The Tides of Hospitality
One day in the lush, green valley of Iceland during the year 1123 AD, a man named Alf Weaston, and his wife Brenda, were herding their sheep and goats into their pen after another long day in the chilly autumn air. Alf was a burly man with a shaggy cut beard and thick, brown hair. They lived in a large village, where most people harvested crops and herded animals. From a young age, Alf and Brenda had learned the nine virtues of the Vikings; truth, courage, fidelity, honor, discipline, hospitality, industriousness, self reliance, and perseverance.
It was the end of autumn, and the couple had just taken the animals on the last herding trip of the year. The rest of the year the animals will only eat hay. The couple is older, in their late fifties, and have no children. Alf had always been envious of the family next door, that had 5 children and was very busy and happy.
Later that night, a poor homeless man wandered up to Alf’s door. The man said, “ Heill, hvat segir þú? (Hello, how are you?)” Alf replied roughly, “Allt finnt (fine)” The homeless man went on to introduce himself as Hogni Fernton and said he had no home and was hoping that Alf and his wife would take him in. Alf inquired further as to why he was homeless. Hogni said that he used to be a trader in Norway and had always thought of Ran, the Sea God, as a lesser god and didn’t pray to him much. A few weeks prior, while Hogni was sailing to Italy, Ran conjured up rough waters. This caused Hogni to sail off course all the way to Iceland because Ran wanted to get revenge on Hogni. Every time Hogni tried to sail back, rough waters changed his course and he always ended up in Iceland as a punishment.
Alf was very fascinated by this story and he asked the man what he left behind in Norway. Hogni went on to say that he left his home, his wife, and three kids. When Alf heard that the man had kids, he got jealous and quickly rejected Hogni and would not let him stay in his home for even one night. Sadly, the man walked back to his boat and sailed away, searching for shelter. Alf didn’t realize that in turning Hogni down, he violated one of the nine Viking virtues, hospitality.
Three years later, Alf got tired of being envious of his neighbor and killed the father of the family next door. Alf was then called to the town council led by the town leader, Karl Erokson. Erockson said that he had learned that Alf committed murder to Alf’s neighbor. Karl then went on to say that Alf was exiled from Iceland until the Spring of 1200, a full 4 years of exile. Alf was deeply saddened, but confessed and left his home on a raft with a small supply of seeds and meat that was only enough to last 7 weeks. After 6 weeks of sailing on rough waters, Alf saw the land of Greenland in the distance. He tiredly paddled the boat to the shore and started walking towards a lone house not far from the beach. When Alf knocked on the door, he was surprised to see that it was none other than Hogni that answered the door. They recognized one another immediately. Alf asked if Hogni would take him in, and Hogni proceeded to do the same thing Alf had done to him 3 years ago. Hogni turned him down. Defeated and realizing his mistake, Alf slowly started looking for food on the icy landscape of Greenland. He journeyed around Greenland searching for shelter and food. While he was sleeping one night under a tent he made out of sticks, Odin (the leader of the gods) came to him and gave him a clear message. His message said that for not following the most important of the nine virtues of the Vikings, hospitality, he will be swept into the ocean and will never return. The next day, a terrible storm brewed a quick and powerful tornado picked up Alf and thew him far into the ocean.
Alf is still in the ocean today and is the reason why we have tides. Twice a day, high tide happens because Alf is trying to claw his way out of the ocean and onto land searching for shelter, food and praying for hospitality. Ironically, his learned virtue of perseverance is unmatched, considering he has never missed a tide. The stronger he tries to reach for land, the more the ocean pulls him back. Twice a day, we are reminded of the importance of the hospitality virtue learned from the Vikings and from Alf’s misfortune, when we witness the violent and powerful tides of the ocean.
It was the end of autumn, and the couple had just taken the animals on the last herding trip of the year. The rest of the year the animals will only eat hay. The couple is older, in their late fifties, and have no children. Alf had always been envious of the family next door, that had 5 children and was very busy and happy.
Later that night, a poor homeless man wandered up to Alf’s door. The man said, “ Heill, hvat segir þú? (Hello, how are you?)” Alf replied roughly, “Allt finnt (fine)” The homeless man went on to introduce himself as Hogni Fernton and said he had no home and was hoping that Alf and his wife would take him in. Alf inquired further as to why he was homeless. Hogni said that he used to be a trader in Norway and had always thought of Ran, the Sea God, as a lesser god and didn’t pray to him much. A few weeks prior, while Hogni was sailing to Italy, Ran conjured up rough waters. This caused Hogni to sail off course all the way to Iceland because Ran wanted to get revenge on Hogni. Every time Hogni tried to sail back, rough waters changed his course and he always ended up in Iceland as a punishment.
Alf was very fascinated by this story and he asked the man what he left behind in Norway. Hogni went on to say that he left his home, his wife, and three kids. When Alf heard that the man had kids, he got jealous and quickly rejected Hogni and would not let him stay in his home for even one night. Sadly, the man walked back to his boat and sailed away, searching for shelter. Alf didn’t realize that in turning Hogni down, he violated one of the nine Viking virtues, hospitality.
Three years later, Alf got tired of being envious of his neighbor and killed the father of the family next door. Alf was then called to the town council led by the town leader, Karl Erokson. Erockson said that he had learned that Alf committed murder to Alf’s neighbor. Karl then went on to say that Alf was exiled from Iceland until the Spring of 1200, a full 4 years of exile. Alf was deeply saddened, but confessed and left his home on a raft with a small supply of seeds and meat that was only enough to last 7 weeks. After 6 weeks of sailing on rough waters, Alf saw the land of Greenland in the distance. He tiredly paddled the boat to the shore and started walking towards a lone house not far from the beach. When Alf knocked on the door, he was surprised to see that it was none other than Hogni that answered the door. They recognized one another immediately. Alf asked if Hogni would take him in, and Hogni proceeded to do the same thing Alf had done to him 3 years ago. Hogni turned him down. Defeated and realizing his mistake, Alf slowly started looking for food on the icy landscape of Greenland. He journeyed around Greenland searching for shelter and food. While he was sleeping one night under a tent he made out of sticks, Odin (the leader of the gods) came to him and gave him a clear message. His message said that for not following the most important of the nine virtues of the Vikings, hospitality, he will be swept into the ocean and will never return. The next day, a terrible storm brewed a quick and powerful tornado picked up Alf and thew him far into the ocean.
Alf is still in the ocean today and is the reason why we have tides. Twice a day, high tide happens because Alf is trying to claw his way out of the ocean and onto land searching for shelter, food and praying for hospitality. Ironically, his learned virtue of perseverance is unmatched, considering he has never missed a tide. The stronger he tries to reach for land, the more the ocean pulls him back. Twice a day, we are reminded of the importance of the hospitality virtue learned from the Vikings and from Alf’s misfortune, when we witness the violent and powerful tides of the ocean.