Champion of the North

[Tristrem]

sorry there hasn't been any update in a while, life has been busy, I've been trying to get a summer job for the past 2 weeks, but anyway, here is the first entry with more to come soon. I have notes for up to 1100 so i'll be trying to write everything soon.

1087 A.D.
I write this in the year 1087. I am now the official Lord of Norway. Because of this I am the closest advisor to the king outside of the royal family. However, since King Olaf’s sons are still considered boys I am his most important Advisor. This year was a time of reflection for our kingdom. First we looked at the income of our great nation. Most of our income comes through trade, not farming. This is because of the short growing season we have this far north. Therefore trade is our economic priority. We have one of the largest fleets in the Atlantic, rivaled only by our neighbors to the south, the Danes. King Olaf wants to keep our advantage over the seas, since trade is our major source of income. Therefore he ordered the building of another great fleet of longboats to help keep our naval superiority intact.

Next we took stock of our military. Overall it is very weak; it cannot even stop the raids the Swedes commit across our borders. Our army looks more like the armies of the Christian kingdoms to our south; they are not made to fight the tough men of Scandinavia. Therefore, I suggested that we invest in a proven winner, the Viking forces of old. The men now Christian, but they have not lost their ferocity. The king was concerned that these men were just as likely to raid our people, as they were the people who are our kingdoms enemy. I told him that we are champions of our people, Him, and I. These warriors would follow us to the end of the earth and die for us if necessary. Olaf agreed, and we started the long process of converting our military into the old traditions of the Vikings.

Finally we look at the vast lands that composed our kingdom. Our lands include Norway in Scandinavia, and the lands of Orkneyjar and Caithness in the northern tip of the British Isles. Norway is under constant threat from small scale raids. Olaf wants to put an end to these raids because they steal our money, and kill our people. Therefore he ordered the construction of watchtowers along our border with Sweden. King Olaf explained to me that his goal as king is to unite the Scandinavian people under the flag our the Norse. As for Orkneyjar and Caithness, they are just small trading outposts he said. But, Olaf has great plans for this land. He wants it to become a major trading post in the British Isles, and to be a foothold on the island, from which we will eventually conquer the whole islands from, but alas right now these are only dreams. Next year I will report on our progress.