Svend (died c. 873) was a Norse tattooist and barber who lived during the 9th century.
Biography[]
A member of the Raven Clan who lived in Fornburg, Norway, Svend served as the chief tattooist of the clan and at one point took in Tove as his apprentice. The two formed a close bond and friendship and eventually, Svend adopted Tove as his daughter.[1]
In 873, after jarl Styrbjorn Sigvaldisson ceded his kingdom to Harald Fairhair, Svend and Tove were some of the residents who opposed Styrbjorn's decision.[2] The two joined Styrbjorn's children Sigurd Styrbjornsson and Eivor Varinsdottir in their exodus from Norway and departed to England, where they settled down in the settlement of Ravensthorpe.[3] There, Svend was built a home and workshop by Eivor, who had been appointed by Sigurd to take charge of the settlement during his absence.[1]
One day, Svend made plans to brand barrels belonging to the brewer Tekla with Tove, and also discussed what they would have for supper. However, this did not came to fruition as Svend later died in his sleep. Members of the clan and the village mourned for his death and buried him in a grave near the settlement. Still unable to accept his passing, Tove spent much of her time sitting by his grave in grief.[4]
Eivor, who had been appointed as the head of the settlement while Sigurd was away establishing alliances with other landed Vikings, learned of Svend's death shortly after her return from East Anglia. She visited Tove at Svend's grave, comforting and motivating her, which gave Tove closure over Svend's death. Tove went on to continue and taking over Svend's work as the chief tattooist of the settlement.[4]
Behind the scenes[]
Svend is a Danish variant of the name Sven, which in Old Norse means "young man" or "young warrior".
If players started the free Oskoreia Season event before completing the memory "Carrying the Torch", Eivor can find Svend's name and read a one-line memorial carved into Gudmund's decorated longship in Ravensthorpe commemorating the deceased,[5] as his death is unavoidable in the main storyline.
Gallery[]
Appearances[]
- Assassin's Creed: Valhalla (first appearance)
- Dawn of Ragnarök (mentioned only)
- The World of Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Journey to the North – Logs and Files of a Hidden One (mentioned only)
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Assassin's Creed: Valhalla
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – The Seas of Fate
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Unwelcome
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Carrying the Torch
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – An Honorable Death