Chapter 147: Death In The Mourning

### Story Date

Thursday, 15 September, AD 1043/6552 ε.Κ/7 Safar 435 AH/8 Ju-Yue Huangyou Era Year 1/8 Haustmánuður ÅrO -1/8 Tishri AM 4804

## Appearances

### Locations

Berk
Rouen
Bianjing
Arctic Ocean
Vinland
Bharuch
Turpan
Selymbria
London

*Reformed Norse mourning practices also show influence from Jewish practices, with several periods of delineated grieving attached to specific requirements. While there are significant differences between the two, both begin with the formal funeral and interment of the body, have a short period of intensive grieving for the lost (seven days for Judaism, nine days for the Norse) by first degree relations such as spouse, parent and children, followed by a period lasting to a full month after the funeral where the mourners slowly emerge from their grieving, and then eleven months of official but low level mourning practices.*

*For the Norse, at the end of the first month of official mourning, the mourners can resume official duties and responsibilities, including elections…*

*—The Second Flowering Of Yggdrasil: An Analysis Of The Norse Resurgence, 1710*

## Synopsis

* Stoick offers Lowrans adoption into his royal house, but Lowrans declines.
* William oversees the rebuilding of the destroyed Seine River bridges.
* After spotting Hawiz listening to his music practice, Jacob introduces himself to her.
* Conchobar ua Mael Sechlainn, the rí ruírech of Mide, petitions Stoick for his territories to be annexed by Berk to save them from starvation through the Food and Bed Rights.
* Drago claims the Boneknapper as his personal mount.
* Furious informs Valka that they received news of Stoneback being killed and their nest enslaved. Furious orders her to take more humans as thralls in retaliation.
* Dovid and Astrid discuss Maor and other Jews being included in the army, including accommodations being given to their religious needs and obligations.
* Mahir, the last of the rebel Pecheneg chiefs, is killed by Drago.
* The Jorgenson Clan gather to elect a new Clanheir to replace the deceased Spitelout.
* Esther and several others discuss how to be compliant with the Shabbos prohibitions.
* Macarius overhears that the monks found dragon scales, and while they assume a traveller lost them, he realises they came from Florian and he needs to be more careful about hiding his friend's presence.
* While at her hospital in London, Ruffnut receives the completed Fearless pendants.
* While still in voting, Harald and Makris interrupt the proceedings to present with Empress Theodora's invitation to Serena and whichever of her family wishes to come a place in the Byzantine Empire to join Sigurd in mourning the loss of Spitelout. Clodgall tries to block her, but this proves the last straw for his clan. When Stoick arrives, Serena petitions to splinter her faction from the Jorgenson clan, and many others quickly follow suit, reducing the Jorgensons to only twenty-three adults.
* Gobber announces that Reidun just gave birth to their daughter.

## Characters

### Humans

* Stoick the Vast
* Lowrans
* Picknose Rolfsson
* William of Normandy
* Kurya
* Kuang Wu (first appearance)
* Hawiz of Breizh
* Jacob Rodericksson
* Chestnut clan Thorston
* Conchobar ua Mael Sechlainn (first appearance)
* Drago Bludvist
* Hsiao Feng
* Valka Gawkeyesdóttir
* Astrid Hákonsdóttir clan Haddock
* Dovid ben Eliezer
* Fa Mulan
* Naphtali the Radhanite
* Li Shang
* Serena Hamishsdóttir
* Clodgall Oxwitsson
* Esther bat Rivkah clan Haddock
* Maor ben Dovid
* Bracha bat Rivkah
* Horsefeathers Hensteethsson
* Lile clan Ingerman
* Gobnait nic Caolán
* Rivkah
* Macarius
* Brother Theophonius (first appearance)
* Ruffnut Thicknutsdóttir
* Sölrun
* Picknose Rolfsson
* Mairwen Roswynnsdóttir
* Signy Roswynnsdóttir
* Rolf Snideloutsson
* Roswynn
* Harald Sigurdsson
* Alexios Makris
* Hiccup clan Haddock
* Wulfhild of Norway
* Vexwit Gawkeyesson (first appearance)
* Catthumbs Axwitsdóttir
* Tynni clan Ingerman
* Fishlegs clan Ingerman
* Gobber the Belch

### Dragons

* Mjolnir
* Kudret
* Unnamed captured dragons, including a Boneknapper
* Furious
* Keshet
* Florian
* Thornado
* Grump

## Analysis

### Epigraph Tie-In

* The epigraph mentions that after one month of mourning for a deceased loved one, Reformed Norse adherents can resume official duties, which includes holding elections. The chapter shows the Jorgenson clan holding an election to choose a replacement for Spitelout's position of Clan-Heir following his death.