Sons of Halver

I am a Halverson.  In our culture, our family name is patronymic; it conveys the lineage from the fathers side of an even earlier male ancestor.  We are the sons of Halver.

Not this Triple H

I am exceedingly proud of my heritage.  Being the only son of my father, I am solely responsible for carrying on our family name.  That can sometimes be a bit of a burden to bear considering the triple-H implications.  What is our history?  What is our heritage?  And possibly most importantly, who was Halver? 

I find that I sometimes struggle with my expectations of being Halver's son.  Am I worthy to bear this name?  Will my sons be as proud of their name as I am?

My immediate experience with our history comes from my grandfather and my father. These are great men and surely worthy to be called Sons of Halver.

Grandpa:  Hard-working

Dad:  Self-sacrificing and Loyal

Me:  Will Halver be proud?

When I think of these men, it is hard to not be in awe and wonder if my own sons and grandsons will reflect on me with similar inspiration. 

As to other Halverson's of historical note, I have no idea.  Apparently we are a prolific lot (73,515 from the 1920 census)and you can find us mostly in Minnesota and Wisconsin (and bordering states*) as well as Washington state.

There are 14 Paul Halverson's on Facebook.  Richard Halverson was a chaplain to the U.S. Senate from 1981 to 1994 and Courtney Halverson is a "famous" actress.

Our heritage is Scandinavian (Norwegian, Swedish and Danish), with alternate known spellings of Halverson being Halvorson, Halvorsen and Halversen.  (Any Alverston, Alterson, and Averton are posers and only wish they could be considered Sons of Halver)**.   We are Vikings.  Víking refers to an overseas expedition (Old Norse fara í víking "to go on an expedition"), and víkingr, to a seaman or warrior taking part in such an expedition.

Vikings, in our modern era, have a poor reputation as savages and pagans mostly due to Adam of Bremen.  Mr. of Bremen chronicled Scandinavian history in his 4th book which was likely written to inspire future missionaries to the desperate need of the Vikings.

Eirik: "That's it, I'm going to kill Adam of Bremen!"
Jorgan: "Don't you think that's just proving he's right?"
Eirik: "But he is misrepresenting us!"
Jorgan: "Only history will tell how we are remembered.  Just be yourself."

However, Vikings were great explorers and warriors.  They had a code of honor among their culture that was misunderstood by those they encountered.  They were likely the cleanest people of their time and knew that first impressions would last.  But as with any people group exploring beyond their territory, one's ethos can come in conflict with another's, resulting in war and, er, conflict.  Vikings were quick to take advantage of their environment and adapted to be shrewd businessmen and are remembered as barbarians.

Bjorn: "Hey look!  Those people seem nice!"

You may ask yourself, where does Halver fit into this quagmire of reputation?  In the Scandinavian culture Halver wasn't originally a name, so much as it was an occupation^{[citation needed]}.  As was the case with many cultures before surnames were used, families might have been known by what they did.  The Smith's worked metal,  the Wagner's made or drove wagons, and the Tyler's created tile.  These are just a few examples (see here for more).  And as time passed and families expanded they were ever tied to their family history, though they may no longer be in the same line of work.  They became the sons of.

So what is it that a Halver did?  The name Halver is a variant of Halvard from the Old Norse Hallvarðr, composed of the elements hallr ‘rock’ + varðr ‘guardian’, ‘defender’.  The original Halvers were responsible for guarding the business acquisitions of an expedition ^{[citation needed]}, and ultimately responsible for dividing the proceeds to all who were involved.  A Halver was an important role on any outing and only those with honor and integrity were considered for the task.

As I reflect upon what it means to be a Halverson, I find that only time will tell if I have lived up to our name.  My grandfather and father have set an example to strive for with their history.  I am a part of a gregarious people with Viking heritage.  And though I may not be a halver, I still am to be a rock and guardian for my family.  I cannot control my history or heritage, but I can shape my future and what becomes the legacy of my sons, the sons of Halver, for our name will live on.

Son One

Son Two

____________________

*bordering states of Minnesota and Wisconsin are North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa and Illinois

**it's true.  Saxon's have been trying for years to claim Scandinavian lineage because Vikings kick Saxon butt.  Over half the battles fought between 836 and 1016 were won in Saxon territory which the chronicler failed to mention.  Besides look at their crest and pretend battle.

meh.

Saxon's pretending to be Vikings. (pink painted shield = exhibit A)

If you are looking for a good novels about the wars between the Danes (vikings) and Saxons, these are a great read:  The Saxon Tales, by Bernard Cornwell.



Or even better on Audio CD, performed by Jamie Glover.