Njal
Njal (died 870s) was an albino bear raised by both the berserkr Bjorn Bloodtooth and his wife Alfhild in East Anglia.
Biography[edit | edit source]
Early life[edit | edit source]
Njal was found and named as a cub when she came across the Viking couple Bjorn and Alfhid, who raised her like their own child.[1] Through their time in England, Njal soon became a dear companion to Bjorn, and their bond strengthened after Alfhid was murdered by a Mercian lord when Bjorn refused to fight him. During their travels, Njal fought in many battles and collected a number of severe scars, with the most prominent one robbing her vision in the left eye.[2]
Bjorn's Revenge[edit | edit source]
In the 870s, both Njal and Bjorn were seen by the Raven Clan's scout Norvid, who wrote a brief letter to the shieldmaiden Eivor Varinsdottir at Ravensthorpe. Eivor read the letter and soon travelled to visit Bjorn and Njal. Despite a rough start between the two Vikings, Bjorn tasked Eivor with feeding Njal to see if she could be trusted. As Njal travelled with Eivor, she was fed fish and was quite tame with the Viking. However, a pair of Mercian soldiers soon attacked them, but Njal and Eivor quickly killed them.[2]
Racing back to Bjorn, Njal and Eivor saw more attacking soldiers and defeated them. From this assault, Bjorn allowed Eivor to help with his vengeance quest against the Mercian lord.[2] At Beodoricsworth, Njal, Bjorn, and Eivor attacked the lord's soldiers, which led the lord to reveal himself. After the lord was killed, an injured Njal left with Bjorn, who asked Eivor to find Njal's favorite flowers. As Eivor left, Bjorn tended to his "child" one last time.[1]
Death and legacy[edit | edit source]
When Eivor returned, Njal had died from her injures and was put on a funeral pyre near the tree from which Alfhid was hung. Bjorn told Eivor how he and Alfhid found Njal as a cub and lamented the fact he remained alone. However, with Eivor's aid and support, Njal was sent to Valhalla and Bjorn offered his allegiance to the Raven Clan, promising to sing about Alfhid and Njal to continue remembering them.[1]
Behind the scenes[edit | edit source]
Despite being a she-bear, "Njál" is a masculine name derived from the Irish name "Niall", meaning "champion".
Appearances[edit | edit source]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Assassin's Creed: Valhalla − The Way of the Berserker − The Vengeance of the Berserker
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Assassin's Creed: Valhalla − The Way of the Berserker − The Mysterious Berserker