Entry One | Astrid of Nuremberg's Diary

Instructions

To whoever reads this journal: I am not sure if I will still be alive when you read this; however I am Astrid, daughter of Conrad, son of Godwin, son of Arne. I am descended from the famous Vikings, the pillagers of the North. I was born in Nuremberg, Germany. My Father was a doctor; he treated patients with diseases such as the Bubonic Plague, otherwise known as the Black Death. The Plague desecrated most of the European population making way for a new age, ‘The Renaissance’ or ‘Rebirth’. I was born at the start of The Renaissance when the poor started to get paid by wealthier men and women for their hard work. My Mother died giving birth to my youngest brother, Crispin. He is the youngest of seven children, all boys except for me. My Father was heartbroken, he died shortly after by being careless and eventually catching the plague from a patient. My Aunt Gregoria and Uncle Lothar came to take care of my brothers and I. I was never certain why but I think I might know now. My Uncle and Aunt despised me when I was younger. I had many near-death experiences that came about after the deaths of my parents. This never happened to any of my little brothers; my Aunt thought they were blessed by God and she thought that my soul was touched by the devil. They would send me out on little errands such as to the town well or the docks to haggle for fish. Once, I was standing on the dock, bartering with a fisherman who was on his boat, when a large barrel of salt came rolling down the dock and knocked me into the water. Another time, I was pulling up the bucket from the well when something hard hit me in the back of the head and almost knocked me headfirst into the inky blackness below. Clearly, some children nearby had been playing ball and had thrown it too far. One day an acquaintance of mine by the name of Sigrid told me in a hushed voice that her little brother and sister had been the ones playing ball and that a tall disagreeable looking woman had come and asked to play with them, her siblings naturally were polite and accepted and gave her the ball. I ground my teeth together recognizing the description of my Aunt. Sigrid then told me that her Father had been at the docks that fateful day as well and that he had seen my Uncle trip over a cat and fell heavily against the barrel of salt. I thanked Sigrid and went home. I realized that Gregoria and Lothar wanted me dead so that they could take all of my Father’s hard-earned money–money that rightfully should be my brother's and I’s–and land for themselves. Once I was gone they could take hold of everything and claim that they would hand it back over to my brothers when they were old enough and could fend for themselves. That night I took my Grandfather’s old fishing knife and cut my hair short like a boy. I shook my brothers awake and told them the circumstances and why it was no longer safe for me to stay in Nuremberg. The younger ones wept bitterly and I comforted them and said we all would eventually meet again. I did not think that this would ever be the case but I could not have them wake up my Aunt and Uncle with their crying and I had to go. They promised to never tell a living soul and then we said our goodbyes. I took my Father’s old horse, Njal, and rode down to the port in the dark. There I hopped aboard a ship called 'The Germaine’ set for Florence, Italy, and found a fisherman to take care of my dear Njal. I went and hid in the cargo hold behind some barrels of wine and dry goods. The ship lurched and I thought of the adventure ahead. -Astrid, Writ this day, 14th of September, 1415 A.D. At the docks in my home of Nuremberg.