Aslaug's tale starts before she was even born. Her parents, the famous Sigurd the dragon-slayer and his wife, Brynhildr, herself a shield maiden, had many tales spun about them.
Sigurd, having fashioned a magical sword out of his father's shattered one, took on the dragon, Fafnir, at the advice of his foster father, Regin. With the help of Odin himself, Sigurd devised a plan that would down Fafnir. Afterwards, drinking the blood of the dragon, it was said that Sigurd could then understand the language of all the words across the lands. However, the birds then revealed to Sigurd that a dangerous and magical ring was corrupting his foster father. At their behest, Sigurd killed Regin.
It was after this event that Sigurd met Brynhildr. A valkyrie in a previous life, Brynhildr had sided against Odin in a battle previously and had, therefore, been shunned to a mortal life. Holed up in a castle, Sigurd fought his way through and cut off her armour, thus claiming the shield maiden as his own, using the aforementioned cursed ring to claim her.
Sigurd had fallen in love instantly, as Brynhildr did with him. However much she loved him though, she also knew that their love was not fated to stand the test of time thanks to the cursed ring Sigurd gave her. She told him as such, but he would never believe her until the day came when, at the court of Heimir, Sigurd was given an Ale of Forgetfulness. This caused him to forget about Brynhildr and marry another, Gudrun.
To console herself and to try and forget the ever-present reminder that she was just a mere human, Brynhildr then sought out solace by becoming the of Gunnar. The dreariness of life led to pettiness and, after a while, Brynhildr and Gudrun argued over who had the better husband. This quarrelling had dire consequences as the plot to have Sigurd forget all about Brynhildr is finally revealed. Gunnar, worried Brynhildr might return to her first love, kills Sigurd. Brynhildr, devastated when she finds out, throws herself onto Sigurd's funeral pyre and wills herself to die rather than stay trapped in her mortal shell any longer.
It was said that their marriage was filled with great passion, but Aslaug could not attest to this as she was only three years of age when they both perished and she was placed into the care of Sigurd's trusted friend, Heimir.
This is where Aslaug's story truly begins, trapped ever in the shadow of her parents' doomed love. Aslaug winds up in a physical bind as well. To save Aslaug from the plots of her parents and the revenges sought by those surrounding them, Heimir hides her away from the world in his harp case. They take on the role of beggars to maintain their secret identities rather than have his friend's beloved daughter meet the same fate as her parents.
***
Aslaug's tale starts before she was even born. Her parents, the famous Sigurd the dragon-slayer and his wife, Brynhildr, herself a shield maiden, had many tales spun about them.
Sigurd, having fashioned a magical sword out of his father's shattered one, took on the dragon, Fafnir, at the advice of his foster father, Regin. With the help of Odin himself, Sigurd devised a plan that would down Fafnir. Afterwards, drinking the blood of the dragon, it was said that Sigurd could then understand the language of all the words across the lands. However, the birds then revealed to Sigurd that a dangerous and magical ring was corrupting his foster father. At their behest, Sigurd killed Regin.
It was after this event that Sigurd met Brynhildr. A valkyrie in a previous life, Brynhildr had sided against Odin in a battle previously and had, therefore, been shunned to a mortal life. Holed up in a castle, Sigurd fought his way through and cut off her armour, thus claiming the shield maiden as his own, using the aforementioned cursed ring to claim her.
Sigurd had fallen in love instantly, as Brynhildr did with him. However much she loved him though, she also knew that their love was not fated to stand the test of time thanks to the cursed ring Sigurd gave her. She told him as such, but he would never believe her until the day came when, at the court of Heimir, Sigurd was given an Ale of Forgetfulness. This caused him to forget about Brynhildr and marry another, Gudrun.
To console herself and to try and forget the ever-present reminder that she was just a mere human, Brynhildr then sought out solace by becoming the of Gunnar. The dreariness of life led to pettiness and, after a while, Brynhildr and Gudrun argued over who had the better husband. This quarrelling had dire consequences as the plot to have Sigurd forget all about Brynhildr is finally revealed. Gunnar, worried Brynhildr might return to her first love, kills Sigurd. Brynhildr, devastated when she finds out, throws herself onto Sigurd's funeral pyre and wills herself to die rather than stay trapped in her mortal shell any longer.
It was said that their marriage was filled with great passion, but Aslaug could not attest to this as she was only three years of age when they both perished and she was placed into the care of Sigurd's trusted friend, Heimir.
This is where Aslaug's story truly begins, trapped ever in the shadow of her parents' doomed love. Aslaug winds up in a physical bind as well. To save Aslaug from the plots of her parents and the revenges sought by those surrounding them, Heimir hides her away from the world in his harp case. They take on the role of beggars to maintain their secret identities rather than have his friend's beloved daughter meet the same fate as her parents.
YOU ARE READING
Vikings: The Truth about Aslaug and Ragnar
Historical FictionAslaug was one of Ragnar Lodbrok's wives and bore him many sons. However, prior to meeting him, she spent her childhood looked up in a harp. Then, when the harp owner was murdered, raised by a beastly pair who insisted Aslaug never wash in order to...
