A viking fairytale
Imagine; The year is 890 A.D. It is 1100 years ago - 38 generations!
We are in the Age of the Vikings. The Norwegian leader Ottar is visiting King Alfred, the King of Wessex, in England. We can imagine Ottar seated by the fireplace. It is late at night, and he is telling his Story to King Alfred and his men.
The Journey of Ottar is described in the "History of Orosius" a contemporate historical work from the 9th century.
Ottar was one of the most powerful men in Norway, living in the north. His wealth was made by taxes, which he collected from the Laps. Among the taxes were down and feathers, highly prised by the Aristocracy in Europe.
Once, Ottar told King Alfred and his men, "I wanted to find out how far north my country ended". He started the journey by the Polar Circle, in Hålogaland, where he lived, and sailed for 10 days. All the time he had the ocean to the left and uninhabited land to the right. He sailed "the Way to the North", "Norvegr", until the land curved to the right (to the east). The brave Viking followed the coast to the land of the Bjarmers (the Russians).
Ottar told that no man had ever been that far north.
Along this route Ottar collected taxes from the Laps, of vital importance to his position and rank. He collected arctic down and feathers, as highly valued as the arctic furs from the same region. The Aristocracy knew that these arctic products were the best available. The arctic birds developed the very best down helping the small bodies to survive in the extreme polar temperatures, just like other arctic animals, they developed the warmest furs.
Ottar returned, and sailed south along the Norwegian coast to the market of Kaupang in the south of Norway, south to Hedeby in Denmark, and then to Wessex in England.
Ottar is the first source to describe Norvegr (Norway) as a country, and the Norwegians as a people.
At that time, the "people" (the wealthy people) travelled a lot, surprisingly much in fact. The main key to this freedom was the beautiful tender but flexible Vikingships. These boats had the most extreme qualities at sea, and enabled the Vikings to catch the enemies (the French, the English, the Irish etc.) by surprise, and travel as merchants all over "the World".
The World of the Vikings was connected by travel routes over seas and along rivers.
Ottar had goods highly appreciated by the aristocracy in Europe. Long before the Viking Age, the Aristocracy used down to sit, or lie on. Down were signs of high social rank.
In the grave of The Queen of Oseberg, in the south of Norway, eiderdown in great quantities are mingled with the most beautiful textiles ever seen from that Age.
Would you like to have this luxury and wellbeeing so highly prized by the Aristocracy of the Viking Age?
We offer you the same ultimate comfort, treasured through the Ages. Only down and feathers can give you this comfortable and pleasureable experience of delight in bed.
This was known by the Aristocracy in the Viking Age, and this we know at Norvegr!
Read more about the trade of the Vikings