Roric Frysinga* is a Frisian
trader sailing out of mid-tenth century Birca** – he finds
the “climate” there healthier than in his native Westergo
Roric (like
his modern alter-ego, Joseph) has been many things in many places, a jack-of-many-trades, before settling down in his current
life. And, being Frisian***, he has a
somewhat different perspective on the Viking Age: ply him with enough mead, he might tell you
the real story of how it all began….
* Yes, Frysinga is a family surname: Frisians were among the first peoples in Europe to adopt them. For more information, see Names in the Low Lands before 1150. At other times and places, Roric has answered to appellations more typical of the Viking world, such as “Roric the Grey” and “Roric Fouraxe.”
** Birka, or Björkö, in what is now Sweden. “Birca” is a Latinized version that a non-native might use.
*** The Frisians are a people who….wait a second, learning this stuff is half the fun in doing Living History; so, do some research on your own – or come meet Roric at a Fjellborg event!
