Children of the Wolf
I am descended from Vikings. My paternal lineage runs all the way back to Erik the Red, the first European to stumble upon the shores of North America.
The narrator traces their paternal lineage directly to Erik the Red, a historical Viking explorer born as Erik Thorvaldsson around the 10th century. Erik the Red was exiled from Norway for murdering multiple kinsmen and later led a group of settlers to Greenland, where he established a Viking settlement. The narrator’s father, Ulf Thorvaldsson, is a descendant of Erik the Red, linking the family’s heritage to Viking warriors. Erik earned the nickname 'Red' due to his red hair, fiery temper, and violent reputation. The family’s Viking roots are central to their identity, shaping their lifestyle and values.
The narrator and their brother, Finn, grew up in isolation on the outskirts of a small town in Iowa during the late 20th century. Their life was entirely removed from modern society, with no school, other children, or extended family. Their only authority figure was their father, Pappa, who created a self-sufficient world for them. The narrator describes their reality as timeless and placeless, with their immediate environment—prairie, pines, and their home—forming their entire universe. Modern civilization existed only as a distant concept, accessible through books and television.
Pappa, the narrator’s father, was a towering figure at seven feet tall, with a muscular build and long, braided hair and beard, embodying the physical image of a Viking warrior. He rejected modern education, believing Viking children learned through observation and practice rather than books. Finn, the narrator’s brother, was trained in combat, learning to handle and sharpen various weapons, including swords and battle-axes. Each weapon had a name, such as Wolf’s Tooth or Serpent of Blood, reflecting Viking traditions. Finn’s training was rigorous, preparing him for future battles with real weapons.
Unlike Finn, the narrator received training in domestic skills deemed appropriate for Viking women, which Pappa considered honorable and essential. Her education included carpentry, gardening, baking, plumbing repairs, and stitching wounds, both in fabric and flesh. She was given a small knife named Vargbett (Wolf’s Bite) for self-defense, taught to wield it safely, and advised to carry it when venturing beyond their land. Pappa emphasized practical skills over academic learning, reflecting Viking cultural values where roles were divided by gender but equally respected.
Every night, Pappa would read aloud from books, primarily the Eddas (mythological stories of Norse gods) and sagas (tales of Viking warriors). His booming voice brought the stories to life, immersing Finn and the narrator in a world of frost giants, dwarfs, Valkyries, and soothsayers. These sessions were a cornerstone of their upbringing, reinforcing their Viking identity. The narrator recalls vivid sensory details from this time, such as the smell of pickled herring, lingonberry jam, and the tang of honey from their beehives, which were part of their daily life.
The family lived on several hundred acres of prairie and forest, which they relied on entirely for survival. They hunted, foraged, and grew their own food, with no outside assistance. The narrator recalls activities like swimming in a pond, naming trees, and spinning stories about a rocky hill they believed was inhabited by trolls. Their house was a single structure surrounded by nature, with no modern conveniences. The narrator describes this life as a 'wild crucible,' where their childhood experiences felt more vivid than their adult reality.
