File:Viking Questions for Assassin's Creed- Valhalla Director!

Ubisoft Montréal's Darby McDevitt (Narrative Director of Assassin's Creed: Valhalla) answers questions about the real Viking history and Old Norse lore that went into Assassin's Creed: Valhalla, in this Crowdcast recorded live on December 2, 2020 with Patreon supporters of Dr. Jackson Crawford. Timestamps:

0:51 Is there a book where I can find all the game's tattoo designs? 3:08 Are the NPCs speaking Old Norse, Modern Icelandic, or what? 6:25 Why were some stories from Norse myth altered for the game? 11:19 What made Ubisoft go with 'Eivǫr' for the character's name? [spoilers] 16:07 What inspired the game's version of Ívar the Boneless? 18:30 Can the runic tattoos be translated or are they just for show? 20:56 Does Jackson Crawford have a cameo in the game? 22:13 Will we meet some of the Norse gods within the game? [spoilers] 25:42 What mix of runes and futharks was used in the game? 27:22 What research was done into Dark-Ages combat techniques? 34:43 What inspired the game's focus on Viking-Age England? 49:57 Talk about the "flytings" (word battles) in the game. 44:38 Did Crawford's advice lead to any major changes in the game? 48:51 Talk about difficult tasks you had in consulting on the game. 52:02 Why is fate "woven" instead of "carved" in the game? 56:03 How many stanzas of Hávamál are in the game? 59:01 Are there any Old Norse dialect features reflected in the game? 60:49 Will we see Eivǫr in any future Assassin's Creed games? 61:39 How involved was Jackson Crawford in creating the game? 64:16 Are the ambient NPC languages realistic to the time and place? 67:07 What specific sites in Norway inspired the scenery in the game? 69:36 Is Odin presented more as a wise counselor or a manipulator? 72:01 Will we see recognizable characters from Icelandic sagas in the game? 74:07 Were real sagas inspirational in writing Assassin's Creed: Valhalla? 76:25 How did you adapt the structure of real sagas in writing the game?

Jackson Crawford, Ph.D.: Sharing real expertise in Norse language and myth with people hungry to learn, free of both ivory tower elitism and the agendas of self-appointed gurus. Visit https://jacksonwcrawford.com/ (includes bio and linked list of all videos).

Jackson Crawford’s Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/norsebysw

Visit Grimfrost at http://www.grimfrost.com?aff=183

Latest FAQs: https://vimeo.com/375149287 (updated Nov. 2019).

Jackson Crawford’s translation of Hávamál, with complete Old Norse text: https://www.hackettpublishing.com/the-wanderer-s-havamal-4275 or https://www.amazon.com/Wanderers-Havamal-Jackson-Crawford/dp/1624668356/

Jackson Crawford’s translation of The Poetic Edda: https://www.hackettpublishing.com/the-poetic-edda or https://www.amazon.com/Poetic-Edda-Stories-Hackett-Classics/dp/1624663567/ Audiobook: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Poetic-Edda-Audiobook/1982597550?qid=1542115406

Jackson Crawford’s translation of The Saga of the Volsungs: https://www.hackettpublishing.com/the-saga-of-the-volsungs-4098 or https://www.amazon.com/Saga-Volsungs-Lothbrok-Hackett-Classics/dp/1624666337/ Audiobook: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Saga-of-the-Volsungs-Audiobook/B07L44HRNH

Music © I See Hawks in L.A., courtesy of the artist. Visit http://www.iseehawks.com/

Logos by Elizabeth Porter (snowbringer at gmail).