The Lost Saga

[Chac1]

XIX. King Harald's Rule

King Harald “Wartooth” as imagined by the DALL·E image generator from Bing.

Spoiler: Soundtrack: "Odin's Ritual" by Vetramegin

The full soundtrack for The Lost Saga can be heard here.

King Harald expanded his father’s kingdom into Noregr (Norway), Svíþjóð (Sweden), and Saxony. Odin was pleased with his victories and that they brought glory to his lineage. Harald ruled for more than 40 years. King Harald had two sons with his wife. One was Hrœrekr “Ring-Slinger,” the other Þrándr “The Old.” In Uppland, King Sigurd “Ring” af Munsö had one son with his wife. He was named Ragnar.

When Harald "Wartooth" had grown so old that he was 80 years of age, he lay in his bed and found it hard to walk, and Vikings raided widely in his lands. And then his friends thought the kingdom was faring badly. An old traveler came to Sjælland and asked to see the king. The king’s friends beseeched this wise traveler to poison the king for them so the kingdom might flourish again. The traveler took their charge, but when he was alone with the king, he revealed himself to be the All-Father, Odin. Odin told the king of his disappointment that he had stopped his warring ways and that the kingdom had fallen into disrepair. He told the king his friends were now plotting against him. This roused Harald from his sickbed and he vowed to make change. He promised the All-Father new victories. And Harald began by having his friends taken in chains and then all were hanged. After that, riding in his chariot, King Harald took up the lance again, making a tributary of the Petty Kingdom of Västergötland in greater Svíþjóð, and he conquered new lands in Noregr, and raided others for loot and thralls.

Odin as an elderly wanderer by Swedish artist Georg von Rosen from 1886; the image is in the public domain.

Spoiler: Writing & Image Credits

Portions of this were adapted from Sögubrot af nokkrum fornkonungum, a fragment of the lost Skjöldunga Saga.

Any image credits not found here can be found on the Preface/Content page.

The Lost Saga
ᛏᚺᛖ ᛚᛟᛋᛏ ᛋᚨᚷᚨ​

 

[Midnite Duke]

The Wartooth was clearly blessed by Odin and will one day have a blessed seat in Valhalla. Thanks

 

[jak7139]

Harald had some real loyal friends, willing to poison him like that! But I guess friendship doesn't stop human nature.

The soundtrack for this update was great!

 

[Lord Durham]

Nothing like the All-Father kicking an 80 year old out of his death bed so Valhalla can be stocked with more Vikings. Assuming Harold had indeed been poisoned, I guess the successor would be Sigurd Hring?

 

[Chac1]

Thanks @Midnite Duke , @jak7139 & @Lord Durham for your support and interest. This is where we see this AAR diverge from the original timeline (OTL) and original Saga to really tell the story of the game play in the style of the old Sagas.

The Wartooth was clearly blessed by Odin and will one day have a blessed seat in Valhalla. Thanks

Nothing like the All-Father kicking an 80 year old out of his death bed so Valhalla can be stocked with more Vikings. Assuming Harold had indeed been poisoned, I guess the successor would be Sigurd Hring?

In the original Saga, Odin actually kills The Wartooth during battle, more or less assuring his invitation to Valhalla. (Although doesn't that make for an awkward eternal feast?) As we are closing in on how The Wartooth is dispatched in this fictional and new account, I think it will be debatable if he ends up in Valhalla.

Good analysis and question, LD.

In the original Saga, The Wartooth survives an attempted assassination (some of his nobles plotted to put wood over him while he bathed, and anchor the wood with stones, so he would drown in his bathtub). It is unclear what he does to those nobles, if anything! But he wants to have an honorable death, and not be assassinated in his bathtub. (Doubtful if you get to Valhalla that way.) So he devises a plan to challenge Sigurd Hring (or "Ring) to a huge battle (the Battle of Bråvalla) so he will die in the battle. In that case and in the OTL, Sigurd wins and takes Denmark as his prize. However, that doesn't happen in this playthrough and version of the Saga. In this case, The Wartooth's sons are poised to inherit.

Harald had some real loyal friends, willing to poison him like that! But I guess friendship doesn't stop human nature.

The soundtrack for this update was great!

Glad you liked the soundtrack, Jak. My sonic explorations for these AARs continues to unearth new discoveries.

As for his "friends," I wanted this to reflect what was written in the original where his friends and nobles conspire to kill him in his bath. Somehow he manages to escape (no details available in the original) with the aid of his servants and convinces them his plan to go to Valhalla in a big battle is better. Both are interesting tales, I hope.

 

[StrategyGameEnthusiast]

Those so-called friends of the Wartooth should have known that all elderly travelers in Scandinavia are actually Odin.

 

[El Pip]

As others have said, whatever Harald's other skills they do not extend to picking good friends! Then again he was being a bit of a lazy git, if all it took was a mild telling off and suddenly he can walk again how infirm was he in the first place?

I do like the nickname “Ring-Slinger" it is quite evocative, not entirely clear what it is trying to evoke (could be generosity, could be skill at the discuss. Probably generosity ) but I like it nevertheless.

 

[Chac1]

Thanks for the comments @StrategyGameEnthusiast & @El Pip . Excellent points.

Yes, whenever an old traveler shows up in a Saga, the reader should immediately know that it is Odin. Likewise any elderly host that a hero encounters on a trip, especially if they only have one eye, well, we know who that would be too, don't we?

Yes, have to agree @El Pip , how much was King Harald really ailing? But we must remember a very powerful god roused him. How do we know Odin didn't give him some extra juice?

And yes, @El Pip I love your insights on the nicknames. (Did the Vikings have the discus? If they did, how many gold medals did they win in Paris or Athens?) Indeed, "Ringslinger" meant generous as the ruler would have been known to share goods from raids and war. Some sources say this is also a compliment that he gave out many arm rings to warriors for their service and was thus a valued military leader. However, one Danish source implies the name could come from either sacrificing rings to the ocean or accidentally throwing them in the ocean. As usual, there's not one definitive answer regarding these old nicknames.

However, Sigurd "Ring" or Sigurd Hring, some sources believe also gets his nickname from "Ringslinger:" it is just a shortened version of that nickname.

 

[Chac1]

XX. King Harald's End

​

The funeral pyre of King Harald “Wartooth” as depicted in this illustration by German artist Friedrich Wilhelm Heine from 1922. This image is in the public domain.

Spoiler: Soundtrack: "Farewell" by Rúnfell (featuring Sigurboði Grétarsson)

The full soundtrack for The Lost Saga can be heard here.

After harrying the Norwegian territory called Hordaland, King Harald of Sjælland returned one summer with a great host intent on vanquishing the province for his own. But he was opposed by the great warrior-chief, Hrafn Ytra. Hrafn had been blessed by the dwarves to carry Thor’s sacred hammer Mjölnir, while the thunder god was away from Midgard. When he saw the great host arrayed to siege down his holding, and King Harald "Wartooth" directing their strategies from his chariot, Hrafn prayed to Thor for intervention against his foes. Held by Hrafn, Mjölnir sent a mighty lightning bolt and directed it at the Danish king. Despite being the favorite of Odin, Harald faced the wrath of Thor who had intervened on Hrafn’s behalf. Hrafn’s prayer was answered and the legendary King Harald lay in the dirt, smote by the sacred war hammer.

Tryggve The Moaner* tells the tale:

*Chief Tryggve “The Moaner” Flod of Burgundaholmr was the chief advisor to two kings of Denmark and also served as the Court Skald of Denmark in the 8th Century.

This painting, "Thor's Fight with the Jötnar" by Swedish artist Mårten Eskil Winge from 1872, is in the public domain.

Spoiler: Writing & Image Credits

This post is completely new material based upon the surviving parts of the Skjöldung Saga and inspired by the form of what survives of that ancient Saga. Any image credits not found here can be found on the Preface/Content page.

The Lost Saga
ᛏᚺᛖ ᛚᛟᛋᛏ ᛋᚨᚷᚨ​

 

[StrategyGameEnthusiast]

Thor helping the Wartooth's enemy? So Odin is struggling to control the other Gods.

 

[jak7139]

Odin probably won't be happy that Harald is dead. Does getting smote by a magic hammer count as a death in battle?

 

[Midnite Duke]

Thor v Odin. Does it get better in the Northlands? Thanks

 

[Chac1]

Thanks for your comments and support @StrategyGameEnthusiast , @jak7139 & @Midnite Duke .

Thor helping the Wartooth's enemy? So Odin is struggling to control the other Gods.

Thor v Odin. Does it get better in the Northlands? Thanks

The Old Sagas do not conform to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). As portended in Part X, in some Sagas, Thor sees himself as a rival to Odin rather than his sometimes obedient son.

I definitely wanted to play on that rivalry here. The Norse gods were sometimes a fractious bunch.

Odin probably won't be happy that Harald is dead. Does getting smote by a magic hammer count as a death in battle?

In this telling of the Saga, Odin will definitely be disappointed, especially after how he revived the old king in the last part. (However, in the original Saga, Odin gives up on The Wartooth and switches his allegiance to Sigurd "Ring.") I would think this death qualifies for an honorable Norse death with the reward of going to one of the great after-life feasting halls. However, this is based on the game play from Lost Seasons of the Danes, Chapter I, where King Harald dies of stress as he plans the siege. In that telling, the common folk came up with the story that the Danish king was smote by the magic hammer to explain the king's collapse and lethal convulsions. But dying of stress, as the king does, really means he is headed down the Hel road. Giving the magic hammer credit makes for a better story though, I think.

 

[Chac1]

XXI. Hrœrekr’s Revenge

Danish warriors surge forward as they look to capture the main holding in Hordaland, as imagined by the DALL·E image generator from Bing.

Spoiler: Soundtrack: "Viðarr's Vengeance" by Viking War Drums & Paul Daniel

The full soundtrack for The Lost Saga can be heard here.

​

After King Harald’s death, the council of chiefs discarded the claim of Þrándr “The Old” to the throne, although he was Harald’s oldest son. Instead, they crowned second son Hrœrekr “Ringslinger” to lead Sjælland. King Hrœrekr II vowed revenge upon Hordaland, seeking vengeance for his father’s death. After sieging Hrafn’s holding, Hrœrekr led the assembled host and conquered Hordaland. Despite wielding the mighty Mjölnir, Hrafn Ytra, the Chief of Hordaland, was forced to flee to the northern frontier.


Ragnar the Skald sang thus of it in his battle song:

This is a 16th Century illustration of warriors in battle by Swedish artist and cartographer Olaus Magnus; the image is in the public domain.

Spoiler: Writing & Image Credits

This post is completely new material based upon the surviving parts of the Skjöldung Saga and inspired by the form of what survives of that ancient Saga. Any image credits not found here can be found on the Preface/Content page.

The Lost Saga
ᛏᚺᛖ ᛚᛟᛋᛏ ᛋᚨᚷᚨ​

 

[StrategyGameEnthusiast]

Despite wielding the mighty Mjölnir, Hrafn Ytra, the Chief of Hordaland, was forced to flee to the northern frontier.

It mustn't have been the real Mjolnir, or Hrafn wasn't worthy.

 

[Midnite Duke]

Does the "Ringslinger" have Odin's blessing? Thanks

 

[jak7139]

The Ringslinger has put a ring around Hrafn's neck. Hroereker's vengeance has been completed. But now Hrafn needs revenge.

 

[Chac1]

Thanks @StrategyGameEnthusiast , @Midnite Duke & @jak7139 for your continued support. Sneaking a response in here because I'm unsure how much time I will have to get to the forums in the next week or so.

The Ringslinger has put a ring around Hrafn's neck. Hroereker's vengeance has been completed. But now Hrafn needs revenge.

This is always the issue with these Norse revenge cycles, isn't it Jak? Where do they end? Hrafn will return to our series. Will he be able to exact revenge? (Just keeping score: King Harald raided Hrafn's holding and kidnapped his wife. So when Harald returned to seize the holding, Hrafn struck him down with the magic hammer. Then Harald's son gets revenge by taking the holding (and there's more to that but that is for a later part).

It mustn't have been the real Mjolnir, or Hrafn wasn't worthy.

Does the "Ringslinger" have Odin's blessing? Thanks

Excellent points, questions, and perspectives. We will explore more of these in coming updates.

First, House Skjöldung continues to venerate Odin. But where is the All-Father? He makes many appearances with King Harald: teaching him the tactics of warfare in his youth; and then later rousing him from his lethargy in old age. At this time, this author doesn't know of any appearances or interventions he makes with the next two generations. (However, maybe I haven't put my imagination to that test!). My theory is Odin has other interests and although he doesn't abandon House Skjöldung, after King Harald's disappointing end, the All-Father is traveling and taking a sabbatical from them. You can argue this happens a lot in the actual Saga too. Odin flits in and out skipping over many generations. So the "Ringslinger" certainly doesn't have the same blessing from Odin that his father received. Those are truly rare blessings. You can make your own judgments about how "blessed" the "Ringslinger" might be as we add some additional chapters later, Duker.

And @StrategyGameEnthusiast touches on what will become a debate around this character Hrafn. Does he really have the true version of Mjölnir? Or is it a clever fake, forged to fool the simple folk? And is Hrafn truly worthy of the magic hammer? What do we know of him? I can imagine these debates were part of what was discussed at high volume in various alehouses in Scandinavia, especially as the legend of Hrafn grew. However, those answers won't be served up here. You'll have to follow that other AAR to get your satisfaction for the answers to those questions.

 

[El Pip]

The coming and going of divine favour is always an interesting part of any of the mythic sagas. The Norse Gods play their own game, not in the Greek 'mortals are pawns' style but more they have their own rivalries which rarely align with mortal concerns.

My reading on Chapter XX was that the prayers to Thor were more a notification. Thor intervened not because he was bothered about Hrafn, but because Harald was favoured of Odin and Thor wanted to strike at Odin. That it helped Hrafn was incidental and certainly not a motivation.

I think this also explained why Thor was absent in Chapter XXI and Mjölnir unpowered. Hrœrekr had no connection to Odin so Thor had no interest in the mortal fight.

 

[The Kingmaker]

I do like the idea of myth being tangible, something that you can touch and interact with in the real world. For example, whether or not the weapon he wields is the real Mjǫllnir is irrelevant. What's important is that people believe it's real.

Keep up the good work, friend!