Pact of the Heartland

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The Pact of the Heartland.

The Pact of the Heartland is a historic treaty which ended the Conquest of the Heartland as well as the Age of Darkness, created the High Realm of Stormark, and commenced the Second Viking Age.

Prelude

After having survived the treachery of the Blood Parley, which had wiped out the lines of numerous of the attending petty kings and chieftains, it in time became clear to Jarl Harald that the vast majority of the remaining chieftains and petty kings of the Heartland who had not already joined him before the Blood Parley, was willing to become his men, regarding him as their best bet for peace and stability.

The Agreement

The Pact was, after lengthy negotiations which took place on the isle of Grand Arcadia and which were led by Eyði Gíslason and Ser Raudúlfr Bloodhelm, entered into by the Ladies Divine Frigga, Freyja and Idunn, Jarl Harald of Ettlingar Freyu, and the chieftains and petty kings of the Heartland on the sacred plain and ancient assembly site known as the Thingvellir which was situated in the area which was to become the Jarldom of Gularike. Subsequently to the signing of the Pact of the Heartland the investiture of Harald of Ettlingar Freyu as High King of Stormark took place.

In recognition of the support and shelter given to him and Lady Hervör by the Hurmu Tribes during the couple's escape from the Blood Parley, Jarl Harald accepted their wish of not to be brought under his rulership and confirmed the same in a letter called the Epistle of the Peaceful Pastures.

Key Points

  • All of the Heartland, except for the Kingdom of Bondegard, which would become a Biland, and the Hurmu Republik, which would remain fully independent, would be joined in a single country to be known as the High Realm of Stormark;
  • The Ladies Divine Frigga, Freyja and Idunn would become the Fulltrui and Sacred Queens of Stormark;
  • The High Realm of Stormark would be considered to be the spiritual successor of the Valtian Free State and the time of existence of the High Realm of Stormark would be referred to as the Second Viking Age;
  • Harald of Ettlingar Freyu would be acclaimed as High King of Stormark and would also be acknowledged as King of Bondegard;
  • The creation of the Sameinaða Erlendur Kaupsýsla Einokun Félagið which was given a monopoly on external trade as well as other extensive legal rights and economic privileges and advantages;
  • The Ancient Ways would become the customs of worship of the High Realm of Stormark with the Jólaslafðir having the same rights, powers, privileges, immunities and advantages as they had under the Concordat of Gríðarstórborg;
  • The setting up anew of the Jarðabók, the organization responsible for surveying, mapping and land registering in Valtia as the national agency for the same matters for all the Lands of Stormark;
  • The creation of Þjóðskrá Stórmerkur, the National General Register of the High Realm of Stormark, as a revival of a similar register which existed in the Valtian Free State;
  • All the remaining chieftains and petty kings of the Heartland and their extant houses and tribes would be received into the High King's Peace and be recognized as Archnobility and Archroyalty;
  • The creation of the Kónga- og Aðalsfólksjóður which would, where necessary or expedient, provide financial and other support to members of the Archnobility and Archroyalty;
  • The property of the remaining chieftains and petty kings of the Heartland and their extant houses and tribes that have been received into the High King's Peace would, if confiscated, be fully restored.

Thirteen Copies

Thirteen identical copies of the Pact of the Heartland were executed. Three of them were taken to Vanaheim by the Fulltrui and Sacred Queens of Stormark, the other ten copies of the Pact were entrusted for safekeeping at prominent places in the Heartland.

The ten aforementioned places for safekeeping are:

Present Status

The Pact of the Heartland is still in place, even though many of its articles at present are not in force anymore, having either been repealed or superseded by Althingi Law, the High Law of the High Realm of Stormark in particular, or become obsolete.