KUEIDU’IFR

 

In the almost three months after Torunn had seen Bjorn and Blanaid share that first truly heartfelt kiss. Her son with William and Clive had built Clive a new house close to the one he and William had shared together for so long. This was so Clive could have a place for him and Ingrid to live in when a marriage could be properly arranged. Bjorn and Blanaid during this time were following all the proper customs of two who she was sure would be doing the same, although she hoped they would live in the main longhouse still.

The good thing for Clive was that Ingrid was a widow and by custom had more say in who she wished to be courted by and then who she would marry. Clive having been a slave for so long was just now being accepted by all as a freeman in his own right, to be considered a worthy suitor for any Danish woman. Another step in the direction of conforming to the expected trappings for compliance to the standards of courtship and marriage was the new house.

Torunn was purposefully initiating some of the same conceptions for Blanaid with the local Ribe populous by getting her accepted as free and further as a ward to Torunn herself rather than a former slave. This would place Torunn herself in the role of a widowed mother to Blanaid when it came time to make full disclosure of a courtship and negotiating of marriage in Blanaid’s behalf. She also was establishing a link that both William and Clive could act as her brothers for such customs and necessities.

Usually long courtships were frowned upon here, as it was thought that a young man would be stepping outside the bounds of accepted behavior with his intended if the courtship took too long. This would make him liable for fines of having indulged in intimate liaisons with his intended and tarnishing her reputation and possible mundr as well.

“I have asked Ingrid to marry me.” Clive said to everyone at the evening meal. It was yet early in the summer months.

“What was her answer?” Torunn asked.

“She said yes, praise all gods. But wanted to know how we could make it right by everyone in Ribe?” Clive answered.

“Well, let us consider how we can make that happen to the best possible situation for you both.” Bjorn answered and continued.” William and I for sure can be two of the six witnesses for the negotiation but for forms sake we need four more. I am sure Sigurd would agree if I asked him and possibly Ulf. Can you think of anyone else who would stand up for you Clive?”

“Maybe, Gisle the blacksmith in Ribe and Vidar who works in the Ale house would both I think agree. They both know my feelings and we are all friendly.” Clive answered.

“Good then I will talk to both of them in the morning. If they agree then I will contact Ingrid and see if there is anyone she wishes us to talk to or if it happens to be we talk to her directly, I believe she has an uncle who lives on a farmstead not too far from Ribe and he would be the logical choice.” Bjorn said.

“Yes she does, his name is Knut we have been to his farmstead, and it is close to the open marshlands.” Clive answered Bjorn.

A week later after Ingrid had talked to her uncle from her father’s side, Bjorn and the other 5 witnesses went with Clive to Knut’s farmstead near the marshland. They were welcomed in openly and offered meade as all sat down at the table before the negotiations started. An hour later the mundr equal to 20 ounces of silver were agreed to and with that Clive stood and recited the handsal he had memorized from Bjorn’s instruction to seal the bargain.

“We declare ourselves witnesses that thou Knut bondest me in lawful bethrothal, and with taking hold of hands thou promisest me the dowry and engagest to fulfill and observe the whole of the compact between us, which has been notified in the hearing of witnesses without duplicity or cunning, as a real and authorized compact.” Clive recited as he took Knut’s hand and they shook firmly.

Once they had left Knut’s farmstead Bjorn with William headed home, Sigurd, Gisle and Vidar headed back into Ribe, while Clive went to see Ingrid and tell her the news before he would also return home. Bjorn came in to the longhouse and asked Blanaid if they could talk for a few minutes before he returned to his work which she gladly agreed with Torunn’s eager approval.

The two walked a short distance before Bjorn spoke, stopping and turning to face her. “Blanaid my sweet Gael Kuinde you know how I feel about you and I think you feel the same. After dealing with Ingrids uncle today it struck me full of heart that I truly want you and I to be doing the same if you will agree?” He said.

“Bjorn my large wonderful mand I think you need to be just a little more direct, so I am sure what you are asking of me?” Blanaid answered with an almost hidden smile to her face.

“I am asking you to be my wife Blanaid, I want to marry you.” He asked holding her by the shoulders gently now.

“yes bridh me’ posdah tu’” she said smiling broadly now. “Yes my Elsker, sorry I just had to say it in my own tongue first.”

“I do not care in what language you say it dear as long as it is Yes.” Bjorn told her as he pulled her closer to him and they kissed warmly before starting back to the house so they could tell his mother.

As the two walked slowly back to the longhouse they held hands swinging them together as they walked. They gave each other one more small kiss as they walked just before turning around the side of the house and going to the door to go inside and talk to Torunn.

“Mother…” Bjorn started only to be interrupted before he could complete his sentence.

“Well, it is about time you finally got around to asking her my son. I was beginning to think you would wait so long that we could not have a proper wedding this season with plenty of everything available.” Torunn said as she walked to Blanaid and hugged her before turning to her son and hugging him as well.

“We will have to be able to put on two weddings my mother, Clive will do all he can but I want him and Ingrid to have a well remembered one too.” Bjorn said.

“I think my son it might be easier than you are considering. We will have one very big wedding for an entire week…everyone around will be here, what do you think?” Torunn asked them both.

“Mother can that be done, I have never heard of two at the same time by the same family?” Bjorn asked.

“In Gael I have heard of it before but not very often, usually if the couples are related like brothers marrying sisters or something. Would it be allowed here?” Blanaid said and asked.

“It is not against our laws. Let us go talk with Clive and see what he thinks.” Torunn suggested.

Later after they had visited with Clive and William, all were agreed as long as Ingrid did not think it would slight her marriage to Clive. Then later in the early evening Ingrid came back with Clive and was staying for the evening meal. While she helped Torunn and Blanaid in the preperations it was easy to see that she not only agreed but thought the idea was perfect, no one would forget for a long time this dual wedding in Ribe.

Over the evening meal they even started planning the next task for Bjorn in getting 6 men to be his witnesses to the negotiations and handsal. Clive and William could not be part of the six since they were representing her as brothers in the negotiations. Bjorn was certain Sigurd and Ulf would though, so all he had to think about was four more men, he did not think it would be proper to have Gisle and Vidal again since they were also witnesses for Clive.

During the next few days Bjorn heard from Ulf that Ragnar Lodbrok was going to come from Jelling and King Horik’s court to join with his friend Ulf in being one of the six witnesses for Bjorn and with him were coming two of his sons; Bjorn Ironside and Ivar the Boneless. Ulf had said that if Bjorn wished all three had expressed interest in standing up for him. Bjorn himself had went back to Ingrid’s uncle Knut who had been more than happy to join Ulf and Sigurd as the third man of the six needed by tradition.

Upon hearing this Torunn and Blanaid both felt great pride in Bjorn at having such well known Danes wish to be three of his six witnesses. There was much honor here for him and the entire dual wedding as well…Clive and William humorously chided him for bringing such powerful men into negotiations with the two of them who had once been slaves to Bjorn’s father. The meeting was set for a few days off when the three men could arrive from Jelling about forty miles to the northeast of Ribe.

On the day after Ragnor and his sons arrived in Ribe, Bjorn with his assembled six witnesses went to Clives new house and met with Clive and William. After an hour of having some mead by all and well spirited negotiating Bjorn stood and spoke the handsal then clasping hands with both William and Clive. Blanaids mundr had come to 30 ounces of silver.

While the men still sat around Clive’s table now merely enjoying some friendly camaraderie which now included both William and Clive, Ragnor interjected yet another very favorable bit of news that other than him had as yet heard.

“Bjorn and you Clive I have some news for you both that I believe you were not expecting.” Ragnor Lodbrok interjected in a voice above all others there. “King Horik whom I serve in his court at Jelling has heard of your wedding and Knew I was coming here as one of Bjorn’s witnesses to this negotiation. He has expressed to me privately that if I could express his personal interest to you both that he would much like to attend the wedding ceremony and feast. Considering that it does not conflict with any matters he could not avoid.”

“You do jest with us Ragnor sir do you not?” Bjorn said with a look of amazement across his face, while Clive sat in his seat dumbstruck.

“I can see why you might think so, but no I am sincere in what I say. You do not realize the interest this dual wedding is creating here in central Jutland. Bjorn being the only son of the well known Rolf Dalgaard has added to the interest as well. When asked by our king I told him that Bjorn here seemed to be much like his father and was well on your own way to becoming a well known Dane yourself in the future.” Ragnor told them.

”We are very honored Ragnor and as soon as we have the exact date set I will surely see that Sigurd and Ulf know so that they can get the news to you as quickly as possible. For sure it will be held on a Friggas day and we have already decided the feast will last for one full week.” Bjorn told him and all listening.

“Good then, well I know you all have much to do. My sons and I need to return to Jelling, but will be waiting to hear from you soon.” Ragnor answered then rose along with his sons, Ulf and Sigurd following suit and left Clive’s house.

Bjorn, Clive, William and Knut followed them out wishing them all safe journeys home. Then Knut begged their leave as well with warm handshakes all around. Bjorn went to talk with his mother and Blanaid as Clive begged his leave long enough to go see Ingrid quickly in Ribe.

Over the next two months the men worked diligently accumulating all that was needed for the upcoming wedding ceremonies and feast, one of those was plenty of mead for not only the feast but for both couples to have enough to drink for the required one month after. Part of the tradition was that a new married couple drink the honey based mead for a full month after the wedding.

Finally everyone had arrived in Ribe by midweek of the frigasday for the double ceremony.

The day before the wedding Bjorn and Blanaid were separated until the day of the ceremony, the same was true of Clive and Ingrid.

Blanaid and Ingrid were taken to a bath house chosen by Torunn with both their attendants. Both of the women were given a Kransen that would later be taken off. During the morning they sat in the hot bath house occasionally switching themselves with birch twigs while their attendants talked to them of the duties of being a wife. Then finally they left the bath house for a swim in cold water scented with herbs and flowers.

Bjorn and Clive had both been taken to a mock-tumulus so they could retrieve their swords. Torunn had placed Rolf’s sword there for Bjorn and she had acquired one for Clive as well. Once the two men had found and taken these weapons of tradition they as well went to a bath house that Ulf and Sigurd had chosen. Here they received their instructions on dealing with a wife both of them now carried a hammer in honor of Thor.

Blanaid and Ingrid were dressed by their attendants and their Kransen were replaced with wedding crowns early in the morning of Frigasday.

Both couples, their attendants, witnesses and all those attending the wedding assembled in the sacred grove of Ribe.  As all were there the first thing to happen was the exchanging of the mundr before all assembled there. King Horik himself invoked the deities for fertility and a good marriage, he had asked this boon of Torunn and Knut who gratefully agreed.

Then two young men from Ribe preceeded Blanaid and Ingrid into the glade handed two swords to the brides who in turn handed them to Bjorn and Clive. After that the witnesses for Clive and bjorn brought in the animals for dedication to the Gods; one goat each for Thor, 0ne sow each for Freyja and one horse each for Freyr ( Horik himself had brought the horses for the ceremony). The animals were to be maintained as gifts to these gods. Two of the witnesses drew just enough blood from the goats for ceremonial use. The blood being mixed with mead in bowls and placed on the horgr , as they were King Horik dipped a hlaut-teina in the bowls and then sprinkled the mixture on both the couples, the witnesses and wedding guests.

Bjorn and Clive then gave their brides their ancestral swords they had taken from the mock-tumulus the day before. The brides would keep these until their first born sons were of age. Then both couples exchanged finger rings they took from the horgr that had been placed there within the sacred arm band of Thor. With this both couples exchanged their wedding vows.

As the procession then proceed to the great long house of Ribe the two young sword carriers ran ahead to place the grooms ancestral swords across the doorway and then when the couples got there both Bjorn and Clive led their new brides across this threshold into the hall.

Once inside Bjorn and Clive took their swords and thrust them into wooden tree posts of the hall. Then all sat down at tables. Blanaid and Ingrid both went and returned to serve their new husbands their first drink of mead from two bowls with animal shaped handles. As each served her groom she said. ”mead I bring thee, thou oak of battle, with strength blended and brightest honor; tis mized with magic and mighty songs, with godly spells, wish speeding runes.

Blanaid and Ingrid then sit by their husbands who both put their hammers in their wives laps. As they they do both men recite a oath to everyone. “Bring the hammer the bride to bless: on the maidens lap lay ye molnir; in Friggas name then our wedlock hallow.”

Bjorn and Clive then took the cups and made the sign of Thor’s hammer before they toast to Odin and then both couples share the drink of mead.

Later in the evening both couples are escorted to houses where wedding beds have been placed while the witnesses and brides attendants carry torches. Once in the house and in their bed the grooms remove their brides wedding crowns in front of all those who accompanied them. After they are removed the brides attendants and the grooms witnesses start to leave laughing and making many jokes.

This was the first time Bjorn and Blanaid had been alone all day. In keeping with their belief in each other it was also the first time they were going to consummate their love fully.

The next morning Bjorn and Clive were ushered out of their beds by the new bride’s attendants so they could braid her hair and bind it in the fashion of wives they were now.never would Blanaid or Ingrid wear their hair loose again in public. Also they would wear a hustrulinent head covering.

The next morning both Bjorn and Clive presented their wives with their wedding gifts. For the next six days the entire gathering feasted with much mead, joking, wrestling matches, stories, other sports. Finally the week was over and all the wedding guests were leaving that did not live near Ribe. Toruun, Knut, and both sets of newlyweds made very deep respects to King Horik as he left for Jelling with Ragnor and his two sons.

Once back at the farmstead work and things were not exactly the same and Torunn was a very happy woman, she now had what she considered two daughters and would someday soon she hoped be carrying grandchildren in her arms.

Within two months her wish was granted as Blanaid a couple of weeks after Ingrid was sure she was with her and Bjorn’s first child. As she told Torunn the news she was waiting for Torunn could see Bjorn and Clive in the area outside the long house back slapping and wrestling with one another like very large boys. Now she thought all is perfect until the next time for Bjorn to go a Viking.