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Elling Polden




Location: Bergen, Norway
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PostPosted: Thu 31 Aug, 2006 2:28 am    Post subject: Drunk and Disorderly, pt 2         Reply with quote

Another amusing reminder of the dangers of strong drink, and the pure psycosis of a certian kind of norwegian Kingsman...
Also a demonstration of unorthodox boarding technique.


Trouble caused by drink [1186]
103. In the following spring King Sverri sailed south from Throndham with a very great host, and arrived at Bergen about the Vigil-time. There was a great number of merchant-ships in the town, come from well nigh all lands. The Southmen had imported a large quantity of wine, so that wine in Bergen was then no dearer than ale.
It happened on a time as men sat drinking wine, that they wished to be served with more, but the Southmen's boy would not fetch it, and they strove with him for not more than a single pot. They wrangled until the Northmen would go and break into the booth, but the Southmen defended themselves from the inside, and several men were wounded by sword-thrusts. This was told in the town. The townsmen and the Germans seized their weapons, and a fight took place; many fell, especially of the townsmen. The Southmen ran to their cogs, which they placed all together in the bay, and the townsmen prepared to set on them. But at last a truce was made.
Many other disturbances arose that summer through drink. There was a man of the Birkibeins so witless through drink that he threw himself out between the hall and the king's sitting-room thinking he was leaping into the water to swim, and he was killed.
Another leapt from the quay in the kings-court and was drowned.
King Sverri was not then in the town; but one day soon after he arrived, two drunken men happened to quarrel, the one a Gjest of the King, the other a House-carle. They were about to use to weapons to each other, when Throlof Rympil, the leader of the Gjests, came out of the drinking-room.
He had no weapon, but he took the steel cap from his head and struck the House-carle, who with his hand=axe returned the blow.
Then the fight became general, every man using the weapon he had to hand, all being mad with ale. Thorolf Rympil tore himself loose from the fray, went to his force and blew the Gests' horn, and when the Gjests were all come together, Thorolf bade them take their weapons.
The House-carles also gathered, armed themselves, and went on board their ship, under their leader Asgeir Hamarskalli.
When the Gests came down to the quays, Thorolf Rympil flung his sword on the House-carles' ship and himself leapt after it; having regained it he began immediately to fight. The Gests sprang on board after him. There was a great battle, and Thorolf and his men did not cease until they had cleared the ship. Many House-carles were slain, but most of them leapt overboard. When the King heard of the fray, he went to them and brought about a truce, and a meeting afterwards, at which peace was made"


Torolf Rympil (A refference to the rearmost part of the human anatomy... WTF?! ) was a noted badass; He spearheaded the kings shieldwall at the battle at Iljevollen, and lead raids and "pasification" expeditons.
However, it seems that he somehow falls from favour after this incident. Mad
His jolly colleague and fellow "kill em All, we get to keep their stuff!" enthusiast Ulv ("wolf") From Lauknes continues his career of service to king and country for another decade.

The rest of this saga, in a old and somewhat shortened version, can be found here, along with a plentifora of other texts.
http://www.northvegr.org/lore/sverri/index.php

"this [fight] looks curious, almost like a game. See, they are looking around them before they fall, to find a dry spot to fall on, or they are falling on their shields. Can you see blood on their cloths and weapons? No. This must be trickery."
-Reidar Sendeman, from King Sverre's Saga, 1201
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W. Schütz
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Location: Sweden
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PostPosted: Thu 31 Aug, 2006 4:32 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Great stuff. Allways nice to read about those less-then glamerous battles. The old northmen sure knew how to have a party..
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Geoff Wood




Location: UK
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PostPosted: Thu 31 Aug, 2006 5:23 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

There is something so appealingly non PC about all of this. Do Norwegians make good football supporters?
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Elling Polden




Location: Bergen, Norway
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PostPosted: Thu 31 Aug, 2006 7:36 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Geoff Wood wrote:
There is something so appealingly non PC about all of this. Do Norwegians make good football supporters?


There is a reason I posted it Big Grin
The Birkebeiner faction started out as low down and dirty guerillas, and seems to have been quite fond of their own "bad ass" image.
Throughout their struggle with King Magnus Erlingson, you get a distinct feeling that they are definitely no the good guys; Magnus represented the estabished order of the Lendman (land holder, someone who administers the kings property in a area, and acts as his representative) aristocracy. The birkebeiner where landless rebels, who have few friends at all before they start geting sucsessfull.
Even after Sverre's kingdom is well established, the birkebeiner try to maintain their tough image and fighting style. In fact, already in Sverres later days, terms like "What would the old Birkebeins have said!?!" become common place when someone talks about going home, or otherwise being less-than-macho.

The saga of Bagler and Birkebeins, which covers the years between sverre's death and the coronation of Håkon Håkonson (his grandson), is even less PC, less heroic, and more human. (it even takes time to talk about women!)

"this [fight] looks curious, almost like a game. See, they are looking around them before they fall, to find a dry spot to fall on, or they are falling on their shields. Can you see blood on their cloths and weapons? No. This must be trickery."
-Reidar Sendeman, from King Sverre's Saga, 1201
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W. Schütz
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PostPosted: Thu 31 Aug, 2006 9:14 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

You seem to know your Sagas Elling, i salute that. These great and sometimes quirky stories are such a splendid view into our history. And they will, luckely, always be very non-PC..
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Wolfgang Armbruster





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PostPosted: Thu 31 Aug, 2006 9:29 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

An interesting tale *g*
So the cliches about vikings are true after all Wink (though this happened way after their time, of course)

I guess the term southmen refers to all people living south of Denmark or does it have a particular connotation?
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Steve Grisetti




Location: Orlando metro area, Florida, USA
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PostPosted: Thu 31 Aug, 2006 7:26 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Geoff Wood wrote:
There is something so appealingly non PC about all of this. Do Norwegians make good football supporters?
Did you have a particular type of football in mind? Or perhaps all types? Laughing Out Loud
"...dismount thy tuck, be yare in thy preparation, for thy assailant is quick, skilful, and deadly."
- Sir Toby Belch
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Tim Lison




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PostPosted: Fri 01 Sep, 2006 12:23 am    Post subject: Re: Drunk and Disorderly, pt 2         Reply with quote

Elling Polden wrote:

It happened on a time as men sat drinking wine


Seems the vikings get grumpy when they drink wine.....I guess they should have stuck with ale! Great stories!
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Elling Polden




Location: Bergen, Norway
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PostPosted: Fri 01 Sep, 2006 2:31 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Wolfgang Armbruster wrote:

I guess the term southmen refers to all people living south of Denmark or does it have a particular connotation?


Southman is in deed used about all people from the south, however, it is most commonly used of germans.
black africans are termed "bluemen"...

"this [fight] looks curious, almost like a game. See, they are looking around them before they fall, to find a dry spot to fall on, or they are falling on their shields. Can you see blood on their cloths and weapons? No. This must be trickery."
-Reidar Sendeman, from King Sverre's Saga, 1201
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Geoff Wood




Location: UK
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PostPosted: Fri 01 Sep, 2006 2:45 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Steve Grisetti wrote:
Geoff Wood wrote:
There is something so appealingly non PC about all of this. Do Norwegians make good football supporters?
Did you have a particular type of football in mind? Or perhaps all types? Laughing Out Loud


Well, the type played with feet I suppose, not the picking it up versions. The behaviour described brought to mind various descriptions of behaviour of English football supporters, both club and national, from a few years back.
Geoff
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Jean Thibodeau




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PostPosted: Fri 01 Sep, 2006 4:18 am    Post subject: Re: Drunk and Disorderly, pt 2         Reply with quote

Tim Lison wrote:
Elling Polden wrote:

It happened on a time as men sat drinking wine


Seems the vikings get grumpy when they drink wine.....I guess they should have stuck with ale! Great stories!


In a society where extreme violence is common and even praised in battle or if one takes offence easily leading to duels of honour, and this when sober. Eek! It not too surprising that when blind drunk notions of selfcontrol and peaceful conflict resolution are not to be expected with very much lowered inhibitions, i.e. inhibitions that are not very strong in the first place.

Oh, great stories. Cool Big Grin

You can easily give up your freedom. You have to fight hard to get it back!
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