back to the 1018 Juncture

Scandinavia

• Thane Eyvind Eriksson, ruler of Eidfjord, Norway. Born 960 (age 58). Owns one large draken-boat.

• Thorfinn the Merchant, ship-owner from Eidfjord.

• Jarl Erling Svensson, ruler of Hordaland (including Eidfjord). Born 970 (age 48), baptised 997.

• Jarl Erik Hakonarson, born 960s (age 50s). Earl of Northumbria, former regent of Norway, famous ally of King Canute of England. Currently in England.

• King Olaf "the Thick" Haraldson, ruler of Norway. Born 995 (age 23), crowned April 3, 1015. Ruthlessly converting Norway to Christianity.

• King Olaf Tryggvason (960s - 1000), ruler of Norway. Great-grandson of Harald Fairhair, first Christian king of Norway. Died at the Battle of Svold, fighting against the Swedes, Danes, and Jomsvikings.

• Thorolf the Bald, a Norwegian merchant and ship-owner, present at Hedeby during the summer.

• Berta, woman of Hedeby; keeps a lodging-house.

• Anders the Blind, retired merchant living near Hedeby.

• King Harald Svensson (aka Harald II), ruler of Denmark. Born 980s (age 30s), son of Svein Forkbeard, brother of King Canute of England. Dies in late 1018, succeeded by Canute.

• King Olaf Skotkonung, ruler of Sweden. Born 980 (age 38), son of Eric the Victorious and Sigrid the Haughty, succeeded to kingship in 995. Claimed the Danish throne, which forced Sven Forkbeard to defend it. Olaf's mother Sigrid married Sven, and the two kings became allies; the fought together in 1000 AD against King Olaf Trggvason of Norway at the Battle of Svolder. While on a viking expedition to Wendland ca 994, he captured the woman Edla, who (while never marrying him) bore his son Emund the next year (and two daughters later on). King Olaf, the queen, their children, and many of their court were baptised in 1008 by Sigurd, first Catholic bishop assigned to Sweden. Olaf is trying to convert Sweden to Christianity, but the majority of his subjects are still stoutly pagan.

• Queen Estrid of Sweden, born ca. 979 (age 39), was given by her father, a chieftain of the Polabian Obotrites (Slavic people of Wendland), as a peace offering (along with a great dowry). The queen loves pomp and luxury, and is very strict with her servants. She is unkind to Edla's children, and Emund has been send to Wendland for fostering. Estrid definitely has the "evil stepmother" look to her, and is loathed by the court.

• Jacob Olafsson, born 25 July 1008 (age 10), son of King Olaf and Queen Estrid. Gains the throne in 1022.

• Astrid Olafsdottir, born ca. 998 (age 20). daughter of King Olaf and Edla. Soon to marry King Olaf the Thick (Christmas, 1019), after Ingegerd is sent to marry Yaroslav. She is mentioned as "staying with Jarl Ragnvald" before her marriage.

• Ingegerd Olafsdottir, born 1001 (age 17), daughter of King Olaf and Queen Estrid. She was engaged for a while to Olaf the Thick of Norway, but that is falling through; Olaf Skotkonung has quickly arranged for a marriage to Yaroslav the Wise of Novgorod.

• Emund Olafsson, born ca. 995 (age 23). Son of King Olaf and Edla.

• Bishop Thurgaut of Skara, chief missionary to Sweden, successor to Bishop Sigurd.

• Jarl Ragnvald Ulfsson, born ca. 978 (age 40), cousin to King Olaf Skotkonung. An important Swedish noble, rich and powerful; he led the "peace" movement at the Uppsala. He is married to a sister (Ingeborg Tryggvasdottir) of the deceased King Olaf Tryggvason, is the foster-son of Thorgynr the Lawspeaker, and is the cousin of King Olaf Skotkonung.

• Sigvat Thordarson, a skald in King Olaf Skotkonung's court. He has recently returned from Gardarike, bearing news and proposed alliances from Yaroslav the Wise.

• Ottar the Black, born 970s (age 40s), a skald in King Olaf Skotkonung's court. Ottarr soon moves briefly to the court of King Olaf the Thick, and then to the court of King Canute of England. Ottar, in his younger years, accompanied King Olaf Tryggvason on a war in England in 994, and wrote this poem (back when Olaf was still a pagan, heh):

"London Bridge is broken down --

Gold is won, and bright renown.

Shields resounding,

War-horns sounding,

Hild is shouting in the din!

London Bridge is broken down --

Gold is won, and bright renown.

Arrows singing,

Mail-coats ringing --

Odin makes our Olaf win!"

• Bjorn Stallare, Norwegian, emissary to King Olaf Skotkonung's court.

• Hjalti Skegiason, Norwegian, emissary to King Olaf Skotkonung's court.

• Thorgynr the Lawspeaker, born 950s (age 60s), vastly respected in Sweden. Blind, long white hair, wears a sword.

• Jarl Yngvar the Far-Travelled, born 994 (age 24), son of jarl Eymundr (brother of the previous Swedish king Eric the Victorious -- thus he is cousin to King Olaf Skotkonung). He's handsome, charismatic and considered ridiculously lucky -- he's been on four previous "travels", and on the last one, only one ship out of fifty returned to Scandinavia. Yngvar is pretty well equipped -- his father was very rich -- and has fourteen close retainers/guards (among them are Hjalmvigi, Soti, Ketil (an Icelander) and Valdimar). He's organizing thirty ships for the trip to Holmgard.

• Thorkell the Tall, born ca. 960 (age 58), chieftain of the Jomsvikings and jarl of East Anglia. Has much military experience, especially in England. Mentor to King Canute of England.

• Ketil One-Eye, age about 40, one of Yngvar's captains, and a sort-of-former Jomsviking.

Gardarike (Russia)

• Grand Prince Yaroslav the Lame, born 978 (age 40), ruler of the Rus. Son (one of many, and not the first) of Vladimir the Great, first Christian king of Gardarike. First wife was Anna (a Byzantine princess), died before 1017. Since his father's death in 1014, he has been fighting wars to establish his rule; his current, temporary capital is Holmgard. His brother Sviatopolk, supported by the Poles and the Pechenegs, is his primary opponent.

• Posadnik Konstantin Dobrynich, mayor of Novgorod, and cousin to Yaroslav. Pro-slavic, and somewhat biased against Nordic mercenaries.

• Moses the Hungarian ("Moisey Ugrin"), born ca. 990 (age 28). Part of Predslava's escort, and a recently-ordained Orthodox monk.

• Predslava, sister of Yaroslav, captured by the Poles in Kiev.

• Anthony, an Orthodox monk, born 983 (age 35). He is a native Slav, but travelled to Greece and was a monk at Mount Athos. Three years ago he founded the first Christian monastery in Russia, at Kiev.

• Grand Prince Sviatopolk "the Damned", born 980 (age 38), ruler of the Rus -- died 1018 at the hands of Sunnyvale PSOs. Son (one of many) of Vladimir the Great. He sought to restore the worship of Perun to the lands of the Rus; despite this, he remained tolerant of other religions.

• Princess Astrid, wife of Sviatopolk, and only daughter of King Boreslaw the Brave. Born 997 (age 21), and mother of Sviatopolk's two sons.

Eurasian Nations and Nomads

• Boyar Onogur, of the pagan Suars tribe of the Volga Bulgars; born ca. 970. His native language is known today as Chuvash, written in a variant of the Old Turkish runic alphabet.

• Tuvin, son of Onogur, born 996.

Poland

• King Boleslaw the Brave, of the Piast dynasty of Polish kings. Father-in-law to Sviatopolk. Born 967 (age 51). See here for an account of his part in the war.

Byzantium

• Basil II, Pious Basileus, Equal of the Apostles, God's Vice-Regent on Earth, Christ-Elected, Christ-Guarded, Ever-Victorious, Augustus, Emperor of the Romans, Cosmocrator. Born 958 (age 60). Basil is a short, stocky man who cares little for the pomp and ceremony of the imperial court, and typically holds court dressed in military uniform. Still, he is a capable administrator, who (unique among the soldier-emperors) will leave a very full treasury upon his death. He hasn't married or had children that we know of -- a womanizer as a young man, Basil chose to devote himself fully to the duties of state upon becoming emperor. He is a skilled soldier and general, and an excellent horseman. He married off his younger sister, Anna, to Vladimir the Great, reinforcing a treaty with that newly-Christianized ruler of the Kievan Rus.