| “ | If I run away… run away as far as I can… if I run away to the other side of the ocean, then what’s there? There’s probably nothing there, right? No matter how far I go, it’d be the same as here. Just filled with wars and slave traders. | „ |
| ~ Hordaland’s bleak outlook on the world. |
Hordaland, whose real name is unknown. Is a minor character in the historic manga and anime series, Vinland Saga. She lived in the western parts of Norway as a noble girl, up until she and her family were caught up in war, with Hordaland eventually being sold off into slavery and bought by a man named, Gorm.
Appearance[]
Hordaland is a young Norwegian girl of a short height and with a petite frame and build. She has long light-colored blonde hair, blue eyes, and thin eyebrows.
She wears a light-blue tunic dress, with an old-style Nordic apron over it that has a darker blue color. While also wearing brown leather shoes.
Gorm finds her appearance to be beautiful, and is one of the main reasons why he bought her.
Personality[]
Story[]
Past[]
War Arc[]
Hordaland can first be seen standing next to Gorm in his workplace, while he talks to his nephew, Askeladd. Gorm tells Hordaland to bring out some expensive wine as a celebration for Askeladd and his men. But the girl is simply seen looking at the ground not reacting, Gorm then annoyingly repeats himself, which snaps Hordaland out of her inattentiveness. The girl then walks out of the room to complete her task as a slave. Askeladd is confused by her name, knowing that is actually from a region in Norway. Gorm confirms this, stating that she was the daughter of a feudal lord in that region of Norway. Her family lost in an unknown conflict, resulting in the noble family falling apart and eventually causing Hordaland to be sold into slavery. Gorm claims that she was expensive and that she is too slow at work, making Gorm believe that rich girls are useless, as “they just have a lot of pride”. Askeladd responds that the girl’s uselessness isn’t her fault, and that he’s just bad at make good use of her. Askeladd then looks out of the window towards Thorfinn, believing that you can make anyone suitable for you, as long as you have the “right approach”.
Later in the evening, Hordaland is tasked to give out food during the celebration. But she accidently drops some of the food on the floor. Gorm sees this and he then begins to angrily start beating the girl with a whip, while furiously mocking her for her ineptness. Hordaland, however, doesn’t struggle back, as she just sits on the ground and uncomfortably takes the abuse. Askeladd does find the situation ironic, that Gorm taunts the girl for being a slave while he himself is essentially a slave to money, which is the sole reason as to how he was able to acquire Hordaland in the first place.
Sometime after the beating is over, Gorm tasks Horda to give a basket of food to Thorfinn who sleeps outside on one of the Viking ships. The girl approaches a still asleep Thorfinn and puts her hand on his shoulder, only for the boy to immediately wake up and instinctively put a knife near Horda’s throat. She falls down and drops the food, but Thorfinn quickly calms down as he notices that it’s just a girl. While Thorfinn eats the food, she asks him if he is also a slave, given the fact that he stays outside. Thorfinn rebuffs this, declaring himself to be a warrior and that he voluntarily stays outside. But Horda claims that she and Thorfinn are somewhat alike. But Thofinn asserts in an irritated manner that he can never sympathize with what a slave is going through. Stating that if he were in her shoes, he would kill Gorm and everyone else that would that come after him. Horda innocently says that she could never kill anyone, only for Thofinn to harshly tell her that for that specific reason she will remain as a slave for the rest of her life. Horda then goes on to say that even if she were to run away, any place will be the same as it is right now. Filled to the brim with violence, war, slavery, and suffering. Believing that there is no heavenly place for her to escape to. Thorfinn suddenly breaks out of his cold demeanor, telling Horda that;
“far to the west, across the sea, there is a place called Vinland. It’s warm. And fertile. An faraway land, where neither slave traders nor the flames of war reach. No one would be able to find you there.”
Hordaland asks Thorfinn if this place he is talking about truly exists, but Thorfinn solemnly stares towards the snowy sky, incapable of giving a response.
It is unknown what happened to Hordaland afterwards.