recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Chapter 27: A Humble Proposal

*…within half a year of the battle with the Green Death, the first recorded attempt at theft of dragons from Berk occurred, instigated by the then-petty king of Vedrarfjord, known at the time as Adalwin ua Imir, in southeastern Éire. This first attempt failed, but Hiccup clan Haddock appealed for moderation on the part of his tribesmates and likewise failed to end the threat decisively. This allowed Adalwin to insert a spy into Berk, Heather nic Oswald clan Murchadh, then age fifteen. Trained in espionage from the age of thirteen, her orders were to infiltrate Berk, steal dragons, and exfiltrate back to Vedrarfjord.*

*While not all of the legends about Heather clan Murchadh (later clan Ingerman) are accurate, the broad strokes of those legends are generally on point. Due to emotional attachments to Berk, specifically that of her future husband, Fishlegs clan Ingerman, she defected to the Hooligan tribe. And, as her first action on behalf of her adopted society, she aided Berk in a Trojan Horse-style infiltration of Adalwin's keep for a retaliatory decapitation strike against her former masters.*

*The attack was a mixed success, with only some of its objectives achieved, and resulting in numerous unintended consequences. These included…*

*—Origins Of The Grand Thing, Edinburgh Press, 1631*

## Major Events

* The Hooligans take control of Vedrarfjord, and abolish thralldom there.
* Harthacnut and his men are ransomed for a truly staggering amount.
* Hiccup proposes to Astrid, giving the king's ransom as bride-price.

## Characters

### Humans

* Hiccup clan Haddock
* Astrid Hákonsdoitter clan Haddock
* Stoick the Vast
* Adalwin ua Imair/Alvin the Treacherous
* Fishlegs clan Ingerman
* Heather
* Murray clan Murchadh
* Griselda clan Murchadh
* Mhairi clan Murchadh (first appearance)
* Spitelout clan Jorgenson
* Fritjof clan Jorgenson
* Fishwings clan Ingerman
* Horsefeathers clan Ingerman
* Odhrán mac Marcas
* Magnus the Good
* Wulfhild of Norway
* Yngvarr the Merry
* Ross clan Hofferson
* Hazelnut clan Thorston
* Harthacnut
* Godwin of Wessex

### Dragons

* Toothless
* Stormfly
* Thornado
* Nott and Delling
* Toast
* Inkpot
* Meatlug
* Windshear

## Analysis

### Payoff:

* Back in Chapter 13, Gobber joked that Hiccup would pay a king's ransom as a bride-price.

### Epigraph Tie-In

* The epigraph mentions the then-petty king of Vedrarfjord was known at the time as Adalwin ua Imir. The chapter shows Fritjof outing him as an impostor whose real name is Alvin.
* The epigraph describes Heather aiding Berk in a retaliatory attack against Adalwin. The chapter shows the attack.
* The epigraph mentions the attack had numerous unintended consequences. One of these turns out to be the annexation of Vedrarfjord.
Inga Roswynnsdóttir

*CHARACTER QUOTE HERE*

(Quick Character Summary here)

## Biography

### Background

Inga's mother was a freedwoman who was exiled after circumstances relating to Rolf Snideloutsson's disastrous courting of her.

### Book II

Inga comes to Berk with Cami Berthasdóttir's ship of Bog-Burglars, and stays the winter. During that time, she starts flirting with Dogsbreath clan Jorgenson, son of the man her mother was involved with. She talks him into pranking his father by shaving his beard and stealing his money, which is an exileable offense (especially since she was under hospitality). The two of them flee Berk and end up in Brittany, where Henry the Sinister captures them and forces Dogsbreath to use his dragon to kill rival lords. They escape and flee again to Denmark.

In Denmark, where carl Jannick Krestensson and some farmers at Ribe give them shelter. When Harthacnut demands that the Danes turn over their guests, they rise in rebellion with air support from Dogsbreath and Redsnout. Inga finds out she's pregnant. Dogsbreath sends a message to Berk asking for aid.

### Book III

When the Berkian forces arrive and help the rebels win, they let Dogsbreath, Inga, and Redsnout go.

Inga and Dogsbreath marry in Sweden, where they encounter Tuffnut, and tell him the real story of what happened in Brittany. They head to Constantinople along the same route Snotlout took, arriving in the city only days before the Berkian Grand Tour does. Dogsbreath joins the Imperial Army, while Inga starts learning Greek and how to navigate the court.

## Relationships

### Sophia Makris

Inga befriends Sophia, who she notices is not popular among the other ladies of the court. Sophia is intrigued by Inga's tales of the Bog-Burglars, and helps Inga learn the social norms of Constantinople.

## Trivia

The faceclaim for Inga is 18-year-old Marian Tomas Griffin.

## References

1. ↑ https://athingofvikings.tumblr.com/post/174985248875/i-sometimes-forget-what-wulfhild-loks-like-so-i
Chapter 50: The Center Cannot Hold...

*A contentious point of open debate among scholars of history and mythology revolves around the mythological origins of various dragon breed names. While nearly all dragon breeds are co-opted into the dominant regional mythologies, like any animal present in their environment, the question is raised: which came first, the myth that became tied to a dragon, or a dragon whose popular name gave rise to a legend?*

*Campe is likely an example of the first, as the breed migrated to the Aegean from the Red Sea during the Nontoku itsunengo (~AD 350) in response to human hunting. The dragon, when seen in poor lighting conditions—such as in a cave by a panicked human carrying a torch—can very vaguely resemble the half-human half-reptilian description given by Nonnus in the Dionysiaca (albeit possessing only one head and only four legs), and was likely given the name in identification from the myth.*

*Conversely, many breeds native to Iceland, Greenland, the Alban Isles and North-western Europa were named by the colonizing Norse and only later incorporated into their legends. A prime example of this is the Night Fury (known to the native Celts as Bás Dorcha), which quickly gained the reputation of being the bastard offspring of Thor, god of Thunder, and Hel, goddess of Death. In the Alban Isles, a new set of legends, unseen in the eastern Norse, grew over the course of the Early Heian Period (AD 800s and 900s), with elaborate stories being told of the divines' intimate encounter that resulted in the dragon breed.*

*—To Label The Stars: The Cultural Impact Of Names, Kyoto University Press, Ltd.*

## Major Events

* Sigurd demonstrates how to tame a dragon.
* Emperor Michael has Harald arrested on false charges.
* Upon hearing that the Hero of Berk is visiting, the people of Veisafjord spontaneously overthrow their king and petition to join the Hooligan territories.
* Johann offers an enticing new business opportunity to his merchant friends.
* Hiccup meets with the people of Vedrarfjord, and later goes to Mumhan to meet the king there.
* Cami and Stoick learn that Inga and Dogsbreath have gone missing, along with a large amount of stuff they stole.

## Characters

### Humans

* Snotlout clan Jorgenson
* Gudmund Hallvarsson
* Gunnar Bræsisson
* Thorred Folkmarsson (flashback)
* Michael V Kalaphates
* Harald Sigurdsson
* Jorn Eriksson
* Kristoffer
* Alvin the Treacherous
* Ruffnut Thicknutsdóttir
* Tuffnut Thicknutsson
* Magnus the Good
* Karin
* Hiccup clan Haddock
* Hákon Mortensson
* Gunvor Dugaldsdóttir
* Astrid Hákonsdóttir clan Haddock
* Sailor Johann
* Haytham Abu Muhsin
* Cecelio the Younger
* Fintan mac Ionatan
* Treasach
* Wulfhild of Norway
* Cami Berthasdóttir
* Stoick the Vast
* Rolf Snotpoutsson

### Dragons

* Unnamed Python
* Toothless
* Stormfly
* Mistletoe
* Sunflower
Chapter 33: ...In The Avalanche

*Sigurd Trondsson's arrival in Constantinople coincided with a period of upheaval for the Byzantine Roman Empire. While Trondsson's actions cannot be blamed for the death of Emperor Michael IV, as he had been ill for years, there is no question to the fact that his arrival, and subsequent introduction of tamed dragons into the intricate politics of the Empire, elevated an already tense situation to new heights. While it is generally agreed that his initial political awareness was minimal, this made matters worse in many ways, as he made alliances and promises without awareness of the deeper waters that he was treading over. When, precisely, he shifted from pawn to player is still a matter of some debate, but there is a general consensus that his first year in the Empire was a period of great shock and growth to the previously coddled young man.*

*—The Dragon Varangians: A History Of The Vikings Of Byzantium, 1882*

## Analysis

### Epigraph Tie-In

* The epigraph mentions that Sigurd's first year in Constantinople was a period of great shock and growth. The chapter shows the first of these shocks in Michael V demanding Sigurd give Hookfang to him.
Agatha Yaroslavna

*CHARACTER QUOTE HERE*

(Quick Character Summary here)

## Trivia

Agatha's historical providence as a daughter of Yaroslav the Wise is actually not proven, and is a matter of much historical speculation.  Historically, there was a woman named Agatha, born sometime before 1030 AD and married to Edward the Exile of England, but due to poor records, her origin is unknown.  One of the competing theories is that she was indeed a daughter of Yaroslav, as there is a fresco of four daughters from Yaroslav, with the fourth being unknown, but the other three were all married to foreign princes.  More compellingly, her name--which has its origins in Greek--was rare in Western Europe at the time, but would have been more common in the Kievian Rus', and that she was the same woman who married Edward when he was living in exile in Kiev according to other statements recorded in the histories.  Furthermore, her children were likewise given Greek and Swedish names that were rare in England at the time (but with Agatha's mother being a Swedish princess, this is a possible clue).  However, we do not know for sure, but for the sake of the story, the author found it simpler to go with the Kievian theory for her origin.

Agatha (Wife of Edward the Exile) at Wikipedia
Chapter 84: Generation Unto Generation

*The draconic mating period is primarily instinctual, although that is not to say that dragons are completely ruled by their instincts during this time. The mating period is triggered approximately two weeks before the Autumnal Equinox by hormonal changes; dragon populations living in the tropics often have idiosyncratic mating periods as a result of the region's reduced/eliminated seasonal cues. During the mating period, all sexually mature adults in a flock of sufficient size go into a mating frenzy for a period of six to nine days. A variety of secondary factors play into the mating trigger, including nutrition levels, access to a suitable nesting site, and the size of the flock. Below a certain threshold of any of these factors, the mating instinct effectively does not trigger for the affected dragons, beyond perhaps some pair-bonding and reduced levels of mating that will result in undersized clutches, if any eggs at all.*

*—An Introduction To Dragon Biology, 17th Edition, Oxford University Press, 1793*

## Major Events

* Viggo and Fishwings wake up after a night together, and he shows her his new kingdom of Algeciras. They agree to formalize their courtship.
* Hiccup meets with Henry the Black, Holy Roman Emperor.
* Fishswill clan Ingerman talks with Jonna about his plans for a bicameral Thing.
* Fishlegs and Heather meet the Jews of Köln and extend their invitation to settle in Berk's territories.
* Gudmund reveals his secret to Sigurd — he is secretly a woman, Heidrun Hallvarsdóttir, disguised as a man to join the Varangian Guard.
* All across the continent, dragons enter their mating season.

## Characters

### Humans

* Viggo Grimborn
* Fishwings clan Ingerman
* Hiccup clan Haddock
* Henry the Black (first appearance)
* Fishlegs clan Ingerman
* Rolf Snotpoutsson
* Jonna Asgersdóttir
* Reidun Hemmingsdóttir
* Inksplotch Frodesdóttir (first appearance)
* Fishswill clan Ingerman (first appearance)
* Heather
* Rabbi of Köln
* Kerr
* Drago Bludvist
* Gökhan (first appearance)
* Sigurd Trondsson
* Gudmund Hallvarsson
* Gunnar Bræsisson

### Dragons

* Toothless
* Stormfly
* Mistletoe

## Analysis

### Epigraph Tie-In

* The epigraph talks about the dragon-mating period. The chapter shows the dragons beginning their mating rituals.
Fintan mac Ionatan

*CHARACTER QUOTE HERE*

**Fintan mac Ionatan** is an Eirish freedman who becomes one of Hákon and Gunvor's strongest supporters.

## Biography

### Background

Fintan was born in an Eirish mountain village, and trained as a bard in his youth before he was taken as a thrall in a raid. He spent years as *daer-fuidri* to Tuathel mac Uaithne, *rí ruirí* of Fear Manach, before fleeing to safety in Berkian-ruled Vedrarfjord.

### Book II

Fintan flees to Vedrarfjord with Roisin, having heard of the city's status as a refuge from thralldom. Roisin is caught by their pursuers, but Fintan escapes.

At Thawfest, Fintan's former master attacks him, and when Hiccup stops him, demands compensation from Fintan for "stealing" himself. Hiccup is disgusted, but pays the man and then tells him to never come back to Berk.

### Book III

Fintan suffers from the hundred-days' cough when it sweeps through Eire. When Hiccup and the others bring back Buffalords, their spit cures him.

### Book IV

Fintan now owns a tavern in Vedrarfjord called The Bard's Bee, and is known as "Fintan the Bard". He helps newcomers to the city find employment by connecting them with employers looking for workers.

## Relationships

### Hákon Mortensson and Gunvor Dugaldsdóttir

Fintan becomes Hákon and Gunvor's aide and trusted confidant.

### Roisin

Fintan's lover is Roisin, a fellow thrall from Fear Manach. Although it is unclear who her daughter Bláthnat's biological father is, Fintan treats her as his own daughter.

## Personality And Traits

As he sees the difference in how the Hooligans treat their territories and subjects and how the Christian Eirish lords treated theirs, Fintan finds himself losing faith in the Christian god and gaining faith in the Norse gods.

## References

1. ↑ Chapter 58: A Foul Play
2. ↑ Chapter 121: Level Foundations
Chapter 40: Home Is People...

*Draconic nests in the wild are universally situated atop geothermal sources, as high levels of heat (minimum 40 C, and optimally 50-55 C) are required in order for the eggs to successfully gestate. This is part of the reason why dragons are so often associated with high mountaintops, as they made use of the volcanic vents buried deep within.*

*Once dragons began their partnership with humans, however, they were freed from their dependence on these dangerous locales and their associated hazards of toxic gases, extreme heat, cave-ins, and the occasional decimation event of an ill-timed lava flow or eruption. Humans in collaboration with their dragons, beginning with the Hooligan tribe of Berk, built artificial Brooderies in which the environment could be more strictly controlled, ensuring the successful hatching of a greater percentage of the dragon eggs.*

*As a side benefit of these structures, the waste heat from their vents can be put to use for any number of productive ends, another concept that was pioneered by the Hooligans.*

*In the modern context, Broodery management is a mature science…*

*—An Introduction To Dragon Biology, 17th Edition, Oxford University Press, 1693*

## Chapter Overview

One of Snotlout's attackers reveals himself to be Kormak, who claims that he was acting on the emperor's orders. Hookfang, Gudmund, Gunnar, and Thorred show up to rescue Sigurd, but Kormak and some of the other assailants get away.

On Berk, Wulfhild overhears Hiccup waking from a nightmare, and Stoick confesses that they all have them since the battle. He tells her about his regrets in parenting Hiccup, trying to make him be something he wasn't.

Hiccup installs his new invention for the kitchens, a "windmill" powered by hot air, that turns a roasting spit. In the glassmaking area, he, Fishlegs, and Heather create unusual pieces of glass that are very strong on one end, but very weak on the other. Astrid counts this as a failed invention, resetting his counter to zero.

After a talk with Astrid and Wulfhild, Heather grabs Fishlegs for some alone time, and they finally talk openly about their feelings for each other. They decide to have sex for the first time.

## Major Events

* Snotlout is narrowly saved from assassination.
* Heather and Fishlegs have sex for the first time.

## Trivia

The glass phenomenon that Hiccup, Heather, and Fishlegs discover is called Prince Rupert's Drop.

## Characters

### Humans

* Snotlout clan Jorgenson
* Kormak Brandrsson
* Gudmund Hallvarsson
* Gunnar Bræsisson
* Thorred Folkmarsson
* Wulfhild of Norway
* Hiccup clan Haddock
* Astrid Hákonsdoitter clan Haddock
* Stoick the Vast
* Heather
* Oof Gallbrutesson
* Fishlegs clan Ingerman
* Gobber the Belch
* Murchadh
* Magnhild
* Gabber clan Jorgenson

### Dragons

* Hookfang
* Fault
* Toothless
* Stormfly

## Analysis

### Epigraph Tie-In

* The epigraph mentions how artificial Brooderies greatly benefitted dragons. The chapter shows Fishlegs and Heather discussing the operations of Berk's broodery.
Chapter 6: Return To Sender

Fanart by Ananda Samsara

*In Berk's immediate vicinity in the Alban Isles, there were not many major dominant powers. Eire was politically fragmented into dozens of warring petty kings, and had not been unified since the death of High King Brian Boru at the Battle of Clontarf in 1014. Alba, in the north, was under the rule of the Red King, Mac Bethad mac Findlaích, but he was new to his title at the time, and, despite his later activities, was not by any means a major power. Wales was politically splintered into five squabbling kingdoms that would not reunify for years. Around the Eirish Sea and Hebrides were other warlords and petty kings, many of whom belonged to related dynasties and feuded endlessly with one another.*

*The single greatest powers in the immediate vicinity were England, which was ruled by the tyrannical King Harthacnut, and the politically decentralized Frankish kingdom to the south, ruled by King Henry of the Capets. Neither power had the population, or the initial incentives, to pursue conflicts with Berk. Henry was dealing with conflicts with and between his nobility, while Harthacnut was imposing his will on a restive populace. In particular, the autocratic methods that Harthacnut had used to rule over Denmark for the previous several years were backfiring on him tremendously and setting the stage for…*

*—Corpus Historiae Berkiae, 1396*

## Chapter Overview

Hiccup leads the search and rescue for the kidnapped dragons, and encounters more of the challenges of being a good and just leader.

## Analysis

### Epigraph Tie-In

* The epigraph mentions that many of the petty kings of Eire and Hebrides belonged to related dynasties. The chapter introduces Adalwin of the Uí Ímair dynasty, the petty king of Vedrafjord.
Chapter 45: Powder Keg

***Gronckle**: Boulder-class dragon*

***Overview**: Metaturnal logistical and aerial/ground support dragon. Primarily useful as economic and logistical support, with significant applications in civilian use and minimal tactical use on the modern battlefield outside of congested zones. One of the few dragon breeds capable of sustained precision flight in all three dimensions. Inadequate as bombing platforms due to lack of speed. Primary military uses are undermining fixed fortifications, high-density urban combat, and logistical transport platforms (all Imperial heavy and light armor and crew-serviced artillery weapons have standard lifting hardpoints to facilitate this use).*

***Breath Type**: Heptane/Oxygen-melted mineral projectiles. Specific effects variable on mineral chemistry (see Gronckle Appendix C: Gronckle Lava Sub-types)*

***Identification**: Medium size. Variable-coloured scales and hide, studded with bony nodules, typically but not universally with brown overtones and a secondary colouration for ventral surfaces and hide nodules; four legs with grasping paws capable of small degree of gross manual dexterity, small single wing-pair (high-speed wingbeats). Large head with significant crunching and biting teeth capable of cracking silicate-based stone with ease, large blunt horn, yellow eyes of variable width based on lighting conditions and mood. Conical bodyshape, with a blunt thagomizer.*

***Strategic Role**: Logistical support; ground support; urban combat supremacy and support; construction support; sapper strikes*

***Known Weaknesses**: Slow speed. Requires ingestion of metallic or mineral ingots in order to fire projectiles. Minimal injury to wings will ground dragon. Modern armour-piercing weapons are capable of penetrating armoured hide with ease.*

***Phenotype Cluster**: B7!F5-SØSØS1+MØTØT3+*

***Populations**: Plentiful. Quite possibly the single most common form of medium-size dragon, these dragons are common in nearly every nation, in rural, suburban, terraurban, and urban settings; used for personal and communal transport, logistics, construction, industry, and personal companionship, they are an omnipresent factor in everyday life.*

*—North Sea Empire, Office of Draconic Intelligence, Dragon Breed Profiles (Declassified), 1822 Edition*

## Analysis

### Epigraph Tie-In

* The epigraph mentions the Gronckles are used in construction. The chapter shows Hiccup wanting to use them to dig more tunnels.
Benjamin Axelsson

*CHARACTER QUOTE HERE*

(Quick Character Summary here)

### Book III

For his illicit sexual relationship with Pelagia (only officers are allowed to marry), Empress Theodora orders Benjamin demoted and stripped of his dragon.

## Relationships

### Pelagia Triantafyllou

Ben and Pelagia meet when he and Sigurd defend her from attempted assault by other Varangians. They start seeing each other and sleeping together, but cannot marry since Benjamin is sworn to the Guard and later the military, and only officers are allowed to marry. They have a bastard son named Vaseileios Benjaminsson.

### Snotlout clan Jorgenson

Benjamin is a close friend and ally of Sigurdlout, and asks him to serve as his son's godfather.

### Fjandi Fengur

Fjandi Fengur is Benjamin's dragon, a Colchia. The Empress Theodora orders him stripped of his dragon for his fornication with Pelagia, and Kormak Brandrsson blackmails Sigurd into getting Fjandi Fengur reassigned to him.

## Trivia

The faceclaim for Benjamin is a young Matt Damon.

## References

1. ↑ Chapter 90: Ties Of Blood And Seed
2. ↑ https://athingofvikings.tumblr.com/post/174985248875/i-sometimes-forget-what-wulfhild-loks-like-so-i
Pelagia Triantafyllou

*CHARACTER QUOTE HERE*

(Quick Character Summary here)

### Book II

Sigurd and Benjamin meet Pelagia during the polutasvarf, when they protect her from a group of Varangians trying to rape her, before a centurion arrives and lays down the law. Afterwards, Pelagia begins seeing Benjamin.

### Book III

Pelagia has become pregnant with Benjamin's child, leading to him being punished for premarital sex (only officers are allowed to marry). Their son Vaseileios Benjaminsson is born in late October or November 1042, and baptised on November 3. Sigurd serves as his godfather.

Pelagia's family become close allies of Sigurd, with several of them serving on his personal staff.

## Trivia

The faceclaim for Pelagia is Nia Vardalos.

## References

1. ↑ Chapter 93: A World Richer And Fuller
2. ↑ https://athingofvikings.tumblr.com/post/174985248875/i-sometimes-forget-what-wulfhild-loks-like-so-i
Bladewit Drorsdóttir

Scribe

*CHARACTER QUOTE HERE*

**Bladewit Drorsdóttir** is the clanhead of Clan Ingerman, and the head Lawspeaker for the Hooligans of Berk.

## Biography

### Book II

When King Eochaid mac Niall of Ulaid brings thralls with him to Berk, Bladewit rules, after heavy consideration, that hospitality takes preference over freeing them, as they had already given it before they found out about the thralls.

When large numbers of Eirish start coming to Berk, with the understanding that they will learn to ride dragons, Bladewit and Clodgall Oxwitsson draft a new law that would limit dragon "ownership" to members of the five existing Hooligan clans, by blood, marriage, or adoption.

## Trivia

The faceclaim for Bladewit is Dame Judi Dench.

## References

1. ↑ Chapter 43: ...Is Mightier...
2. ↑ Chapter 52: The Question Of Justice
3. ↑ https://athingofvikings.tumblr.com/post/174985248875/i-sometimes-forget-what-wulfhild-loks-like-so-i
Jonna Asgersdóttir

*CHARACTER QUOTE HERE*

Jonna Asgersdóttir is a shieldmaiden of the Jomsvikings.

### Book II

After hearing about the Hooligans' defeat of Harthacnut, Jonna calls for the Jomsvikings to go to Berk and join them. Gudbrand Karesson, a senior Jomsviking leader, opposes the plan. She fights his champion in a holmgang, winning the right to take as many ships full of people as want to go.

### Book III

Jonna accompanies Stoick's army in the attack on England. During the Battle of London, she defends a church full of women and children from would-be rapists. For her valor and loyalty, Jonna is made clanhead of a new Hooligan clan, the Joms.

## Relationships

### Gobber the Belch

Jonna and Reidun ask Gobber to be their concubine so they can bear children. He agrees, but his brother Clodgall's intransigence forces him to renounce his birth clan in the process.

### Beamcutter

Jonna is bonded to a Timberjack named Beamcutter.

## Personality And Traits

Jonna is brave and willing to stand up for her beliefs and the people she cares about. She is somewhat prejudiced against Christians, but nevertheless defends Christian women from attack during the Battle of London.
Barf & Belch

*CHARACTER QUOTE HERE*

(Quick Character Summary here)

### Book II

After Ruffnut and Magnus are wed, and Ruffnut and Tuffnut stop spending all their time together, they ride Barf & Belch much less often. Tuffnut starts riding a Nadder named Swift on solo missions.

### Book III

The twins ride Barf & Belch on the expedition to Iceland to find Buffalords.
Big-Boobied Bertha

*CHARACTER QUOTE HERE*

(Quick Character Summary here)

## Relationships

### Naoise Eysteinnsson

Bertha is married to Naoise Eysteinnsson, formerly of Clan Hofferson. Their courtship began with him tripping into her lap during a Thing, and escalated into a series of thefts and burglaries between the two of them, with both stealing their bride-price and dowry back and forth several times. Eventually, Bertha mock-kidnapped Naoise and left the dowry behind in his bed.
Berk

## Example

> *Relevant quote*
>
>

## **Summary**

**Berk** is a small island in the Scottish Hebrides, home to the Hairy Hooligan Tribe.

## **History**

The Hooligans settled on Berk around 750 AD, and were almost immediately subjected to dragon raids from the Green Death's nest. This "Dragon War" continued for almost 300 years, until Hiccup clan Haddock made friends with Toothless and helped bring an end to the conflict.

## **Sites of Interest**

* Hooligan Village
* Rookery
* Broodery

## **Trivia**

In ATOV, Berk is in the place of the real-life island of Rum.

## References

1. ↑ Chapter 131: Alliances Of Honor And Interest
Chapter 12: First Time For Everything

*The premise that Magnus the Good's diplomatic overtures to Berk was the instigation to ending the Hooligan Tribe's unofficial policy of noninterference and isolationism has been debated repeatedly over the centuries in academic circles, to the point where it is a traditional topic for undergraduate papers in the subject. Regardless of the specific perspective taken, however, the facts simply remain that Hiccup Haddock's state visit to Norway was the first time that the Hero of Berk traveled to another court and was greeted as an equal by a monarch, and that in the aftermath, Berk began to take a larger role in international affairs, in the economic, political, religious, and militaristic spheres.*

*—The Dragon Millennium, Manna-hata University Press, Ltd.*

## Chapter Overview

Hiccup and company reach Norway and meet its king, Magnus the Good, of an age with Hiccup. They feast with his court, meeting his sister Wulfhild, the priest Father Henriksson, his regent Einar, and many others.

Hiccup and Astrid take advantage of the guest suite. MacBethad and his spymaster discuss plans for dealing with Berk.

## Analysis

### Epigraph Tie-In

* The epigraph talks about the effects of Magnus opening relations with Berk. The chapter shows the formal opening of those relations.
Chapter 56: Perils Of Popularity

*Compared to the drama of dragon-dug underground canals and dragon-forged skyscrapers, the Financial Revolution in the century and a half after Hiccup Haddock's taming of dragons is generally overlooked, but is perhaps even more fundamental to an understanding of the economic structure he left behind. Prior to the taming of dragons, bullion currency was comparatively rare; while gold and silver coins were certainly in circulation, as witnessed by the famous bride price paid for Hiccup's wife Astrid, overall, the Europan economy was cash-starved and functioned primarily on the barter economy at the lower levels. After the taming of dragons, however, an even more scarce commodity currency entered the economy in the form of dragon scales.*

*As is common knowledge, dragons shed their skins each spring; prior to domestication, they used these materials for the construction of nests for newly hatched young. Under human auspices, however, the shedding amounted to the annual input of pure currency into the economy. Properly treated and cured, dragon leather and dragon scales can last for decades of use before wearing out. While the leather itself acted as a trade commodity, the single scales from hide that wasn't of sufficient quality to be made into leather were not worthless. On the contrary, they functioned as currency, quickly displacing bullion metals as the currency material of choice.*

*In this role, dragon scales offered numerous advantages, including being nearly impossible to counterfeit or debase, being easy to substantiate as genuine, and naturally removing themselves from the money supply over time as they wore out or were repurposed (such as for industrial use, decoration or even insulation). However, even with this removal, the most productive gold or silver mine could not hope to match the net output of dragon shedding, and the resulting injection of funds into Europa's economy—spread by the effects of the Dragon Mail and the existing trade network—caused rampant inflation, averaging between 3-8% a year over the next century. While this would cause problems to the modern developed economy, in the cash-starved environment at the time, it was an economic blessing, allowing for a rapid shift from the barter economy and feudal taxation system to a market economy and currency taxation system, giving even the peasantry access to funds with which to pay their expenses and taxes and receive payments. Increasing per-person productivity from Haddock's innovations and the agricultural impact of dragon labor pushed urbanization, as demand for labor—human and dragon alike—exceeded the available number of hands and wings for most of the next several centuries…*

*—The Dragon Millennium, Manna-hata University Press, Ltd.*

## Analysis

### Epigraph Tie-In

* The epigraph mentions that the annual injection of dragon scales into the economy caused inflation, devaluing the scales. The chapter shows the Alban nobles being informed that on Berk, dragon scales are plentiful and the Hooligans are willing to part with them for less than in other places.
Chapter 53: Blades Cut Both Ways

*Starting from the 1040s AD, the economic effects of dragons upon human society can only be described as transformative, to the point where the time period between 1040 and 1400 is described as the Dragon Era, in line with the Stone, Agricultural, Bronze, Iron, Steam, Industrial, Fission, Information, Space, Genetic, Nanotech, and Fusion Eras. While most popular depictions of history focus more on the visually impressive aspects of aerial combat and the uses of dragons in warfare, such fixation overlooks the majority of the actual effects of dragons on human society. Dragons revolutionized transport and communications within a decade, and the adoption of a dragon-scale currency neatly toppled the feudal systems of Europa that had dominated the region for centuries within sixty years. Even in modern times, each class and breed of dragon is economically useful in some manner: Boulder-classes carve out both the terraurban spaces of modern cities and the subterranean arteries that tie the cities together, and smelt the steel that form the bones of the arcologies and skyscrapers. Stoker-classes produce hydrocarbons in a variety of useful forms. Many dragon venoms, especially those of Sharp-class breeds, can be processed into pharmaceuticals…*

*—The Dragon Millennium, Manna-hata University Press, Ltd.*

## Analysis

### Epigraph Tie-In

* The epigraph mentions that dragon venoms can be processed into pharmaceuticals. The chapter shows Ruffnut and one of her healers using Deadly Nadder venom to save a woman from a pregnancy that went wrong.
Calendar

*Pre-Norse Germanic and Early Norse calendars were highly regional in use, with significant differences in practice and even names for months between different areas, with some using leap days, leap weeks, leap months, pure lunar reckoning with no adjustments for precession, or 12 months of 30 days each, with five or six additional days inserted as needed. Post-Reformation Norse calendars, however, are universally based on the calendar established by the Hooligans of Berk, which was itself restructured eighty years prior to the Reformation by the Jewish teacher Dror ben Ezra. Dror essentially used the Jewish calendar as a direct model, simply renaming the Jewish months for the Norse months, but keeping the general underlying structure of calculations the same, with months beginning with the new crescent phase of the moon.*

*As a result, the modern Norse calendar is a luni-solar calendar, structured around the Mahzor 19-year lunar cycle, with leap months added in the 3rd, 6th, 8th, 11th, 14th, 17th, and 19th years of the cycle, thus keeping the calendar from precessing excessively from the seasons. Like the Jewish calendar, it does have the singular flaw that the lunar Mazhor cycle does not perfectly match up with the mean solar calendar over time, and falls one day behind per 216 years. This is a point of discussion among the Norse on possible methods to compensate, due to the fact that, as the beginning and ending of the months are tied to the natural cycle of the moon, skipping days to bring the calendar in line with the mean solar year, as was done with Julian calendar in the mid-1700s AD, is not practical.*

*The era used for the Norse calendar is År Odin (Year of Odin), abbreviated as ÅrO; as with Anno Mundi (In the Year of the World) or Anno Domini (In The Year of Our Lord), the words or abbreviation should precede the date rather than follow it. The epoch of this era is based on the historical Norse Reformation, beginning with the publication of the Norse holy texts in Harpa ÅrO 0.*

*—Norse Calendar (n.d.) In Wikikenna. Retrieved March 30, 1856*

## Norse Holidays

* Dísablót – Spring Equinox
* Sigurblót/Thawfest – 1 Harpa; Sunday after full moon after Dísablót
* Yule – Winter Solstice

## References

1. ↑ Chapter 120: From A Mustard Seed epigraph
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Chapter 5: Thawfest
3. ↑ Chapter 100: The Turning Of Years
Dovid ben Eliezer

*CHARACTER QUOTE HERE*

**Rabbi Dovid ben Eliezer** is a leader of the Jews of Rouen, who leads the exploratory mission to Berk and later moves there.

## Biography

### Book II

When the Hooligans arrive in Rouen to meet with Duke William about setting up a Dragon Mail station, Heather leads Gunvor and Horsefeathers to the Jewish Quarter and meets with Rabbi Dovid, explaining their history with Dror ben Ezra and extending an open invitation to any Jews to settle in the Berkian territories.

### Book III

The Jews of Rouen call a meeting and discuss the Hooligans' offer. They decide to send a limited number of people (around ninety) to verify that it is a safe place, and Rabbi Dovid decides to lead the expedition.

They find that the Hooligans are indeed benevolent rulers, and send word back to Rouen. Dovid and the other members of the first trip also meet Bladewit Drorsdóttir, the last surviving child of Dror ben Ezra. The meeting moves her to tears.

## Relationships

### Esther bat Rivkah

Dovid loves his daughter, but doesn't understand her desire not to marry and have children. He attempts to pair her with his teacher's grandson, Menachem ben Moshe, who he invites to visit Berk.

## References

1. ↑ Chapter 63: Gambits
2. ↑ Chapter 69: A Gift From The Heavens
3. ↑ Chapter 122: The Politics Of Desire
4. ↑ Chapter 149: The Strength Of Unity comment
Magnus the Good

**Magnús Óláfsson** of House Fairhair, King of Norway and the North Sea Empire.

### Book I

Magnus sends a delegation led by Yngvarr to Berk. When they arrive in Norway, he befriends them and builds an alliance, cementing it by marrying Ruffnut clan Thorston. He travels to Berk with the Hooligans and bonds with a Monstrous Nightmare named Brand, and marries Ruffnut in an interfaith ceremony.

### Book II

Magnus and Ruffnut's children are born, twins named Segna and Olaf. When they are only a day old, Michael Henriksson secretly baptizes and attempts to murder Ruffnut, and his co-conspirators kidnap the children.

### Book III

Magnus exiles the families of those men who took part in the conspiracy, after all those responsible have been killed. He proclaims a new age of religious toleration in Norway, allowing followers of the Aesir to openly practice their faith.

## Relationships

### Court

Einar Thambarskelfir

Einar is Magnus's regent, and hold the true power behind the throne in Nidaros, at least until the Hooligans arrive.

Sigvatr Þórðarson (Magnus's godfather and skald)

Eindride Einarsson

Yngvarr

Michael Henriksson

(...)

### Family

Ruffnut Thicknutsdoittor clan Thorston

Wulfhild

Ragnhild Magnusdóttir

Ragnhild is Magnus's bastard daughter, born of a fling he had with one of the maids.

### Other

Hiccup clan Haddock

Magnus considers Hiccup his first true friend.

## Trivia

The faceclaim for Magnus is Luke Hemsworth.

## References

1. ↑ https://athingofvikings.tumblr.com/post/174985248875/i-sometimes-forget-what-wulfhild-loks-like-so-i
Gobber the Belch

*CHARACTER QUOTE HERE*

Gobber Oxwitsson is the head smith and steward of Berk.

### Book III

Gobber trains Gabriel Hallvarsson as his new apprentice after the boy arrives on Berk with the Joms.

When Stoick leaves to travel with the census and meet the people he rules, he leaves Gobber in charge.

## Relationships

### Hiccup clan Haddock

Hiccup was formerly Gobber's apprentice, and then his student in Dragon Training.

### Jonna Asgersdóttir

Jonna and Reidun ask Gobber to become their concubine and sire children for them.

### Clodgall Oxwitsson

Clodgall is Gobber's half-brother, born to their father's concubine some 20 years before Gobber was born to his wife. Since Gobber was still a child when Oxwit and his heir (Gobber's older sister) were killed in a raid, the clan passed him over in favor of Clodgall. Then, after Gobber lost his hand and foot and his sexual preferences became known, the Jorgensons called a new vote for clanheir, replacing Gobber with Spitelout Clodgallsson. When Clodgall refuses to allow any child Gobber sires for Jonna and Reidun to inherit, Gobber renounces his clan and becomes clanless.

## Personality And Traits

Gobber is good-natured and friendly, and believes in learning by experience. He delights in Hiccup's new inventions, and comes up with a few of his own.

## Trivia

Although it was only implied in the movies, in ATOV Gobber is canonically gay.

1. ↑ Chapter 85: Inheritors Of Strife
Chapter 17: ...And Partings

*Most historical analyses of King Magnus I of Norway focus excessively on the larger figures in his life—his regent, wife, sister, friends, and dragon, most typically. Insufficient focus tends to be given to a quieter figure in Magnus's life, a state of affairs that is ironic, due to the man's profession as a skald.*

*Sigvatr Þórðarson (a.k.a. Sigvatr Tordarson, 995-1044), King Olaf's court skald, has a distinct tendency to stay in the background in most depictions and discussions of the king's life. This is unsurprising, as the man's sagas are one of the few primary sources on the periods of King Olaf's life and the childhood of his son, with over three hundred surviving verses of his poetry; in those sagas, he spent his efforts recording the efforts and achievements of others than those of his own. Furthermore, by the time Magnus reached adulthood and his alliance with Berk, Sigvatr had become a background figure in the king's court. However, this does him a disservice in his impact, as many subsequent historians have focused on the influence of Hiccup Haddock and Einar Thambarskelfir upon the king, and ignored Sigvatr's.*

*Sigvatr was made Magnus's godfather when Magnus was born, was responsible for naming the baby (after Karla Magnus—King Charlemagne), and had been the skald and friend of King Olaf for years prior, also serving as the king's stallare (marshal). He traveled with Olaf and Magnus when they fled to the Kievan Rus', raised young Magnus in exile, and returned with him when Einar Thambarskelfir came seeking a puppet he could control. Even then, Sigvatr continued to act as mentor and father figure to the young king, counseling kindness, moderation, temperance and forgiveness. It was due to Sigvatr's advice that Magnus refused to have the men who had killed his father executed, which would have removed two of Einar's rivals for power permanently.*

*Sigvatr's influence on Magnus's personality, as the sole consistent father figure in the young man's life, is noticeable in many areas. These include Magnus's interests in the arts and sagas, his noted tendencies towards dramatic gestures, and a general bearing that was regularly referred to as gregarious and outgoing—an impressive achievement for someone who lost his home and his father by the age of six, his mother in his teen years, and who lived in exile for most of his childhood.*

*—Dragons of the North: Profiles Of The Viking Lords, Waterford University Press, 1733*

## Analysis

### Foreshadowing

#### Payoff:

* Setup in Chapter 2: Chessnut brings up Ruffnut's lack of romantic options within the tribe. It starts a minor subplot that culminates in a major plot development where she accepts King Magnus' marriage proposal.

### Epigraph Tie-In

* The epigraph mentions that Sigvatr's influence on Magnus led to the latter's love of arts and sagas and a tendency towards dramatic gestures. The chapter shows Magnus proposing to Ruffnut with a love poem.
Berk Olcayto-oğlu

*CHARACTER QUOTE HERE*

**Berk Olcayto-oğlu** is the Kagan of the Pechenegs.

### Book II

Drago Bludvist brings the dragons he tamed to the Kagan's court, and offers his service to make them a great empire.

### Book III

The Pechenegs expand unopposed across Central Asia, but suffer their first defeat at Bianjing, where the Song rout them and kill many warriors and dragons. Berk's son Kurya and his dragon are lost in the battle, presumed dead, and Berk is mortally wounded. He declares Drago his heir.

## Relationships

### Drago Bludvist

Berk is one of Drago's only true friends.

## References

1. ↑ Chapter 107: The Third Principle Of Sentient Life
Chapter 16: Bindings...

*It is generally agreed upon by historians that the moment where King Magnus Olofsson began to truly assert his own authority over Einar Thambarskelfir's was the first attempted assassination of Hiccup Haddock and Astrid Hofferson, on their first state visit to Magnus's court in 1041. While Einar remained high in the young monarch's councils with his considerable political power and influence, his grip on the young king only continued to loosen. Given Einar's desires for power, this became the primary source of conflict between the two of them over the ensuing years.*

*Magnus's growth away from Einar's control, however, took time. There is no significant debate that Einar's decisions were the instigating force behind, for example, the marital alliances for both Magnus and Wulfhild. In that specific case, while Magnus could have resisted the directives of his regent, it is generally agreed that doing so would have caused an open rift within his court, especially given the later developments and innovations by Haddock that openly terrified Einar and the other nobles.*

*—Corpus Historiae Berkiae, 1396*

## Analysis

### Epigraph Tie-In

* The epigraph mentions that the first time Magnus asserted his authority over Einar was the first attempted assassination on Hiccup and Astrid. The chapter opens with Magnus ordering the perpetrators found and swearing an oath to Hiccup over it.
Chapter 9: Odd Neighbors

***Berk (Island)** —Largest island of the four Small Isles of the Alban Hebrides archipelago, and noted for its extreme geography, possessing glacier-carved high mountain peaks and an extensive array of sea caves and wave-carved coastal features. The island is the ancestral homeland of House Haddock and the other Houses descended from the ancient Hooligan tribe. Settled by the Hooligan Norse tribe in the early 700s CE as a longphort, to use as a base for further Viking raids against the Irish, Welsh, Alban and Saxon coastlines, the island was one of the focal points of the Dragon War, due to the tenacity and self-admitted stubbornness of the Hooligans.*

*—Encyclopedia Norlandia, 7th Edition, 1642, Edinburgh, Scotland*

## Chapter Overview

Hiccup starts visiting the neighbours with the gang. Astrid realises Hiccup isn't great at politics or reading people and situations, and confronts him about his misreading of the situation.

## Analysis

### Foreshadowing

<spoiler> An elderly woman asks Hiccup to deliver a package to her daughter who had married into another village. This eventually turns into Hiccup setting up the Dragon Mail. </spoiler>

### Epigraph Tie-In

* The epigraph mentions the self-admitted stubbornness of the Hooligan tribe. That stubbornness is shown from Hiccup when he and Astrid have an argument about how Glenfinnan interpreted Hiccup's visit to them and how Hiccup interpreted their reactions.