We begin today's story by joining up with a young Icelander named

Sigvat Thorderson during a rather wet and unpleasant journey through Western Sweden, which he took sometime the late 10-10s. By all accounts, Sigma was thoroughly miserable throughout this trek, which really begs the question.

What was a young Icelander doing, ting through the rain and mud of the Swedish countryside in the first place?

Well, a few years earlier, Sigmot had decided to leave his homeland behind to seek fame and fortune abroad.

To this end, he managed fairly easily, we're told, to secure a position at the court of Olaf Haraldsen, the king of Norway who would later be canonized as Saint Olaf's specifically, Sigvat served as one of Olaf's court poets,

scalds in the parlance of the day.

Men and women, whom the status conscious king employed

to commemorate his great deeds.

Sigma was a highly skilled poet,

and he had succeeded beyond all expectations in this role, and in the process, he became

a trusted member of the King's Inner Circle.

Indeed, Olaf chose to send Sigma as an ambassador to the King of Sweden, sometime between

1016 and 1018, a measure of the trust which he had for the young poet.

This then brings us back around to Sigvat's wet, unpleasant journey.

From King Olaf's court to Vastayorta in southwestern Sweden.

One of the components which made Sigvat's journey just as wet and unpleasant as it was.

Was the distinct lack of hospitality which he and his companions received from the farmers

of Vestootland.

Sigvat being the poet that he was,

would later compose biting verses recounting these experiences,

reciting them when he finally returned to King Olaf's court.

Some of these stanzas were eventually written down and preserved so that we can still enjoy them today.

...