return to the ancient faith or at least tolerate your practice of it after tonight.” I tried to stammer a response but Freya placed her index finger to my lips and simply said, “Shhhh… there is no need to speak Olaf. I am a goddess of fertility and you may thank me by tending to your wife.”
With that she was gone and her finger was replaced by Aud’s lips. We ate our apples the next morning while sitting stark naked in the snow. We didn’t feel the least bit cold either.
39 years later we were back in Miklagard, known to the Christians as Constantinople, with a force of some 30,000 men and 30 cannon purchased on the open market. I was an advisor to Emperor Constantine XII and I had advised him to prosecute a war against the Turks at the earliest opportunity.
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