Skalden
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Last updated: 2026-06-17Effective date: set on first public release

Welcome to Skalden ("the App"), operated by Gilb International (Norway) ("we," "us," "our"). These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your access to and use of Skalden and the website at skalden.app ("the Site").

By installing, downloading, accessing, or using the App or Site, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the App.

1. Eligibility

Skalden is intended for adults. The Norse sources are raw and unsanitised — gods who deceive and are doomed, sagas of honour, fate, and vengeance — and the App presents them true to those sources. You must be at least 18 years old, or the age of majority in your jurisdiction, to use Skalden. By using the App you represent that you meet this requirement.

2. Description of service

Skalden is an AI-powered iOS application that provides:

  • Conversations with AI personas of Norse figures — gods of the Norrøn age (such as Óðinn, Þórr, Freyja) and a saga-teller host for the Viking age
  • A switchable two-world experience — Norrøn (myth) and Viking (history)
  • Voice mode (optional) — speak with a figure and hear responses
  • Period imagery surfaced alongside the stories
  • Semantic search and reading grounded in public-domain Norse texts

The figures are generated by AI software (currently Anthropic's Claude API and related providers). They are not the actual gods or historical persons, have no divine, religious, or factual authority, and produce software output for personal, educational, and entertainment use. See Section 8 for the AI disclaimer.

3. Your account

You may use Skalden as:

  • An anonymous user (device-bound identifier; no sign-in required), or
  • A signed-in user via Apple Sign-In (recommended for cross-device continuity)

You are responsible for maintaining the security of any device or Apple ID associated with your use of the App. We are not liable for losses arising from unauthorised access to your account caused by your own negligence (e.g. a shared device).

4. Payments

  • The App is free to download.
  • Some features may be paid, purchased in the app through Apple's App Store (in-app purchase). Current prices and what each purchase unlocks are shown in the App before you buy.
  • All payments are processed by Apple. We do not process or store your payment card information.
  • Refunds for App Store purchases are handled by Apple under Apple's refund policy. For any other request, email support@skalden.app.

5. Acceptable use

You agree NOT to:

  • Use the App for any unlawful purpose
  • Attempt to circumvent any technical protections
  • Use the App to generate content that promotes hatred, violence, or harm to others — including attempts to steer the personas into ethnic-supremacist or "blood and soil" framings the Norse sources do not contain
  • Attempt to extract, copy, scrape, or reverse-engineer the AI models, prompts, or content
  • Resell or commercialise the AI responses
  • Impersonate any other person or use the App to defraud anyone

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms.

6. Intellectual property

6.1 Our IP

The App, the website, the Skalden name and branding, the underlying code, the prompts, and the user interface are owned by Gilb International and protected by applicable copyright and trademark law.

6.2 Source texts and images

The Norse texts used in the App are from public-domain translations and editions. The images are from public-domain or openly-licensed sources (with attribution tracked where the licence requires it). These source materials are not copyrighted by us.

6.3 Your content

You retain ownership of any text you type into the App. By using the App, you grant us a limited licence to process your input solely to generate AI responses, store your conversation history for your access, and operate the App's features.

6.4 AI-generated content

AI-generated responses are produced by software. Per the current legal landscape in many jurisdictions, AI-generated content may not be protected by copyright the way human-authored content is. You may use AI responses for personal, educational, and entertainment purposes and share them via the App's share features.

7. Termination

You may stop using the App at any time. To delete your account and personal data, use the in-app option or email support@skalden.app.

We may suspend or terminate your access if you violate these Terms or applicable law, or if continued provision of the service becomes commercially or legally infeasible. We will give reasonable notice except where immediate termination is necessary to prevent harm.

8. Disclaimers

8.1 No warranty

The App is provided "AS IS" and "AS AVAILABLE" without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement. We do not warrant that the App will be uninterrupted, error-free, or secure, nor that AI-generated responses are accurate or historically correct.

8.2 Heritage, not authority

Skalden is a software product for heritage and mythology. It is not a religious institution, a spiritual authority, or a scholarly source of record. AI responses are not divinely inspired and should not be treated as authoritative religious or historical guidance. For matters of living faith, consult the people who keep it; for scholarship, consult qualified historians and primary sources.

8.3 Crisis disclaimer

If you are experiencing a crisis, severe distress, suicidal thoughts, or any mental-health emergency, please stop using the App and contact a qualified human professional or crisis line:

  • USA: 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline), or text HOME to 741741
  • UK: 116 123 (Samaritans)
  • Norway: 116 123 (Mental Helse)
  • Elsewhere: findahelpline.com lists a crisis line for every country, or call your local emergency number

The AI is not a therapist and is not equipped to handle mental-health emergencies.

9. AI-generated content disclaimer (expanded)

You acknowledge and agree that:

  • The Norse figures in the App are generated by AI software (Anthropic's Claude API and related providers)
  • AI responses are software output, not statements by any god, spirit, or historical person
  • AI responses are subject to inaccuracies, biases, and errors inherent in machine-learning systems
  • AI responses are grounded in public-domain sources (citations available) but interpretations are software-generated
  • The App is not a substitute for qualified historical scholarship, the guidance of living faith communities, or professional medical/legal/financial/mental-health advice
  • You use AI-generated content at your own discretion and risk

10. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law:

  • We are not liable for indirect, incidental, consequential, special, punitive, or exemplary damages arising from your use of or inability to use the App
  • Our total aggregate liability for any claim arising from or related to the App or these Terms is limited to the greater of (a) USD 100 or (b) the total amount you have paid us in the 12 months preceding the claim
  • We are not liable for any decisions you make or actions you take based on AI-generated content

Nothing in these Terms limits or excludes liability for (a) death or personal injury caused by our negligence, (b) fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, or (c) any liability that cannot be excluded by applicable law.

11. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Gilb International, its directors, employees, and contractors from any claims, damages, or expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from your violation of these Terms, your misuse of the App, or your violation of any third party's rights.

12. Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. The "Last updated" date above reflects the most recent change. Material changes will be communicated via the App or by other reasonable means. Continued use of the App after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

13. Governing law and dispute resolution

These Terms are governed by the laws of Norway, without regard to conflict-of-law principles. Any dispute arising from or related to these Terms or the App shall be resolved in the competent courts of Oslo, Norway, except where mandatory consumer-protection laws in your country of residence apply.

Consumers in the European Union may also use the EU Online Dispute Resolution platform: https://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr

14. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is held invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force.

15. Contact

For any questions about these Terms or the App: