A Day in Kaupang

After a eating some delicious stew, my father and I had a wonderful nights sleep after a long day of walking at our family friends’ long house. My father and Domnall, the landowner, were dear friends growing up and even went on one journey together a long time ago. Both of them enjoyed a life of farming better than dedicating their lives to traveling. Our stay there was pleasant however there has always been tension between Domnall’s son, Olaf and me. Before I met Leif, Olaf had wanted to marry me but neither Domnall nor my father believed he would be a strong enough husband for me. As the youngest child, Olaf is not only extremely immature and a poor worker, he is an extremely small man. His nickname in the region is, “Olaf the little hunchback.” So, seeing Olaf was somewhat awkward. Needless to say, I was pretty excited to leave early in the morning for Kaupang.

The journey from Domnall’s farm to Kaupang is fairly treacherous but very doable if traveled patiently. The distance between my father’s farm and Kaupang is small, but there is a large rock outcropping we have to pass before coming into the town. Kaupang itself is situated on the western side of a tidal inlet by Viksfjord and is fairly small. I have heard of other markets that are much larger than Kaupang but I just cannot imagine it. Kaupang, to me, seems like a busy town already!

After hiking for a few hours on the extremely rocky trail, my father and I finally arrived to Kaupang. Instantly, I looked for Leif’s ship and saw nothing. But still, I kept my hopes high. I made a sacrifice to Freya last night and woke up to a beautiful sunrise. I thought to myself, “this could be the day his ship sails into harbor.”

Although my father visits Kaupang frequently, it is always exciting for him as well because there always seems to be new people and new things that have just arrived. My father once thought he would move the family from the farm into Kaupang during the summer season. However, it just would have been too difficult to find more helpers to take care of the farm while he was away. The farm is his main priority anyway. Trading is just an additional thing he does to help Leif while he is away. Although it only takes 10 minutes to walk from edge to edge of Kaupang, there are so many people there! This summer, there were almost 1,000 people living here! However, right now, seeing that the winter is approaching quickly, there are only about 600 people in Kaupang.

While my father began to stake out a location to set up for the day, all the glass beads, pottery jugs, and coins on merchants’ tables distracted me. With a small payment of silver that I should have purchased new sewing needles with, I decided to treat myself to a new brooch with an amethyst stone within its design. I thought to myself, if this was the day Leif’s ship was going to arrive, I would be ready and look particularly nice for him.

Leif's Ship

Today was an exciting day! Neither my brother or Hvlar are able to accompany my father to Kaupang. So he asked me to come along! Ljúfr and Hvlar have a lot of work to do with the animals and land before winter comes but my father needs to go into Kaupang to trade the last of the furs and silks we have before the market becomes quiet. My mother and Snotra rarely accompany my father or Ljufr when they journey but I have always been eager to venture outside the farm so I think he knew I would be up for the three day journey.

Although I hate seeing the silks being traded, Leif will be proud to see that his efforts in obtaining them were worthwhile. Also, I love going into Kaupang! I love seeing all the new materials for spinning, beautiful jewelry, and interesting ironworking. However, I have to admit, my favorite part about going into Kaupang isn’t all the shops, the craftsmens’ new creations, or the opportunity to find some new glass beads, it is seeing the ships. They completely peak my curiosity and I cannot wait to see them sailing on the ocean once again. The last time I had seen a ship was when I watched Leif sail off for his last journey. My family traveled with me to Kaupang to see him off and bid him farewell. I will always remember the ship he left on.

It was so beautiful and powerful looking. Made entirely of oak, the warship boat had 16 pairs of oars and a huge sail made of wool. I guess it was one of the first warships to attach the steering oar to the starboard side of the ship. Leif informed me that this improvement would make his entire journey safer. It was at least 20 meters long and 4 meters wide with its stern-post carved as a dragon’s head. When I asked Leif how they knew how to direct this beautiful boat, he affirmed me that they were all knowledgeable about how to use information from the winds, tides, and stars to guide their way. I have to admit that the first thing that came to mind when my father asked me to come along was whether or not I would see Leif’s boat sailing into shore.

The journey to Kaupang takes an entire day so we will be making a stop before hiking over the rocky terrain into Kaupang at a family friends’ long house. They always are so welcoming and hospitable when we arrive. Then, we will be making our way in town. I cannot wait.

A Visit to Alfdis and Alarr's Stone

After a cold’s night sleep, we (my mother, Snotra, and I) decided to make a visit to grandmother Alfdis’s runestone to make sure the plot was still in order and to give a small sacrifice to Thor. The runestone is placed in front of a small but beautiful creek that my father, LjúfR, and our dear friend, Hvalr Huskarlsson, came upon one day during a journey to the Godi's farm. My father freed Hvalr’s father after he saved my mother’s life during a market brawl and after my grandfather passed away. However, Hvlar has remained living and working at the farm and since, has become like a brother. Anyway, back to my grandmother. The year before I was born, grandma Alfdis died of pneumonia after a long winter and my mother and father decided to commission a runestone in her and her son’s (my uncle) names. My uncle, Álarr, was killed during one of his campaigns in the south 5 years after my grandma died. He was a very well known warrior in our region and his death was mourned deeply. We never did get his body back to Viksfjord. (I really hope Leif is alright. I worry so much for his safety. Last night I had a nightmare that he died after being killed in Jotungaro. I was sitting at the foot of his runestone, weeping while holding onto the brooch he gave me as a gift after his last campaign to the west. Thankfully, the sharp winds woke me up early.)

Our walk was somewhat of a long one. Last night I made sure to spend extra time at the spindle making my father and brother’s new winter tunics, knowing that we would be away from the farm for the majority of the day. Once we passed the Goði’s farm, we knew we were close. Although my family regularly attends community rituals and gives small sacrifices to Thor, we are not especially ritualistic like our neighbors. In fact, there has been somewhat of a change in our region’s religious affiliations and religious membership. Many of our region’s families have begun going to a new building with a giant cross in its center rather than the Godi’s farm during community rituals and celebrations. I can’t see my family attending that ritual. Our loyalty remains with our Godi.

After another 10 minutes passed the Godi’s farm, there it was, the stone. As my mother began to quietly weep as we approached, I once again, read the stone to myself. It was so beautifully transcripted and carved into a stone about waist high. Grandma Alfdis and Uncle Alarr would be pleased. After we had a moment of silence, Snotra placed our sacrifice of a new wool scarf on the stone and we all together read the stone aloud. It reads;

He offered battle in the south. She offered what no wife or mother in Viksfjord will again. To the Son and Wife of Hassmyra, a bridge exists in their names.

I wonder what Grandma Alfdis was like. Apparently she was the best “maiden in Viksfjord.” And apparently, I have her nose. May she and Uncle Alarr rest in peace.

An Early Morning, A New Season Coming

Hi there. My name is Alfdis Jonsdottir. I am a 22 year-old Norsewoman from a small lowland farm located near Viksfjord and Kaupang, Norway. I currently live on the small farm that my father, Jon Brunnsson, and brother, LjúfR Jonsson, run. The farm is primarily focused on raising livestock and some crops. The soil is extremely rocky here and the winters are long; making it difficult to grow and harvest lots of crops. My husband, Leif Eymundrsson, is currently away on a “voyage” to God knows where. I hate when he leaves but he always seems to return with the most beautiful of things; silver broaches, blue silks, and lots of furs. If we are lucky, we get to keep these precious gifts for a short while until the market returns in the summer. Unlike my brother and father, Leif is a trader and a viking. He travels, obtains valuable foreign rarities and trades them at Kaupang, a seasonal market. As a result of his voyages and my father's farm, we live comfortably and hold a fair status within the region. However, I would rather him be at home and working on the farm. I am already 22 and still, have no children. I love being home with my family and helping with the farm, but I am ready for a family of my own.

The days are growing shorter and the nights are growing colder. The winter is soon approaching and my family is preparing for a harsh one. After making our last trip to the market to trade the remaining of our furs, my mother Gunnvor, could sense that this winter was going to be a long and dark one. Although we worked all summer on repairing our turf rooftop and even constructed another fireplace within the long house, the nights in my lofted sleeping quarters have already proved bone chilling. And it is not even winter yet! We have made an addition to our long house for the animals so that they have more room to sleep and so we don’t have to suffer from their stench as much. My brother’s wife, Snotra Brossdottir, and I are ecstatic about the improvement. Especially Snotra! She is pregnant again and has been feeling ill from the smoke and stench of the animals. I hope her baby makes it this time. Last winter she lost her first born after a 15 hour labor. It was heartbreaking. I am just so happy she is still so strong and healthy.

Sometimes I love this place and sometimes I wish I could travel with Leif down south. I wonder what he is doing right now. Last I heard from one of Leif’s fellow sailors, the men found an unprotected house of precious royalties whose only residents were older men in robes. I just hope he returns safely. Although we were arranged to marry by Leif's family with prossion from my Father, I really do have affection for him.

I better go now. It is an early and brisk morning and I need to help my mother, Gunnvor, with the breakfast stew. We also have to take care of the farm today for my brother and father have returned to Kaupang for one last attempt at selling our products to the season’s last travelers and nearby farmers.

Until next time,
Alfdis