I never understood why Dag was always on Eivor's case like that.
I got why, but the game never really explored it or outright stated it.
Basically:
Eivor and Dag are both Sigurd's vassals. Their loyalty and glory more or less belong to him. As far as Dag is concerned, that should make them both equal, but Sigurd chooses Eivor as his stand-in, since Eivor is his adopted sibling. Dag is immediately set against Eivor from jealousy.
Compound this with the alliances: every time you gain an alliance, it's from Eivor's actions, which means Eivor is the one getting praises and promises of friendship. Not Sigurd. And Eivor doesn't do anything to point that praise towards Sigurd; if anything, Eivor points to Clan Raven as a whole instead of themselves. To Dag, who obviously has a need for being in the middle of things (see: his boat stories), that's a dual crime of taking glory that belongs to a liege lord and not being proud of it. All of his goading deals with Eivor "taking glory", trying to make Eivor boast like Dag would boast.
Then, on top of it all, Sigurd isn't even around. When he is, he basically ignores or blows off Dag (from what we're shown) and focuses solely on Eivor or whatever is currently happening. Dag's left on the side in that regard and then, in their own village, Eivor is again the center of everything. Eivor has a respect that Dag doesn't.
In the end, Dag can't take his personal jealousy and how it's warped his sense of loyalty to Sigurd, and takes it out on Eivor. If he can get rid of the source of his jealousy, then all of what Eivor has should come to him, right?
The unfortunate thing is that we never got to see what would be the natural progression of such an arc: the minor betrayals, more interactions between Dag and Sigurd, Dag talking up his cause to others and trying to turn the town against Eivor, etc. that sell the motivation.
Dag Nithisson (died c. 875) was a Viking from the Raven Clan who lived during the 9th century. He was a childhood friend of Sigurd Styrbjornsson.
He was known among his crewmates for telling ship stories, a fact for which they mocked him, saying he had too vivid an imagination for the tales to be real.
Biography
Early life and raid on Rygjafylke
A childhood friend of Sigurd, the son of King Styrbjorn of Fornburg, Dag was considered toughest and strongest amongst Sigurd's group of playmates, and it was believed that if Sigurd were to become the future jarl of the Raven Clan, Dag would be chosen to be his right hand man. However, this changed when King Styrbjorn adopted Eivor Varinsdottir, whose parents Varin and Rosta were killed during a raid on Heillboer by Kjotve the Cruel and the Wolf Clan. Eivor became Sigurd's adopted sister and thus his closest companion.[1] This invoked the jealousy of Dag, who believed that Eivor stole his destiny and would-be glory. Despite this, Dag kept these thoughts to himself and never told Sigurd, remaining loyal to him throughout their years together.[2]
In 870, Sigurd left Norway and embarked on a two-year voyage across Europe, leaving Dag to accompany Eivor in his stead. That year, Dag accompanied Eivor and clan-mates Tora Auzoux to the outskirts of Rygjafylke to watch as a village was raided by Kjotve's clan. Before they could formulate a proper plan, Eivor charged into battle. Dag and Tora later followed after her. After attacking the raiders, Dag was injured receiving a spear through his shoulder. When Eivor's attempt to sway the village leader to pledge allegiance to King Styrbjorn ended in his death, Eivor had Tora make sure Dag's wound was treated by the village healer. Traveling back to Stavanger with Eivor's captured slave, Gull, Dag stood by as Styrbjorn chastised Eivor for dooming them all.[3]
Emigrating to England
In 872, Dag once again joined Eivor and her crew in a botched attempt to hunt down Kjotve. The crew were captured, with Eivor to be sent to slavery in Ireland, while Dag and the rest of the crew were to be brought to Avaldsnes and sacrificed in a blood ritual. En-route, Dag was able to free himself and eliminate his captors, and was soon joined by Eivor who freed herself as well. Dag was left to seize the beaches of Avaldsnes to recover their longship while Eivor rescued the crew within the settlement.[4]
When the Raven Clan resettled the Ragnarsson's encampment as Ravensthorpe, Sigurd ordered Dag to follow Eivor's commands, much to his resentment, which only festered as Sigurd remained absent. Dag believed Eivor only sought glory for herself rather than for her jarl, as he expressed during a feast prior to an attack on Ravensthorpe by Rued's clan, and when Eivor sat in Sigurd's throne when trying to pass judgment between Holger and Rowan while Sigurd was absent in Oxenefordscire with Basim.
Death
With his jarl kidnapped, tensions between Dag and Eivor escalated. Dag woke Eivor in the middle of the night and challenged her to a holmgang for leadership of the clan, accusing Eivor of chasing glory and not focusing on finding Sigurd. The resulting fight was Dag's last, as he refused an offer of exile and fought to his last breath.[5]
Behind the scenes
Dag is a character in Assassin's Creed: Valhalla. He is voiced by Norwegian actor David Menkin.
If players started the free Oskoreia Season event before completing the memory "A Brewing Storm", Eivor can find Dag's name and read a one-line memorial carved into the decorated longship in Ravensthorpe commemorating the deceased, as his death in unavoidable in the main storyline.
Gallery
Dag as he appears in Song of Glory
Appearances
- Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Song of Glory (first appearance)
- Assassin's Creed: Valhalla
- Dawn of Ragnarök (simulation only)
References
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Database: Dag
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Valhalla
- ↑ Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Song of Glory – Issue #01
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – Honor Bound
- ↑ Assassin's Creed: Valhalla – A Brewing Storm
Characters |
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Factions | Assassins | Hidden Ones (British Hidden Ones • Frankish Hidden Ones • Roman Hidden Ones) • Templars (Order of the Ancients • Zealots • Red Hand) • Anglo-Saxons • Britons • Picts • Gaels (Norse-Gaels • Uí Néill) • Iroquois (Kanien'kehá:ka) • Norse (Elgring Clan • Clan Hemmingsons • Raven Clan • Wolf Clan) • Vikings (Jomsvikings • Shieldmaidens • Sons of Ragnar • Great Summer Army) • Thousand Eyes • Druids (Daughters of Nimue • Children of Danu) • Franks (Frankish Rebels • Bellatores Dei) | Isu (Æsir • Jötnar • Dwarf) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Locations | United States (Turin) | England (East Anglia • Wessex (Cent • Essexe • Hamtunscire • Suthsexe • Wincestre) • Mercia (Glowecestrescire • Grantebridgescire • Ledecestrescire • Lincolnscire • Sciropescire • Oxenefordscire • Lunden • Ravensthorpe) • Northumbria (Eurviscire • Jorvik • Snotinghamscire)) • Ireland (Connacht • Dublin • Meath • Ulster) • Isle of Skye • Norway (Fornburg • Hordafylke • Rygjafylke) • Vinland • West Francia (Amienois • Evresin • Melunois • Paris) | Asgard • Jötunheim • Niflheim (Kaldstad • Døkkerland • Nidheim • Helheim) • Svartalfheim (Gullnámar • Svaladal • Vangrinn • Eitri) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Events | COVID-19 pandemic | Unification of Norway (Assault on Kjotve's Fortress) • Viking expansion (Great Heathen Army • Battle of Chippenham • Siege of Paris) | Great Catastrophe (Ragnarök) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Terms and concepts | Achievements • Animus (Animus Anomalies • Codex • Genetic memory • Memories • Memory Corridor) • Cairns • Crafting • Currencies (Opal • Silver) • Customization • Flyting • Helix Credits • Irish Cycle pages • The Magas Codex • Orlog • Photo Mode • Pieces of Eden (Crystal Ball • Excalibur • Freya's medallion • Gungnir • Lia Fáil • Mjölnir • Odin's Eye • Staff of Hermes Trismegistus • Yggdrasil) • Rigsogur • Runes • Ships • Skills (Dual-wielding • Eagle Vision • Leap of Faith • Social Stealth • Swimming) • Standing stones • Tattoos • Treasures of Britain • Viewpoints | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weapons | Bearded axes • Bows • Dane axes • Flails • Hidden Blade • Scythes • Seaxes • Shields • Spears • Swords • Warhammers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
DLC | The Legend of Beowulf • The Way of the Berserker • Discovery Tour • Wrath of the Druids • The Siege of Paris • Dawn of Ragnarök |
Characters |
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Factions | Vikings (Raven Clan • Wolf Clan) • Hidden Ones • Order of the Ancients | |||||
Locations | Norway (Rygjafylke • Stavanger • Agder • Feiknstafir mountains) • Bulgar (Dniester) • Byzantine Empire (Constantinople) | |||||
Events | Unification of Norway | |||||
Terms and concepts | Pieces of Eden (Apples of Eden • Shrouds of Eden) | |||||
Weapons and Tools | Bearded axes • Dane axes • Hidden Blade • Shields • Swords |