On a clear day I stood on the shore of the Blackwater estuary in Essex. Across a tidal causeway was Northey Island, and sheltered in the inner estuary was the town of Maldon. It was here, on the 11th August 991, that Maldon earned its place in history. The Battle of Maldon saw the destructionContinue reading “The Battle of Maldon“
Tag Archives: Norse
“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”
Destiny & Free Will in the Northern World
People Linked by Destiny Some months ago, I was explaining the Law of Surprise to a friend. The law is a device in the world of Andrej Sapkowski’s The Witcher, and runs like this. Let us say that I am beset by bandits on the road. You hear my cries for help and, skilledContinue reading “Destiny & Free Will in the Northern World”
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”
Positive Pedantry: The Last Kingdom
It seems that it is impossible to produce historical fiction without provoking a swarm of online pedantry. From the angle of thatch to armour, from battle tactics to clothing, finding videos and content criticizing the reality of this or that facet of historical shows is sadly easy. Now while pedantry is satisfying in aContinue reading “Positive Pedantry: The Last Kingdom”
The Cross and the Hammer: Christianity in Anglo-Saxon England
Christianity has a long history in Britain, but from where did it originate? Below is my attempt at a brief history… Glossary Angelcynn – the Old English word meaning the Anglo-Saxon peoples, literally ‘Angle-folk’ Bishopric – the area controlled by a bishop. The more modern term Diocese came to be used by the time ofContinue reading “The Cross and the Hammer: Christianity in Anglo-Saxon England”
Sagas from the Sea 