vikings

Welcoming a Viking and rugby aficionado! Meet Donovan Cook, author of Son of Anger

Today, I am pleased to welcome Donovan Cook to my blog as part of hos Coffee Pot Book Club tour. Donovan is a South African with a passion for rugby and Vikings. A rather good combo, IMO, as I believe my Viking forebears woud have thrived on the rugby field. Still, one can’t help but …

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The hidden past – in which Christina Courtenay follows in the steps of the Vikings

Lately, my reading has included several books set in the 9th to 11th century, a period of time that comes to us as vague echoes through the mists of time. One of my recent reads is Hidden in the Mists, Christina Courtenay’s excellent dual time line book (more of that below) Her book made me …

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When Poppa met Rollo – Cathie Dunne gives us an insight into 9th century politics

Some weeks ago, I had the great pleasure of reading Cathie Dunne’s book about Poppa of Bayeux and her hubby Hrolfr, a.k.a. Rollo (To us Swedes, he is Gånge-Rolf, so named because he was so big and strong no horse could carry him, hence he had to walk. Gånge means walker) Anyway: I realised I …

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The Lords of the Wind – a viking saga by CJ Adrien

Today, C.J. Adrien has popped by to visit my blog as part of his ongoing book tour with The Coffee Pot Book Club. Mr Adrien’s recent release details the exploits of Hasting, a viking who, among other things, ravaged the Mediterranean in the 9th century. Now those of you who follow my blog will know …

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Visiting with Vikings – of Birka, shield maidens, and a brand-new release

Some weeks ago, I visited Birka. Okay, so for many of you, the name does not lead to an immediate “Oh. Birka! I’d love to visit some day.” Understandable, as Birka is nothing if not understated. In fact, stepping ashore the island Björkö in the Stockholm archipelago where Birka is located is more or less …

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Spelling it out in Viking times – a post about runes

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 …

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Dragging an obscure Viking boy into the light

Those of you who pop by my blog regularly will know by now that I spend a lot of time in Britain and Spain, mostly in medieval times or in the seventeenth century. Now and then I do dip into Nordic history, but in general those forays are rare. Today, I thought I’d introduce you …

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Bringing God to the Vikings

In those faraway times when the Scandinavian region spawned bellicose Vikings at a horrifying rate, most of Europe was already adequately christened. Not so Norway, Denmark or Sweden, where the ancient religion honouring Odin, Thor and Frey was alive and kicking well into the second millennium. Adam of Bremen, writing in the 11th century, has …

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A king, a famine, an epithet

Back in the good old days, kings were elected rather than born to the ermine. Okay, so I’m talking the really, really good old days, well before our distant ancestors had left their pagan beliefs behind, a time in which being the king was not only a secular but also a religious role. Obviously, being …

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Ragnar and Aslög – the true (?) story

Right, so I thought it about time to set the facts straight – just in case anyone is thinking Vikings is a correct portrayal of dear old Ragnar. (Not that I care, not with Travis Fimmel to rest my eyes on) First of all, I thought it might interest you to know that Ragnar Lodbrok …

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