Sandra Hill - [Vikings I 05] (39 page)

Love is a fiercesome weapon,
Stronger than lance or bow
,
It can bring a man low
,
And raise him on high
,
All in a single blow
.
Rurik was the strongest warrior
,
Feared and lauded by all
,
But when it came to it
,
A mere Scottish witch
Was his downfall
.
The gods have a sense of humor
,
On that everyone is agreed
,
Why else would they have created
Man’s love of woman
Save that they needed a joke on high?

There is nothing more compelling than a Viking … unless it’s a Scottish Viking. And, yes, there were Vikings in Scotland as early as the tenth century.

The first Norsemen came to Scotland before the ninth century … at first, as plunderers, later as settlers, seeking new lands to cultivate since their native Scandinavia was becoming overcrowded and rife with politics. The primary sites they homed in on were the Hebrides, and the Orkney and Shetland islands, because they could be easily reached by sea from their homeland. When they settled on the mainland, it was primarily in narrow coastal areas, unlike the broad regions they terrorized and settled in Britain.

Although I have written six other Viking novels, this is my first venture into Scotland. If I thought writing early medieval novels about Vikings in Britain or Norway was difficult, I was stunned by all the
complications that cropped up in this Highlands setting. I love Scottish novels, but, believe me, Scotland has a totally different language, culture, geography, and people, despite being next-door neighbor to Britain.

With that in mind, and for the sake of my modern readers, I have taken some literary and historical licenses and provide these disclaimers:

(1) Scotland
. There is disagreement as to when Scotland first took on that name, rather than Pictland. I have sided with those historians who claim the kingdom began to be called Scotland by the end of the term of Constantine, who died in 952.

(2) Campbells
. In Gaelic, Clan Campbell followers were called Clann ua Duibhne, after Duncan mac Duibhne, and the name did not actually change to Campbell till the thirteenth century. Campbells generally settled in Argyll in western Scotland. I have placed this small fictional subgroup of the Campbell clan earlier in history and in another geographical area.

(3) Language
. Just as modern readers would be unable to understand the Medieval English spoken in Britain at that time, they would be equally unable to understand Gaelic, which was the primary language of Scotland during the tenth century, not the Scots language, which is really a lowland form of twelfth-century English—actually several regional dialects evolving out of twelfth-century English.

(4) Clans
. Clan names, per se, were not used in the tenth century. There were groups of people similar to clans, and the word
clan/clann
was used during this period, and earlier, since it means child or children,
but it wasn’t used as part of a proper name. Actually, if I were going to be strictly correct (which I choose not to be) the “mac” should be dropped as being redundant; therefore, a person would not say Clan MacGregor or Clan MacNab, but instead Clan Gregor or Clan Nab.

(5) Names
. In Gaelic oral tradition, a man was better known by his father’s and grandfather’s name than by his place of origin or other descriptions. Modern readers would get a headache with these often lengthy, hard-to-pronounce Gaelic designations, which changed with each generation and with women who often took on their husband’s name. For example, Alasdair Maclain MhicCaluim was Alexander, son of John, grandson of Calum. (“The Evolution of the Clans”: )

In Scotland, as in many other countries of that time, people were just given a single descriptive name, such as John Black-teeth, Robert of Red-hair, Rurik the Warrior, Mary the Dairymaid, or Kenneth the Blacksmith. You can see how cumbersome this could become in a novel, especially if there were more than one John or Robert or Rurik or Mary or Kenneth.

Also a man’s name might be different depending on whom he was addressing. For example, the same person might be John Duncanson to Scots, and Eroin mac Donnchaidh in the isles, or Johannes filius when speaking or writing Latin.

Confused enough yet?

It goes against my journalistic background to have to provide these disclaimers. Historical accuracy is extremely important to me in my work. But then I
have to remind myself, these are romance novels. In all my Viking novels, I have created a fantasy Norse world against a historical backdrop, and in each of them the most important elements are the romance, the humor, and the sizzle (in that order).

In essence,
The Blue Viking
represents the way I imagine history could have been lived, not necessarily the way that it was.

A special thanks goes out to fellow Dorchester author, Melanie Jackson, who was gracious in helping me with some of the Gaelic and Scottish history.

As always, I am interested in knowing what you readers think of my Vikings. I can be reached at:

Sandra Hill
PO Box 604
State College, PA 16804
[email protected]
http://www.sff.net/people/shill

’Tis enough to drive a sane Viking mad, the things Tykir Thorksson is forced to do—capturing a red-headed virago, putting up with the flock of sheep that follow her everywhere, chasing off her bumbling brothers. But what can a man expect from the sorceress who put a kink in the King of Norway’s most precious body part? If that isn’t bad enough, he is beginning to realize he isn’t at all immune to the enchantment of brash red hair and freckles. But he is not called Tykir the Great for nothing. Perhaps he can reverse the spell and hold her captive, not with his mighty sword but with a Viking man’s greatest magic: a wink and a smile.

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Dorchester Publishing Co., Inc.
P.O. Box 6640
Wayne, PA 19087-8640

Please add $2.50 for shipping and handling for the first book and $.75 for each book thereafter. NY, NYC, and PA residents, please add appropriate sales tax. No cash, stamps, or C.O.D.s. All orders shipped within 6 weeks via postal service book rate. Canadian orders require $2.00 extra postage and must be paid in U.S. dollars through a U.S. banking facility.

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He is six feet, four inches of pure unadulterated male. He wears nothing but a leather tunic, speaks in an ancient tongue, and he is standing in Professor Meredith Foster’s living room. The medieval historian tells herself he is part of a practical joke, but with his wide gold belt, callused bauds, and the rabbit roasting in her fireplace, the brawny stranger seems so… authentic. Meredith is mesmerized by his muscular form, and her body surrenders to the fantasy that Geirolf Ericsson really is a Viking from a thousand years ago. As he helps her fulfill her grandfather’s dream of re-creating a Viking ship, he awakens her to dreams of her own until she wonders if the hand of fate has thrust her into the arms of the last Viking.

___52255-1                                              $7.99 US/$9.99 CAN

Dorchester Publishing Co., Inc.
P.O. Box 6640
Wayne, PA 19087-8640

Please add $2.50 for shipping and handling for the first book and $.75 for each book thereafter. NY, NYC, and PA residents, please add appropriate sales tax. No cash, stamps, or C.O.D.s. All orders shipped within 6 weeks via postal service book rate. Canadian orders require $2.00 extra postage and must be paid in U.S. dollars through a US. banking facility.

CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE! www.dorchesterpub.com

Other
Love Spell
and
Leisure
books by Sandra Hill:
TRULY, MADLY VIKING
THE LOVE POTION
THE LAST VIKING
FRANKLY, MY DEAR…
THE TARNISHED LADY
THE BEWITCHED VIKING
THE RELUCTANT VIKING
LOVE ME TENDER
THE OUTLAW VIKING
SWEETER SAVAGE LOVE
DESPERADO

TRULY, MADLY VIKING

“Once again the ingenius Ms. Hill brings a megadose of humor to her captivating and fun-filled time travels. Another winner!”

THE LOVE POTION

“The very talented Sandra Hill adds to her already impressive list of reading gems with this delightfully funny and sexy tale.”

THE BEWITCHED VIKING

“A humorous, adventurous, sensual tale!”

THE LAST VIKING

“A fun, fast-paced, page turner. The reader feels Sandra Hill’s real joy in creating her story and the wordplay between the characters enhances the story.”

THE OUTLAW VIKING

“Sandra Hill has written an entertaining battle-of-the-sexes romance that will keep readers laughing to the very end.”