The Torvaldsberg

As with many customs in the North the people of Torvaldsland take many of their beliefs, customs from the Vikings. They do not follow the caste system, worship the Priest Kings and for them the Torvaldsberg is the closest thing to a homestone.
The people of the North view the Torvaldsberg as sacred and hallowed ground, for it is said that deep within its heart sleeps Torvald. He was the first Jarl to rule over Torvaldsland and it was to him that the Gods bestowed the "Stream of Torvald" which keeps Torvaldsland from becoming a frozen wasteland.




The Torvaldsberg is, all things considered, an extremely dangerous mountain. Yet it is clearly not unscalable, as I learned, without equipment. It has the shape of a spear blade, broad, which has been bent near the tip. It is something over four and a half pasangs in height, or something over seventeen thousand Earth feet. It is not the highest mountain on Gor but it is one of the most dramatic, and most impressive. It is also, in its fearful way, beautiful.
Marauders page 220

In the far distance, the moonlight reflected from its snowy heights I saw, too, the Torvaldsberg, in which the legendary Torvald was reputed to sleep, supposedly to waken again if needed once more in Torvaldsland.
Marauders page 192

The Stream of Torvald

The stream of Torvald is a current, as a broad river in the sea, pasangs wide, whose temperature is greater than that of the surrounding water. Without it, much of Torvaldsland, bleak as it is, would only be a frozen waste.
Torvaldsland is a cruel, harsh, rocky land. It contains many cliffs, inlets and mountains. Its arable soil is thin, and found in patches. The size of the average farm is very small. Good soil is rare and highly prized. Communication between farms is often by sea, in small boats. Without the stream of Torvald it would probably be impossible to raise cereal crops in sufficient quantity to feed even its relatively sparse population.... The stream of Torvald is regarded by the men of Torvaldsland as a gift of Thor, bestowed upon Torvald, the legendary founder and hero of the land, in exchange for a ring of gold.
Marauders, pages 55-56

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