Vikings

It seems to me there is an interest in the Viking Age these days. Here is a trailer for a new series at History Channel. The main character is Ragnar Lodbrok, one of the legendary heroes in the old sagas.

Beowulf and Sigurd the dragon slayer

Once more I have read Beowulf by Seaumus Heaney, a very good reinterpretation of the Old English poem. Unlike many readers of the old story who are preoccupied with Grendel, the monster, I am most fascinated by the description of the dragon and the final underground fight in which both the serpent and Beowulf dies. What intrigues me with the poem’s depiction of the battle is the important part played by Wiglaf, Beowulf’s brave and loyal retainer. He stood the ground when the other followers fled at the sight of the flame-spitting dragon, and without Wiglaf Beowulf would never been able to kill the ravaging “sky-plague”, the burner of homesteads and humans. If you google or browse the Internet in search of pictures of the famous fight, you will very seldom see Wiglaf play any part in the slaying of the dragon.

The Thing

"Around the king his soldiers sat, fully armed. They had armour and shields, spears, and swords or axes. With helmets over their faces they looked like evil spirits, but now they were bareheaded, their helmets lying on the ground. The Thing was a place of peace."
(From The Slayer Rune)

Odin

"Of course, Odin was the most unyielding of the gods. He looked terrible, a big tongue dropping out of his mouth. The painted carving made it look like Odin had been hanged, his tongue was blue. But then, Odin was the dead people's god. He was also master-of-runes and knew all the forces, both past and present."
(From The Slayer Rune)

Coming soon!

"It was summer. He was young, and he was desperately in love with Ylajali, the most stunning thrall girl he had ever seen. And Helgi Blackbeard, the king's captain-of-arms, had plotted to marry her, for his own sick pleasure. The events took place during the king's stay at Vik, Sigve's homestead. But how he had dared carve those runes on Gisli's sword-hilt, Sigve could never figure out."

To readers: The Slayer Rune is in its final stages of editing and proof-reading, and a Kindle version will be published on Amazon in a matter of weeks. The Lethal Oath will soon follow, and I have also started drafting a third book in the series with the working title Gold. In the mean time you can read excerpts here on the blog, and for those really interested I may have a special offer at the end of chapter three.