Thanks are due to a number of people for help with this book. Mari Anne Næsheim Hall of the Rogaland Historie- og Ættesogelag provided copious material and put me in touch with other knowledgeable people. Torvald Sande also shared the benefit of his expertise. My cousin Tina Andreassen and her friend Stian, who climbed the Preikestolen as my surrogates, deserve much thanks.
Special thanks go out to Torgrim Titlestad of the Stavanger Høgskol, author of Konge Mellom Jarler and Kampen For Nordvegen. Mr. Titlestad's assistance is especially praiseworthy as his philosophic view of the Viking Age is considerably different from mine. But we share an admiration for Erling Skjalgsson, and we don't disagree on everything. I have made considerable, if selective, use of his insights. He also brought to my attention old stories about Erling and his family of which I had been ignorant. I have done my best to harmonize them with the events of my first volume.
All historical, sociological, geographical, meteorological, orthographic or other errors in the present book are mine and mine alone. That goes doubly for any discernable opinions you may find littering the stage.
Lars Walker
Minneapolis, Minnesota
LIST OF MAIN CHARACTERS
(with approximate pronunciations)
Churchmen:
The Abbot: Aillil's former abbot from Ireland.
Aillil (AHL-ill) The narrator of this book. An imposter priest from Ireland.
Ketil (KAY-teel) A deacon from York, England.
Moling: A wandering monk from Ireland.
Sigurd (SEE-goord) King Olaf's bishop.
Thangbrand (TAWNG-brawnd) One of Olaf's priests.
Descendants of Harald Finehair:
Astrid Trygvesdatter (AHSS-treed TRIGG-vehs-dah-ter) Sister to Olaf.
Eyvind Kellda Ragnvaldsson (EYE-veend KELL-da RAWNG-vald-sun) An exiled king's son. A warlock.
Ingebjorg Trygvesdatter (EENG-eh-byoorg TRIGG-vehs-dah-ter) Sister to Olaf.
Olaf Trygvesson (OOH-loff TRIGG-veh-sun) A famous Viking, heir to the traditional kingship of Norway.
Descendants of Horda-Kari (not from Sola):
Askel Olmodsson (AHSS-kell AHL-mode-sun) Son of Olmod the Old.
Aslak Askelsson (AHSS-lakk AHSS-kel-sun) Son of Askel Olmodsson.
Olmod Karisson (OLE-mode KAHR-eh-sun) (the Old). Patriarch of the extended family.
Descendants of Viking-Kari (Kinsmen to Olaf Trygvesson):
Aki Eriksson (AHK-ee AIR-eek-sun) Brother to Sigurd of Opprostad.
Jostein Eriksson (YOO-stine AIR-eek-sun) Brother to Sigurd of Opprostad.
Sigurd Eriksson (SEE-goord AIR-eek-sun) Hersir at Opprostad, south along the Jaeder coast.
Thorkel Eriksson (TOOR-kell AIR-eek-sun) Brother to Sigurd of Opprostad.
Hladir-folk:
Erik Haakonsson (AIR-eek HOE-konn-sun) Son of Jarl Haakon.
Jarl Haakon (Yarl HOE-konn) Jarl (earl) of Hladir, overlord of Norway.
Kark (Kark) Thrall to Jarl Haakon.
Hostages:
Sigurd Thorisson (SEE-goord TOOR-eh-sun)
Thorir Thorisson TORE-eer TOOR-eh-sun)
Klepp-folk:
Gunnar (GOO-nahr) Brother to Helge of Klepp.
Helge (HELL-ghee) An old, blind lord.
Refugees:
Arnor Ulfsson: (AHR-nohr OOLF-sun) A young man, son of Ulf.
Asa (AH-suh) Widow of Thorstein
Thorstein (TOOR-stine) Died in escape.
Ulf (OOLF) Father to Arnor, brother to Thorstein.
Sola-folk:
Bergthor (BAIRG-toor) An old warrior.
Erling Skjalgsson (AIR-ling SHAHLG-sun) son of Thoralf Skjalg and hersir at Sola.
Eystein (EYE-stine) A warrior. Erling's chief of defence after the death of Hrorek.
Freydis (FRAY-dees) Daughter of Soti and Ulvig.
Gunnlaug (GUHN-lowg) A free woman married to a warrior.
Halla Asmundsdatter (HALL-ah AHZ-munds-dah-ter) Erling Skjalgsson's leman (concubine).
Hrorek: (HROO-rekk) Erling's chief of defence.
Halvard Thorfinsson (HALL-vard TOOR-finn-sun) A young warrior.
Lemming: A thrall (slave) to Soti and Ulvig.
Ragna (RAHG-nah) Erling's mother.
Sigrid Skjalgsdatter (SEE-greed SHAHLGS-dah-ter) Erling's younger sister.
Soti (SOE-tee) A blacksmith and magician.
Steinulf (STINE-oolf) Ragna's brother; chief of the bodyguard.
Thorkel: (TOOR-kell) A young warrior of Erling's, born in the Norse city of Dublin.
Thorolf Skjalg (TOOR-olf Shahlg) Erling's father. The name means, "Thorolf the Squinter."
Thorliv Skjalgsdatter (TOOR-leev SHAHLGS-dah-ter) Erling's sister.
Ulvig (OOL-veeg) Soti's wife; a witch.
The sons of Kolli:
Baug Kollasson (BOWG KOLE-eh-sun) A berserker.
Hoskuld Kollasson (HOAS-koold KOLE-eh-sun) A weakling.
Thralls:
Caedwy: An old thrall from Britain; Aillil's house-thrall.
Ciaran: Founder of the Freedman's Company of warriors.
Copar: Turlough's wife.
Deirdre: Wife to Patrick.
Enda: A young male slave.
Gunn: A female slave from Kormt island.
Patrick: Husband to Deirdre.
Steinbjorg: A female slave of Soti's; Aillil's concubine.
Turlough: A cynical man.
Miscellaneous:
Arinbjorn Thorsteinsson (AHR-en-byoorn TOOR-stine-sun) A hersir from the Sogn region.
Brusi Arnfinsson (BROO-see AHRN-fin-sun) A hersir from the More region. Erling hanged his son.
Burisleif: Boleslav I (the Brave), king of Poland.
Cullan Mal Munnu: An Irishman, father of Deirdre.
Einar Endridisson (EYE-nar Ein-DREE-deh-sun) A young warrior of good family from the north.
Leif Eriksson (LIFE AY-reek-sun) Son of the colonizer of Greenland. Discoverer of America.
Mistislav: A nobleman of Poland.
Sigvald (SEEG-vahld) a jarl; leader of the famous Jomsvikings.
Thorarin Hranisson (TOOR-AH-reen HRAWN-eh-sun) Neighbor to the Kollissons.
Thorbjorg Lambisdatter (TOOR-byoorg LAHMB-ehs-dah-ter) A young widow and a merchant.
Thyri: (TEER-ee) Sister to King Svein Forkbeard of Denmark. Bride to Olaf Trygvesson.
The Wanderer: A man of mystery.
(The pronunciations above are approximate only, and reflect modern Norwegian speech. If you pronounce "Erik" the way you always have [I do it myself], nobody will accuse you before the king.)
lw
Title: | The Year of the Warrior |
Author: | Lars Walker |
ISBN: | 0-671-57861-8 |
Copyright: | © 2000 by Lars Walker |
Publisher: | Baen Books |