England in the 9th Century On 12th June 918, Athelflaed, Lady of Mercia, died in Tamworth, in the heart of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia. She was a respected military commander, and a queen in all but name. But who was she, and what was Mercia? At the opening of 9th century, Mercia was oneContinue reading “Æthelflæd, Lady of Mercia”
Category Archives: Viking
“No Man Am I, You Look Upon a Woman”: Women in the Northern World
I was 14 when I saw The Two Towers in the cinema, and I never forgot it. The narrative leads inexorably to the Rohirrim, who even then I recognised as something from England’s ancient past. They wore mail, fought with spears and round shields, lived in wooden halls and had fantastically Old English soundingContinue reading ““No Man Am I, You Look Upon a Woman”: Women in the Northern World”
Review: JRR Tolkien, The Legend of Sigurd & Gudrún
A confession; I have never cared for the music of Wagner. When I was younger, it stirred no emotion in me and I thought it over-wrought and melodramatic. Tolkien however, was a different matter. I found his works beautiful, sweeping and emotional, as well as much more grounded in the forest and the mountainsContinue reading “Review: JRR Tolkien, The Legend of Sigurd & Gudrún”
An Arrow to the Knee: Skyrim & the Northern World
Glossary DLC – An acronym for Downloadable Content, this is additional content released by a studio after the game’s release Dungeons & Dragons –abbreviated to ‘D&D’, this is a cooperative tabletop role-playing game. One person is the Dungeon Master, controlling the world, the enemies and its inhabitants, while the others play as characters in theContinue reading “An Arrow to the Knee: Skyrim & the Northern World”
Vengeance, Voyage & Adventure: Reading the Icelandic Sagas
Listen! The voice calls through the hall. The wind howls outside, and the fire crackles. The family gather round on benches. The speaker, maybe a parent or skald, by this single word has captured your attention, and they unfold their tale… This article is about the Icelandic sagas, the great tales that beganContinue reading “Vengeance, Voyage & Adventure: Reading the Icelandic Sagas”
Setting the Record Straight: Viking Warriors
Glossary Who Would Win in a Fight Between… On 2nd February this year, the Swedish games studio Iron Gate released Valheim, a survival and crafting game set in an imagined Viking afterlife. As of 3rd March, despite the game being still in early access, it has attracted more than 5 million players worldwide. This isContinue reading “Setting the Record Straight: Viking Warriors”
Sagas from the Sea 