Potentially Kaldheimian Characters
Spoilers, Rumors, and Speculation forum
Posted on April 19, 2019, 12:12 a.m. by ZendikariWol
I am 80% sure Saskia the Unyielding is from Kaldheim. Can anyone refute that or think of other characters you think may have originated from the Norse plane?
ZendikariWol says... #3
Idk that mist looks pretty chilly, maybe it was spring in Kaldheim? Wait do planes have seasons?
April 19, 2019 8:42 a.m.
A lot of people on the internet seem to think she came from the Ice Age of Dominaria, which is entirely possible. I also think Kaldheim is a possible location, or another yet-unknown plane based upon the English isles. Let's break down what we know about her:
Her name literally translates to "Saxon woman". For those who are not history experts, the Saxons were a cultural group with Germanic origins in Britain prior to the Norman Conquest. It would make sense to have her be on a plane defined by the Norse--the Saxons and Nordic people had a long and complicated history. Famously, Viking raiders would attack the English isles to pillage their monasteries, which tended to be less guarded and full of relative wealth.
However, the Norse-Saxon relationship was not always one of animosity. If one reads the Icelandic Sagas--which I highly recommend as many of them are fantastic works of literature--there are countless stories Icelanders fighting alongside the Saxons in their own internal conflicts or engaging in trade.
However, though that connection exists, we still cannot definitively say "this is Kaldheim". While we can reasonably assume Kaldheim is based on something Nordic, we do not have enough information to determine what that "something" might be.
Prevailing knowledge regarding the Norse generally falls into one of two categories:
The first is the view promulgated by Wagner--a view of Norse religion in a powerful, grandiose, sense. This is an interpretation that seeks to put the Norse heroes and their pantheon on par with the Greek and Roman. A modern example of this interpretation would be that of Marvel's Thor, which has firm roots in this view of the Norse. Assuming Wizards was paying attention to Saskia's etymology (which, if they didn't, I wouldn't be exactly surprised), it would not really make sense to have a Saxon-based character on a plane derivative of Wagner.
The second view is the more historical one, though this view has been tainted by simplistic education and inaccurate portrayals in film and television, such as the insultingly off-base Vikings show. Given the long and complicated Saxon-Norse relationship, it's entierly possible we could see Saskia on Kaldheim, if Kaldheim is based on a historical interpretation of Nordic culture.
April 19, 2019 9:35 a.m.
ZendikariWol says... #5
Ooh, actually I have a big wrench to throw into my own theory. The only confirmed character we have from Kaldheim is Angrath, Captain of Chaos , right? Well, look at the way he dresses compared to Saskia the Unyielding . Since Angrath got to Ravnica in sort of a hurry, either we know what everyday, peacetime clothing looks like on Kaldheim or we know that’s not Saskia’s home.
April 19, 2019 9:55 a.m.
ZendikariWol - source on Angrath being from Kaldheim? That would not make much sense if we're working on the assumption Kaldheim is Nordic in nature, as its etymology suggests.
April 19, 2019 10 a.m.
ZendikariWol says... #7
I kinda figured he was, given what I remember of the ending of Ixalan.
me, taking another look
Huh. Looks like nothing even hinted at that. Still, I like the idea of him being from Kaldheim.
Nevermind! The wrench is gone, Saskia still has a chance.
April 19, 2019 10:17 a.m.
The wiki says that Angrath has visited Kaldheim, but is not definitevely from there. So, Kaldheim is just a big question mark we do not know anything.
April 19, 2019 10:22 a.m.
landofMordor says... #9
cdkime that was my favorite post of all social media for at least the past month.
Quick question though -- to your knowledge, are there any pieces of contemporary literature or television that adhere to a historical view (without oversimplifying)?
Thanks! Now I gotta go track down some Icelandic Sagas.
April 19, 2019 1:21 p.m.
landofMordor - I have quite a bit to say on that subject, so I'll respond on your wall, rather than make a long, off-topic post!
Boza says... #2
We do not know where Saskia is from. However, Kaldheim literally means "cold place" and the people in that art have far too little clothes for that.
April 19, 2019 4:39 a.m.