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Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} The Saga of the Jómsvíkings by Anonymous Literature / The Saga of the People of Laxardal. Laxdæla saga —the Saga of the People of Laxárdalr —is an anonymous Icelandic saga from about the middle of the 13th century. As the grasp of King Harald Finehair tightens on Norway, the Norwegian hersir Ketil Flatnose has it with the king's arrogance and sails to the West to carve out a new dominion in Scotland. But fortune is not kind on Ketil's folks, and after the death of Ketil and his warlike grandson Thorstein the Red, it is up to Ketil's daughter Unn the Deep-Minded to gather the remnants of her clan and lead them to Iceland, where she claims land in Breidafjord in Western Iceland. When Unn's retainer Koll marries Unn's granddaughter Thorgerd, Thorgerd receives Laxardal, the valley of the Laxá (the 'Salmon-river'), as a dowry from her grandmother. The descendants of Unn and her companions thrive and multiply, but so do conflicts and rivalries. The saga culminates in the life story of Gudrun Osvifsdottir and her four marriages, and the tragic love-triangle that leads to a long and painful family feud that pits the progeny of Thorgerd and Koll against each other. Laxdæla saga is the most famous of the Icelandic family sagas, and stands out for its focus on women. Tropes: Cradling Your Kill: On the urging of his wife Gudrun and her brothers, Bolli finally participates in an ambush on Kjartan, his own cousin, foster- brother, and formerly closest friend. Bolli is still unwilling to fight Kjartan, but when the attackers cannot get the better of him despite their superior numbers, Bolli himself has to deal Kjartan the death blow. Then he "took up his body and held him in his arms when he died." Died Standing Up: At the marriage feast of her grandson Olaf, the old Unn the Deep-Minded transfers ownership of her farm to Olaf, then retires to her chamber. The next day, Olaf finds Unn dead sitting upright on her bed. This is met with admiration. The Jomsvikings: Legendary Viking Mercenaries. One of the characters in The Northern Queen, Thorkell the Tall (also referred to as Thorkell the High in the Anglo Saxon Chronicle due to his great height), was truly a great Dane. He fought alongside Canute the Great, the Danish invader who became King of England, Denmark and Norway and achieved much success in life, becoming a lord in his own right. But what of his early years, and how did he learn the skills that made him such a successful warrior? Rune Stone mentioning Thorkell the Tall (source: Wikipedia) Little is known of Thorkell’s early life, but what we do know is mainly through his association with the legendary Viking mercenaries, the Jomsvikings. We know about the Jomsvikings from the Icelandic sagas, particularly The Jomsvikinga Saga and King Olaf Tryggvasson’s Saga. They were staunchly pagan, worshipping Odin and Thor, but would fight for Christian rulers if the price was right. Hiring themselves out to the highest bidder, they nonetheless followed a very strict set of rules and regulations. 1,000 year old Mjolnir pendant, similar to those possibly worn by the Jomsvikings for protection (source: National Museum of Denmark) Their stronghold, Jomsborg, is said to have been located on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea. The exact location has never been found and is still the cause of great debate amongst scholars and amateurs alike as there are no primary sources that mention the place. There are, however, three contemporary rune stones that mention their battles and hint at a central location. Thorkell the Tall would have had to follow the code by which the Jomsvikings ruled themselves. They were extremely selective when deciding whom to admit to their group, with membership being restricted to men aged 18 to 50 who had proven their bravery. This usually took the form of a display of strength, with a ritual duel, or holmgang, with an existing Jomsviking. (Normally these duels would be to the death, but in the case of proving yourself to the Jomsviking, besting your opponent was enough). Once admitted to the group, a Jomsviking would continue to follow the strict code used to maintain order and instil military discipline. – a Jomsviking was bound to defend his brothers and avenge their deaths. – quarrelling or speaking ill of fellow Jomsvikings was forbidden – blood feuds, if they arose, would be adjudicated by senior Jomsvikings – a Jomsviking was forbidden to show fear in the face of the enemy, or run from battle (orderly retreat when against an enemy of superior strength, however, was permitted) – spoils from a battle were shared equally amongst the entire order – no Jomsviking could be absent from Jomsborg for more than 3 days without permission from the order – no women or children were permitted within the Jomsborg fortress walls – no women or children were to be taken captive. Non-adherence to any of these rules resulted in the offender being expelled from the group. A few sources state that Harald Bluetooth, who ruled Denmark from 958 to c985, and from whom we get the Bluetooth symbol used in today’s technology (the Norse runes for ‘H’ and ‘B’ are combined to create the Bluetooth symbol), was the founder of the Jomsvikings. Another source claims the Jomsvikings were given their land by mythological ruler of Denmark. But no one really knows for certain where or why the group was started. The Curmsun Disc – Commemorating the death of Harald Bluetooth at Jomsborg (Source: Wikipedia) There is also very little known about what happened to the Jomsvikings. One story tells us that Magnus I, King of Norway (from 1035) and Denmark (from 1042) until his death in 1047 may have destroyed Jomsborg and the Jomsvikings as a show of control the year after he conquered Denmark. But without primary sources and with the lack of archaeological evidence, this legendary group of warriors will remain just that: legendary. The Northern Queen – Available in USA, Canada and UK. Literature / The Saga of the Jomsvikings. Jómsvíkinga saga , i.e. Saga of the Jomsvikings , is a 13th century Old Norse saga, the author being an anonymous Icelander. It is a fanciful historical adventure set in the 10th century, recalling the days of the vikings. Its first part is dedicated to the rise of the Knytlings, the Danish royal dynasty that was the first to unite Denmark under their rule and built it into the northern European hegemonial power of the late The Viking Age. The focus then shifts to a clan of Danish warlords, the descendants of the chieftain Toki, and their long history of both rivalry and collaboration with the Danish kings. King Harald "Bluetooth" Gormsson’s ruthless pursuit of unrivalled power leads to a long-smouldering enmity with Toki's clan that only ends when Toki's grandson Palnatoki stirs up a rebellion that overthrows the king and puts Harald's bastard son Svein Forkbeard on the throne. But when Svein discovers the truth about his father's death, he cuts ties with Palnatoki, and the latter is forced to leave Denmark. A successful commander of viking cruises, he eventually establishes a new base of operations in Vindland note The "land of the Slavs" at the southern shore of the Baltic; not to be confused with "Vinland," which is a rather different place. , realm of the mighty king Burisleif note Fictional version of Boleslaw I of Poland , but the historical data does not really match up. , who cedes the Danish sea-rovers a stretch of coast in the land of Jom, where they build the mighty fortress of Jomsborg. note Likely at the Slavic settlement of Wolin, now in Poland. Having become somewhat snobbish by all their victories, Palnatoki and his lot, henceforward known as the Jomsvikings, decide that only the crème de la crème of warriors can join their club, and establish the law of Jomsborg that makes bravery and recklessness mandatory. Applicants arrive from whom Palnatoki picks the captains of Jomsborg – Sigvaldi, Thorkell the Tall, Búi the Stout, Sigurd Cape, and Palnatoki's own grandson Vagn Akason with his veteran mentor, Bjorn the Welshman. Together, they form the most prestigious viking host to ever haunt the seas, and heap up fame and fortune in spades. King Svein is not exactly enthusiastic about the unchecked power of the Jomsvikings and their lack of proper obedience to the Danish king. When Palnatoki dies and Sigvaldi takes over the leadership, things seem to normalize - only for Sigvaldi’s double-dealing with Svein to fire a new grudge. Eventually, the crafty king devises a scheme to put the Jomsvikings back in their place—tricking them into a brazen undertaking that can only result in glory. or total destruction. Tropes in Jómsvíkinga saga : Adopted into Royalty: To hush up an incestuous affair, Jarl Arnfinn of Saxony abandons his newborn son in a forest so it will be found by king Gorm of Denmark. Gorm, who at once infers from the costly garments and the gold found along with him that the boy is of noble birth, has him raised like a son and eventually names him his heir. The boy, Knut, becomes king and gives his name to the royal house of Knytlings. Alcohol- Induced Idiocy: Sigvaldi and the other Jomsvikings get wasted at the memorial feast for Strut-Harald, the father of Sigvaldi and Thorkel, prepared for them by King Svein Forkbeard. The king then suggests for them all to make vows about heroic achievements they are going to accomplish; Sigvaldi takes the bait and vows that he will conquer Norway, and the other Jomsvikings vow they will support him in that.