Vinland Saga: Does Arnheid Die? Here’s What Happened

While we all know that the Slavery arc of Vinland Saga focuses a lot on Thorfinn’s character development from an angry teenager to a pacifist, we also know that a good part of this arc revolves around the secondary characters. After all, their stories also helped develop Thorfinn’s character and his goal to get to Vinland. One such character that allowed Thorfinn to grow into a true man was Arnheid. So, what happens to Arnheid, and does she die?

Arnheid died in the events of the Vinland Saga. While Ketil was away, Arnheid tried to escape the farm with her husband, Gardar, who escaped from a nearby farm. Gardar, however, died from his injuries as Arnheid failed to escape the farm. An enraged Ketil beat Arnheid so hard that she died from her injuries.

The biggest reason why both Thorfinn and Einar were quite hesitant in looking forward to their lives as free men was the fact that Arnheid was never offered the same opportunity to become free. In that regard, her death allowed them to finally decide what they wanted to do once they were free. So, with that said, let’s look at Arnheid’s fate in Vinland Saga.

Arnheid’s Fate Explained

The people that Thorfinn met and befriended during the events of the Slavery arc were crucial in his development as a character. Through these people, he could see a new perspective on life. As such, he steadily evolved from a rage-fueled teenager that only wanted revenge into a young adult man that no longer wanted to hurt or kill anyone. Of course, Einar, his best friend, had much to contribute to his development.

While working on Ketil’s farm, Thorfinn and Einar were allowed to become free men by working hard on the plot of land that they were allowed to cultivate. As such, they were looking forward to becoming free men. But Einar, on the other hand, was confused about the prospect of becoming free because he knew that Arnheid, a slave working as Ketil’s personal servant, was not offered the same chance.

Earlier in the storyline, Arnheid was revealed to be Ketil’s concubine as he spent lonely nights with her. He was so attached to her that he wasn’t willing to let her go, as he believed that Arnheid was the only one that could understand that he wasn’t the strong-willed Viking man that other people thought he was. As such, Arnheid didn’t have the chance to work for her own freedom, as it was clear that Ketil would never let her go due to his attachment to her.

While Ketil and his sons were away to see King Canute, things on the farm became chaotic. That’s because it was revealed that Gardar, a slave that escaped from a nearby farm after killing his master, was actually Arnheid’s husband before she became a slave. Arnheid and Gardar once lived peacefully in a small village with their son, Hjalti. However, after Gardar and the other men left the village to go to war, Vikings arrived to raid the village.

The Viking raid was the reason why Arnheid became a slave. On top of that, Hjalti was killed because childless women fetched higher prices in the slave market. And that was how Arnheid became a slave that was bound to Ketil, who might have been a lot kinder than other masters but was still someone who took advantage of slaves.

Gardar, however, got to Ketil’s farm, where he wreaked havoc by killing some of Snake’s men. But while Gardar was strong, he was badly injured when he escaped from his master’s farm. His wounds were left untreated, and Arnheid tried to treat his wounds before Gardar attempted to escape again.

Despite Thorfinn and Einar intervening in the problem due to their wish to see Arnheid being able to live a free life with Gardar and her unborn child from Ketil, Gardar died from his untreated wounds. Meanwhile, Arnheid was captured by Snake’s men and was held captive right before Ketil returned to the farm.

Ketil was not the same kindhearted man he was when he left the farm. That’s because Canute’s machinations forced his sons to kill some of the king’s men, meaning Ketil and his sons were now fugitives on the run. Ketil realized that the ordeal with King Canute ruined his career as a farm owner, so he returned to his farm as a man who could no longer control his emotions.

When Ketil learned that Arnheid tried to escape with her husband, Ketil suddenly snapped. Despite Arnheid telling him she was pregnant with their child, Ketil still beat her to a bloody pulp. Arnheid eventually died from the injuries she suffered from Ketil’s beating.

Arnheid’s Death’s Lasting Impact

Only a while after Arnheid died, Ketil realized that he beat her so hard that she succumbed to her injuries. The loss of his farm to King Canute and the death of his beloved servant forced Ketil into retirement. But Arnheid’s death had an even bigger impact on the lives of both Thorfinn and Einar.

As mentioned, Thorfinn and Einar were excited about becoming free men. However, they had reservations. Thorfinn didn’t know what he wanted to do after becoming free because the only thing he knew before becoming a slave was to be a warrior. Meanwhile, Einar wanted to stay on the farm to work for Ketil but also had reservations about becoming a free man because he knew Arnheid, who he cared for, would never be free.

Of course, the option to work on Ketil’s farm was no longer available to them because Canute had taken over the farm. In that regard, Arnheid’s death allowed Thorfinn to Einar to realize that they needed to do something bigger with the freedom that they earned.

Even though Thorfinn and Einar were treated well enough by Ketil, they still knew that there was nothing good about being a slave. On top of that, they both detested war because it only hurt people and opened the floodgates for slavery. That was when they both decided to go on a journey far west to search for the mythical land called Vinland, the story Thorfinn grew up on while listening to Leif and his many tales as a sailor.

Thorfinn and Einar wanted to establish a settlement far from the reach of the Vikings and free from things like slavery and war. As such, they both worked hard to achieve their dreams of reaching Vinland. And upon reaching Vinland, they established Arnheid Village in honor of their fallen friend, Arnheid.