Vardrotta History
The Vardrotta is an independent "Viking warband" formed and led by long-standing friends and former veteran mercenaries Auric Windwolf and Güntar von Keitz. Both of whom both fought for King Harald Hadradi in his Great Viking Army invasion of England in September 1066 - Auric out of loyalty to the King and fellow member of the Varangian Guard, and Güntar for adventure and opportunity. The Great Viking Army landed 300 ships with 9,000 men and was effectively destroyed along with the death of its King at the Battle of Stamford Bridge in Yorkshire, leaving with only enough men to fill 24 ships. In that catastrophic battle, Güntar and Auric helped lead a mixed company of "irregulars", mercenaries, and even some conscripts, including the near-giant D’Mitrii of the Magyars, Auric’s old friend Half-Thumb, and Lars Ivarrson who fell in with Auric and Güntar in the preceding year. These five warriors fought together and were the only members of their original longship to make it back alive.
After the Great Viking Army was no more, this group of five friends and highly skilled and independent warriors stayed together doing what they did best—fighting and wandering throughout Europe for their own reasons, sometimes for pay, and always for glory as is the Viking way. Their small band was later joined by the wanderer and sometime bard Quinn Gildwynsson, another veteran of Stamford Bridge, but one who fought against the Viking Army with the English. Not wishing to remain in Norman-conquered England, Quinn crossed paths and later joined the warband, now called the Vardrotta. The name is anglicized and can be loosely translated from the Norse words "vargyr" (for outcast/wolf) and "drott" (for warband) - thus meaning a "band of ‘wolf-like’ outcast warriors".
The Vardrotta are led by the "Jarls" Auric and Güntar, and Half-Thumb, Quinn, D’Mitrii, and Lars are all fully armed and equipped professional "Hersir".
Dagorhir History of the Vardrotta
The Vardrotta’s debut battle was at the Aratari annual post-Thanksgiving Battle at Lake Frank, MD on November
28, 2002. We were announced by Dagorhir President Morgan the Graymael, and our introductory speech can be
found on the homepage of our website. The founding members of our warband include
the long-standing veteran mercenaries Auric, Güntar, and Half-Thumb,
along with relative Dagorhir newcomers Quinn, D’Mitrii, and Lars.
Our goal is to bring a uniquely strong Viking presence to Dagorhir Aratari that had been missing for several years and was long
overdue. We strive to set a high standard for other Dagorhir units in terms of attitude, appearance (including web-presence),
and last but not least - martial ability. Most of all, and of course, we do this for fun.
