The Legacy of Saint Brendan: A History of the Western Hemisphere, 512 to 1400
- Thread starter Rognvald
- Start date
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- americas dark ages exploration
Vuu
Banned
Whoa bruh, you want instant diabetes?
But I did acquire an excellent idea - OTL this didn't really take off (especially due to the fact that Canadians aren't really into making their own liquor, if they were from the Balkans, however... Which does remind me of a story where a man wanted to smoke some meats in his garage and the damn neighbors called in the firemen. Or when another man tried to pickle his own cabbage and the barrel wasn't closed good or sumn so the smell made the people call the cops, who basically reacted like he was making a chemical weapon - but that was the UK, we know what it's like over there, but irrelevant) - maple syrup liquor. It might be expensive tho. Or not, if you turn all of the Americas into a gargantuan sugar maple grove for the sole purpose of making maple syrup.
From my understanding, the reason that maple-based alcohol never really took off in OTL is simply due to economics. Maple syrup is pretty expensive when compared to the other sources of sugar used currently. That being said, it can certainly be used and there are craft makers who have used maple in a wide variety of different types of alcohol. Now, based on this timeline and the drinking habits of northern Europeans at the time, I'd guessing that Maple 'Mead' might become a very real thing for local consumption. Here's a website where people discuss making Maple Mead:
https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/forum/index.php?topic=7588.0
Now comes the problem of trade. If the residents of the New World want to ship the stuff back to the Old World for profit, they are going to have to find a way to preserve it for the long trip. Most likely the best way to do this would be to distill it. Could they distill the maple mead into brandy? Possibly. But I think it would be most likely to use it as the sugar for whiskey and scotch. Either way they'll think of something - this is a colony founded by monks and monks were known for their brewing and distilling.
Honestly, the sugar is probably worth more than any beverages they can make from it. Not that they wouldn't do it, but there are more economical fermentables in the new world.
Yes. I just am living in a place with no Internet (I post from my phone), so that’s complicating things a little bit. I do finally have some time this weekend, so I’ll get it written and pribably posted next week. Mondayish?
Chapter Five, Part Five: Hemispheric
Chapter Five, Part Five: Hemispheric, 1110-1150 AD
Ansgar Wolfsbane’s unlikely ascent to the throne had the grandees of the Kingdom of Setraland in thrall. This 16-year old had risen from being all but kicked out and fostered by some backwater Fanaithe chief to becoming the most powerful figure in Talbeah. What did God have in store for the Kingdom, with this barbarian in control?
The grandees could not have known, but Ansgar Wolfsbane would prove to be a critical figure in the development of Talbeah. His efforts in expanding trade, expanding the borders of Talbeah, and establishing the economic development of his realm would unlock the beginning of the Setralander Golden Age. For just over seventy years, Ansgar would reign- which begs the question.
Why not start a new chapter now?
Many historians have placed Ansgar’s reign as the mark of a transitional period in Talbeahan history. Volkert Smied, for example, regarded Ansgar as the “final, purely Ostish monarch, the first to embrace the Celtic mainstream and bring the two previously hostile groups into one greater whole.” However, this author disagrees with that interpretation. Modern historians have repudiated the idea that Ansgar represented the first pure example of the Thoir-Thiar culture that was to dominate the ruling class of Setraland in the 13th Century. [1] Ansgar, while the first Setralander King to be able to speak Gaelic conversationally (a side effect of his fostering), remained firmly entrenched in the Ostish culture and traditions of his ancestors. It would be his grandson that, in this author’s opinion, be the first Thoir-Thiar monarch.
Despite this argument, this volume has placed Ansgar’s reign in a transitional period- the first forty years of his reign are represented in the closing pages of this chapter, while the last thirty years of his reign make up the opening remarks of the next. This better reflects on Ansgar’s role in Talbeahan history, as well as allows this author better freedom to explore the what, in their opinion, is the more important date in the history of Talbeah- Christmas Day, 1149.
Setraland
Ansgar’s reign would be, in the first years of it, focused on warfare. There were scattered rebellions against his ascension by those that had been partisans of the dispossessed princeling, but these failed to make any major impact on the affairs of the Kingdom. Ansgar gained a reputation for being a violent and brutal opponent, wiling to take to the field himself against his enemies. This might not be completely fair, as Ansgar was also recorded as being a generous monarch, often sending gifts in goods and thralls to those who gave him support. [2] In any event, by 1114, Ansgar’s grip on the realm was more or lesssolidified, and he could look beyond his borders for adventure.
The main focus of his attentions was on the heavily wooded land that lay southwards of the coasts of Setraland, between the contiguous borders of the Kingdom and the generally populated regions of the coastal and woodland tribes. Generally referred to as “Gryttrland” [3], the area was not inhabited, by and large. This was likely due to it having been hit by European sicknesses hard, during the first contacts with the early Fanaithe trappers, and had not been resettled in the years following. This allowed the Setralanders to advance relatively unopposed.
Ansgar granted Gryttrland to a close ally of his, a marchawc of mixed Briton and Gaelic descent named Caradoc. Caradoc gathered others who, like him, were of the semi-noble martial class, and set out in 1118 to settle Caradoc’s “Jarldom of Gryttrland”. The settlement of Gryttrland would be difficult, as the ground was rocky, the trees thick, and the weather unpredictable. It would also be made even more difficult by the actions of the inhabitants of Bolverkstead, an already established settlement on the southern coast of Gryttrland, closer to the region of general population of the coastal and woodland tribes.
Bolverkstead was, in many senses, a semi-independent part of the Setralander realm. Founded in 1047 to facilitate trade south along the coast, Bolverkstead had long been at the periphery. Generally ignored by monarchs for seventy years, Bolverksteadhad grown accustomed to having more flexibility in its relations with native polities, growing wealthy from its status of trading hub. The population was, by the 1120s, mostly made up of measctha, this time descended from Ostish fathers and native mothers, raised in the settlement, and grown up to be hearty, independent men.
The town fathers of Bolverkstead did not take kindly to the expansion of royal authority south for several reasons. First, they feared a loss of political sovereignty. They had operated under direct loyalty to the King of Setraland, and now they feared absorption into the new Jarldom, and the accompanying loss of wealth that would have to go to tribute. Second, they had enjoyed the freedom to utilize Gryttrland for years; now, with its division into smaller, formal landholdings, they would lose the ability to hunt, trap, or, perhaps more importantly, harvest the maple there. And, finally, they were afraid that they would lose their monopoly on trade Southwards.
For this reason, Bolverkstead did all it could to hinder the settlement of Gryttrland by Caradoc. Shipments of supplies that arrived in Bolverkstead harbor were lost and did not make it to the new settlements; ships sank in storms; messages were not relayed. This was more of an annoyance than anything else to Caradoc, doing little but delaying the inevitable. In 1123, Caradoc sent word to Ansgar that his settlement efforts were being blocked by the citizens of Bolverkstead. This was more just to inform the monarch that, despite this, progress was continuing, but Ansgar misinterpreted it.
Imagine the surprise on the faces of the town father’s of Bolverkstead when they woke up one day to see a fleet of ships approaching their shores, bearing the royal standard!
Ansgar sent word to the town fathers that they must cease their efforts to stop the settlement of Gryttrland, and that they must pay Caradoc a sizeable tribute in apology. The terrified town fathers agreed- they did not have the ability to stand against the King. In fact, they had been almost certain that Ansgar lacked the ability to project major power along the coastline- they, however, misjudged the firmness of his ships and the scope of his ambition.
The submission of Bolverkstead left Ansgar feeling somewhat disappointed. He had been spoiling for a fight, and the citizens of that town had refused to give it to him. That did not stop him, however- he simply turned his attention elsewhere, and embarked on a expedition against the Costal tribes.
Ansgar’s casus belli for this action is unclear- sources close to the time say that he simply wanted to bring them to accept a tributary status. Others say that he wished to establish the Christian religion, and wanted to force them to allow missionaries. Whatever the case, Ansgar would spend the next five years in the region, drawn into a conflict larger than he wished.
The reason for this, of course, was the general disposition of the coastal tribes. Each tribe maintained a defensive palisade of its own, out of necessity- the tribes further in the interior had marked them as targets for their own raids. These palisades were thick, often with attached earthworks, and could allow a surprisingly small number of warriors to hold off a larger force. Ansgar learned this the hard way, as the natives, not impressed by his fleet, would simply withdraw into their palisades and live off of their food reserves- reserves that Ansgar did not have. This forced Ansgar to adopt a new strategy- storm the palisades with hurriedly built siege ladders, force the inhabitants to surrender, and then take their food supplies. The campaign was further complicated by the sometimes duplicitous tactics of the tribes- a tribe might agree to bend the knee, but then simply attack any members of Ansgar’s warband that were left behind when the main body moved along. This necessitated a lot of back-tracking.
The campaign was rough, and many of Ansgar’s men suffered from hunger, wounds, and the disease that came alongside military actions of the time. However, his captains did not complain, or were afraid to complain, because Ansgar suffered the same that they did, refusing to eat more than his men. This earned him the respect of his warband, which would prove crucial to his ability to maintain the effort as long as he was able to.
By the time that his campaign was finished, Ansgar had forced the “chieftains of three-hundred tribes” to bend the knee and send tribute up the coast [4], bringing a large region into the Ostish sphere. As per these agreements, the chiefs would have to allow Christian missionaries to preach to their people, though the reception that these would-be apostles received was chilly at best. The coasts became a place for the Church to send clerics who had offended their ecclesiastical leaders.
The merit of Ansgar’s campaign to the South is debatable. While he was ultimately successful, he had lost valuable men for tribute and vague promises of religious toleration. However, Ansgar’s victory set a precedent for future Setralander Kings to follow- expeditions South were possible, and could result in victory. The seeds for future conquests were sown, though Ansgar would not reap the benefits.
The southern campaign set Ansgar off of campaigning for the remainder of this period. Perhaps the violence of repeated assaults had worn away at his bloodlust, perhaps he had simply been sated. In the end, however, Ansgar settled into a new part of his reign- that of governor.
From 1130 onwards, Ansgar set plans for bold new developments. Influenced by what he had experienced on his campaigns, he ordered the erection of new fortifications in Peace Town, merging European thought with Talbeahan native tactics. This was the origin of the Talbeahan version of the castles which had, with the decline of the Frankish Emperor’s control of his vast realm, begun dominating Europe around this same period. The Talbeahan fortifications, while not as impressive as those in Europe, were nevertheless functional for their time and place.
By 1150, Ansgar was fifty-six years old, with six sons and two daughters, all of whom had children of their own. He would have no idea how much longer he would reign, or how he would have to march to war in his old age…
Asgard
Far, far to the South, lay the realm founded by Ansgar’s mother, the Shield Maiden Bergthora. Ansgar heard little news about his mother’s land, and, indeed, it was rare for a trader to make the haul from Peace Town or Rineen or Costa Dhearg down to that almost tropical place. It was more common for traders to stop in the lands of the Paqwachowng, the rough midpoint between the two, and there exchange goods. Those traders that met traders from the far South reported variable a land of wonder and a land of disease, a land of mighty men and bold women or a land of dangerous creatures.
The truth, of course, was much more mundane and somewhere in between.
Early accounts of the Ostish realm in what is known to us in the Anglish-speaking world today as Mirwick [5] are fragmentary, and from what historians have been able to gather, it was a rather tenuous existence. Despite Bergthora’s attraction to the region, she had a hard time convincing her compatriots to stay. Several would filter back up and dwell among the Paqwachowng, where they would become the origin of the Paramount Chief’s “Bear Guards” of later fame. Those that remained with Bergthora would experience hardships, ranging from aggressive natives tribes, disease, and hostile wildlife.
Bergthora would not long survive sending her son to his father- she would be killed by a dreki [6] as she stood by the water. Succession would be disputed, and, in the end, a married couple would seize control- Sigurd and Gunnhild. The pair would rule with an iron fist for much of this period, and would ultimately be responsible for the creation of a viable realm in Mirwick. They would be the ones to give this realm a name- Asgard. [7]
The surviving Ostish company, under the guidance of Sigurd and Gunnhild, decided against outright conquest, and began to instead go by cunning. They inserted themselves into inter-tribal disagreements among the natives of Mirwick, slowly gaining a piece of land there or some payments in goods here. By 1130, Asgard was a viable settlement on the Eastern coast of Mirwick, fortified against attack. From here on, Asgard began to assume the role of trading partner and go-between, integrating the natives of Mirwick into the greater coastal economy. They would be hindered in this by the 1140s, due to a rampant plague that seemingly only affected the natives of the region; this would force them to begin to sail further to find new trading partners.
In this way, the sailors of Asgard discovered the Sea of Lukkai[8] by the mid-1140s, and the many islands of that sea. TheLukkai the sea was named for had a few notable trade goods, such as oyangwa and batata [9]. They had a settled life, with men living apart from women, who seemed to control much of village life. A more interesting detail to the Asgardians, however, was some of the Lukkai were used to traders passing through their islands, trading for jade. This intrigued the Asgardians when they heard, and this would lead to the fateful expedition of one Hrolf, who, acquiring the services of a native who claimed to know the way to the homeland of these other traders, set sail in 1149.
On Christmas Day of that year, Hrolf’s vessel arrived at something that took him aback- a port town with stone structures. The inhabitants were curious at his arrival, and bundled Hrolf and his crew inland to what they termed their capital. What Hrolf saw then was something that took his breath away.
For rising above them as they approached were giant temples made of stone, with carved stairways; plazas; markets…
Hrolf had discovered that the Europeans did not have a monopoly on civilization in the New World.
Hrolf had discovered Macanxoc…[10]
[1] – Thoir-Thiar, literally Gaelic for East-West, is a somewhat later term given by scholars to a culture that merged aspects of both the Ostish and Fanaithe cultures. Somewhat analogous to the Osto-Picts.
[2] – Perhaps this mention of slavery should serve as a vehicle to discuss that practice. Slavery had not existed among European communities in Talbeah until the arrival of the Ostish (though some radical scholars would probably argue that the proto-serfdom enforced by the Owainid Gorfodi’s was a form of slavery). Ostish slavery in the New World was similar to that practiced by their fellows in Europe- the victims of the miserable institution were prisoners of war, had sold themselves to absolve a debt, or through accident of birth. The practice existed alongside the serfdom system for centuries.
[3] – Ostish for “Stony Land” or “Rocky Land”. Corresponds roughly with OTL Northern Maine/New Brunswick
[4] – As recorded on Ansgar’s tomb inscription. This was an exaggeration- there weren’t even likely one-hundred major settlements along the coast, let alone three-hundred.
[5] – From the Ostish Myrrricki, or “Swamp Realm” or “Bog Realm”. OTL Florida
[6] – OTL Alligator
[7] – The name originated from interactions with the local natives, who referred to themselves by a name understood by the Ostish to be “ás”, which referred to the old gods of Ostish myth. The realm of these gods was Asgard, hence, the eventual application of the name.
[8] –OTL Lucayans of the Bahamas and the OTL Caribbean Sea
[9] – OTL Sweet potato
[10] – Hrolf arrived at OTL Xelha, and was brought to OTL Coba, which I gave the name Macanxoc because Coba is a Spanish name. If anyone can help me find a better name for it, that would be great. Especial thanks to 9 Fanged Hummingbird for his help with this section.
Ansgar Wolfsbane’s unlikely ascent to the throne had the grandees of the Kingdom of Setraland in thrall. This 16-year old had risen from being all but kicked out and fostered by some backwater Fanaithe chief to becoming the most powerful figure in Talbeah. What did God have in store for the Kingdom, with this barbarian in control?
The grandees could not have known, but Ansgar Wolfsbane would prove to be a critical figure in the development of Talbeah. His efforts in expanding trade, expanding the borders of Talbeah, and establishing the economic development of his realm would unlock the beginning of the Setralander Golden Age. For just over seventy years, Ansgar would reign- which begs the question.
Why not start a new chapter now?
Many historians have placed Ansgar’s reign as the mark of a transitional period in Talbeahan history. Volkert Smied, for example, regarded Ansgar as the “final, purely Ostish monarch, the first to embrace the Celtic mainstream and bring the two previously hostile groups into one greater whole.” However, this author disagrees with that interpretation. Modern historians have repudiated the idea that Ansgar represented the first pure example of the Thoir-Thiar culture that was to dominate the ruling class of Setraland in the 13th Century. [1] Ansgar, while the first Setralander King to be able to speak Gaelic conversationally (a side effect of his fostering), remained firmly entrenched in the Ostish culture and traditions of his ancestors. It would be his grandson that, in this author’s opinion, be the first Thoir-Thiar monarch.
Despite this argument, this volume has placed Ansgar’s reign in a transitional period- the first forty years of his reign are represented in the closing pages of this chapter, while the last thirty years of his reign make up the opening remarks of the next. This better reflects on Ansgar’s role in Talbeahan history, as well as allows this author better freedom to explore the what, in their opinion, is the more important date in the history of Talbeah- Christmas Day, 1149.
Setraland
Ansgar’s reign would be, in the first years of it, focused on warfare. There were scattered rebellions against his ascension by those that had been partisans of the dispossessed princeling, but these failed to make any major impact on the affairs of the Kingdom. Ansgar gained a reputation for being a violent and brutal opponent, wiling to take to the field himself against his enemies. This might not be completely fair, as Ansgar was also recorded as being a generous monarch, often sending gifts in goods and thralls to those who gave him support. [2] In any event, by 1114, Ansgar’s grip on the realm was more or lesssolidified, and he could look beyond his borders for adventure.
The main focus of his attentions was on the heavily wooded land that lay southwards of the coasts of Setraland, between the contiguous borders of the Kingdom and the generally populated regions of the coastal and woodland tribes. Generally referred to as “Gryttrland” [3], the area was not inhabited, by and large. This was likely due to it having been hit by European sicknesses hard, during the first contacts with the early Fanaithe trappers, and had not been resettled in the years following. This allowed the Setralanders to advance relatively unopposed.
Ansgar granted Gryttrland to a close ally of his, a marchawc of mixed Briton and Gaelic descent named Caradoc. Caradoc gathered others who, like him, were of the semi-noble martial class, and set out in 1118 to settle Caradoc’s “Jarldom of Gryttrland”. The settlement of Gryttrland would be difficult, as the ground was rocky, the trees thick, and the weather unpredictable. It would also be made even more difficult by the actions of the inhabitants of Bolverkstead, an already established settlement on the southern coast of Gryttrland, closer to the region of general population of the coastal and woodland tribes.
Bolverkstead was, in many senses, a semi-independent part of the Setralander realm. Founded in 1047 to facilitate trade south along the coast, Bolverkstead had long been at the periphery. Generally ignored by monarchs for seventy years, Bolverksteadhad grown accustomed to having more flexibility in its relations with native polities, growing wealthy from its status of trading hub. The population was, by the 1120s, mostly made up of measctha, this time descended from Ostish fathers and native mothers, raised in the settlement, and grown up to be hearty, independent men.
The town fathers of Bolverkstead did not take kindly to the expansion of royal authority south for several reasons. First, they feared a loss of political sovereignty. They had operated under direct loyalty to the King of Setraland, and now they feared absorption into the new Jarldom, and the accompanying loss of wealth that would have to go to tribute. Second, they had enjoyed the freedom to utilize Gryttrland for years; now, with its division into smaller, formal landholdings, they would lose the ability to hunt, trap, or, perhaps more importantly, harvest the maple there. And, finally, they were afraid that they would lose their monopoly on trade Southwards.
For this reason, Bolverkstead did all it could to hinder the settlement of Gryttrland by Caradoc. Shipments of supplies that arrived in Bolverkstead harbor were lost and did not make it to the new settlements; ships sank in storms; messages were not relayed. This was more of an annoyance than anything else to Caradoc, doing little but delaying the inevitable. In 1123, Caradoc sent word to Ansgar that his settlement efforts were being blocked by the citizens of Bolverkstead. This was more just to inform the monarch that, despite this, progress was continuing, but Ansgar misinterpreted it.
Imagine the surprise on the faces of the town father’s of Bolverkstead when they woke up one day to see a fleet of ships approaching their shores, bearing the royal standard!
Ansgar sent word to the town fathers that they must cease their efforts to stop the settlement of Gryttrland, and that they must pay Caradoc a sizeable tribute in apology. The terrified town fathers agreed- they did not have the ability to stand against the King. In fact, they had been almost certain that Ansgar lacked the ability to project major power along the coastline- they, however, misjudged the firmness of his ships and the scope of his ambition.
The submission of Bolverkstead left Ansgar feeling somewhat disappointed. He had been spoiling for a fight, and the citizens of that town had refused to give it to him. That did not stop him, however- he simply turned his attention elsewhere, and embarked on a expedition against the Costal tribes.
Ansgar’s casus belli for this action is unclear- sources close to the time say that he simply wanted to bring them to accept a tributary status. Others say that he wished to establish the Christian religion, and wanted to force them to allow missionaries. Whatever the case, Ansgar would spend the next five years in the region, drawn into a conflict larger than he wished.
The reason for this, of course, was the general disposition of the coastal tribes. Each tribe maintained a defensive palisade of its own, out of necessity- the tribes further in the interior had marked them as targets for their own raids. These palisades were thick, often with attached earthworks, and could allow a surprisingly small number of warriors to hold off a larger force. Ansgar learned this the hard way, as the natives, not impressed by his fleet, would simply withdraw into their palisades and live off of their food reserves- reserves that Ansgar did not have. This forced Ansgar to adopt a new strategy- storm the palisades with hurriedly built siege ladders, force the inhabitants to surrender, and then take their food supplies. The campaign was further complicated by the sometimes duplicitous tactics of the tribes- a tribe might agree to bend the knee, but then simply attack any members of Ansgar’s warband that were left behind when the main body moved along. This necessitated a lot of back-tracking.
The campaign was rough, and many of Ansgar’s men suffered from hunger, wounds, and the disease that came alongside military actions of the time. However, his captains did not complain, or were afraid to complain, because Ansgar suffered the same that they did, refusing to eat more than his men. This earned him the respect of his warband, which would prove crucial to his ability to maintain the effort as long as he was able to.
By the time that his campaign was finished, Ansgar had forced the “chieftains of three-hundred tribes” to bend the knee and send tribute up the coast [4], bringing a large region into the Ostish sphere. As per these agreements, the chiefs would have to allow Christian missionaries to preach to their people, though the reception that these would-be apostles received was chilly at best. The coasts became a place for the Church to send clerics who had offended their ecclesiastical leaders.
The merit of Ansgar’s campaign to the South is debatable. While he was ultimately successful, he had lost valuable men for tribute and vague promises of religious toleration. However, Ansgar’s victory set a precedent for future Setralander Kings to follow- expeditions South were possible, and could result in victory. The seeds for future conquests were sown, though Ansgar would not reap the benefits.
The southern campaign set Ansgar off of campaigning for the remainder of this period. Perhaps the violence of repeated assaults had worn away at his bloodlust, perhaps he had simply been sated. In the end, however, Ansgar settled into a new part of his reign- that of governor.
From 1130 onwards, Ansgar set plans for bold new developments. Influenced by what he had experienced on his campaigns, he ordered the erection of new fortifications in Peace Town, merging European thought with Talbeahan native tactics. This was the origin of the Talbeahan version of the castles which had, with the decline of the Frankish Emperor’s control of his vast realm, begun dominating Europe around this same period. The Talbeahan fortifications, while not as impressive as those in Europe, were nevertheless functional for their time and place.
By 1150, Ansgar was fifty-six years old, with six sons and two daughters, all of whom had children of their own. He would have no idea how much longer he would reign, or how he would have to march to war in his old age…
Asgard
Far, far to the South, lay the realm founded by Ansgar’s mother, the Shield Maiden Bergthora. Ansgar heard little news about his mother’s land, and, indeed, it was rare for a trader to make the haul from Peace Town or Rineen or Costa Dhearg down to that almost tropical place. It was more common for traders to stop in the lands of the Paqwachowng, the rough midpoint between the two, and there exchange goods. Those traders that met traders from the far South reported variable a land of wonder and a land of disease, a land of mighty men and bold women or a land of dangerous creatures.
The truth, of course, was much more mundane and somewhere in between.
Early accounts of the Ostish realm in what is known to us in the Anglish-speaking world today as Mirwick [5] are fragmentary, and from what historians have been able to gather, it was a rather tenuous existence. Despite Bergthora’s attraction to the region, she had a hard time convincing her compatriots to stay. Several would filter back up and dwell among the Paqwachowng, where they would become the origin of the Paramount Chief’s “Bear Guards” of later fame. Those that remained with Bergthora would experience hardships, ranging from aggressive natives tribes, disease, and hostile wildlife.
Bergthora would not long survive sending her son to his father- she would be killed by a dreki [6] as she stood by the water. Succession would be disputed, and, in the end, a married couple would seize control- Sigurd and Gunnhild. The pair would rule with an iron fist for much of this period, and would ultimately be responsible for the creation of a viable realm in Mirwick. They would be the ones to give this realm a name- Asgard. [7]
The surviving Ostish company, under the guidance of Sigurd and Gunnhild, decided against outright conquest, and began to instead go by cunning. They inserted themselves into inter-tribal disagreements among the natives of Mirwick, slowly gaining a piece of land there or some payments in goods here. By 1130, Asgard was a viable settlement on the Eastern coast of Mirwick, fortified against attack. From here on, Asgard began to assume the role of trading partner and go-between, integrating the natives of Mirwick into the greater coastal economy. They would be hindered in this by the 1140s, due to a rampant plague that seemingly only affected the natives of the region; this would force them to begin to sail further to find new trading partners.
In this way, the sailors of Asgard discovered the Sea of Lukkai[8] by the mid-1140s, and the many islands of that sea. TheLukkai the sea was named for had a few notable trade goods, such as oyangwa and batata [9]. They had a settled life, with men living apart from women, who seemed to control much of village life. A more interesting detail to the Asgardians, however, was some of the Lukkai were used to traders passing through their islands, trading for jade. This intrigued the Asgardians when they heard, and this would lead to the fateful expedition of one Hrolf, who, acquiring the services of a native who claimed to know the way to the homeland of these other traders, set sail in 1149.
On Christmas Day of that year, Hrolf’s vessel arrived at something that took him aback- a port town with stone structures. The inhabitants were curious at his arrival, and bundled Hrolf and his crew inland to what they termed their capital. What Hrolf saw then was something that took his breath away.
For rising above them as they approached were giant temples made of stone, with carved stairways; plazas; markets…
Hrolf had discovered that the Europeans did not have a monopoly on civilization in the New World.
Hrolf had discovered Macanxoc…[10]
[1] – Thoir-Thiar, literally Gaelic for East-West, is a somewhat later term given by scholars to a culture that merged aspects of both the Ostish and Fanaithe cultures. Somewhat analogous to the Osto-Picts.
[2] – Perhaps this mention of slavery should serve as a vehicle to discuss that practice. Slavery had not existed among European communities in Talbeah until the arrival of the Ostish (though some radical scholars would probably argue that the proto-serfdom enforced by the Owainid Gorfodi’s was a form of slavery). Ostish slavery in the New World was similar to that practiced by their fellows in Europe- the victims of the miserable institution were prisoners of war, had sold themselves to absolve a debt, or through accident of birth. The practice existed alongside the serfdom system for centuries.
[3] – Ostish for “Stony Land” or “Rocky Land”. Corresponds roughly with OTL Northern Maine/New Brunswick
[4] – As recorded on Ansgar’s tomb inscription. This was an exaggeration- there weren’t even likely one-hundred major settlements along the coast, let alone three-hundred.
[5] – From the Ostish Myrrricki, or “Swamp Realm” or “Bog Realm”. OTL Florida
[6] – OTL Alligator
[7] – The name originated from interactions with the local natives, who referred to themselves by a name understood by the Ostish to be “ás”, which referred to the old gods of Ostish myth. The realm of these gods was Asgard, hence, the eventual application of the name.
[8] –OTL Lucayans of the Bahamas and the OTL Caribbean Sea
[9] – OTL Sweet potato
[10] – Hrolf arrived at OTL Xelha, and was brought to OTL Coba, which I gave the name Macanxoc because Coba is a Spanish name. If anyone can help me find a better name for it, that would be great. Especial thanks to 9 Fanged Hummingbird for his help with this section.
Last edited:
Md139115
Banned
I think you meant final thirty years.
But I have to say that I am really impressed with this! So Hrolf has discovered the Mayans?
Maybe some perspectives on technology (more detailed looks at those Talbeahan castles you mentioned, and how they compare to European/New World contemporaries), travel (something like your earlier justifications on why St. Brendan's voyage would have been possible, but with the voyages between different parts of the New World. Maybe with estimated travel times as well), or language (examples of what different writing systems look like). Alternately, you could return to the Old World for a bit and see how they have changed religiously/politically from 600 to 1000 AD.
EDIT: Some more info on the Paqwachoung (trade, society) could be cool. A Paramount Chief is to rise among them, after all. Might they become the Kievan Rus of the New World?
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I'd like to see some more details about the culture and history of the native groups - how have they changed as a result of contact with the Gaelic-Ostish realms.
Also: culture!!! What stories are communities telling about themselves, what is day to day life for a member of these societies. What are they eating and drinking?
You can't tell me some good epic poems or prise sagas havent developed yet
What influence has the growth of the Euro-American culture, trade, etc had on the rest of Europe? Surely the art of navigation has advanced..has exploration of the African coast begun sooner...any attempt to sail across different routes to reach further south?
I'm still doing my re-read of the TL before I can comment on the recent chapters, but I'd very much enjoy a "slice of life" series for merchants, commonfolk, pseudo-nobles, natives and religious officials in the New World.
I would like a map so I know where stuff or if that not possible just have next to the new words for the places they are in have something next to it saying what if would be called in otl?
The Native point of view would be interesting, particularly the middlemen trading between Native and Old World communities.