Chapter 40:
Accursed
Excerpted from A Saga Without Heroes
by Erik Haraldsson, ©2012 Nidaros University Press.
Used with permission.
In 1402, while young Arnmod grew up in the Palace of Nordhamptaborg, disturbing news arrived from the East:
Novgorod, a longtime center for the peoples of Rus', had been sacked in one of the incessant civil wars that were causing both the Golden Horde and the Ilkhanate to collapse into a series of High Chiefdoms and even two Khanates, one in Bohemia and one in Anatolia, independent of the Khagans who were also losing ground to their Mahomedean cousins, the Timurid Empire.
And while Europe was mostly quiet in this decade, in Britiannia the quiet was disturbed in 1403 when the new regent of Norge, Halfdan Yngling, became the first conqueror to lead an army across the wall built by long-dead King Offa of Mercia since Olaf the Wise's conquest of Gwynedd over three centuries previously.
The King of Valsherland, Iestyn II, was tied up fighting a war against the High Chief of Bohemia, and consequentially was unable to prevent the conquest of the southern part of his homeland in November 1404.
Not satisfied with this, within weeks Halfdan invaded Gwynedd as well, and by the time Arnmod came of age and married a Mongol princess in January 1406 , the young king was saddled with yet another war, this time for control of Cornwall.
In April 1407, Hogelun gave birth to Halfdan, heir to the multifarious realms of his father, named after Arnmod's two regents.
The reign of Arnmod III as an adult (as opposed to the two Halfdan's regencies) is not remembered for much , except perhaps in the Sicilian realm, which experienced a particularly virulent and destructive outbreak of swelldeath in the winter of early 1418, searing a print on the regional consciousness, taking old Pope Benedict X with it.
But Christendom would experience a far more tempestuous event seven years later, started by Benedict's successor, Pope Formosus II.
The Catholic Duke of Normandy had died in the years since 1390, and the elective system worked yet another of its radical power shifts when Nicolas de Bourbon, the Cathar Duke of Bourbon was elected king in his place, causing the tide to turn yet again in favor of his heretical faith, severing ties with Rome and persecuting Catholics from Flanders to Seville in his bloated kingdom.
But Formosus would have none of it. He knew that one power could save the souls of the Frankish people- Norge.
It took two years for Arnmod, rallying levies, mercenaries, and the Knights of the Temple and the Hospital alike (he had become the Grandmaster of the Temple some years previously), to take the war to the heretics, but in July 1427 he landed near Bordeaux, defeating one of the two largest Frankish armies at a town called Vierzon, only a few day's ride from the heretic capital at Bourbon.
But the battle weakened him both physically and militarily, having been wounded and also suffered heavy casualties, causing a shattering defeat only a month later.
So shattering, in fact, that papal chroniclers claim that Formosus, following the example of his famous predecessor John the Blind, crucified himself and shouted: "
Eli, Eli, lama sabachtani?" at the heavens in the manner of Jesus on the cross.
Perhaps it did have some effect in the celestial plane, for ten months later, Arnmod returned with an even larger army assembled from all parts of his gargantuan realm from Jorsalaborg to Connacht, smashing the Frankermenn at the Battle of Bonaguil, still celebrated as the
Helgenen Arnmod Dag holiday on the 17th of June of every year.
But in November of 1428, less than five months after this glorious triumph, Arnmod's wounds got the better of him while besieging a Frankish castle, killing him at the age of 38
1.
Formosus would remember Arnmod's great contribution to the cause of the Roman Church, and would, on his deathbed, canonize him as St. Arnmod, patron saint of holy war.
In the meantime, the great struggle for the soul of Frankerland would have to be continued by someone. And that someone was Halfdan Arnmodsson.
Halfdan had been married off to the Queen of Lotharingia as soon as he came of age, and so he would be called the
Tysker Kong.
But his destiny lay in Frankerland, where he rallied his father's troops to finally capture Bourbon and force Nicolas's heir, Gilbert, to surrender.
Formosus had been traveling in the Norse camp, and was thus on hand to seize Gilbert's crown and call for his champion, Halfdan, to be crowned.
Fortunately, or unfortunately for Frankerland, depending on your place of birth, Halfdan's brother, Harald had just given his drunk king another cup of beer when the messenger from the Pope came, so Halfdan in gratitude for the drink decreed the crown should go to his younger brother.
2
The next morning, once he had recovered from the morning headache of the late-night reveler, Halfdan appointed a regent for Harald, who was only thirteen at the time, and the regent immediately started the work of remaking the Kingdom of Frankerland.
As per the custom going back to Heinrich the Holy and the Italifaring of Olaf, every duke, count, baron, bishop and mayor in the kingdom was stripped of all his titles, and replaced by men appointed by the new king.
However, some, especially in far off regions such as Castile or Burgundy did not feel like becoming landless paupers, and so declared themselves independent, causing the creation of the independent Duchy of Upper Burgundy (which was actually located in Castile and the Bordeaux region) and the Kingdom of Burgundy ruled by yet another Cathar relative of Gilbert, Aimery.
But what may have been a family alliance between the two giants of Christendom, Norge and Frankerland was ended when Harald died and the lords elected Halfdan as the new king.
Overwhelmed, hedonistic, Halfdan decided to give it to one of his Danish courtiers, a man named Gorm of the Thrugot family, causing some chroniclers to call him 'Halfdan the Accursed' because he had squandered not one, but two golden oppurtunities to turn Norge into the unchallengeable sole power of Europe.
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The last medieval king of Norge, and the first of the Early Modern period, Halfdan II ascended the throne on the last day of March 1446, on the death of his father, Halfdan I.
Along with lands and vast liegehoods, he inherited his name from his father, and in time also his epithet.
At first it did not seem like he would be very exceptional, marrying yet another Mongol princess and begetting a son, yet another Halfdan, fighting yet more wars against Cathar heretics on the European mainland.
But this king was a literate man.
As a child in the court of his mother, Queen Mechtild of Lotharingia, he was a rather bookish child, spending time in the library and with his tutor rather than outside playing with wooden swords, pretending to be a knight fighting infidel and heretic alike as most other boys in the court did.
His favorite books had always been those of Norse history, chronicling the feats, very few failures (at least according to the books) and conquests of his ancestors who had sat on the throne of Norge. He was particularly attracted to the history of the twelfth century, which the books called 'the century of anarchy'. He would read and re-read them, mourning the death first of Queen Ingerid and then of old Olaf the Wise, cursing the squabbling brothers Gunnar and Sverre, singing the
Sangen av Aslak and weeping as he was cut down by the evil rebels, and applauding as Erlend Alfsson restored order and peace to Angland. He knew that history was something to be learned from, especially since one day he would be king of Norge, and one thing he noticed none of his ancestors had learned:
Never give power to potential rebels.
They had tried to placate their vassals with more lands if they threatened to rebel, would squander the lives of endless peasants in unending civil wars, and would waste the coffers of the realm in bribes to the nobles.
What if all that could be done away with?
He had asked his mother that question, but she had laughed him away saying that it was impossible, that no one man could rule an entire kingdom, and that he should spend more time outside playing knight.
When he came of age and inherited his father's realm, though, he saw it could be done. The power of the king had been raised by Arnmod and Alv before him, so that most people would obey any decree he issued. He had lots of money to pay mercenaries who did not own land and would not betray him so long as they were paid.
But he also saw it would take time. He was patient, and for six years he nibbled away at the power of his vassals and tried to think of a way to deliver the final blow.
In November 1452 he hit upon a master plan. He would call a great Christmas Day feast and invite all the lords of the realm. There, he would announce the issuing of a decree that would not only strip them of all titles, it would abolish those titles and the system of feudal vassalage and allegiance forever.
The invitations were send out in the middle of November so they would reach most of the important lords in time. In the meantime Halfdan drafted and re-drafted the decree, until by mid-December he had a final version that would leave no loose ends or loopholes.
Some lords disliked the king so much they refused the invitation, but they only delayed their inevitable faith. The vast majority, however, agreed to free food and a hearth on Christmas Eve, and came to Nordhamptaborg the day before Christmas Eve.
If a hearty meal and unlimited beer and Christmas cheer was what they wanted, they were in for quite a nasty shock.
Excerpted from Halfdan's Revolution,
by Ingegerd Margretesdatter, ©2013 Jorsalske Press.
Used with permission.
When everyone had found their places on his great table and the first course had been served, Halfdan called for attention. When the murmur among the guests as to what he wished to announce died down, he summoned his herald, who produced a long scroll of parchment and read:
"
Elektors, Arls, bishops, barons, mayors, all landholders of our glorious kingdom, hearken and obey the will of your anointed king.
In centuries passed, since my great forefather Olaf the Wise conquered this land, my ancestors who sat upon my throne tolerated you and your kind, gave you land, money, servants, and a role in the the governance of his realm. And what have you and your kind given them in return? Bellyaching about military service, withholding of their tax monies, marriage with the children foreign lords which lead to the shrinkage of their realm, and worse of all, collusion and rebellion against they who made you great!
But I, Halfdan Halfdansson, have learned the lesson they did not. And that lesson is to never, ever, trust a man with power!
Which is why, effective on New Year's Day one week from today, there shall be no more such foolish trust! "
The herald went on to read the decree, whose main points were:
1. There is no more feudal system in the Kingdom of Norge: All Elektorates, Arldoms, Baronies, Bishop- and Archbishop-rics, chartered Mayor Cities, Lord Mayordoms and Republics are abolished, banned, and defunct, their holders are now simple citizens of the realm with no special distinction.
2. Instead of those feudal ranks, there is now a system of provinces governed by non-hereditary governors who hold no land in their own right and command vassalhood from no one, and pass on all taxes directly to the king. The decree contains a list of all provinces in the realm and their appointed governors, who hold the position only until the king deems they are no longer worthy of it or they die in office, in both cases the king appoints a new governor.
3. The Kingdoms of Angland, Eirann, Sicilia, Jorsal-land, and Germany are no longer extant as separate kingdoms or titles or realms, and all their lands are part of the greater Kingdom of Norge, with one king, one line of succession, and one set of interests.
Shocked, all of the land-holding guests were arrested by the palace guards who had been instructed ahead of time to do so to prevent them from returning to the lands they no longer owned and try to prevent the enforcement of the decree. Further troops were sent out to the provinces to escort the new governors, arrest those lords who had not attended the feast and enforce the decree.
The medieval era had one week left to go.
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Six days later, one minute before midnight, a man sat on a wooden bench near the door of Nidaros Cathedral.
He had removed his crown and left his bodyguards at the palace, so he would not be recognized by any monks heading to services or other passerby.
He could barely see the cathedral, but he knew that the clock would ring twelve times in thirty seconds.
He counted, very quietly: "Thirty.. twenty-nine, twenty-eight...." until finally: "five... four... three... two.. one...", and just as he took in breath to say: "zero!" the great clock rung twelve mighty, deep ringings.
And when the final ring faded into the Norse night, he knew the world would never be the same.
(OOC)
1 An eerie parallel to the real-life King Henry V of England, who won a famous battle against the French in the first half of the fifteenth century and died in his thirties, celebrated in posterity.
2 My clever in-character explanation for why I gave Frankerland away; EU3 would just be even more cartoonishily easy than it usually is in a conversion game, I had to have at least one country that could pose a serious challenge. Ditto for when Harald died and I gave it away to Gorm.
END PART I: LIEGE-LORDS, AND THE END OF THE HEROLESS SAGA IN THE MEDIEVAL ERA OF CRUSADER KINGS II
The link to the EU3 thread shall be posted shortly.
