Gunnvald I (Vikings in the New World)

< Main Page

< Predecessor: Amund I <–– Fourth King of Vinland ––> Successor: Snorri II >

King of Vinland from 1073 - 1102 (Assisted by Hanne Reinert until 1078 and Hallmar Sundberg until 1080)

1067-1102

After his father's death, Gunnvald took the throne at the age of 6. There were 3 known attempts to kill him, one even before he was 13 and ready to govern the kingdom himself. Halfway through his assistance and training, his trainer, Hanne, perished of old age, Hallmar Sundberg was his trainer for the second half of his childhood. Hallmar was hired by Norway after seeing the pro-independence movements in the colony.

Gunnvald was a neutral king, because while Hanne was pro-independent, Hallmar was pro-Norway, and trained Gunnvald to be that way. Gunnvald changed his opinion 7 years after Hallmar's training ceased, because he heard how the Norwegian kings were treating the Vinlanders. He knew he couldn't do anything about it, but he raised his son to be extremely pro-independent himself.

He was known to secretly go on expeditions to find and capture leaders of pro-Norwegian groups. By the time of his death in 1102, he had 7 known group leaders in secret prisons across Vinland and Markland.