This covers the beliefs and ideals that were set up for the Quincy Icelanders: stories of those who banded together against the evil spirits of Hollows and the Reapers in the view of the Norse people. It dates back from 800 AD Viking ages to Modern day, which adds fiction and Scandinavian folklore to a Bleach universe:

The story starts with Hollows overwhelming the new settlers in Iceland. Aware Shamans, Priests, and Monks attempt to deal with an inflicted 'plague' caused by the Hollows touch (Acid Mark). Many did not survive the 'plague', succumbing to either the effects from the Acid Touch or by the Hollows that seeked those 'touched'. Hearing their cries of help, and maybe out of fear of it spreading, Archer Monks (Quincy) began to migrate from Germany to combat the Hollows.

As the new Archer Monks combated the threat, it's obvious they are losing and all but a single Quincy from the first wave of arrivals are killed. This Archer Monk managed to hide from the onslaught and sent for aid from his fellow brethren - unfortunately, aid came in the form of very few, untrained Quincy. The lone Monk preserved on, despite the odds, using his Quincy abilities to extend his life (and youthful appearance) as years passed.

Taking matters into his own hands during this dire time, he began trained his own men (at the time a female Quincy was to be trained or offered service to be shield maidens). Proud to see these small tribes of his students grow, he began counterattacking with his people and spread out to defeat these 'bad omen spirits'. Many prayed to their Gods for the ability to kill the 'plague' and it's carriers, and soon all rejoiced as the beasts were driven back!


The Icelander Quincy were taught to hone their skills as many generations soon passed. Some of their power is thought to come from keeping their blood 'pure'; they arranged marriages to the few 'pure' females (Who were allowed to marry who they choose) to pass the bloodline through the many small Pagan tribes scattered throughout the Island. Patriarchs and Prophets were formed from the newborn tribe of Quincy, passing verbal stories to their children about the Icelandic Plague and instilling in them the ideal of strength in numbers. As time pressed on, many of these small, isolated tribes banded together with other tribes to train in archery when the children soon reached an age between five and ten.

Their Pagan beliefs and system held strong until Ludwig (The Lone Archer Monk) passed away, his age caught up to him despite his attempt to lengthen his life. With so many tribes gathered together now, they formed their first Order, ushering in a new age for the Quincy. Because many tribes were not apart from the Order, tribal knowledge and scripts were rarely exchanged with the Order, and Vise Versa (even then, it was in secret). Eventually, one boy (who grew up as a strong believer in Protestantism later on) gathered most of the remaining tribes to form a Monastery deep within the woods (Just south of Reykjavik), claiming he had "Seen the small folk wishing to help, and they agreed to help him and his people find hidden meeting spots where they could remain concealed and build their Monastery without attacks."

Monastery Locations
There are two known Monasteries in Iceland; one in Heiðmörk Nature Reserve just south of Reykjavík and the other near Sauðárkrókur, in the mid-northern part of Iceland.

Both are located in obscure hidden areas - for Heiðmörk's Monastery, one must follow a certain trail with certain rock formations. The trail leads to the cave of Draugahellir Lava Tube, which can only be navigated through with the help of the Native Quincy. Once guided to the end of the Lava Tubes, they traverse a narrow path in the cave which looks like a dead end; in truth, it's an illusion that only the Native Quincy break, allowing passage into a beautiful new area with cliffs, waterways, as well as an abundance of flowers, vines, and paths leading round the face of the cliffs all the way down to the Monastery grounds.

Current Grandmasters/mistress:
Ósvald Grandmaster of Sauðárkrókur, Iceland.
Eiríkur Grandmaster of Clan Bergrisi, Reykjavik,Heiðmörk, Iceland
Heiðmörk was proclaimed a municipal conservation area of Reykjavík in 1950. It is located southeast of Elliðavatn, Iceland, and is about 6 miles from the city of Reykjavík. Its name is derived from its namesake in Norway.




Before the Order was set up in Iceland and before Christianity (until the 10th century political pressure from Europe to convert to Christianity) made much impact to the Island, there were loose groups (tribes) spread about Reykjavik, capital and largest city of Iceland. They were all Pagan believers, seeing the dead (Hollows) as bad omens. These dead plagued the lands causing many of the settlers to set up wards and prayed to their heroic Gods, until 60 years later a small band of 'Monks' were called into service by Bishop Ísleifur Gissurarson to help rid of these ill inflictions people caught and died from when they were touched by the dead. These ' Archer Monks' became the human mediums having not only the ability to see, but the ability to detect the existence of the dead. They were a loose group only to be paid and move, but the spirits here proved to be too difficult for these archers. They fought for weeks until there was only a remaining monk left named Ludwig. He hid for months, only aiding when he could within the small town of Reykjavik.

The common folk were marked by Hollow's acid like touches. Those that survived the mark were later hunted down by the bad "spirits". Women who bore child that were marked gave birth to children that developed hollow-esk powers later on in their life - many saw them as ill-fated. Ludwig was growing desperate through the years, and learned to preserve his youth through his bloodline. Without the aid of Bishop Ísleifur sending reinforcements during his time in Germany, Ludwig searched for any other capable archers on the island. Through the harsh winter he traveled the desolate open lands of Iceland, and to his surprise, discovered an abandoned group of monks were trapped behind a mountain cave, guarded by two men dressed in the opposite colours of the Shinigami robes. It did not take long for Ludwig to fool these 'mask-less hollows', with a bit of tactical thinking and clever wording, to see why these monks were being hostages. Ludwig managed to find out they were kept to be experimented on for their 'El Rey'.

The Arrancar were also curious of Ludwig as he could see them. Instead of showing hostile intent Ludwig would share his philosophies to gain their trust, at first putting paranoia aside. It took much endurance, cunning, and timing to lure these other realm spirits into a false sense of security, but as soon as this occurred he cleverly 'relieved' The Arrancar from their post for a few moments so they could report back to their superior. With this time, he removed the boulders carefully by chiseling away with his spirit weapon until he could free the others. The hostages turned out to be weak Quincy, but Ludwig saw potential to train these five men and woman. Steeling their courage and their loyalty in Ludwig, they would follow him out of the mountains back to town. Here he would train and impart his wisdom to these monks for when The Arrancar return, furious that they had been tricked. They worked together to take down the two Arrancar (when they appeared) with the skill they lacked before. After a bloody battle, they survived with no lose of their own. They looked up to Ludwig to be their leader and he was proud to teach and strengthen the bonds of Icelandic Quincy.

Beliefs
The Heathen Quincy at the Time
In Modern Heathenry, there is a strong focus on healthy families. Nearly every local Icelandic Quincy group encourages the whole family to be involved in celebrations to the Gods that occur in groves close to nature. Loyalty to one's family is seen as being of the top-most importance.

The most commonly used term for local Heathen groups is "kindred," and most kindreds are organized in a structure similar to an extended family. The Heathen Quincy work to build healthy relationships with gods and goddesses, ancestors, spirits of the land, and others in their communities. Both through holy rites and through their day to day actions and deeds, the Quincy would have called their life-style simply "my beliefs or customs."

The Quincy used their bangles and crosses as magical practices, including the carving of runes onto talismans, Mjolnir pendants, and numerous weapons and bracteates with runic characters scratched or cast onto them of Ullr (The god of hunt and archery in Norse Mythology). At the time, it was written that the reishi was ancestral power from nature and the dead spirits that passed, allowing those who possessed reishi to use their bows. Those who manifested such power believed that the focal point of their weapons (akin to the modern cross) carry the will, or sometimes a small part, of all their former wearers. The crosses carry the wishes of those chosen for the afterlife in Valhalla, and has thus strengthened its power, and the user's ability to carry that will out.
The major God(s)at the Time:

Ull ('Glorious') was famous for his marksmanship, and well for known for being astonishingly quick on snowshoes, and skis. His weapon was a longbow made out of Yew, a mighty shield that he could transform at will into a vessel to cross the seas, and rune engraved bones that he could use to cross waters (skates?). He also had a magic finger ring the mortals used to swear on. He lived in his castle at Ydal (Yew Dales), a place of pleasant dales where the yew trees grew. Ull is the son of the golden-haired Sif and the stepson of the god Thor. It is unsure who his father is. Some say it’s Orvandil the Archer. Ull was husband to Skadi; whom he spent the winters hunting with her, and the summers in Helheim with Hel. According to one myth, Ull had reigned as head of the Aesir for a period of ten years while Odin was banished by the other gods for disguising himself as an older woman to trick Rind to giving birth to Balder’s avenger. On Odin's return, Ull went and learned the art of magic and became a powerful sorcerer.


"Ullr" is considered the Guardian Patron Saint of Skiers (German Schutzpatron der Skifahrer). An Ullr medallion or Ullr ski medal, depicting the Scandinavian god Ullr on skis holding a bow and arrow, is widely worn as a talisman by both recreational and professional skiers as well as ski patrols in Europe and elsewhere."

Skaði

[i]In Norse mythology, Skaði (sometimes anglicized as Skadi, Skade, or Skathi) is a jötunn and goddess associated with bowhunting, skiing, winter, and mountains. Skaði is attested in the Poetic Edda, compiled in the 13th century from earlier traditional sources; the Prose Edda and in Heimskringla, written in the 13th century by Snorri Sturluson, and in the works of skalds.

In all sources, Skaði is the daughter of the deceased Þjazi, and Skaði married the god Njörðr as part of the compensation provided by the gods for killing her father Þjazi. In Heimskringla, Skaði is described as having split up with Njörðr and as later having married the god Odin, and that the two produced many children together. In both the Poetic Edda and the Prose Edda, Skaði is responsible for placing the serpent that drips venom onto the bound Loki. Skaði is alternately referred to as Öndurguð (Old Norse "ski god") and Öndurdís (Old Norse "ski dís", often translated as "lady").

The etymology of the name Skaði is uncertain, but may be connected with the original form of Scandinavia. Some place names in Scandinavia, particularly in Sweden, refer to Skaði. Scholars have theorized a potential connection between Skaði and the god Ullr (who is also associated with skiing and appears most frequently in place names in Sweden), a particular relationship with the jötunn Loki, and that Scandinavia may be related to the name Skaði (potentially meaning "Skaði's island") or the name may be connected to an Old Norse noun meaning "harm". Skaði has inspired various works of art.

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