Gunther the Viking

Synopsis

Gunther the Weapon Maker's Son was born in the fishing and trading village of Njordusk in Fjords of Norway to Jorn the Weapon Maker and his wife, Hilgred in the year 967 A. D. The Fjords are sheer cliffs to the sea. In the spring melting snow fields become torrential streams that thunder into waterfalls. The water cascades into deep and ragged ocean inlets. A birth is celebrated with fire, song and plenty to drink. This birth occurred two years after Harald Bluetooth converted the Danes to Christianity. Three years later Norway fell under Danish rule. Although the weapon maker and his wife give obeisance to this new strange Middle Eastern God, they secretly worship the old gods and keep the old ways. As a result Gunther is brought up hearing the ancient legends of Norse mythology.

The village of Njordusk's two main industries are fishing and trade. Their long wooden ships (called knorrs) had a large, square sail on a central mast. Farming and the raising of cattle are also done. Women are treated almost as equals and in some cases rise to positions of power in the village. The richer men and nobles hold slaves, and the culture and religion exalts bloodlust and war in a warrior's code. Those who die in battle with honor are swept to Valhalla by lusty Valkyries. Others go to the underworld known as Hel.

At the age of fifteen, Gunther is taller and stronger than many of the robust Viking warriors and traders that pass through his shop ordering weapons. Besides his strength, he is extremely adept in swordsmanship, which he practices every chance he gets with a weapon originally made for a man who died on a Viking raid. This sword is extremely heavy and long. Most men could barely lift it, much less wield it as Gunther does. At this age he has yearnings for adventure and envies the Viking warriors and traders who come into his father's shop telling their tales of their exploits.

One day his family is condemned for not converting to the new religion. They sneak away in a ship owned by a tall red-haired man, a few years older than himself, named Eric Thorvaldson, the Red. This Eric is wild, a heavy drinker, a womanizer but a charming one, has an ugly temper when thwarted, quick to draw his weapon. In other words, just the sort of person that a restless teenager of the times would admire. His own family had been exiled to Iceland because his father was accused of killing a man.

Episode Fifteen

Journey to Jerusleum

The dragon hunt was not a complete failure. When the monster's lair was explored, great heaps of gold, jewels and other treasure were discovered. Gunther's share was considerable; almost double of what he had accumulated on Archdemodeus's raids.

A week after they returned to the castle, Theopiles summoned Michael to his chambers. When Gunther next saw his friend, Michael said, "I will be leaving here soon, probably never to return. So dear friend, regrettably I must say good-bye to you. It's unlikely that our paths shall ever cross again."

"Why? Where are you going?"

"Theopiles is going to make me immortal. But only on the condition that I become his vassal and apprentice for ten years. If I carry out his every command no matter how onerous, dangerous, difficult or painful without complaint or protest, he'll bring me to a place where my desire will be fulfilled. At that time he'll set me free to follow my heart."

"And you believe that he really can make you immortal?"

Michael shrugged. "I have seen him perform amazing sorcery. The truth is Gunther -- and I never have told anyone else this -- I am a coward. I fear death above all things. I am willing to give up ten years of my life for the chance to live forever."

"You're no coward. I've seen you perform many brave acts. Look how you went to into that cave to wake up the dragon on the dragon hunt. We all fear death. It's how a man deals with his fears that makes a man a coward or a hero."

Michael patted him on the back. "Thanks for those kind words, my friend. Nonetheless, I intend to go through with becoming Theopiles' servant and apprentice. Besides, he has promised to teach me sorcery, as well."

"What will you do if he does not make you immortal?"

"Kill him, of course."

"Michael, you are true Norseman even if you are from Saxony."

Michael chuckled. "And you are a true and good friend. I'll miss you."

They hugged, and Gunther wished him luck. Michael said, "God be with you," and walked away. That was the last that Gunther ever saw of him.

* * *

Several years went by. During this time Baron Archdomeus pressured Gunther to become a Christian. He was sent to a monastery to learn Latin and the teachings of the Roman Church. Although he acknowledged that the god who created the world was in a likelihood the ruler over all, including any lesser gods, and that teachings of Jesus of Nazareth were just and made a lot of sense, in his heart he kept faith with Odin and the other Norse gods. Nonetheless, he worshipped the pagan gods in secret and attended the Christian religious services. This hypocrisy did not bother him as he noted that the Bavarians and Saxons did not seem to follow the teachings of their savior very well either although they professed a great love for their god. They whored, drank, fought and murdered without a thought that they were committing venal and mortal sins. Afterwards they simply gave their money to the priests to absolve them.

When Gunther returned from the monastery, he fought with Baron Archdemous's knights to enrich the baron's coffers and extend his territory. In turn, his share of the profits from these ventures increased his own wealth. Although he had many love affairs with noble and peasant Bavarian women, as well as with prostitutes, he never had the same sort of feelings for them as he had for Aine. So it was that his life went on in this manner for years.

One day Baron Archdomeus called him for a private conference. As Gunther entered the richly furnished chambers of his master, he bowed and waited for Archdomeus to speak.

"Welcome Gunther. Please be seated." The Viking sat in one of the plush chairs that faced the baron. "I have received terrible news this day."

"What is that, my liege?"

"Do you know anything about the city of Jerusalem?"

"Yes. They taught me at the monastery that it is the place where Jesus of Nazareth was crucified."

"They taught you well. However, the Holy City is under the rule of the infidel Saracens, and has been for centuries. Today I received word that the heathen Caliph of the Kingdom of Jerusalem has destroyed the Church of the Holy Sepulcher."

"I have heard before that the Mussel men sometimes destroyed Christian churches."

Archdomeus crossed himself. "But this one is special. It was built over the tomb of our Lord."

"But he rose from the dead." Gunther was puzzled as to why the baron was worked up because a church in a distant land was destroyed by Moslems.

"Nonetheless it is a holy place. I have decided to retaliate. I want to send a small party of my most fearsome knights to destroy the infidels most famous mosque, which is called The Dome of the Rock. It was constructed over the Second Temple of the Jews."

Gunther stroked his beard thoughtfully. "A very dangerous mission."

"That is why I've chosen you to lead it. You are my best knight and experienced in covert operations."

"For such a mission the rewards must be substantial."

Archdomeus laughed. "Ah, the same old acquisitive Norseman as ever. Your time in the monastery did not change that in you. Very well, if you are successful in destroying the Dome of the Rock, I will reward you with ten thousand denarii. What's more, I will give you the hand of my daughter Isabella in marriage."

This last item took Gunther aback. "Marriage? To your daughter?" Gunther recalled that Isabella was shy buxom girl of sixteen, not especially pretty, but not ugly either.

"Surely Gunther, you must marry soon. You are over thirty years old. A man needs a wife to comfort him and take care of him. Also, you would want prodigy to carry your name and legacy. Isabella is kind and generous girl, and hard working. If you marry her, you will be my son-in-law and share in some of my power."

Gunther knew that the baron doted on his children and especially Isabella, who was his youngest. Turning down such an offer of wedlock with her would be a great insult. "You are right, my liege. I accept your assignment and the generous offer of the hand of Isabella and ten thousand denarii."

"When you marry Isabella, you will also receive a substantial dowry, which includes land as well as gold."

Gunther smiled and nodded, but then his expression turned more serious. "May we speak of the mission itself."

"Of course."

"For such a covert and dangerous task, I require a small number of men, perhaps ten at the most. I must hand pick them myself. I need men who are absolutely loyal to me. The reason I was imprisoned and made a slave that you so generously bought is that I was on similar mission for the king of Denmark and was betrayed by one of my companions. I must make sure that something like that does not happen to me on this mission."

"Of course, you are free to choose whoever you wish."

"I will need at least one who speaks the Saracen language and who knows their ways and manner of dressing."

"I know the perfect man for that job, Hans Fleischman. He is a Jew that lived in Jerusalem."

"I know him, He is a good man. But I thought you required all your knights to be Christian now."

"He has converted."

Gunther smiled inside, just as I have converted from believing in the gods of my ancestors. "Also, I know not where this Kingdom of Jerusalem is?"

"I will show you." He called a servant over and ordered him to get the proper map. He gave the servant the key to his chart cabinet. When the servant returned with the map, Archdemodeus unrolled on his desk. Gunther came around to stand next to him and peered at the chart. It showed the whole of Europe, the Mediterranean, part of Africa and the Middle East. Cities and other landmarks were indicated in Latin, which Gunther could read after learning the language at the monastery.

"This is where my castle is located." The baron pointed to a spot on the map. "You must travel overland across the Alps to Istria, a port city in Lombard. From there you can hire a ship to take you to Durazzo in Byzantium. From Durazzo, you can travel by ship to Salamis on Cyprus, and on to Gaza, which is in the infidel's territory. From Gaza you must travel overland again to Jerusalem."

Gunther studied the map. "And then return by similar means. That is a very long journey. It may take months to reach Jerusalem and return."

"Yes. Isabella will wait. By the time you return, she will be more mature."

"That's true. Very well, it will take me several days to obtain the men and make preparations."

"Take whatever time you believe is necessary. If you need anything that I can help you obtain, let me know."

* * *

Two weeks later Gunther and nine men, who he trusted implicitly, started out on their long journey. Each man had two ponies, one to carry himself, and one for his baggage. In addition to the work of finding the right men and talking them into going on this perilous mission, Gunther saw to all the preparations and had Fleischman teach him the rudiments of the local language of the Kingdom of Jerusalem.

The first leg of the journey was through the Bavarian forest toward Regensburg. It was late spring, the weather had warmed and the trees and other fauna were greening. They rode their steeds single-file along a narrow path. Gunther felt good. It was great to get away from the constraints of castle living and start on a journey that would take months to complete. Unless they met up with bandits or other rascals, they would not need to do any fighting. It was a grand adventure such as he had experienced during the days as a Viking raider, with less danger until they reached Jerusalem.

With the filtered sunlight on his shoulders, Gunther felt so expansive that he burst into song. His fellow adventurers followed suit. Later they conversed and joked. None of the men, except Fleischman, seemed exceptionally troubled by their mission. Before sunset, they hunted their dinner. One man bagged a deer. When they stopped to camp for the night in a clearing, they had a feast of venison. Because the evening was so mild, they did not bother with tents and slept on the ground.

As Gunther lay down gazing up at the myriad stars in the sky, he felt peaceful. He wondered whether Aine was thinking of him in wherever she was in the land of the afterlife whether it be the Celtic Avalon, his own people's Asgard or the Christian Heaven. It no longer hurt as bad when he thought of her. In fact, his memories of the happy times with made him smile.

After a while his thoughts turned to his Viking friends. He wondered whether Lief had escaped and returned to Greenland.

* * *

The next day they reached Regensburg. The town was nestled in the spot where the Regan and Danube Rivers flowed into each other. On a cliff overlooking the rivers was the fortress where Louis II the ruler of the eastern Franks resided. Gunther carried a letter from Baron Archdemodeus introducing him and his men and stating their mission. In addition, he carried a gift of a golden statue with ruby eyes for the count.

As they came to the outer gate of the castle, the guards at the gate halted their party and asked their business.

"We are on a mission for Baron Archdemodeus. Regensburg was where we hoped to hire a ship to take us further south. We bring greetings to Count Louis from out master."

He showed the scroll to the guard who accosted him. Because the guard could not read, the other guard went into the fortress to bring the captain of the guard. After several minutes, the captain of the guard examined the scroll, mainly the seal. Finally he recognized it as the seal of the banner. He ordered the gate to open. "Please dismount. I will escort you to the count."

Their horses were stabled. Before entering the castle proper, they had to leave their arms in a small room used for that purpose. Then they were brought before the count, who was resting on a couch surrounded by four lovely women. They were feeding him grapes and wine and giggling when Gunther and his men approached and bowed.

The captain of the guard handed the scroll to the count, who opened it and read it. When he finished he smiled. "Welcome, soldiers of Christ. So Baron Archdomeus has sent you ten knights on what is likely a suicide mission. That is so like him. Tell me your names."

Gunther, as the leader, went first. He bowed again and said, "I am Gunther Son of Jorn."

"Gunther? Jorn? Those don't sound like Bavarian names."

"I am not Bavarian, your excellency. I hail from Greenland."

"A Norseman, ah. I thought all Norse were our sworn enemies."

"I was until captured. Through the generosity of Baron Archdomeus, I became one of his knights. He honored me by allow me to lead this important mission."

Louis chuckled. "Honored? Hah, sent you to certain death is more like it. Nonetheless, that is not my business. You and your companions are welcome here and will be given accommodations. I will also see that you are put aboard a ship going south."

Gunther took out the golden statue from his knapsack. "My master has sent this to you as a gift to show his goodwill."

The count's eyes sparkled as he was handed the statue. "Very nice. I will give this gift a place of honor."

The rest of the men introduced themselves. Afterward, Louis dismissed them, and the captain of the guard and a servant showed them to their rooms for the night.

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