Gunnar

*"You are the chieftain. It's your temple and I'm the heir to this holy chiefdom."
"No man knows if he will celebrate next Yuletide as a king or as a slave. It is best to be prepared for both and to stave off the latter, the least you can do is show your slaves that you are as strong as they are."
"But no one's watching us."*
―Gunnar and Fjölnir[src]
**Gunnar** is the son of Fjölnir and Gudrún.

## Biography

### Background

*"You were forced upon your mother. Gunnar was received freely, with love."*
―Gudrún and Amleth[src]
Gunnar is born to Fjölnir and Gudrún. He has an older half-brother, Thórir. He is born at his family's farm in Freysdalur, where they had fled after Fjölnir, who had been the king of Hrafnsey, was overthrown by King Haraldr of Norway.

### Argument with his Father

*"Why are we doing this?"
"What?"
"This. It's slave work."*
―Gunnar and Fjölnir[src]

Gunnar is taught to chop wood by Fjölnir, but questions why they are doing it, calling it "slave work". He reasons that it is beneath them, as his father is the chieftain and he is the heir to the holy chiefdom. Fjölnir tells him that no man knows if he will celebrate the next yuletide as a king or a slave and had best be prepared for both. He tells him that it is important for his slaves to know he is as strong as they are to prevent them from rising up against him. Gunnar counters that no one is watching and Fjölnir tells him to fetch them some whey and think on what he said.

Gunnar accompanies his father and half-brother as they inspect a new shipment of slaves. Fjölnir decides to keep an aggressive slave called Björnulfr but orders for the others to be sold. Gunnar alerts him that Gudrún needs two slaves for the kitchen, one for the laundry and two males for the harvest, which prompts his father to choose some more slaves.

### The Chieftain's Feast

*"You're shaming our family's name! We need more men!"*
―Gunnar to the slaves[src]

As Gunnar and his family prepare to set out for the Chieftain's Feast, Gudrún tends his hair, which annoys him. He tells her to leave him alone, as he is not a child, but she replies that she knows grown men who need a woman to tend their hair.

At the feast, they meet with the family of Hákon Iron-Beard and watch a game of knattleikr between five of Fjölnir's slaves and five of Hákon's slaves. Gunnar is disgusted by the poor performance of his team, shouting at them that they are shaming his family's name. Eventually, only Björnulfr and a very large, strong, brutish man called Thórfinnr Tooth-Gnasher remain. As they attack each other, Gunnar runs onto the field and takes the ball, sending everyone into a panic. As Gunnar attempts to score, Thórfinnr catches up to him and knocks him out. He is soon revived by his parents, with Björnulfr having saved his life by tackling Thórfinnr to the ground and headbutting him to death. He asks if they won and Gudrún commends him for speaking like a true chieftain's son. Hákon commends him for his bravery.

Later they night, Gunnar enjoys the festivities with his family.

### Supernatural Threats

*"But I want to be fighting the monster!"
"And who would take charge of the farm with me if something happened to your father? To you? You must sleep."
"Do you miss it?"
"Miss what?"
"Your past life? The life of a queen?"
"Never. Because of you. Yet I sometimes miss having a whole island to myself. Hrafnsey is a wondrous place."
"One day I will helm a great warship and get it back for you."
"Yes, you will. Sleep."*
―Gunnar and Gudrún[src]
Once the family have returned to the farm, strange occurences lead the family to believe that it has been targeted by otherworldly entities. One night as Gudrún tucks him into bed, Gunnar tells her that he wants to be fighting a monster. She asks him who would take charge of the farm if something happened to him or his father, urging him to sleep. He asks her if she misses her life as a queen and she replies that she does not because of him, but admits that Hrafnsey is a wondrous place and she misses having an island to herself. He promises her that he will helm a warship and get it back for her.

### Thórir's Death

*"May the neck-ale of this swift steed hasten you to that highest tree of the battle-weavers, brother."*
―Gunnar[src]

Several days later, Thórir is found murdered. Gunnar watches as his body is carried out and Fjölnir discovers that his heart is missing. His father begins to kill the slaves, demanding to know which of them aided in Thórir's death. Björnulfr then appears and offers to return Thórir's heart in return for the life of the slave, Olga. He reveals that he is Amleth, Gudrún's son long thought dead. He fights Fjölnir's men, but is overpowered and subdued.

Later that night, a funeral is held for Thórir. As part of the ritual, Gunnar takes a sword and decapitates Thórir's horse, Freyfaxi, wishing that the neck-ale of the swift steed will hasten his brother to the highest tree of the battle-weavers. He and Fjölnir then remove their cloaks and stand naked before Gudrún, who dips a branch in the horse's blood and sprinkles it on them. She tells Gunnar that he is now their only heir. As the ceremony ends, Fjölnir declares that their hour of grief has ended and the time of wrath-kindled revenge is upon them. However, they discover that Amleth has escaped.

### Death

*"Mother!"*
―Gunnar's last word[src]
Amleth later returns to the farm under cover of darkness and slaughters the soldiers. Fjölnir tells Gunnar and Gudrún to stay hidden in the longhouse no matter what they hear before departing to search for Amleth.

Amleth enters the longhouse and calls for Fjölnir. Gudrún and Gunnar hide in the wardrobe, but once Amleth enters the bedchamber, Gudrún leaps out of it screaming. She attacks him with her sword, but he quickly outmatches her and stabs her in the heart. Gunnar attempts to avenge her by leaping onto Amleth's back and furiously stabbing him several times, but Amleth kills him with a single swing of his sword.

### Post-Mortem

*"Slain by iron, we shall all meet again in the stronghold of the All-father."*
―Amleth[src]

Fjölnir returns to the longhouse and takes the bodies of his wife and son. He and Amleth agree to meet at the Gates of Hel. Fjölnir then rides to Mount Hekla and performs the funeral rite for his wife and son by decapitating his horse. Amleth later finds their bodies and expresses hope that they will all meet again in the stronghold of Óðinn the All-Father. At the peak, Fjölnir avenges Gunnar and Gudrún's deaths by killing Amleth, but dies himself in the process.

## Personality

*"Did we win?"
"Spoken like a true chieftain's son!"*
―Gunnar and Gudrún[src]
Despite his young age, Gunnar is fiercely proud of his family, as shown when he chastises their slaves when they are losing to Hákon Iron-Beard's slaves in the game of knattleikr. As a chieftain's son and the heir to his holy chiefdom, Gunnar questions the need for him to chop wood, considering it to be slave work. He is intelligent and attentive, reminding Fjölnir of the slaves that Gudrún needs for various duties at Freysdalur. He is brave and seeks at be a warrior, hoping to fight the monsters that supposedly haunt the farm and promising his mother that he will one day take a great warship and reclaim Hrafnsey for her. His bravery leads him into dangerous situations, such as when he is almost killed by Thórfinnr Tooth-Gnasher during the game of knattleikr and when he is later killed by Amleth as he attempts to avenge Gudrún.

## Religion

Gunnar appears to be a worshipper of Freyr and Freyja like his parents, as he decapitates Freyfaxi when he takes part in Thórir's funeral ritual.

## Behind the Scenes

* Lucy Fowl was a stunt double for Elliott Rose in the role of Gunnar.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Eggers, Robert; Sjón, *The Northman*, Focus Features, USA, April 22, 2022
2. ↑ Eggers, Robert & Sjón, *The Northman* Deleted Scene: "Gudrún Tucks Gunnar In", Focus Features, USA, April 22, 2022