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| The Northern Kingdom; (Welcome to the Kingdom of Norway and the Isles) | |
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| Topic Started: May 29 2013, 09:07 PM (168 Views) | |
| Rhadamanthus | May 29 2013, 09:07 PM Post #1 |
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Legitimist
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Posted Image It was no simple thing to be crowned King of Norway. In one sense, young Harald Magnusson had spent his whole life preparing and being prepared to bear the Northern crown. But he had also spent weeks preparing for his coronation in the most basic sense. He had spent weeks walking from Oslo, the contemporary capital of the Kingdom of Norway and the Isles, to the Nidaros Cathedral in the ancient capital Trondheim. With only a small retinue of his closest friends and kinsmen, the young prince had travelled the Pilgrim's Route. Known as St. Olaf's Way and the Old Kings' Road, the long, storied pathway had connected Oslo with Trondheim, known ecclesiastically as Nidaros, from time immemorial. The path meandered through the Norwegian countryside and was travelled by merchants and churchmen, peasants and kings. St. Olaf was Norway's Eternal King, and the Pilgrimage to his shrine united all the Norsemen. Modern Norway was only a few generations old, but was deeply saturated in the country's ancient traditions. In the wake of the World Military Dominion's clockwork tyranny, the people of Norway had sought refuge in their oldest traditions. They restored their monarchy and hewed to the Church of Norway. They sought to reclaim the heritage of their forefathers. Ironically, shortly before the Dominion had taken the country, there had been a renewed interest in the Old Religion, the heathenry of the ancient Norsemen. This had been cut short by the coming of the Dominion, and afterwards Christianity was renewed. But evidence of the Heathen Revival could be traced throughout Norse culture: the Kings flew Raven Banners instead of Nordic Crosses, the kingdom's people were known around the world as Norse rather than Norwegian, and it was not uncommon to hear references made to Jesus Christ by the name of the old god Baldur. Posted Image Despite the Dominion's efforts at modernization, the economy of Norway was likely less modern after the Dominion's expulsion. War had taken its course, and in the wake of unprecedented death and destruction, simpler ways of life had taken hold. The economy of the modern kingdom was largely centered around the land and the sea. That did not mean that the kingdom was primitive. The Norse excelled in several areas, particularly shipbuilding. This was especially important because the first king had spent his years reestablishing connections with the islands of the North Sea and off the coast of Scotland. These were isles that had been tied to Norway from ancient times, but the connections had been lost over time. In recent generations, the islanders had seen renewed allegiance to Norway as a path to stability and prosperity. Indeed, the islands had risen with Norway. But the connection did not go in only one direction. The Norse kings named themselves Kings of Norway and the Isles, and Scottish and English influences entered Norse culture and government. Posted Image It was that legacy the young prince would assume when he reached the end of his pilgrimage. Harald Magnusson was greeted each day of his journey with the wonders of his country. He saw hills and lakes, towns and pastures, trees and peasants. Crowds gathered at various stops along the Pilgrim's Route, ready to greet their prince and wish him well as he prepared to become their king. They could sense, as could the young prince himself, that the Age of Norway's Innocence, which had followed the overthrow of the Dominion, was coming to an end, and a new Age of Wonders was about to commence. Edited by Rhadamanthus, Jun 1 2013, 01:14 PM.
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| Rhadamanthus | Jun 1 2013, 10:50 PM Post #2 |
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Legitimist
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Though he was several years older than he had been the last time he had made the pilgrimage, Prince Harald Magnusson was just as struck by the ruined splendor of the Nidaros Cathedral as had been then. The Nidaros Cathedral had been built over the burial place of St. Olaf and had since served as the Great Church of Norway over long centuries. Renovated and rebuilt time and again, every iteration made the cathedral holier in the eyes of the Norsemen. The last time the cathedral had been damaged was during the Dominion Wars. Three kings had ruled Norway since the last Dominion forces in Scandinavia were defeated. Three kings had been unable to restore the cathedral, though Harald Haakonsson, the young prince's grandfather and namesake, had begun to do so before being diverted by other projects. Despite her long history, Norway had become a young country, and young countries had many pressing priorities. But, regardless of the damage, Nidaros Cathedral was where kings were crowned. Prince Harald Magnusson would be fourth King of Norway and the Isles. Posted Image The snow lent a stark and severe appearance to the old cathedral. It had been the same the last time. When Harald had been twenty-one he had made the pilgrimage along the Old Kings' Road to Nidaros Cathedral in order to receive the accolade. He had arrived in the dead of night but could not sleep because he had to stand vigil in the church. The next morning, his father King Magnus Haraldsson had dubbed him a knight, with the Archbishop of Nidaros there to bless the ceremony. This time it would be similar. He had to stand vigil again before being named king. Endurance, both physical and spiritual, was expected of the Northern kings. The prince was not yet thirty, and he struggled to imagine himself standing in his father's place as king. He had told the old king as much, when it still seemed that recovery was possible. King Magnus had told his son that "it is not given to Man to name his own doom, nor to speak its time. It is given to Man only to do what he must, and to struggle against the troubles that best him." In the morning, with his vigil completed and the great coronation robes draped over his simple white vigil clothes, Prince Harald Magnusson would be ready, because Norway required a king. Oddly, despite not having set foot in the Nidaros Cathedral in years, Harald was quite familiar with the Sigurd Eriksson, the Archbishop of Nidaros. Archbishop Sigurd had also served Harald's father as Master of Ravens in Oslo, and spent most of his time in the king's company. In fact, it was said that that the archbishop rarely went to Trondheim at all, so much did the king depend on his company. Many already stated that it would be the same when Harald became king. The archbishop would crown him, and would return to Oslo with him, and would continue to serve as Master of Ravens. The time Archbishop Sigurd spent in the capital and the close friendship he had had with King Magnus Haraldsson were not seen positively by all. There were some who thought he had exercised an undue influence on the old king and would continue to do so on his son. But the prince saw the ancient archbishop as a kindly uncle. Though severe in character, Archbishop Sigurd had always been kind to the young prince, and Harald Magnusson could not imagine returning to Oslo without him. Norway would need the wisdom of Archbishop Sigurd and other experienced ministers. In fact, following the death of the old king, while Prince Harald Magnusson was in mourning and as he made the pilgrimage, it was Archbishop Sigurd who had acted as regent. The archbishop had exercised the king's governmental functions, and would continue to do until Harald was crowned. Once the coronation was over, the reign of Harald II Magnusson, King of Norway and the Isles, would begin. |
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| Porcu | Jun 7 2013, 12:02 PM Post #3 |
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"Work is the curse of the drinking classes."
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Official Communiqué The Parliament and People of Porcu extend their warmest regards to the newly crowned monarch of Norway and the Isles. An audience is requested with His Majesty Harald II Magnusson to discuss possible diplomatic and economic ties between the Republic and Norway. |
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| Rhadamanthus | Oct 7 2013, 05:33 PM Post #4 |
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Legitimist
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OOC: Sorry guys, I've fallen away from my inspiration and I won't be able to pick this back up. So I'm closing the thread. Don't worry though - there something else interesting coming soon. |
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11:37 AM Jul 13