The Last Marigold

Uppsala

Wolfgard's home was situated in a province of  Northumbria called Bernicia. The lands of his earldom covered the town, Tynemouth. His father named their great hall, Uppsala, after their pagan temples.

Uppsala had earned fame for its series of grand halls. The largest of them measured upwards of forty-nine cubits and carried a roof, eight cubits above the ground. Built on an elevated platform, surrounded by fortifications, travelers came from the road down by the River Team and went uphill until they reached a ramp leading up to the entrance. Moving through the entry into the center of the great hall, privileged visitors might be invited to join the chieftain in his private chamber to the west. From there, an exit led into a fenced inner sanctum, a temple to the Nordic gods.

Life at Uppsala was inspired by imports of luxury goods, carried with merchants and tradesmen from the farthest reaches of the known world. Su'a was awed by the inner makings of the mead hall. Wolfgard's people were obviously visually sophisticated to have dreamt up these surroundings. Wolfgard took pride in detailing to her the meanings behind the carvings upon Uppsala's walls. They depicted stories from heroic epics like Beowulf and other Icelandic legends. Huge magnificent wooden sculptures and carvings stood silently watching, their eyes following her across the room.

Uppsala was more than just a mead hall, it was a place of gathering; a symbol of prestige and power. Any chieftain worth his salt would want the respect of his followers and thus would need to build a magnificent mead-hall such as this and stock it with the best drink. The yeasty dregs of a good brew were valuable and often reused.

Upon their return to Tynemouth, they celebrated, sumbl. It was an occasion to show off their finest ale and mead. Somerhild mentioned that at a sumbl, the chieftain's lady began the festivities by serving a drink to her husband. She would then serve the highest-ranking warriors and then the other guests. Gifts were also given during sumbl, by the chief to his warriors and guests, then everyone would fall asleep in the hall.  Wolfgard was without a wife and thus his honored sister Ravn Sigvatdottir would take up this task.

What Su'a liked most about Danes was the importance they placed on their women particularly in a mead hall celebration. Women – or peace-weavers as the Vikings called them – were the ones who kept the formal footing of the feast going, who lubricated the rowdy atmosphere and provided a healthy dose of calm. They were in charge of the logistics of the sumbl.

The first three drinks of the evening were in honor of the gods. Always Odin first for his role as All-Father and the God of alcohol. Then Njord the Sea God and Freyja the Goddess of Fertility. Su'a understood this to be important to the Danes, as alcohol, sea-faring, and agriculture were their life's blood.

As the evening wore on and people drank more, stories were told which included boasts of great deeds. The bragarfull was passed as men swore their oaths. The bragarfull was a special cup which one swore oaths on and these oaths were binding. Since drink came from the gods, what one said while drunk was considered true, sacred, and taken completely seriously. Whatever one swore to do while drinking from the bragarfull had to be done within a reasonable amount of time.

Alrik stood from his seat. He'd waited for the moment in which Wolfgard would be holding the bragarfull, "My friend, my chieftain, you have yet to gift me my share of the plunder."

Wolfgard sat atop a wooden throne set with a crown of antlers. It was on an elevated floor covered with fur, another sign of his wealth. "What would you like my friend. Speak it and I shall do my best to honor your request," Wolfgard responded graciously.

"I wish you to make a gift of the slave Su'a to me." He asked his grin pulling from ear to ear.

Wolfgard's lips pressed together in a thin line. His hard gaze pinned Alrik down before moving to Su'a. She'd stopped in her tracks, standing in a corner hall holding a jug of ale. Her mouth fell agape as the eyes of the entire hall fell upon her. She could see their curious faces wondering what was the significance of this one girl.