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Future Stories

6/27/2015

Coming Soon

1. ' The Uninvited ' ( story 42, for July ) Deals with the great sea serpent Jormungandr, and its impact on the watery domain of the Sea Goddess Ran, her Jotun husband Aegir, and their nine daughters.

2. ' Surt : The Great Fire Giant ' ( story 43, for August ) tells of how Surt came to power in Muspelheim, and why he stands guard on Muspell's border.

3. ' The Last Battle ' ( story 44, for September) Is a tale of the final battle between the forces of the old Gods and the Christians. This " last battle " takes place in Sweden just outside of the last remaining Pagan temple located at Uppsala, in the late 11th century. ( Which is when it is believed the Pagan temple was destroyed by the Christians )

I hope you will enjoy them !

- Glenn Bergen, ( Ravensheart )

Poem : The Coming Storm

6/25/2015

339. The Coming Storm

There is a massive storm raging in the hearts of the ever faithful,
Blown up by the fierce winds of a thousand years of oppression.
Our anger blazes across the centuries with every bolt of Thor's lightning,
And the screams of our ancestors' anguish can be heard in the thunder.

The tears of our fallen kinsfolk rain down upon the oppressor's descendants,
They forever mark these monotheists with the countless sins of their forefathers.
As the fury of our storm grows in strength it will flood the world with Odin' s glory,
And the sky will be stained bright red with the sacred blood of our ancient martyrs.

Off in the distance, slowly coming over the horizon, the storm clouds are building,
Listen closely, and you will hear the rolling thunder made by Thor's mighty chariot.
We wait patiently for the first strike of lightning angrily sparked by the electrified air,
As we continue to gather together under the darkening clouds of the coming storm.

- Glenn Bergen, ( Ravensheart ), © Copyright, 2015.

Poem : Gna : The Great Messenger Goddess

6/23/2015

37. Gna : The Great Messenger Goddess

Great Gna, our beautiful errand Goddess,
Your messages held tight there in your bodice.
You ride on a horse that takes to flight,
Carrying urgent tidings, Frigga does write.

Once a Vanir who saw her up in the air,
Asked in verse, " What is flying over there ? "
Gna answered, " I travel and move through the sky,
But you are mistaken, I do not fly. "

Hamskerpir and Gardofa sired this foal,
To run over the sea and air is it's role.
It's name is Hofvarpnir, a horse of delight,
It means Hoof - Thrower, it's name is just right.

Gna is listed fourteenth and last on Snorri's list.
This ranking of Goddesses shouldn't exist !
You are not a " Minor Goddess ", no not at all,
But a wonderful Goddess who's image stands tall !

- Glenn Bergen, ( Ravensheart ), © Copyright, 2012.

Summer Solstice

6/21/2015

Praise the Gods ! Once again the great year wheel has turned a notch, and as we enter the Summer Solstice let us thank the Gods for what will be another bountiful growing season.

I wish you all a wonderful Summer Solstice, and a joyful summer season !

- Glenn Bergen, ( Ravensheart )

The Sea - Draugr : A Tale Of The Undead : Epilogue

6/20/2015

The Sea - Draugr : A Tale Of The Undead

Epilogue

Aegir

Bragi

Bragi clapped his hands together out of sheer joy. " Oh my ! What a wonderful story you have told ! " he exclaimed . " But I must insist that you tell me what happened after the sea - draugr left Vest Agder ! " Bragi demanded. " What became of Thorir and Rannveig ? And what punishment did Asmund and Vilgeir receive for their roles in the deaths of Thorir and his crew. " he asked in rapid succession. " You must tell me ! " Bragi insisted. " You simply must ! " he added .

Aegir had never been happier. He had told a tale to the best known poet in all the nine worlds, and had been congratulated on how well he had told the story. As he poured them both one last horn of ale Aegir sighed. " Yes, I suppose I do owe you that ! " he told Bragi with a satisfied grin. " Well ! How to end this tale,.... ah yes....

" Thorir and his crew sailed their ship out to the deepest part of the ocean, and called for Ran to come to them. Asmund, realizing that his end might be near began to plead for his life. The crew delighted every time he begged ! Vilgeir's simple mind, however, could not comprehend the magnitude of what was happening. He lay on the bottom of the boat scared to death, and sobbing gently. Thorir, along with most of his men, felt sorry for Asmund' s brother. But everyone agreed that they must both pay for what they had done.

Suddenly, and without any warning, a whirlpool developed underneath their ship. At first The Avenger circled slowly around the edge of the swirling water, but as the whirlpool increased in both size and ferocity the ship was slowly sucked under. As the ship rotated slowly down to the bottom both Asmund and Vilgeir ran out of air in their lungs. Their first intake of water was their last moment in the world of the living.

The ship settled on the bottom only a few feet from the doors of Ran's underwater hall. The Queen of the Ocean swam out and met with Thorir, who presented to Ran the now dead bodies of Asmund and Vilgeir. Ran looked at the two dead Midgardians and then gave Thorir a wicked smile. " Revenge should not last only a fleeting moment. It can, and will, last for an eternity my dead friend ! " she told Thorir.

Thorir was confused by what the Sea Goddess meant by her words. The captain of The Avenger stood completely perplexed as Ran breathed into Asmund's and Vilgeir' s mouths. She then rubbed her nails against her dress, as if she were sharpening them on a hone. The Queen of the Deep then reached out both hands and thrust them into the chests of her prisoners. With surgical precision she removed both hearts and began feasting on them. When she had finished Ran clapped her hands and Asmund and Vilgeir woke up as if from a deep sleep. From a short distance away Thorir could hear Ran' s daughters giggling at the shocked looks on both of their faces. Ran's face suddenly contorted into a look of disgust , as though their hearts were rotten in taste. " I do not want these two ! " she told Thorir. " Do with them as you will ! " she added with a wicked grin.

Thorir and his crew returned to their ship with Asmund and Vilgeir in chains. Ran' s daughters cheered, and waved goodbye with their tales at the Midgardians as Ran made their ship rise slowly up to the surface in a reverse whirlpool created by their powerful mother.

When the ship reached the surface the crew once again baled the water out of the vessel to make their rotted ship sea- worthy again. While the crew was drying the sail and making the ship ready, Thorir removed the rudder, and had Asmund chained face downward onto it. Thorir, and his crew of the dead, laughed as the rudder was once again fitted to the ship. Though muted by the sea water the crew could still hear Asmund screaming as they raised the sail, and prepared to head out on their endless journey.

Vilgeir, who Thorir and his crew did not fully blame for their deaths due to his mental condition, was tied to the anchor and only suffered when he was thrown overboard to hold the ship from drifting. The sea - draugr, however, seldom stayed in one place for very long, and Vilgeir's agony was minimal. Asmund, on the other hand, was constantly tortured by the rushing water as Thorir and his crew sailed for eternity on the high seas .

Rannveig, once a year, on the date they were to be married, traveled down to the shoreline at night to catch a glimpse of the man she loved with all her heart. Thorir never disappointed her. He always showed up to wave to his great love just as Mani began to rise among the stars. Rannveig continued to work as a seamstress sewing sails on the docks, and never married.

Many years later she died on that same beach shortly after seeing her love one last time. It is said that Ran' s daughters brought her to their mother' s hall, where Ran gave her immortality, and allowed her to join Thorir and his crew . Ran told her daughters it was the sweetest heart she had ever tasted. The great Sea Goddess gave Rannveig in death the two things she most wanted in life. Her one and only love, and to sail the great oceans as a sailor ! "

- The End

- Next : Coming in July : ' The Uninvited ! '

- Glenn Bergen, ( Ravensheart ), © Copyright, 2015.

' The Sea - Draugr : A Tale Of The Undead : Chapter 8 : Revenge !

6/19/2015

The Sea Draugr : A Tale Of The Undead

Chapter 8

Revenge !

Bragi poured himself another horn of ale. " I do not know if it is the story, or the way that you are telling the tale my friend, but I have to admit that I am quite excited to hear the ending ! " he told Aegir. " It is a shame though that most of that other vessel' s crew were killed. " he said sadly. I guess that is why they say that you live and learn . " he added. Then Bragi began to laugh. " Or, I suppose in this instance, the crew died and learned ! " the great poet corrected himself.

Aegir beamed with pride as he set his horn in front of Bragi. " Fill my horn with ale and I will be more than happy to conclude this wonderful story. " he told his old friend.

Bragi set the pitcher on the edge of the horn and refilled Aegir's horn. When he was done he set the pitcher back down and nodded to the Jotun.

" Thank you good sir ! " he told the God of Poetry politely. Aegir took a quick sip, cleared his throat and began again. " The undead......

" Thorir anchored The Avenger at the mouth of the Vest Agder Fjord, and as it was the middle of the day, he and his men waited for Sunna to ride across the sky, and settle over the horizon, before proceeding into the fjord. As time, evidenced by Sunna's slow advance, crawled forward, the crew began to become more and more anxious to get started. Thorir tried to calm his men but their anger had grown to a level that could no longer be controlled. The crew of The Avenger began to yell curses in the direction of Vest Agder calling Asmund and Vilgeir every vile name they could think of. In the light of day, however, their voices were lost among the myriad of sounds being made by the living. They would have to wait until the dark cloak of night fell over Midgard for their voices to be heard .

When Sunna finally began to settle on the far horizon Thorir had his men pull up their anchor, and set the sail. As soon as the sail was tied in place it filled with a strong easterly breeze, despite the evening calm, which blew them quickly into the fjord. Thorir reminded the crew of what had happened off the coast of the Faroe Islands, and he warned them that unless the villagers tried to stop them, they were only here to take Asmund and Vilgeir, and that no one else was to be harmed.

At the same moment Thorir and his crew spotted the docks at the edge of the village, a group of sailors on shore saw something out in the fjord that they had never seen before. Their first thought was that the glowing object was simply the moon's reflection on the water. As the distant glow came closer, however, it became apparent that this was not a mirrored image of Mani, or any other object from their world. This was a ghost ship crewed with the living dead. And the sea - draugr were heading straight for them !

Thorir was hoping that no one would be at the docks at this hour, but he was sadly mistaken. As they approached the crew of The Avenger heard a lot of activity along the shore, and then shouts of : "The dead have returned ! ", and " Sea - draugr ... oh no ! SEA - DRAUGR !!"

Thorir and his crew watched as the villagers came streaming out of their homes and ran down to water' s edge to see what all the commotion was about. They did not stay long however ! As soon as they spotted the ghostly ship of the dead coming their way, they ran home as fast as their legs would take them.

By the time The Avenger reached the docks they were deserted. The crew tied up the ship quickly and disembarked. Thorir ordered Kjallak and Illugi to remain behind and guard the ship. The captain did not think that any of the villagers would be brave enough to tamper with a death ship, but this was all new to him, and he was not willing to take any chances.

The moment the crew stepped off of the deck of their ship, and onto dry land, they were no longer protected by Ran's spell and the sea. Instantly each crew member became pale and bloated, and every sailor was covered in seaweed. As they stepped onto the docks their eye sockets became sunken, and they began to walk in a stiff manner as though they had not used their limbs in quite some time. The stench of their rotting flesh wafting through the air completed their transformation.

Thorir looked down at his chest, through glazed eyes, and saw the jagged hole that Ran had ripped his heart out through. His skin had gone pale, with a slight blue tint, and for the first time he could smell his own decaying flesh. He paused for only a moment contemplating what he had become, and then, deciding that there was nothing he could do about his situation, he pressed on to find Asmund and Vilgeir.

Halfway through the village, the crew, led by Thorir, was confronted by Bardi, the village chieftain. With shield in hand, and his sword at the ready, Bardi stood with a few of his bravest warriors blocking the dead seamen from progressing any further. For a long moment the sea - draugr and the living warriors stood across from one another without moving, or saying a word. Thorir then drew his sword, and stepped directly in front of Bardi.

Thorir did not want to injure the man who would have become his father- in - law had he lived, but he was not about to be stopped either. In a gesture of peace Thorir placed his rusting sword back in its rotting scabbard, and spoke to the chieftain. " We wish no harm to you or the other villagers. " he told Bardi. " We have come for Asmund and Vilgeir, to avenge our deaths. They built our ship in an inferior manner, and it fell apart in high seas drowning us all. " he explained to the chieftain.

Bardi moved back a few steps before returning his sword back to its sheath. The first time he tried to speak he almost gagged from the stench of death. The chieftain, to block the pungent odor, placed his hand over his nose, and stepped back a few more feet before trying again. " Yes ! We found out about Asmund' s treachery just yesterday. He approached Rannveig, and asked for her hand in marriage. When she refused he went into a rage and told her that you would not be coming back because the ship he made was dangerously flawed. " he explained to Thorir. " We were going to use the blood eagle to execute them both tomorrow, but you and your men have a much better claim on their lives than do we ! " he added.

Bardi then motioned to his warriors to bring Asmund and Vilgeir out to them. A moment later the warriors came back with their prisoners. Both were kicking and screaming wildly despite their hands and legs being in irons. " No ! No !! " Asmund screamed as they approached the sea - draugr. " Kill me ! Kill me now !! " he cried out to the warriors who held him. For his part Vilgeir stopped struggling when he saw the dead sailors, and began to cry. " Forgive me ! Forgive me ! I should not have trusted my brother. " he screamed as he sunk to his knees.

Thorir grabbed Asmund by the hair, and with a violent tug, began to drag him back to The Avenger. The cowardly carpenter screamed in pain louder and louder as they approached the ship. His terrified cries echoed off of the mountains that surrounded the fjord, and bounced back through the village again and again.

Vilgeir was grabbed by the arms and the legs by Ulfar and Dyri. And unlike his cowardly brother, Vilgeir no longer resisted. He knew that what he had done was wrong and had accepted his fate.

When Thorir reached the docks he heard a familiar voice behind him. " Please Thorir, wait ! " Rannveig implored him.

The dead sea captain handed Asmund over to Kjallak and Illugi, but he did not turn around. " Do not look upon me until I am once again aboard my ship ! " he told Rannveig emphatically.

He then walked over to his ship and jumped on board . Thorir stared down at his arms and when the flesh had returned to its normal state he looked back upon the woman he once loved. Rannveig ran towards the ship, but she skidded to a stop when she saw the hideous sight of the walking dead as they straggled back onto the ship.

Thorir no longer had any tears to shed, but Rannveig had enough tears for both of them. " Let me come with you ! " she shouted to Thorir. " I love you ! " she added through trembling lips.

Thorir shook his head. " I will always love you Rannveig, but you cannot go where I am going. For I am afraid that I am dead and now belong to the sea. And you my dearest love belong here among the living. " he told her in a sad quiet voice.

" No ! No ! " Rannveig shouted back to the only man she ever loved. She was about to disregard Thorir's words and jump onto the ghost ship when she felt strong hands hold her back. When she turned to protest she saw that the one who held her tightly in his grip was her father.

" We must let him go my dear ! " Bardi told his daughter. " He does not belong among the living any longer, for he has been fated to sail the great oceans for an eternity. " he added as his daughter collapsed against his chest.

Rannveig did not turn around until the crew had cast off, and the ship began to sail away. As their eyes met Rannveig waved to the man that she still loved with all her heart. With great sadness Thorir waved weakly back to the woman he could no longer be with.

- End Chapter 8

Next : The Epilogue

- Glenn Bergen, ( Ravensheart ), © Copyright, 2015.

The Sea - Draugr : A Tale Of The Undead : Chapter 7 : The Journey Back

6/18/2015

The Sea - Draugr : A Tale Of The Undead

Chapter 7

The Journey Back

" I must admit I was quite unaware that Ran had such power over life and death ! " Bragi told Aegir in a surprised tone.

Aegir gave Bragi an amused smile. " The Gods control the heavens, and much of what takes place on Midgard. However, no one, not even myself, holds sway over the great oceans as does my wife. She, and she alone, is the final judge of life and death for all those who sail upon her waters. " he told the poet proudly.

Bragi raised his eyebrows in surprise. " That is a great responsibility ! " the God of Poetry exclaimed. How does she choose between those who will live and those who will die ? " Bragi asked.

Aegir took a long deep breath. " My wife does not kill out of malice. She receives no thrill, nor does she consider it a game that she plays at her own will. Those who are taken were fated to die in the depths of the ocean. " he told Bragi.

Bragi scratched his head. " Then why did Ran allow Thorir and his crew to come back to the living world, albeit as sea - draugr ? " Bragi asked.

Aegir gave Bragi a wicked grin. " Occasionally the will of the individual is so strong that not even a God wishes to stand in their way. In Thorir' s case his will to live was driven by his strong desire to exact revenge against those who killed him and his crew. " he explained.

Bragi nodded. " I see ! " he replied. " Now please continue, for I must tell you that I am most eager to hear more ! " Bragi told Aegir with a hint of excitement in his voice.

Aegir smiled. " Yes ! It is all about the story isn't it . " he replied. " Well,.......

" The deceased Thorir never felt as alive as he did standing at the great rudder of his ship steering it through the waters off the coast of Iceland. This ship was not beautiful, nor was it graceful as it plowed through the water. Its angry bow slammed into the waves, pushing them aside, rather than cutting through them the way Hoof - Flourisher had. The ship was filled with worm holes, and the rotten bottom, below the waterline, was thickly covered in barnacles. Their blood red sail was nothing more than a collection of rags sewn together, and yet this tattered mess propelled the ship faster than any that Thorir had ever sailed before. Thorir smiled as he shouted to his men : " My fellow sea - draugr, I think that it would be appropriate to name our new ship The Avenger ! " The crew all stopped what they were doing and cheered their ship' s new name.

The captain and crew were of one mind, and extremely determined in their mission of revenge. Unlike their first sighting of Iceland, this time they were not in need of shelter, food, or water. Being dead had its advantages. They did not feel pain, nor did they get hungry or thirsty. And unlike their living counterparts, they never needed to rest or sleep. They would not stop until they had avenged their deaths !

Around midday Thorir spotted a ship leaving the coast of Iceland heading east, presumably for Norway. The Avenger, sailing at great speed passed by closely, and as it did Thorir and his crew waved to the smaller vessel. They received no response. What Thorir quickly discovered was that their ghost ship could not be seen in the light of the day.

Thorir decided to put this theory to the test and pulled hard on the rudder turning the ship around. He then steered his vessel directly at the other ship. Surprised by their captain's actions the crew braced themselves for a hard impact. It never happened ! Their ghost ship sliced harmlessly through the other vessel like mist through a forest. As they quickly outpaced the other vessel, the crew of The Avenger laughed uncontrollably at this exhilarating new experience. They all felt totally free of all inhibitions for the first time in their existence.

Despite a severe calm over the next few days, their ship sailed on as fast as it had before, their bow pounding the waves like a hammer hitting an anvil. It was as though the ship created its own wind to sail in, and even the mighty waves seemed to fear their death ship.

Then one moonlit night, as they were sailing around the Faroe Islands, they spotted another ship off their starboard side. Thorir, wanting to have a bit of fun, turned their ship hard once again and set his vessel on a collision course with the other ship. This time as they approached, however, the men on the other vessel began to scream : " Draugr ! Sea - draugr ! " they shouted as the ghost ship quickly came at them. Thorir realized at that moment that at night his ship and crew were visible to the living.

Thorir and his crew then had a second unpleasant surprise. Moments before The Avenger was about to crash violently into the other vessel, all hands on the other ship jumped overboard. The Avenger then sliced through the other ship, cutting it in half ! All of the sea - draugr watched in total disbelief at the incredible horror that they had created.

As The Avenger quickly sailed away Thorir looked back at the devastation they had caused. Thirty or forty men were splashing around in the water trying to find anything to grab onto to stay afloat. A few had managed to secure a piece of the broken ship to cling to, but most were losing their fight with the sea. Thorir looked away, for he could not bear to watch, when he saw one of Ran' s daughters take under one of the struggling swimmers. Before they sailed out of sight of the devastation Thorir' s eyes met the eye's of a sailor who was clinging desperately to a barrel. Thorir could see the fear in the man' s eyes, and felt a great remorse for what he had done. Thorir and his crew fully understood now that death did not take away their feelings of regret and sadness.

The crew had been talking and laughing before the unfortunate incident off the coast of the Faroe Islands, but now they were quiet, and reflective, as their ship plowed forever forward. They realized now that in the light of the day they were nothing more than specters that had no form or substance, but at night they glowed like the moon, and could be seen, heard, and cause harm to the living. At night there were consequences for their actions !

The Avenger quickly sailed south past the Shetland and Orkney Islands. Then Thorir turned the ghost ship's rudder, and pointed the ship south east. As the ship swung around to face the rising sun Thorir began to think of Rannveig. He recalled each and every moment they spent together. The kisses they shared....and that one moment of indiscretion behind the chieftain's longhouse. Thorir felt within him the love he once shared with Rannveig, and wished that his emotional pain had been taken away with his physical senses. The more he thought of Rannveig the angrier and more vengeful he became. As he looked around Thorir could see that his men shared his anger !

- End Chapter 7

- Next : Chapter 8 : Revenge !

- Glenn Bergen, ( Ravensheart ), © Copyright, 2015.

' The Sea - Draugr : A Tale Of The Undead ' : Chapter 6 : The Will To Live

6/17/2015

The Sea - Draugr : A Tale Of The Undead

Chapter 6

The Will To Live

Bragi took a long deep breath, and then exhaled. " Sad ! So sad ! " he told Aegir as he picked up his horn. " For such brave warriors to die in such a manner..... so sad ! " he repeated before taking a sip of ale.

Aegir almost felt giddy as he carefully studied Bragi' s reaction. For the first time in his life the sea Jotun understood the power that a good story teller had over his audience. His chin rose proudly as he mimicked Bragi and also took a sip from his horn. " Yes ! Yes ! Very sad ! " he said repeating the sentiments of the God of Poetry. Then there was an awkward moment of silence.

Bragi looked up from his horn, and glanced over at Aegir. Then with a wicked grin on his face he spoke to Aegir in an impatient tone : " Is this pause for effect, or are you leaving me in suspense to annoy me ? " he asked with one eyebrow raised.

Aegir laughed heartily. " I assure you my good friend that my intentions are neither. I was simply enjoying my fine ale for a moment before continuing. " he told Bragi with an innocent look on his face. Aegir then smiled. " I think I will now tell you of my wife' s roll in all of this..... "

" From the great depths of her ocean hall, which sat on the sea bottom, Ran could taste death all around her. With a great flicker of her huge tail the Queen of the seas propelled herself out of her underwater hall, and up toward the distant surface of her vast domain. As she quickly rose she instinctively licked her lips hungrily in anticipation of a great feast for her and her nine daughters. Near the surface of the ocean, that had now been whipped up into foaming waves, she came across the first victim.

Ran grabbed hold of the huge warrior, who was now floating with the tide, and held him upright in front of her. As she felt her mouth water with delight, she sensed something odd within this human. The Sea Goddess could feel emanating from the warrior a strong will to live. And to Ran' s dismay this " will " was driven by something with which she was very familiar . The aura of revenge seeped from his dead body into the surrounding water like blood, and Ran knew what she must do.

Ran could have ripped the warrior in half and feasted on his dead carcass, but instead she pressed her lips up against his, and blew into his mouth. Instantly the warrior's eyes flickered, and then opened wide. When the human became aware of his surroundings he began to struggle. In Ran's iron grip, however, he was not going anywhere. With a flick of her massive tail Ran swam straight to her great underwater hall with her captive.

As Ran entered her hall through massive doors encrusted by a millennium of hard shelled sea creatures, the water was held outside her palace by a force that only the Goddess fully understood and controlled. As she passed over the threshold between her water world, and the world of air, her tail was replaced by two legs. With a strength greater than a hundred warriors Ran forced the human onto a high seat made out of a giant clam's shell. The Goddess looked the warrior up and down before speaking : " I can feel your anger, and your strong desire for revenge. " she told the human . The stunned Midgardian sat before her, and simply nodded. Ran smiled in an approving manner. " I like revenge ! I crave revenge !! " she shouted at the human. Then with an evil grin upon her face she added : " I think I am going to allow you to go and avenge your death, and the death of your crew ! " she told him with a wicked grin.

Ran walked over to the human, and with nails sharper than knives, reached into his chest, and with practiced ease ripped out his heart. Ran smiled as she devoured the heart, bite by bite. " Now you are mine ! A sea - draugr to sail the Midgardian seas for an eternity. " she told the warrior as his blood ran down her face. " You are neither alive, or quite dead, my little pet. First you will gain the revenge that you want, and so deserve,..... and then..... well, then you are mine forever ! " she added with a little laugh.

Ran opened the doors to her hall and placed her head outside into the water. With a voice that sounded more like a whale song than a human voice she called to her daughters to bring the rest of the crew to her great watery hall. Himinglaefa, Dufa, Blodudhadda, Hefring, Unn, Hronn, Bylgja, Drofn, and Kolga immediately did as they were instructed by their mother. Although the nine daughters of Ran were disappointed that they were not to be allowed to feast on these unfortunate victims of the sea, they obediently brought the dead warriors to their great hall, and left them at their mother's feet. One by one, Ran ripped open their chests and pulled out their hearts and ate them.

With each of these humans transformed into sea - draugr, and under the command of Ran herself, the Sea Goddess sent her daughters out looking for a suitable ship wreck that lay upon the bottom for her crew of the living dead to man. Near the coast of Iceland they found a ship that had capsized several years earlier, and brought it back to the great underwater hall.

Ran invoked the wind and the sea to bless this ship of the dead. Over and over she chanted a magical spell, which sealed the hole in the side of the vessel, making it once again seaworthy to sail on the seas. Her daughters then sewed together the tattered remnants of sails that had floated down to the bottom over the many years to make a new sail for the sea - draugr. Ran's offspring then sealed the sail with the sailors blood, which made the ship their's to command, and dyed the sail cloth bright red.

When all was ready Ran ordered the sea - draugr to board their sunken ship. Once everyone was aboard, Ran, along with her daughters, then swam under the vessel and pushed the ship to the surface. The ship broke into the clear salty air in a geyser of water, and was held their by Ran and her daughters until the sea - draugr could bale out enough water for it to float on its own.

With the ship bobbing in the water without fear of it sinking again, Ran chanted another magical spell and clapped her hands twice. One by one the crew began to wake up from Ran' s spell. Some manned their oars while others hoisted their colorful sail . Within moments the ship was underway, and heading back to the evil source of all their anger. The will for revenge oozed from their bodies like the stench of dead fish decaying under a hot summer sun. It was a scent that made Ran and her daughters smile as they waved goodbye to the sea - draugr .

- End Chapter 6

- Next : Chapter 7 : The Journey Back

- Glenn Bergen, ( Ravensheart ), © Copyright, 2015.

' The Sea - Draugr : A Tale Of The Undead : Chapter 5 : Catastrophe !

6/16/2015

The Sea - Draugr : A Tale Of The Undead

Chapter 5

Catastrophe !

Bragi shook his head from side to side. " I imagine that the ship did not last very long. " he told Aegir with a sad sigh. " Was the ship destroyed in the first rough seas they encountered ? " Bragi asked.

Aegir smiled from ear to ear. He had thought himself not a very good story - teller, and yet here, sitting across from him, was one of the very best poet - skalds in all the nine worlds,.... and he ..... Aegir.... had captured the interest and imagination of the great Bragi !

Aegir moved closer and whispered to Bragi as if it were a closely guarded secret : " Surprisingly, no ! " he told the great poet. " Their journey began......

" From the relative safety of the Vest Agder fjord the ship sailed west into seas that were relatively calm. When Thorir spotted the Shetland islands he turned his ship to the north. Once he had cleared the last island in the Shetland chain he steered his ship northwest in the hopes of hitting his next landmark along the way, the Faroe Islands.

The men praised Aegir, and placated Ran and her daughters with an offering, when the winds picked up and the seas became rougher. Some of the warriors believed that the Gods would help them, while others felt that their "luck " was tied to fate, and that this had already been woven, and could not be changed.

The Faroe Islands loomed up on the horizon almost exactly where Thorir had predicted they would. The crew of Hoof - Flourisher felt themselves fortunate to have a captain whose navigating skills were as accurate as Thorir's . They laughed and joked about how fine a captain they had. " Leif Eiriksson might be lucky, but our captain relies on his wisdom and experience, which are much more important than luck ! " Was what many were saying as Thorir turned the ship west, and headed for Iceland.

Although they were sailing well below the Arctic Circle the winds picked up again, and the temperature dropped quickly as they neared the land of ice. The ship creaked and groaned in the high seas, but the bow cut through the deep swells like a knife through butter. Thorir was never prouder in his whole life than he was standing at the rudder stoically steering his great ship.

Thorir and his crew felt themselves doubly blessed by the Gods when they reached Breidafjord on the southwest coast of Iceland. Land was always a Godsend to a sailor, but as they rowed up the inlet they could see that a huge storm was forming off to the southwest. And it seemed headed straight for them. Their timing was perfect once again. Just as the crew disembarked from their ship, the winds that were already quite strong, blew even harder, and soon became gale force in intensity.

The crew stayed in Helgafell as the guests of its chieftain, a man named Oddleif Holluson. Although the accommodations were cramped Oddleif' s longhouse was dry and warm. The food and drink were plentiful as well ! Oddleif felt honored to show his hospitality to Thorir and his crew, especially when he learned that the Jarl of Vest Agder would reimburse him for his kindness.

Although Oddleif wanted the Norwegians to stay longer, Thorir felt that a week was more than enough time to be away from the sea. After resupplying themselves with fresh water, ale, dried herring, and smoked goats meat, Thorir and his shipmates rowed out of Breidafjord, and back into the open ocean. Using valuable information gathered from the local inhabitants Thorir set their course a little more south than he had originally planned. The Icelanders had told him it was safer to be further south to avoid any icebergs that might have floated down from the arctic during the early spring. If his calculations were correct, and the winds were favorable, the next land they saw off to their right should be the southern tip of the land called Greenland.

As Hoof - Flourisher reached what Thorir deemed to be the midpoint between Iceland and Greenland, dark clouds began to gather on the horizon, and the seas began to swell to dangerous heights. As the rain began to fall, and the waves crashed over the bow of their ship, the vessel slowly began to take on water. At first only a few of the crew were given the task of baling out the water, but as darkness fell over the tiny ship, that bobbed up and down in the vast ocean, the entire crew took to baling. And even then they could barely keep up with the flow of water.

The crew could see the sheets of rain pouring down on them, and they could not miss the numerous waves as they crashed over the bow of their ship, but what the captain and crew were blind to was the fact that the ship had begun to leak profusely!

Thorir knew it was useless, but he turned his ship around anyway hoping that the strong winds would push them back to Iceland before his vessel sank. Then suddenly, a fearful cracking sound could be heard above the raging storm. As the struggling crew turned in the direction of the noise they witnessed the mast crack in half and fall. When the top half of the mast struck the starboard side of the ship it broke through several of the top planks. It was then, as Thorir inspected the damage, that he realized that the ship had been poorly constructed. Thorir stood up and cursed the ship's carpenter, who he remembered to be Asmund, and swore that if he somehow made it back to Vest Agder he would have his revenge !

Each destructive wave that struck the ship pried the boards further and further apart as the short nails and thin tar were not strong enough to hold the ship together. The crew tried to stop this from happening by using the rope from their now broken mast, but it was now too late. The ship was fatally damaged !

As Hoof - Flourisher sank lower and lower into the ocean the crew tried gallantly to save her, and themselves. It was painfully obvious to those aboard the stricken vessel that all was lost, but there was nothing else the men could do. It would not have been honorable to die without giving it their best effort, and each man strained every muscle to keep their once beautiful ship afloat.

Thorir was still trying to secure the boards on the starboard side when he looked up and saw a huge wave looming above their ship . As they sank deeper into the swell the wave grew in height until it hovered over the ship like a huge dark cloud. Thorir turned to his crew, and above the raging storm, shouted : " Brace yourselves !! " But it was too late ! As the wave crashed over the ship it washed most of the crew overboard. What was left of the shattered ship sank a few moments later.

The brutal cold of the near freezing ocean water felt like swords being thrust into Thorir's exposed skin. It did not take long for his teeth to start chattering, and his body to begin to go numb. As Thorir began to lose his grip on life, he screamed to the Gods : " I curse Asmund, and his brother Vilgeir ! And I demand the right of revenge ! " It was shortly thereafter that Thorir, the last of his crew to still be alive, began to feel the unrelenting pull of the deep ! "

- End Chapter 5

- Next : Chapter 6 : The Will To Live !

- Glenn Bergen, ( Ravensheart ), © Copyright, 2015.

' The Sea - Draugr : A Tale Of The Undead : Chapter 4 : The Voyage Begins

6/15/2015

The Sea - Draugr : A Tale Of The Undead

Chapter 4

The Voyage Begins

Bragi took a long drink of his ale, and then slammed the horn down on the golden table. " That Asmund is quite a devious, and cunning human ! He reminds me very much of Loki ! " Bragi exclaimed with a huge smile. " Well, do go on my friend ! " he told Aegir with a nod of his head . " Did Asmund , and his brother finish the ship in time to sail in the spring ? " Bragi asked before Aegir could begin.

Aegir gave Bragi a serious look. Yes ! ..... And an evil craft it was my friend ! " he told Bragi just before he took a sip of his ale. " Let me see where I was... I... oh yes........

" The ship looked magnificent tied to the dock . It was a slim, sleek ship, with clean lines, and 16 oars on each side of the vessel. The mast sat proudly in the center of the craft, and was tall and straight. The rigging that surrounded the mast was newly woven and tight. To finish off the ship Asmund had commissioned a local craftsman to carve a beautiful dragon head for the bow of the ship. Asmund wanted..... no..... he needed, it to appear as though the ship was as strong and sturdy as she was beautiful. He did not want it to be said later that Thorir did not return because of faulty construction on his part.

The ship was unsound however, and had almost as many weaknesses as it had nails. The wood he and his brother used looked like good timbers, but they had not cured the wood properly, and knew that it would not hold up once it became swollen in the sea water. Asmund and Vilgeir had also watered down the tar they used to seal the ship, and they knew that in the hot sun the tar would crack and leak. Asmund, just to be sure that the ship would not return, used nails in its construction that were almost an inch shorter than the ones he normally used in sea - going vessels.

The launching of the ship was a great spectacle that was witnessed by everyone in the village. Rannveig' s father Bardi, being the village chieftain, acted as Godi and performed a blood ritual to bless the new vessel. Two goats were sacrificed and the blood gathered in a large bowl, which was then poured over the dragon's head, and the rudder, to give the vessel good luck.

Jarl Vigfus, not to be outdone by Bardi' s ritual, gave a long speech. He told the villagers of the wonderful stories he had heard at King Haakon' s court about these new lands called Helluland, Markland, and Vinland. The villagers cheered when Thorir was introduced as the brave warrior, who would captain the jarl' s sleek new ship to the magnificent world he had just described. The jarl then turned the podium over to Thorir.

Thorir Dagson was not much of an orator. The warrior thanked everyone for coming down to see them off. He thanked the jarl for making this historic journey possible, and Bardi for invoking the Gods to bless their ship and give them safe passage across the seas. Thorir received the loudest cheers when he announced that the ship would be named after the Goddess Gna' s swift horse Hoof - Flourisher. Thorir then ended his speech by introducing the crew who would sail with him.

Geir, Bolli, Thorlak, Svart, Osvif, Einar, Raud, Onund, Kar, Hrafn, Gunnar, Tormod, Hauk, Ari, Dyri, Geirmund, Illugi, Ljot, Mar, Ketil, Styr, and Kjallak, had all sailed with Thorir before. Some of his original crew, however, did not wish to become explorers, and refused to go. Thorir then scoured the neighboring villages for warriors, and found ten more intrepid adventurers to join in on his journey. They were Thorbrand, Vingeir, Ulfar, Steinolf, Ref, Berg, Alf, Egil, Glum, and Kalv. Each crewman received a rousing cheer as they boarded the ship after being announced.

While the crew made its final preparations to leave the fjord, Thorir and Rannveig spent their last moments together behind the hut that the seamstresses had used to sew the sails for several generations now. Thorir promised his bride to be that as soon as he returned they would be married, and would settle down on the land that Jarl Vigfus had awarded him. Rannveig then told Thorir that she wanted to have six children, and then she kissed him. They held each other for a few long moments before reluctantly returning to the docks.

Thorir kissed Rannveig one last time before jumping onto the ship. The crew, with their captain now aboard, used their oars to push the ship away from the dock. As the brave warriors began to row down the fjord toward the open ocean the villagers gave out one last rousing cheer for their men. Then one by one the villagers began to walk back home.

When all the others had left Rannveig remained behind to catch a final glimpse of the great dragon ship. The last thing that she saw on the horizon was the ship's great sail, that she had helped to sew, being unfurled. Then the ship disappeared over the horizon, and Rannveig' s heart became lonely, and she began to cry. "

- End Chapter 4

- Next : Chapter 5 : Catastrophe !

- Glenn Bergen, ( Ravensheart ), © Copyright, 2015.

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Coming Soon

339. The Coming Storm

37. Gna : The Great Messenger Goddess

﻿The Sea - Draugr : A Tale Of The Undead﻿Epilogue

The Sea Draugr : A Tale Of The UndeadChapter 8Revenge !

The Sea - Draugr : A Tale Of The UndeadChapter 7The Journey Back

The Sea - Draugr : A Tale Of The UndeadChapter 6The Will To Live

The Sea - Draugr : A Tale Of The UndeadChapter 5Catastrophe !

﻿The Sea - Draugr : A Tale Of The Undead﻿Chapter 4The Voyage Begins

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