Thursday, October 13, 2011

Heimskringla




Nope. It's not the newest home furnishing item from Ikea. But you're in the ballpark.

Heimskringla is the Old Norse name for a collection of tales about the Norwegian Kings from the eighth century to 1777 AD. The writer is one Snorri Sturluson, an Icelandic historian, politician, and "poet." Now I say poet loosely, though he is generally credited as such, because most of the Heimskringla reads like little more than a line by line account of kicking ass and taking names—notoriously so. Check out Ziggy's Cynical Summary of Heimskringla. Of course, I don't speak the native tongue and and can only read the English translation, so I'll have to take the word of the Norwegians who've read it that Sturlson is credible and/or competent as a "poet."

Is there campaign fodder in there? Sure. Why not? For example, King Hakon's sword was called Kvernbit. The name means "stonecutter" and the sword was supposedly so sharp you could stick in a rock—sounds like just the ticket for killing those nasty Stone Golems. (I smell a quest coming on!) It's worth poking a round a little bit in those sagas to see what you come up with.

By the way, I do realize that Ikea is Swedish and the Heimskringla is Norwegian, and that there is a difference. So don't be a drittsekk.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 

UPDATE: I just found these Heimskringla miniatures by Heroics & Ros, a UK-based minis company. (The line was formerly owned by Kremlin Miniatures, also UK-based.)

No comments:

Post a Comment