Shieldmaiden (39 page)

Eahlswith
, Steinar's Anglian wife, Sigrid's sister-in-law

Edmund Aetheling
, Aethelstan's younger brother, King of Mercia and Wessex 939 – 946

Eirik Haraldson (Bloodaxe)
, son of Harald Finehair, King of Norway c. 930 – 935/6, challenged for the throne by younger brother Hakon, who gained support of most of the Norwegian chieftains. Eirik was appointed King of Northumbria by Aethelstan after the battle of Brunnanburh in 937, deposed by King Edmund in 939, reinstated 940.

Freydis Helgisdaughter
, Thorstein's wife, Sigrid's sister-in-law

Gudrun Haraldsdaughter
, Sigrid's mother

Gunnar Sigfusson
, owner of the dragonship Cloudrider which took Sigrid to Norway.

Queen Gunnhild
, Eirik Bloodaxe's wife, half-sister of King Harald Bluetooth of Denmark.

Gyda Sweinsdaughter
, Ragnar's sister

King Hakon
of Norway, took Norway from Eirik Bloodaxe 935 or 936.

King Harald Finehair
, King of Norway c. 872 – c. 930

Hauk Gunnarson
, wealthy farmer on Swanhill, Sigrid's first husband

Helgi Thorkilson
, Cumbrian chieftain, supports Sigrid at the Allthing.

Helgi Biornson
, Norwegian Jarl rebelling against King Hakon

Hrodney Rainesdaughter
, Yngvar Anlafson's widow, Anlaf 's mother, marries Thorfinn.

Ingefried Guthfrithdaughter
, Gunhild's servant from Norway, becomes Sigrid's servant.

Ketil Thorkelson
, thrall at Becklund.

Kirsten
, Old Kirsten's granddaughter, becomes Sigrid's serving woman.

Old Kirsten
, ‘wise woman', healer in Nidaros

Kjeld Gunnarson
, Hauk's half-brother.

Kveldulf Arnvidson
, Sigrid's father

Kveldulf Haukson / Ragnarson
, Sigrid's eldest son.

Lothar
, Ragnar's friend from Neustria.

Lydia
, Hauk's thrall-woman at Swanhill, mother of Maria, Anna and Jesus.

Mord Lambason
of Keskadale, Lawman.

Olaf Biornson
, Norwegian Jarl rebelling against King Hakon

Olaf Guthfridson
, King of the Dublin Danes with claim to be King of Northumbria.

Ole the Toothless
, thrall at Swanhill

Olvir
young thrall at Becklund, fostered by Sigrid

Ragnar Sweinson
, Sigrid's childhood sweetheart, son of Jarl Swein Hjaltebrand from Manx.

Rolf Kveldulfson
, Sigrid's eldest brother killed aged 12.

Skarthi
founder of Scarborough (Skarthi's borough)

Jarl Sigurd
of Lade, powerful Norwegian chieftain supporting King Hakon

Steinar Kveldulfson
, Sigrid's youngest brother.

Jarl Swein Ragnarson Hjaltebrand
, chieftain from Manx, Ragnar's father, Kveldulf Arnvidson's blood-brother.

Thora Sweinsdaughter
, Jarl Swein's daughter, Ragnar's sister.

Thorfinn Egilson
, Ragnar's father's housekarl.

Thorgunn Ketilsdaughter
, Hauk of Swanhill's mother

Thorstein Kveldulfson
, Sigrid's eldest surviving brother.

Toki
, Sigrid's mother's servant in Norway

Ulf Bjalkeson
, Anlaf 's friend from Kid Crag Farm on Crummockwater.

Yngvar Anlafson
, Jarl Swein's housekarl, married to Hrodney, father of Anlaf

William Longsword
, ruler of Normandy

Archbishop Wolfstan I
of York

HISTORICAL NOTE ON
SHIELDMAIDEN

Shieldmaiden is a work of fiction based on historical evidence and records. The Battle of Brunnanburgh is a true event described in the Anglo Saxon Chronicle and Egil's Saga, where it is called the Battle of Vin Moor. The Raid on Nidaros is fiction but, given that King Hakon's position still wasn't secure, there may well have been such attacks on him and Jarl Sigurd.

Although Sigrid, her family and the other people in Cumbria and Norway are fictional, we know that the Vikings on Manx did flee from King Harald Finehair's revenge and some of them are said to have ended up in Buttermere and Rannerdale but perhaps not at the time or in the manner I describe.

Jarl Sigurd of Lade and the kings: Aethelstan, Edmund and Hakon are real people and I have tried to stay true to what is known about them, their whereabouts and their actions at this time. Eirik Bloodaxe is more difficult to pinpoint; the Anglo Saxon Chronicle doesn't mention him until later but some sources state that he was king of Northumbria, under Aethelstan, after the battle of Brunnanburgh. I have bought into the bad press given by the sagawriters to his wife, Gunnhild. Archbishop Wolfstan is another true character who appears to have played his own political game in the North of England.

Archaeological and written evidence support traditional Scandinavian legends about warrior women called shieldmaidens.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

As for me, I was born and grew up in Sweden. I came to England to study for a year, met my husband and remained. We live in Leicestershire but enjoy visiting the old Danelaw, especially Cumbria and Yorkshire. I like to challenge the prevailing view of Vikings as mad marauders and remind people that they were also traders, explorers and farmers.

Marianne Whiting
March 2012

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I owe great thanks to Leicester Writers' Club, especially Rod Duncan and Chris d'Lacey, for their valuable critique and encouragement. I would also like to thank Jay Rigel-d'Lacey whose enthusiasm for Shieldmaiden kept me going through a difficult patch. Last but not least a big thank you to my husband Jon for his patience during numerous visits to museums and events.