In 1842, Sweden implemented seven years of mandatory schooling for all children, no matter social background. Prior to that, a relatively large percentage of the Swedish population was analphabetic, this despite the fact that the Lutheran religion advocated that people knew how to read and write so as to properly study and appreciate the word …
It is estimated that approximately 40-50% of all present-day marriages in the Western Hemisphere end in divorce. A rather depressing statistic, some say. A consequence of longer lifespans, the anthropologist will counter, adding that few marriages in the past spanned several decades—usually they ended due to the untimely death of one of the parties. According …
I want out! – or how the history of divorce can inspire a book Read More »
Today, I’ve invited Christina Courtenay over to share some information on runes, the Viking way of writing. Up here in Sweden, we have a number of runestones standing like silent sentinels over those that came long before us. These days, we consider them precious remnants of our past, some generations ago, they were viewed with …
Spelling it out in Viking times – a post about runes Read More »
Ha! I bet that headline had your eyebrows travelling upwards. Seriously: a lightsabre in a medieval setting? Well, no, of course not: Char may excel at writing taut action scenes in her medieval novels, but she steers clear from anachronisms, and a lightsabre in the hand of Prince John would be…ludicrous (and scarily intriguing) …
Gripping a lightsabre in a medieval world – Meet Char Newcomb Read More »
Very many years ago, I read Edith Pargeter’s excellent quartet, The Brothers of Gwynedd. A sad and tragic story, featuring Llywellyn ap Gruffyd, the Last Prince of Wales and his baby brother, Dafydd (also the Last Prince of Wales – actually the Last Prince of Wales, seeing as he took over after Llywellyn was killed). …
A boring man begat a boring man who begat a dragon Read More »
…which, one would think, is not the best of topics on Valentine’s Day, but hey, love is love even when it isn’t quite enough, isn’t it? Today’s post is rather personal. I think (hope) it speaks for itself. ****************** She was fourteen the first time she saw him. He was a year older, a cocky …
Today, I have a real treat for you. And yes, I realise the title is a giveaway – naked and gorgeous, hey? Now, those who know me – or follow my blog – will know I don’t write much about the Georgian period. I have little liking for the Hanoverian kings and while I can …
Some people go out of their way to help other writers get their moment in the limelight. Helen Hollick is one such person – and seriously, I suspect she has some very, very special mushrooms growing in a wardrobe somewhere that she munches daily to keep her energy up. Since some years, she runs Discovering …
In 1283, the last true Prince of Wales, Dafydd ap Gruffud, was hauled up the gallows in Shrewsbury and subjected to the horrifying ordeal of being hanged, drawn and quartered. Whether he died bravely or not we do not know. Personally, I think it is unlikely any human being can be subjected to such cruelty …
“Do writers in general suffer from low self-confidence?” hubby asked me the other day. Hmm. I would not describe myself as low on confidence. Low on self-esteem, yes, but that’s another matter. Or maybe it isn’t, because if your self-esteem is a bit shaky you become vulnerable as to what other people think of you—and …
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