Thors Snorresson

Thors is Thorfinn's father and was once a feared general of the Jomsvikings, an elite band of Viking warriors. He was so strong in battle that people called him 'the Troll of Jom.' Many think he is the greatest fighter in the whole series. He beat both Askeladd and the giant Thorkell in one-on-one fights.

After his children were born, Thors grew tired of war and killing. He faked his own death and slipped away to Iceland with his wife, Helga, where he lived quietly as a farmer and a man of peace. He became a calm, wise leader in his small village. His belief in peace is a lesson his son only begins to understand many years later.

In time, the Jomsvikings learned he was alive and called him back to fight. He was betrayed, and Askeladd's band was hired to kill him on the way. Thors beat Askeladd in a duel, but he gave up his life to protect his son and the young men traveling with him. His death sets off Thorfinn's long path of revenge, and his ideas about peace become the heart of the whole story. Unlike many characters in Vinland Saga, Thors is not based on a real person.