In this section
Eldi Frodisson
Age: 41
I moved here with my wife when Eric Bloodaxe died because everybody said the city was going to be rich. I’m a silversmith and my wife works with glass, so we need people with lots of money to buy our jewellery. We always have people with enough money to buy what we’re selling here. We’re getting pretty rich!
Una Olafsdottir
Age: 45
I make beads out of glass. It takes a lot of skill to make the prettiest, brightest colours. I sell a lot of my beads to the people here in Jorvik, and sometimes traders come in and buy a lot of them to take to other cities. When I’m not working I like walking in the forests and picking the wild vegetables and herbs with my daughter. At night we all tell each other stories by the hearth. I like hearing the children’s’ stories the most.
Hakon Eldisson
Age: 25
We moved into a house behind my mother and father. They told us it was a good place to trade and raise a family and that lots of old friends from home had moved in nearby. They were right, it’s a very rich city with lots of old friends, but there’s always new people passing through to trade with. I make beads and pendants out of amber that I sell so I can buy the things my family needs. We love stories and we all love it when a skald comes by and gives us a story and a song in exchange for a meal, a drink and a spot by the fire.
Drifa Alarsdottir
Age: 24
I carve pins and jewellery from bones and antler, as well as all sorts of things that people ask me to carve. We moved to Jorvik to be with friends and because the trading was good here. This winter I’ve made a lot of ice skates because the river froze over and a lot of people have gone skating. I went skating with my son Frodi. He’d never skated before but he was really good, it didn’t take long for me to teach him.
Frodi Hakonsson
Age: 11
My father has started taking me along when he goes to the markets to sell the things my family makes. He’s teaching me how to trade so that one day, when I’m older, the family can buy me a boat and I can take our jewellery to sell across the world! We can make even more money that way! I like spending time with my Dad and my Granddad. I like telling stories, playing games and practicing fighting as well. Dad says I better know how to defend myself when I go abroad.
Astrid Hakonsdottir
Age: 6
I like it here in Jorvik because my family makes a lot of money here. It’s a very busy city and I have a lot of fun with my friends. My best friend is my pet mouse, Freyja and I love looking after her.
Freyja Astridsmus
Age: 4 months
Squeak! Squeak! Squeak!