Askeladd

Askeladd (アシェラッド, Asheraddo) is a cunning, mysterious pirate Viking. He is half Danish, half Welsh, which makes him an outcast.

Appearance
Askellad is an average Viking sized warrior. He's very strong -he's proven this by chopping a man in full armor completely in half (down the middle)- being half Welsh and half Danish and is the son of a powerful warlord's slave; he's blond. Strength requires muscle and is not lacking and has a small beard that goes just around his mouth. Askellad has sharp and cunning eyes and is always in full armor. His constantly present sword gives an appearance of an alert general more than an old commander losing control.

Personality
Although Askeladd sometimes wants to give the impression of being weak, old, or not in control of his troops to his enemies, he's the exact opposite. He uses deception to give a false sense of 'we-can-win-this-no-problem'. Then to surprise them and take advantage of their momentary loss of sense and order to bring them down.

Background
Askeladd is the son of a Norse Viking and a Welsh noble woman. Witnessing how his mother, and her people was mistreated by the Norse and the English, Askeladd dispises his Scandinavian heritage and embraces the Romano-Celtic heritage of his mother, although, he is nevertheless shown to be a believer in the Norse Gods. Sharing the belief of Welsh people, Askeladd longs for the day when his King Artorius would return and liberate the Briton people from the Germanic oppression. However upon encounter with Prince Canute, he realizes that belief is nothing more than a fairy tale and decides to aid Canute in the greatest cause.

Role in the Series
Askeladd's role in the series is the captain of a notorious band of Viking pirates. He is the unlawful murderer of Thors. He's Thorfinn's 'boss' even though Thorfinn rarely listens to him, apart from when he gets a chance to fight Askeladd (his usual reward). He is a mentor for Thorfinn and a catalyst that brings about the change in Canute.