Gorran

“And that is my point” continued Gorran, sitting straighter in his seat. “I suspect you are planning for your whole family to go on this venture. It is a great opportunity naturally, but I fear the rest of Greenland will suffer for it.”

Gorran, love him or hate him, is one of the most complex characters that I have developed. He has caused me more writer blocks, nervous breakdowns and problems than pretty much the rest of the cast put together.

Background

Gorran was one of the first settlers to arrive in Greenland, landing with Erik, his superior. Although physically Gorran has become rather fat, he has an indomitable energy that keeps him interacting with almost all who visit Greenland. Over time he has built up considerable influence and wealth in Hvalsey (the capital), enough so that he has declared himself mayor – and Erik has not disputed this claim.

Gorran stands for the greater good, he cares deeply for the settlement he helped establish and treats all of its many citizens in a fatherly manner. He is worried however at the impact that Vinland will have on Greenland. Although wealthy thanks to the resources available, it has a small population, and Erik's expedition is attracting many Greenlanders to follow him to Vinland. Gorran has complete respect for Erik but believes deeply that Greenland will not continue to flourish should the enigmatic founder leave for greener pastures.

Greenland is a prosperous but fragile settlement. Gorran stands as the sole sentinel for its continued existence, but how can one man stand against the call of destiny? How far will his conscience allow him to go?

Traits

“Man is inherently selfish” one of my favourite quotes by Thomas Hobbes, caused me some serious problems while creating Gorran. Just how is the “greater good” explained with this view of human nature?

I realise that there are a lot of question marks in this piece, but that is to demonstrate the kinds of issues I have to deal with on a daily basis. Sure Vinland is a story, but I also want it to represent something more subtle.

Vikings have a skewed sense of honour. They will defend their brothers to the death, but act with complete ruthlessness against their enemies. Gorran represents the struggle of a different sort of honour in Viking society. The concept of chivalry had not yet been invented, but just because it does not bear a name, does not mean that it didn’t exist.

Loves and hates

Greenland is the be all and end all to Gorran. Those who live there get his undying support, while those who strive to stifle its continued prosperity, either intentionally or unintentionally will find him a serious complication.

Image courtesy of olystad /