Vikings: Lords of the Ice Sea

Chapter 47 Immigrants
This trouble came from the Anglo-Saxons, or more precisely, a group of Anglo-Saxon farmers who had left and then returned.

Two years ago, the Viking army captured York, killing King Ellaud and Queen, and Northumbria welcomed a new ruler. Upon hearing this devastating news, large numbers of residents fled, and in Tyneburg, located in the north, nearly a quarter of the farmers fled to Pictish territory.

As time went by, these refugees received news from their hometowns. It seemed that the new lord was not as cruel and bloodthirsty as expected. The taxes were not much different from those of the old lord, and he even married the daughter of an Anglo-Saxon.

Driven by homesickness, most refugees were unwilling to continue living as dependents and thus continued their journey south.

Unfortunately, when the group returned to their original village, they found that their farmland had been encroached upon by their fellow villagers, and their houses had been turned into livestock sheds for their neighbors to raise cattle, sheep, chickens, and ducks, creating a foul stench that triggered a series of conflicts.

Starting in mid-June, more and more Anglo-Saxons gathered in front of Tyneburg Gate, pleading with Lord Vig to uphold justice.

From a moral standpoint, Vig should order the remaining villagers to return the land and compensate for their losses.

However, from a utilitarian perspective, the villagers who stayed behind paid taxes to him, while the refugees provided nothing, so Vig had no obligation to protect them.

After discussing the matter privately with Helgef, Vig convened the local gentry and village chiefs on June 30th, asking them to come up with a suitable solution.

"Since the beginning of summer, the number of refugees has been gradually increasing, with nearly a thousand people gathering near Tyneburg, which is seriously affecting my mood. Ultimately, this trouble is caused by you. Hurry up and think of a solution, don't force me to take action myself."

Relying on her status as Vig's mother-in-law, Iris spoke first: "My lord, this is not in accordance with the rules! They voluntarily abandoned their land and fled to the north, and they did not pay taxes last year. According to tradition, these farmlands have become ownerless. Why should they be returned to them?"

Since someone was willing to take the lead, the others followed suit, with the fat country gentleman Harry giving the most convincing reasons.

“Sir, these lands are not privately seized by us. Every household has a share. Some people got farmhouses, some got land, and some villagers divided up the pots, pans, and other furniture. This is already a fait accompli. You don’t need to make everyone unhappy because of a small group of people.”

"Yes, since they went to Pictish land, they should have just stayed and become Picts. Why did they come back?"

"Send them back!"

As the noise subsided, Vig said with a grim face, "Since you are unwilling to return the land, I have come up with another way: to organize these refugees to cultivate new land on the south bank of the Tyne River."

Upon hearing that there was no need to return the goods, the expressions of the gentry and village chiefs instantly improved. Before they could even praise the lord's wisdom, Vig suddenly left his seat, his tone carrying an undisguised murderous intent.

"However, during the two-year reclamation period, the place where the refugees come from should be the one that pays for their support. After you return to your village, you can discuss it slowly. Those who divide the land should contribute more, and those who divide the farmhouses should contribute less, but you must gather enough food and livestock."

Vig walked past each person, looking them directly in the eye. "Remember, you've gotten a good deal, so don't expect me to pay the price. If anyone refuses to pay, things will get very difficult."

Without a doubt, in this feast of dividing up the fugitives' property, the gentry, village chiefs, and small landowners profited the most, with an estimated third of the farmland and livestock going to them. They got all the benefits, while I got all the trouble—what kind of unfair thing is this? Vig was furious. He treated the group to a quick fish soup and bread meal, then sent them away.

Before leaving, Iris didn't forget to invite Herrigif, "Come home and visit when you have time. Hosa has been thinking of you."

“I’ve been quite busy lately, let’s talk about it later.” Heryljef saw her mother off and returned to her study to find her husband. “Mitcham is compiling a list of refugees’ origins, which is expected to be completed in two days. He asked me to come and ask you how much land each household will be allocated.”

"The usual, thirty acres."

Vig didn't bother with such details. Once the registration was complete, the refugees were transported by boat to the south bank. The total number of refugees was over nine hundred, comprising about two hundred households, divided into two villages. At his insistence, the newly reclaimed land had to be cultivated using the three-field system.

In fact, there were still large tracts of land on the north bank waiting to be cultivated. The reason why Vig went to great lengths to send people to the south bank was that he ultimately did not trust these people. In case they were instigated by some people to launch a rebellion, he would have enough time to react with the Tyne River as a barrier.

In his plan, the north bank of the Tyne was to be inhabited primarily by Vikings to protect their homeland. As for the Anglo-Saxons who gradually returned from the north, they were all settled on the south bank.

Over the next two weeks, essential supplies were delivered from various estates and villages. Although the refugees were reluctant, they had to accept reality and devote all their energy to building new homes and cultivating wasteland. With two months left before the winter wheat planting season, they had to hurry and complete the preliminary work.

Vig expects an equal number of refugees to return in the future, and once the population on the south bank of the Tyne River has increased, he can consider building a pontoon bridge.

In the following days, he surveyed the terrain on both sides of the strait and sometimes chatted with the refugees. He inadvertently learned of his sister Britta's whereabouts.

Six years ago, in 839 AD, her sister's second husband, Hergi, was persuaded by a friend to move to Britain, and the couple disappeared without a trace. Vig, unable to contain his excitement, asked in a trembling voice, "Are you sure?"

Faced with the lord's unusual behavior, the refugee's tone became slightly flustered. "Well, while I was working in Edinburgh, I often heard my employers complain about the Vikings on the northwest coast. One of their leaders was named Hergi, and he had a wife named Britta."

Upon hearing this answer, Vig inquired about Helgi among the refugee group and learned that Helgi was mainly active on the northwest coast of Scotland, a region dotted with numerous small Viking settlements. Recently, Helgi had also joined forces with other Viking leaders to form an archipelago alliance, which had gained considerable influence.

Upon confirming that his sister and brother-in-law were still alive, Vig was overjoyed. He led twenty shield guards to visit them and, incidentally, to inquire about the situation of the Archipelago Alliance. Perhaps one day, when they were to wage war against the north, they could be bribed to become mercenaries.

Choosing a light and sturdy oak longboat, Vig headed north along the coastline, sometimes encountering Viking fishermen at sea.

Based on the information they provided, Vig learned the exact location of his brother-in-law, Helge—the Isle of Skye, an island in northwest Scotland.

(End of this chapter)