Well then, looks like it's Storyteller's Choice this week! And I have a Scandinavian story for you this week, about the singer Nornagest.

Nornagest's father was a nobleman, so of course there was a big party to celebrate his birth. So big, even the three Norns came to visit.

The three Norns brought blessings to the baby boy. Urd granted him good looks and courage. Verdandi gifted him with a talent for poetry and song. And Skuld...

Well, as Skuld was stepping up to give her gift, one of Nornagest's aunts swooped in to pick him up, so thrilled that he was going to be a handsome poet, and she accidentally knocked Skuld over doing so.

Skuld was Not Happy.

As she got to her feet, Skuld pointed to a nearby candle and declared that the child would live only so long as the candle did. Once the candle's flame burned out, so would Nornagest's life.

With that she stormed off, and Verdandi followed, but Urd stayed behind. She took the candle out of its holder and brought it before Nornagest's parents.

She told them, "Hey, it's not so bad. It's sort of a blessing in disguise really." She blew out the candle. "As long as the candle remains unlit, he will live in health and happiness."

And that's how he got his name, meaning "protected by the Norns."

So, he grew up and became a handsome wandering bard, singing about the Asgardians and other Viking legends.

But, around this time, Christianity was spreading all over the place, and few leaders were more fanatic about it than King Olaf of Norway. And one day, Nornagest ended up at his court to sing.

And, as he sang, King Olaf was all, "Hey, so, I love a good song and all, but you keep singing about all this Pagan stuff. Surely you don't actually believe in that, do you?"

And Nornagest was just, "I'm happy just as I am, really."

And Olaf was all, "No, trust me, you'll be SO MUCH HAPPIER if you convert. I mean, unless you think you'll be happy without fingers or a tongue."

Nornagest wasn't stupid and didn't try to call his bluff, because, yeah, torturing people was totally a thing Olaf did, so he reluctantly renounced the old gods and said he'd convert.

Now, Nornagest's own story was pretty well known too, and he now carried the candle with him, and Olaf asked him if he still had it. Nornagest said he did.

So, Olaf told him he should light it as he kept singing, since it was getting dark.

Nornagest protested, but Olaf was all, "No, no, you're a Christian now, and we don't believe in silly stories about magic candles, so light it and sing, or lose your tongue!"

Clearly, no one ever told Olaf about Hanukkah

But, Nornagest did as told, and lit the candle and kept on singing about the new order of the world, his voice getting weaker and sadder as the night wore on and the candle burned low.

Finally, the candle burned out. And Olaf was all, "See, he made it, he's fine!" Except, he totally wasn't. Because at that moment, Nornagest fell over, dead.

Awkward.

The end~