Gaulverboer

(Upper Eidfjord)

VIKINGS!?

Don't know how long I've been standing there when someone discovers me, shouts and waves. Out of reflex, I respond with a wave myself. But it gets me out of my trance. A man and a woman start walking towards me and I start walking towards them. I get funny looks as I approach and I understand them. Because they themselves look pretty much like I expected to see from books, museums and TV.

The man's clothes are simple, a hat of some kind of brown fabric, beige shirt with rolled up arms of coarse fabric that reaches to the thighs, leather bed with brass buckle, gray pants and some kind of leather shoes. A blue mantle-like thing lies over the left shoulder and is held in place with a buckle in brass or bronze on the right shoulder. A knife and a small axe hang in the belt. Fairly wild long blonde hair and a small thin moustache.

The woman has a simple dress down to the ankles without flattering body shape, some kind of fine apron in blue fabric with again a brass-bronze buckle on each shoulder. A former white cloth is tied around her hair and she is carrying a simple wooden bucket. She has a simpler necklace in bronze, and also blonde hair that seems to be tied up in a knot under the cloth, only a couple of small braids hang down.

I think they stare at me and my equipment more than I stare at them. I understand that, because it's hardly normal for this age, while they look like wearing work or everyday clothes. I think it's a minute or so before we stop staring, and I say 'Hej' which means hello in Swedish. They greet and I greet back. They are very difficult to understand, but it sort of works. It's not Norwegian - and certainly not Swedish - but I wouldn't be surprised if it's similar to some Old Norse dialect, because no matter how much I loath the idea of time travel, I have to accept reality and realise the facts infront of me. A weird dimensional trip in the style of Pratchett and Baxter's 'The Long Earth'? They ask me to come along with them to the farm and I reply with a Swedish 'ja' and ask them to lead the way with a hand gesture.

Walking behind them gives me a little more time to process. There is so much that is 'wrong' but I can't figure out what, except the obvious. Those who work in the fields and with animals come closer and look at me with big eyes. They all seem to belong in the Viking Age, and are similar or less well dressed. A couple seem to be older boys and have a bare torso, no chest hair at all, and short hair. Not much jewellery although some have simple neckrings, and some bracelets. A boy is sent to run in advance to tell someone.

I discreetly take off the wristwatch and put it in my pant pockets, glad I didn't attach the DSLR camera to the shoulder straps where I usually have it, and it's packed down. It might be lucky that I didn't wear my black shorts. They seem very caring and show me respect, and after maybe ten minutes when we get in among the longhouses I meet a man who obviously have some rank here, seems to be better dressed with embroidery on the edges of the shirt, around the neck and arms. We greet each other, and I introduce myself as 'Robert Arnesson', and get back 'Barki Freyvidrson'. He obviously asks where I come from, and I just point towards the mountains and say over them, a few days. I shows with fingers how many days. I try to ask what the place is called. Gaulverboer. Not Upper Eidfjord. Gaulverboer.

The man looks at me very respectfully, and I don't really know what to say but he asks me to quickly sit down and rest, at least I think he does as he gesture to a simple table with benches. The language is hard. I thank him, take off my backpack, lean it against the bench and sit down at the table. I'm sitting outside a longhouse, and from what I glimpse inside through the open door it seem to be what to expect. But something is wrong, I just can't think of what. I drink from my waterbottle, and realise a bit late that my transparent green plastic canteen might not be the best option and it gets a little attention, but I don't dare to drink what they offer. It's probably mead or something and I'm pretty much a teetotaller. I've never drank a glass of beer, wine or had a shot, and I'm worried about drinking the water. Norway usually has wonderful water, but here on the farm? It can be anything in it, and there's animals all around. I would have preferred to avoid eating here as well, but I need food as my own will not last, and it feels awkward to decline everything. If it is the Viking Age, I think it was quite important to take care of guests. I might be wrong, and I'm not sure the culture is the same as I remember.

I look around and everything seems to be 'right', even if it just feels wrong. I have a really hard time accepting time travel. Because I'm starting to realise I'm completely fucked and the chance I'll ever get back to my world is probably just before 'impossible'. A non zero chance. I have no idea when it happened but it should have been with the solar storm, maybe with the lightning, but it sounds so absurd so it can't be just that. Even if it was, how will I ever be able to recreate it? I can't. Is there anything else that is unknown, then again; how will I be able to recreate something unknown?

After a few minutes, a woman comes out, and just like the man, she is better dressed and has more jewellery. I get the feeling she is his wife and she seems to have gotten a little panicked over a guest showing up this way. The man introduces her as his wife Arnfrid, and I stand up and greet back with my name. She has long hair in fine braids that go down the sides of her head, and is another blonde. But the man has basically white hair and don't look so old, so that have to suck. We don't say much but I manage to get across that I want to get to the other side of the lake.

"Hildifjoer?" I hear him ask and I just nod, hoping that is what Eidfjord is called, and it sounds like a village or another settlement. I really hope he didn't ask if I wanted to be drowned or something. I try to ask which side of the lake is the best route, but Barki just shakes his head and points to one of the boats, so I guess I get help on the next step across the lake, and I can only thank him. It would probably be 2 hours walking. Shit, I have nothing to pay with. I don't think Norwegian or Swedish coins or banknotes are valid currency here, or Euro's. What kind of currency do they use?

The meal is simple, or maybe not so simple for what do I know? But it is a type of meat and vegetable soup with bread from a quite nice but simple bowl, although I use my own titanium spoon. The taste is tame and could use more spices, but spices might be limited and expensive as hell and it's perfectly okay and good bread. Hot nutritious food, is hot nutritious food, and I thank my hosts.

After the meal, I thank both husband and wife and I'm directed to a small boat. It has a small sail but apparently one of the men will row me and Barki over to the other side. The man, who I think is called Amundr, receives my pack and carefully lays it in the bow, and I step in and take a seat there, he sits down to row and Barki pushes away and jumps in. Amundr has quite rough clothes, just a long shirt with rolled up arms, pants and is barefoot. He wears a bronze ring on his left wrist and has long braids from his head. No beard or moustache. No wait, there's a little.

The boat is well-used but in good condition. I guess they use it to get across the lake or for fishing. There should be some human traffic over this lake, because it's the nearest and best path over Hardangervidda, even if highway 7 isn't here. The boat picks up speed and it glides through the clear water. The sun that peek out through the clouds and the sunlight reflected in the waves, makes it difficult to see towards Eidfjord - I mean Hildifjoer. It feels like a bad idea to put on my sunglasses.

The Hardangervidda museum is here in Upper Eidfjord and I have driven through the two Eidfjord towns many times. As I said, the road across Hardangervidda runs thru here, and it's one of the most important roads in Norway between east and west, and I have probably driven here 15 times. But there is no traces of the road tunnel west of this lake. No road. Just a cliff straight down into the lake. It is not possible to even hope that this is some weird future since big holes through mountains doesn't disappear without leaving marks.

No plastic debris either at the edge of the lake or in nature. At least something positive. The clouds over there are getting darker.

Hildifjoer

(Eidfjord)

It's quite far to row, about 4km, but I guess they're used to that kind of workout here, and about an hour later we disembark on the other side and the man who rowed, Amundr, stays at the boat while I take my backpack and join Barki. He apparently wants to show the way, or take me to someone. There is a path along the wide wild river and we walk along it through the forest until it opens up to a valley with village down by the fjords edge. I guess it's Hildifjoer, and it lies where Eidfjord should be.

I realise what's been annoying me when we walk down between the houses and the farms along the river. This is not the Viking age, because the houses are not real Longhouses. There are glass windows on most houses that seem to be better houses, even if the windows are few and small. Small leaded glass windows. There are a few masonry stone walls and some houses have stone foundations. From here I can also see that there are several ships down in the harbor, and one doesn't seem to belong here at this era, as it have a stern castle and a deck, and a small fore castle. The ship looks chubby. Not that I know ships particularly well, but I believe that the Hansa had such ship, but that is later in history, about 200-400 years after the classic Viking age. Can I be in the 15th century? Surely there won't have been a huge change in places like this over hundreds of years, because why would it? The proof of that is how some lived in the countryside in the 18th century or later all over Scandinavia. Cities are one thing, countryside is another. But I don't have that good knowledge of ships, designs and timeframes.

I really wish I had studied more carefully when I visited various museums, especially the Viking Museum in Lofoten, the Viking Ship Museum in Oslo, the Avaldsnes Museum, Hedeby and others. But I think that in a pure Viking Age there should be variants of longships and the slightly wider open cargo ships, Knarr or whatever they are called. Not ships like that.

The ship has so much of my attention that I miss the obvious, but in retrospect I shouldn't be surprised. I almost never look at people when I walk or drive a car either. As long as they're not about to move in front of or cross my path, the brain discards them as insignificant.

It's not insignificant in this case, and it only clicks when I really look at the people staring at me when I walk along with Barki. Many people. Slightly shorter than me, and I would guess they're on average 150-170cm, with mainly long hair and braids, on both men and women, but only small thin beards or mustache on men. Few men with what I would call beards, and not a single ZZ-Top beard which I expected, and here I come unshaven after many days and with my big circular beard around my mouth. But what I react to is hair colors first, because blue-gray and green tones are not a natural color. It could be colored, but when I start looking at the faces I see the eye colors and I can see purple and red on a pair of eyes, and I don't think contact lenses exist here. I start to look more closely, and as I said, then it clicks because the hair has covered important information. In general, they might have slightly more elongated faces, but they all have slightly pointed ears. Pointy! Not round like me. They all look like elves.

What?!

I, who hoped I wouldn't experience more major shocks today, just realise that they're all... elves. Not silly with huge long ears, nope. Only discreet ears, and some with other hair and eye colors, and much less beards. Viking Elves.

Are there Trolls in the forests?

Are there Giants in the mountains?

Are there Dwarfs in Scotland?

Are there Orcs?

Is there magic here?

What the hell!?

The road we walk through the village is cobbled and it leads down to the harbor, and I can see more houses with masonry foundations, children running around, people carrying things, animal noises, birds being annoying, but it is just too much to take in.

Elves?

We turn off the main road before we get to the harbor and via another cobbled street Barki shows me to a large building. Tall, long and with extensions, which seems to be the most important building in the village. I can see a combination of longhouses style with another style mixed in, almost like Viking style with Roman elements, or Edoras from 'The Lord of the Rings' movie, but the movie might have been inspired by such in turn. There are small leaded glass windows but I don't see any chimneys on the roofs. With the thoughts of everyone being elves swirling in my head, I'm almost disappointed it's not real 'Lord of the Ring' elven style on the buildings. But it seems to be quite a bit better living standard than I expected, and I might have to accept this isn't the Viking Age. I don't know what era it is. It can't be my world, because they are Elves. There are also signs with Viking runes, which I believe is actually named Futark. I recognize some of the runes, and I have seen plenty of rune stones before. The Bluetooth symbol is a combination of two runes. Named after Harald Bluetooth, who I think it was the king who made the Danes Christian. How is religion here?

My thoughts run wild and goes on tangents when we reach the large building and Barki talks to a guard. Spear. Shield. Axe in the belt. Chain mail. Looks 'right'. Thankfully, no silly helmets with large horns, just a leather hood. Damn Wagner opera. If I've understood Barki correctly, this is the lawman's house, and I guess he's the village ruler and Barki have simply made it easy for himself and showed the weird stranger to some higher ranked person so I become his problem. Smartly done, and probably what I need. But it also feels more dangerous. I have no idea if I will say or do something that's taboo or illegal here. What do I really know about old Viking laws? If they're even the same here. I'm also a lone stranger with no contacts or weapons, and I have nothing more than a Mora knife and a small can of tear gas against animals. If I make a mistake, it can mean a duel or whatever, including becoming a slave or something.

Barki asks me to wait outside on the porch under the sloping roof while he gets the lawman. The guard cautiously looks at me, but he seems to be trying to play disinterested and act cool - that he has seen everything before. He is failing and it's a bit amusing how he tries, while looking at my face and clothes. He has a necklace with Thor's hammer as a pendant. So it seems to be Aesir belief here. Yay for any intel.

A beautiful elf woman comes out, with Barki obliquely following behind. Obviously someone of status, and her clothes as well as jewellery arn't bad. Lots of bling around the neck and dangling from the ears. Must have cost a lot. She has nicely done up long dark red hair made of several smaller braids, and looks good. She politely introduces herself as Gudfridr Lofndottir, wife of Lawman Filison.

Of course I politely return the greeting with my own name Robert Arnesson. It's hard to understand what they're saying but I think she's saying that her husband, the Lawman, isn't available at the moment but will be back later in the evening and can talk to the me then, and I'm very welcomed to get a hot meal, a warm bath, and I can wash my clothes and a bed to rest in?

I thank and accept, but say and gesture that I'm not hungry as Barki had already invited me to a hot meal before we came here. The woman looks a little pleased with my reply and calls a maid who is standing inside the door. I think she says:

"Astrid, let our guest have a warm bath to wash off from his trip, wash his clothes, give him a good meal if he so desires and arrange a guest room for him to rest in."

The language is gonna be a real problem, and I have to start learning it fast. I thank her and follow the maid Astrid who shows the way in through a large assembly hall with masonry stone floor, nicely carved wooden pillars, benches and tables and a similar throne at the end. The throne is telling. I'm quite happy that all the names so far are what I expect from the Viking Age and Nordic countries, and extra happy that I can at least somewhat understand the language and make myself somewhat understood. It would be damn hard if it were a completely different language, and I will probably really appreciate my ability to absorb languages and dialects.

I'm led into a small side building and further across a courtyard to another small building. I look around a bit even if I try to avoid being fascinated by it, time for that the latter, and instead I look at Astrid who shows the way. She has a dark gray-blue dress that almost goes down to the floor, with a red apron on the front, with embroidery on the red apron, and bronze or brass jewellery, both around the neck and on the apron. Long light brown hair that goes almost down to the waist, but is quite loosely hanging, only a red ribbon braided into it that holds it together, as well as a small forehead circlet. She is a beautiful young elf woman with a nice figure and about 18-25 years, but I'm quite useless at guessing ages in general, and that is before I wonder whether elves age as humans. It can be completely different here. I hope they don't get much older than humans.

In any case, Astrid leads me to what turns out to be a surprisingly nice bath/wash room, with stone floors that have a drain, simple log walls, two bath tubs, two table high wooden benches with wash basins and there is soap, a scrub brush and towels, and a pair of wooden chairs. There is even a small round hand mirror in brass on one of the benches. I'm very pleasantly surprised. It seems like cleanliness is serious business here, which I appreciate. Hope the toilets are good too, because it's important if I have to stay here for the rest of my life.

After showing me the bathroom, Astrid disappears but says she will soon return soon hot water. So I take of the backpack and lean it against a wall, stretch a bit and take off my boots. Boots, socks, etc arn't exactly fresh, and it's nice to air my feet. I havn't started to undress when there are a few quick knocks and Astrid returns with another maid and with hot water in a large bucket and pours a little into a larger washbasin, the rest in one of the bath tubs, and the other maid disappears with the bucket. Probably for more hot water.

It feels a little uncomfortable to be looked after by a maid, especially when Astrid tries to help me undress, but I manage to stop her. Astrid stands by the door holding her hands in front of her and wait, feels like an accustomed position, and I have my back to her. In the silence I hear a faint but slight grasp when I take my t-shirt off, and it makes me look back over my shoulder to see what she reacted to. I see her staring at my body and back with big eyes, and I wonder if I have any redness or pressure injuries from the backpack. I havn't directly thought about it, but I know how easy it can be if you're unattentive, and unattentive is something I have been the last few days. The last long days.

"Astrid, is there something wrong or a problem with my back?"

It makes her stare, but she just shakes her head and stares at my face, and beard, before she says;

"No sir."

Okay? Ah, I guess I'm hairier than they are. Now that I think about it, they don't seem to have much body hair at all, and Astrid doesn't even seem to have the slightest tiny hair on her arms or face, even though I didn't directly stare at her face. Just a few quick glances. There are big differences in body hair depending on where you are in my world. In my mind I can only quietly sigh and think; 'Ooh, look at the hairy man. Hairy like an animal.'

Nothing to do about it, so I hear myself take a deep sigh, and take off my pants. I turn to put them on the bench next to me, and I realise that I havn't emptied my pockets yet. Damn. I can't really ask her to leave, so I just stand there in my purple briefs emptying my pockets. Plastic bag with maps, leatherman wave, small digital camera. I remove the nylon belt with it's plastic belt buckle too. I look at Astrid to see how she reacts to it, but I loose my train of thought when I see that she doesn't look at my stuff but just stares and lets her eyes wander up and down my body, while she bites her lower lip, and seems to have a dreamy vision filled with desire.

Huh??