The Trials of the Sons of Odin: A Paradox AAR. Chapter 3: The First Fylkir

King Sæmundr inherited the throne shortly after maturity. Raised by his father to be everything his uncle Sigurdr was not, his education was in the area of faith. His time at court had given him an appreciation that men are made better by law, rather than burdened by it. However, in an age of turmoil, King Sæmundr knew that matters would sometime not be solved by being frank about one’s intentions.

The start of his rule was not a smooth transition. The lands to the north of Noregr were rarely united and so the previous rulers had largely ignored them, with the exception of the acquisition of the Jarldom of Finmark by King Sigurdr. The Jarl of Sapmi, on the cusp of being recognised as the King of Lapland, saw his opportunity to acquire the territory needed while the realm was disorganised. Sigurdr father had foreseen this and had filled the coffers so that a mercenary band could be hired. To add insult to the defeat, King Sigurdr hired men from the Jarls own lands to lead the charge.

Despite matters of state, the primary focus of the King remained on the affairs of the gods. Pondering some of the base questions that man asks of the gods, the answer was sort amongst the collections of religious texts.

The start of his rule was not a smooth transition. The lands to the north of Noregr were rarely united and so the previous rulers had largely ignored them, with the exception of the acquisition of the Jarldom of Finmark by King Sigurdr. The Jarl of Sapmi, on the cusp of being recognised as the King of Lapland, saw his opportunity to acquire the territory needed while the realm was disorganised. Sigurdr father had foreseen this and had filled the coffers so that a mercenary band could be hired. To add insult to the defeat, King Sigurdr hired men from the Jarls own lands to lead the charge.

With the text consulted, next the Godi’s were gathered. Already a leading voice amongst them, there was nevertheless many aspects that were not well known. Before it’s reformation, the Germanic faith was full of verbal traditions.

(Source: http://www.northernpaganism.org/shrines/forseti/writing/invocation-to-forseti.html)
For a week the Godi’s exchanged their stories, lore and rituals. Above them was the King, mute for the entire exchange, whilst at his feet scribes sat and recorded what was discussed, to be added to the previous records. Where there was disagreement, the two parties would present their case, and their peers would weigh in. Thus was the Council of Lore Binding.

After all topics had been discussed the King took the notes headed out or the hills surrounding Naumadal. For days he read through the transcripts of the Godi’s, contemplating on their meanings. The words of the holy men were brought together and thus the Asatru was written, the first holy book of the Germanic faith.

(Source: https://s-media-cache-ak0 . pinimg . com/236x/93/93/2b/93932b24216a6f32472dcdbf75fe0d96 . jpg)
Finally, the king removed himself from his self-imposed exile. His voice hoarse from days of silence he declared that he could not proceed whilst the Irminsul at Tholen was fallen under the sway of Christian king of Germany. If this holy symbol could be returned to the Norse, surely that would show blessing of the gods over the new, unified direction of the faith and the foundation of the church. Once there he would proclaim their labour to the world unite every man under the new faith.

With the works of the heavens written, it was time to return to the realms of man. Preparations needed to be made for the march of the warriors of the King, men to be instructed, generals to be trained and gold stored to pay for it all. Fleets departed all along the coasts willed with men seeking riches for themselves and their lords.

The eventual target: The Kingdom of Pomerania. Its king, a chid heathen, needed to be defeated so that the armies could pass through. Many of the vassals in the kingdom were true believers, who toiled under the rule of a different faith. This would be the first target on King Sæmundr’s holy journey.

The internal issues of the realm had not remained quiet in this time however. King Sæmundr’s vassals had, under the pretence of allowing the king to focus on the matters of faith, stripped their lord of his own powers for their gain. Unwilling or unable to oppose them, the crown lost many rights that it had enjoyed under previous rulers.

The preparations for war were broken by unusual news brought by a courtier distant from a distant realm. The Countess Anowed had passed away. Whilst the court would not usually make note of the death of a Christian from Wales, this case was unusual as the woman was the mother of King Sæmundr. Having not been seen her for many years, the news was unexpected, it did however give the faith an extraordinary opportunity, a foothold on the British Isles. This would be the foundation of the great Welsh republic.

false

(Source: https://dinosaurcowboys.com/2016/01/11/)
When all the preparations done King Sæmundr announced his plans to the world. Nothing less than the entire subjection of the Pomeranian realm. With holdings within Scandinavia, the north coast of the mainland, and the islands between, no larger war had been declared by the realm before this point.

During this time, the King commissioned many of the great statues that still stand in the capital to this day. These statues would take years to complete but King Sæmundr was confident in the man that headed the project.

After many hard battles and long sieges, the armies of the King of Norge were victorious. In a humiliating ceremony the boy-king of Pomerania was forced to give up most of his lands and swear fealty to the victorious King Sæmundr. The inclusion of so much hostile land would eventually lead to the ruin of the King.

Later on, the so called King of the Germans declared a war for the lands to his north, the Jarldom of Holstein. The central province connecting the Danmark region to the Pomeranian lands and the mainland as a whole, it would be vital for the unity of the realm. Thus this was one of the most important wars fought in the King Sæmundr reign.

(Source: http://www.dandebat.dk/eng-dk-historie17.htm)
Beating back the Christians was not enough though, as they held what King Sæmundr coveted: the temple at Tholen, site of the Irminsul. Thus when their men were slain and their castles taken, King Sæmundr demanded as reparations the lands surrounding the temple. In no position to argue, the Christian agreed. [But wait, I hear you say, you can’t push claims when you have been declared on. The answer is that I won the war and then declared on the German King.]

With the holy site now secured, King Sæmundr sent men to search the site for any artefacts that may have survived the Christian sacking of the temple during their first Crusade. It seems that the spirits of the land were still angry at true believers letting the temple fall under foreign lords. The men sent in were never found alive again.

By this time though the King was an old man, susceptible to illness. It is reported that near the end of his life a great blight appeared across his body. The king languished for weeks, struck down by the vile infection. Many physicians could not help the king …

Where medicine failed, mysticism was consulted. Drawing upon the rites discussed many years earlier a potion was created that allowed the King to detach from himself and embark upon a quest into the realm of the spirits.

(Source: http://mythicalrealm.com/legends/valkyries.html)
The visions of the King were many, for he was in the realm beyond for a long time. Many things were revealed to him, of the worlds beyond the material and Midgard. King Sæmundr claimed that he spent time with each of the gods of the faith, taking down their commandments on how to live and the expectations of their followers. This journey was detailed in the Pilgrimsfärd, the second of the Germanic holy books.

When the king woke from his journey, his ailment had been cured. Claiming that the infection had been a test of faith from the gods, having proven himself he was able to lead the faith along its new path…

… one that would be a force upon the world like which had not been seen. No longer would the true believers be susceptible to the false words of those that worship the Cross and the Moon. With a church hierarchy and a codified holy book, the Germanic faith was ready for this new world. Claiming the mantle of the leader of this new church, Sæmundr claimed himself Fylkir, king of all those of the Germanic faith in spiritual matters.

As if to commemorate the new era, the statues that Fylkir Sæmundr commissioned were completed. The greatest of these was ‘The Divine Inspiration’, depicting King Sæmundr with the crows of Odin, Huginn and Muninn flying around his head, the Sword of Heroes raised high. This statue would eventually be moved to the Grand Stave of Trondheim.

The new Pope of the Catholics, Alexander, sought to succeed where his predecessor had not and Christianise the people of the Carpathian Basin. Many Christian lords, seeking retribution for the slight that was the 1st Pannonian Crusade joined the Pope’s march. [Seriously, what is it with Pope’s and rocking the eyepatch.]

The area around Castle Lade had continued to grow, going beyond the confines of the castle itself and beyond the shadows of the walls. Seeking to maintain order, Fylkir Sæmundr appointed a local burgher as Mayor.

With the increase in the size of the settlement, and the establishment of the reformed Germanic faith, many Godi’s made their residence in the new city.

And again the Pope and the followers of the Cross and Rome failed to push their faith eastward. Costing the life of both the Boy-Kahn and the Pope, the Tengri empires had banded together to push the invaders out. [Another Pope with an eyepatch, is it part of the garb along with the papal crown?]

The Fylkir reign was cut short however with his assassination, inspired by Jörmungandr, by poisonous snake. Although it took many years, it was eventually discovered that the Slavic vassals of Pomerania had plotted his downfall.

Thus the titles of the Kingdom of Norge and the Fylkir of the Germanic Faith was passed to his son Eilif Sæmundrson. His twin brother Sölvi was crowned King of Pomerania, although a small realm, this would be the frontline against the Christians and Slavic heretics.

Summoning the lords of the faithful realms, both internal and external, to witness his coronation as Fylkir, he then shocked them with an announcement. For too long the Germanic faith had been defensive, protecting rather than gaining new land. Thus all faithful would need to prepare to march, but in what direction? That would be the decision of the assembled council. [So this is where you come in, speaking as the lords of the realm and decide which way I expand the faith. Vote at http://www.strawpoll.me/12562406 and let me know how you think I should go]