Chapter 37

"He is dead, and therefore more beautiful than anyone alive. You might say he is love itself. For you see... he will not hate, nor kill, nor steal. Don't you find that wonderful? His body will be abandoned here... and his flesh will feed the beasts and insects. He will be blown about by the wind... and pelted by the rain... and he will not raise a single word in complaint. It is death that completes a man."

- Willibald

The Definition of Love (愛の定義, Ai no Teigi) is the 37th chapter of the Vinland Saga series.

Overview
Thorfinn's duel with Thorkell continues. Thorfinn, who knows going straight for the vital points like in London would be bad, notes he has aim for tendons to immobilize Thorkell before going in for the kill. Thorkell compliments Thorfinn on his fighting skills, but comments that his swordwork is mundane and asks if he's ever felt like he's missing something that would make him a complete warrior. Thorkell admits that he himself is missing something and that he was hoping he could learn what it was from the son of Thors. He asks Thorfinn what makes a true warrior, causing Thorfinn to recall his father's last moments. Thorfinn keeps dodging Thorkell's swing and cuts up Thorkell's arms, though the cuts are still too shallow. Thorkell uses his axe to send snow flying at Thorfinn and aims a kick at him while he is momentarily blinded; Thorfinn braces against it by bouncing off, but the force of the kick sends him soaring through the air. Thorfinn crashes near the top of a tree, hitting branches as he comes tumbling down. Canute asks Willibald who embodies love if Ragnar did not love him; Willibald points to a nearby dead man and says he does, as he will not hate, kill or steal, and that death completes a man. Canute asks what the emotion between a parent and child, husband and wife, or Ragnar and him is if it is not love. Willibald says it is discrimination; Ragnar, for whom Canute's life was probably more important than even his own, discriminated and allowed many to die for Canute's sake. Canute understands that the whole world brims with love; the sun, the sky, the mountains, the trees and the breeze. He sheds tears as he wonders how God's creation can hold so much love, while there is none in the hearts of men. Willibald replies that they became pathetic creatures, exiled from Paradise, when their ancestors sinned and turned their backs on God. Thorfinn groans, slowly getting back up from where he fell after crashing into the tree.

Summary
Thorkell's men have finished dispatching of Askeladd's old band and entertain themselves. Some, like Diure and Erik, practice shooting arrows, using Ear's dismembered head as the target. Others loot the corpses and provision carts for anything of value. One comments that the men barely put up a fight and that Thorkell's men may not even have lost a single person; they note that tough ones are hard to find and that they'll never make it to Valhalla at this rate. The looting men notice a crowd is still cheering and wonder if Thorkell's fight is still going, though one notes Thorkell's fights are always over after a few seconds. They get closer and see that Thorfinn is still standing, sweaty but otherwise unharmed, and that he's even managed to draw blood from Thorkell by slashing away at his arms. Thorkell congratulates Thorfinn on his skill and tells him he could count the men who could stand toe-to-toe against Thorfinn on one hand. Thorkell tears off his now wrecked coat, revealing he was indeed wearing the same chainmail as in London. Thorfinn deduces he will have to aim for the tendons and immobilize him before going in for the kill, as going straight for the vital points had not worked out in his favour in London. Thorkell comments Thorfinn is a great fighter, but that his swordwork is rather mundane. He asks if he's ever felt like he's missing something that will complete him as a warrior. Thorfinn laughs and asks what that would make Thorkell, who simply flattens unworthy opponents. Serious, Thorkell says he is indeed missing something and was hoping to learn what from the son of Thors, but that he may have been overly optimistic. He asks Thorfinn what makes a true warrior. The words cause Thorfinn to recall his father's last moments. Assuming Thorkell is trying to confuse him to make him drop his guard, Thorfinn snaps out of it. Thorkell looks at him and states Thorfinn doesn't know, as he expected. Angry, Thorfinn tells Thorkell to stop trying to mess with him and rushes him. He dodges Thorkell's swings and slashes up his arms, but notes the cuts are still too shallow and that he needs to take out an elbow or a knee. The watching men commentate that Thorfinn sees right through Thorkell and that their captain needs to use a different tactic. Thorkell uses an upward swing of his axes to send snow flying at Thorfinn. He is able to kick the momentarily blinded Thorfinn, who is sent flying through the air, to the surprise of everyone watching. Thorkell realizes Thorfinn bounced off of his kick to brace against the impact. Thorfinn is taken aback by just how high up in the air the kick sent him. He crashes into the top of a tree and is sent tumbling down, breaking branches as he goes. The men note a fall that has to have killed him and Askeladd comments that he's out of moves now that his final pawn is gone. Still talking to Willibald, Canute asks if Willibald is implying Ragnar did not love him by asking him what love is; Willibald confirms. Canute asks who in the world embodies real love if Ragnar had no love for him. Willibald points to a nearby dead body and says he does, since he is dead and is thus love itself, more beautiful than anyone alive, as he will not hate, kill or steal. He says he will not complain as his rotting body feeds the insect and is blown about by the wind, and that death completes a man. Canute asks him if that means that the essence of love is death, and Willibald replies that it is. Canute asks him what the emotion that a father feels for his child, that a husband and wife feel for each other, and that Ragnar felt for him is, if it is not love. Willibald says it is discrimination, little different from how one would pledge fealty to a king or whip a slave. He says that Canute's life was probably more important to Ragnar's than his own, but that he discriminated, allowing sixty-two innocents to be killed for Canute's sake. Canute finally understands what Willibald is saying; he says the snow is love, as are the sky, the sun, the blowing breeze, the trees and the mountains. Willibald says he has it right. Canute sheds tears and asks how it can be that God's divine creation, so brimming with love, be filled with men whose hearts hold no love. Willibald says the church states men became the pathetic creatures they are today, exiled from paradise, when their ancestors sinned and turned their backs on God.

Thorkell's men keep shooting arrows into their dead foes and looting, while the vacant-eyed Torgrim sits nearby. Some of the men approach the spot where Thorfinn crashed into the tree. Thorfinn groans as he starts to get up from the snow he crashed into, covered in broken branches.

Characters in order of appearance

 * Ear (corpse)
 * Thorkell
 * Thorfinn
 * Thors Snorresson
 * Ari
 * Askeladd
 * Willibald
 * Canute
 * Ragnar
 * Torgrim