Vikings may be coming to a certain other franchise this year, but there was a hint of Norse in another popular franchise that came out a few years ago. Rockstar Games is known for hiding little easter eggs and mysteries throughout its games, one of which was stowed away in Red Dead Redemption 2. Traveling to the northern part of Annesburg, players can find a secret location in the forest entitled "The Old Tomb."
Based on the real-life American Stonehenge, there's a Viking burial site in Red Dead Redemption 2 complete with a usable Viking Helmet and Viking Hatchet just next to the Roanoke Valley River. Although it's not exactly a "Viking" burial site per se, there's tons of skeletons left beyond with very little clues as to what happened there. Over time, a few other Viking hints were discovered in New Hanover that clued fans into what exactly happened in the Old Tomb. While the true nature of the Old Tomb remains a mystery, here's the evidence to piece together why the Old Tomb exists.
Here is a little backstory: the Old Tomb in Red Dead Redemption 2 is based on an archeological site in Salem, New Hampshire. Called "America's Stonehenge," the site is a collection of structures and chambers that all collectively represent potentially the oldest man-made construction in the United States. Put together using various large rocks, it represents a type of construction likely beyond the time of the pilgrims. While its history is contested regarding who exactly built these structures, America's Stonehenge has been the subject of several conflicting reports on its purpose. In the context of the game, however, the site in-game leans into evidence that suggests America's Stonehenge was initially built by a Viking settlement. The other theory is that it was built by Native Americans, throwing a wrench into initial presumptions.
Players can find the Old Tomb in Red Dead Redemption 2 by heading to Annesburg in New Hanover. Starting from the mining town north of Van Horn trading post, players can follow the path west until they reach the Kamassa River in Roanoke Valley. Cross the river and climb the ridge to find the point of interest called Old Tomb. Within it, players can find the Viking Helmet and the usable Viking Hatchet. There's also an Ancient Viking Comb collectible hidden behind several human skulls in one of the chambers, but notably, the remains do not appear to be that of the vikings.
Speaking of skulls, when players reach the Old Tomb, they may be surprised to find the main source of mystery behind the location. Within the open area of the tomb, players will find a pile of skeletons around one sacrificial-looking slab where a single skeleton lays. Many assume at first glance that it's simply just a Viking burial ground and that's where they were buried together, no big deal. But interestingly enough, that's not where the story ends, as those remains may not even from Vikings at all. It seems this Red Dead Redemption 2 mystery is not as cut and dry as it seemed.
Eventually another interesting find was discovered towards the easternmost edge of Red Dead Redemption 2's world map. Players will need to head northwest from the Annesburg mining town along the shoreline. Atop one of the bluffs along the rocky shoreline lies a mysterious stone slab with an inscription on it. Entitled "Old World Scripts," this Point of Interest has a message written in Old Norse about a presumed Viking expedition that had arrived in New Hanover many thousands of years before. The message reads approximately like this: "We arrived by boat. Beautiful land. Gracious People. So we left them to live in peace." However, even that wasn't the full extent of this mystery.
Of course, this doesn't come to pass, presumably. Considering the pile of bones inside the tomb itself, many assumed these were the bodies of dead Vikings who could've been murdered by Native Americans or otherwise. But that's not the case as it turns out. The inscription on the Old World Scripts rock had a poem scribed within the Nordic snake surrounding the script. The poem discusses an old Nordic legend of Tyr and the melting of ice as the sign of a good harvest. In reality, it seems this poem is an allegory for what the Vikings actually did. Considering Tyr is the Nordic god of war, fans may be able to infer what happened next.
It seems the poem is referencing a graphic interaction between the Vikings and who are presumably Native Americans. Where the bodies in the tomb were assumed to be that of dead Vikings, it turns out those skeletons may be from Native Americans instead. Reading the poem over again, it's very possible the signs of a good harvest were a metaphor for the Vikings murdering the natives to take any food/supplies they had. And considering when Arthur discovers the Viking Hatchet, he pulls it out of one of the human skulls, it's an even stronger inference that those dead bodies are not the Vikings themselves. It also lines up with a theory that the real-life American Stonehenge was built by Native Americans as well.
A grim story indeed, but a very interesting and surprising mystery to come out of Red Dead Redemption 2. Plus, seeing Arthur in a sweet Viking helmet is a treat in and of itself.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is available now for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One.
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