Irina Yngvarswiffe
I was born shortly after the death of the first Prince Rurik in a small village near the fortress of Old Ladoga. My parent’s farm was only just enough to provide a living; we were not a rich family so my childhood memories consist of little but hard work.At the age of fourteen my parents arranged my marriage to a neighbouring farmer. At this time Prince Alec was beginning to pacify the neighbouring Princedoms in his efforts to unite all into the new country of Russia with it’s capital in Kiev.
One day I was in the forest collecting mushrooms. When I returned I saw that my village was no more. It had been destroyed in one of the constant fights between Alec and the local Princes. My husband and children were dead and I did not know what to do next. Where to sleep, what to eat, and winter was coming.
I found myself walking down by the docks and decided to try to sell my mushrooms to one of the ships so that I could buy bread. One of the ships tied here was a trading ship from the North. A crewman bought my mushrooms and listened to my story. He suggested that I might like to come to his country with him to begin a new life. In my confused state I thought he felt sorry for me but in reality he only saw me as a strong woman from whom he could make a profit. And so I entered my new life as a slave.
After being sold several times I found myself in the household of Vara Hrolfswiffe where I earned my freedom and met and married my husband Yngvar.