Book Review: God’s Hammer by Eric Schumacher

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Book Review, Eric Schumacher, God's Hammer, Hakon's Saga, Historical Fiction, Medieval

Title: God’s Hammer (Book 1 in Hakon’s Saga)

Author: Eric Schumacher

Independently Published in 2005

352 Pages (Paperback)

Blurb: History and legend combine in the gripping tale of Hakon Haraldsson, a Christian boy who once fought for the High Seat of a Viking realm.

It is 935 A.D. and the North is in turmoil. King Harald Fairhair has died, leaving the High Seat of the realm to his murderous son, Erik Bloodaxe. To solidify his claim, Erik ruthlessly disposes of all claimants to his throne, save one: his youngest brother Hakon.

Erik’s surviving enemies send a ship to Wessex, where the Christian King Athelstan is raising Hakon. Unable to avoid his fate, he returns to the Viking North to face his brother and claim his birthright, only to discover that victory will demand sacrifices beyond his wildest nightmares.

I was swept up in the action and enthralled by the descriptions of Hakon’s struggle. -Roundtable Reviews-
I highly recommend this historical fiction novel, both for its entertaining story and historical information. -Historical Fiction Review-

My Take: This book gripped me from the first chapters and never let me go. The further I got into the book, the harder it became to put down at the end of a lunch break or when it was time for bed. The appeal in the book was more than the excellent immersion into medieval England, Viking culture, and the conflict of a Christian King ruling over a pagan group of people. The storytelling and character development were excellent, making me care about Hakon and those he came to care about along the way.

The historical expertise of Mr. Schumacher is on full display throughout the entire story. He manages to make the period of history come alive, complete with the conflict that surfaced as Christianity and Paganism clashed. Hakon himself is an outcast everywhere he goes: his story begins as a Pagan child coming to serve under a Christian king. When Hakon’s father dies, he returns to his homeland as a Christian leading Pagans. And this is where the greatest conflict arises, and is handled quite well along the way. By the end of the book, there isn’t some magical conversion of the entire country, so there is promise for continued tension in the sequel.

Overall this was one of my favorite reads of the year. It has great historical immersion, an engaging plot, internal and external conflict on multiple levels, and complex characters. What more could you ask for from a book? I’m very much looking forward to reading the next book in the series to see what happens in the aftermath of God’s Hammer.

 

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Medieval Book Club: The Anglo-Saxon Age by John Blair

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Anglo-Saxon, Book Review, John Blair, Medieval, Medieval Book Club, Michael D.C. Drout, The Anglo-Saxon Age: A Very Short Introduction

Welcome to the first ever Medieval Book Club post on this blog. Here I will share some of my thoughts on the book, some observations on the material itself, and open a few questions toward you, the reader.

In case you missed it, for February we’re going to be reading two Anglo-Saxon Poems: Genesis A & B. Those poems are ones you can read free online, just follow the link to my preview post and you will find the link there to the poems. I hope you can join me for next month’s discussion as well, and I’ll be keeping this going all year long with posts on every third Thursday of each month in 2017.

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this little book. It seemed to me like a perfect gateway book into the time period of the Anglo-Saxons, providing just enough information to give you some familiarity yet not so much as to overwhelm a reader who is new to that period of history or, quite frankly, isn’t big into reading history books. There were times and places where I wished there was a little more information, such as Alfred the Great (who earned only a single page), but I also understand the need for brevity. This is, after all, a very short introduction. Enough to whet the appetite rather than to sate the reader.

The size of the volume is perfect, being both thing and short to make it very portable. It is the sort of book that could fit in a purse or a pocket or even squeezed into a very full suitcase. Everything inside is in black and white, but even without color the maps and pictures included are nice and help to enhance the reading experience of the book. There aren’t many images along the way, but there doesn’t need to be. I also love the recommended reading at the end, providing some books that were referenced in compiling the information and organizing things into topics.

All in all, I loved this book for what it was. It was an excellent way to kick off a reading kick into the Angl0-Saxon time period, and has certainly managed to make me want to read more about some of the events, kings, and battles that took place over the course of this era.

Observations: There is a lot of stuff crammed into such a short space. They could have probably done one of these books for each chapter within this book and still not covered everything in the detail required. I couldn’t help, while reading, to remember the acronym MCGVR (MacGyver) that Dr. Drout mentioned in his Anglo-Saxon course:

M – Migration of tribes to England, approx. 500-600 A.D.
C – Conversion to Christianity, approx. 600-700 A.D.
G – Golden Age of Anglo-Saxon culture, approx. 700-800 A.D.
V – Viking Raids and destruction of Anglo-Saxon culture, approx. 800-900 A.D.
R – Reform and rebuilding of Anglo-Saxon culture, approx. 900-1000 A.D.

While those numbers are rounded to make things easier to remember, it is a fairly good way to remember the key periods in Anglo-Saxon history, with just the period from 1000-1066 being left off there.

I find the conversion period to be an interesting one, with some rulers embracing Christianity, others rejecting it but allowing their sons to practice it. The first Anglo-Saxon Christian kings appear during that period and it is always interesting to see how the religion slowly seeped into the culture and society. I also love reading about the Viking raids, a period rife with wars and conquests and, of course, King Alfred. It is a period covered in the TV Show The Last Kingdom by BBC, based on the series of books by Bernard Cornwell.

So I look forward to eventually reading more about those two parts of the Anglo-Saxon history in particular, as well as learning more about a few of the figures from history. Obviously, King Alfred is one. Edward the Confessor and Aethelred the Unready would make for interesting figures to study, as they were the ones leading into the conquest of 1066. Hengest and Horsa were supposedly figures that Thomas Jefferson really loved (and he was an Anglo-Saxonist himself, believing that the government of this time period was among the greatest in history and he wanted people to learn Old English). There is, as I’ve mentioned, so much history in this period that could be covered. I haven’t even touched on the battles, such as the Battle of Hastings in 1066.

The image I loved the most was, of course, the map of Anglo-Saxon England in there. I want one of those for my office wall!

Questions: Okay readers, here are some questions for you:

1. What were your overall impressions about the book? For what it claims to be (a very short introduction), does it accomplish that task well?
2. What period in the Anglo-Saxon history interests you the most (see the MCGVR for a breakdown, but don’t forget that 1000-1066 is an option as well!)?
3. What figures mentioned in the book interested you enough that you’d want to read more about them?
4. Are there any battles, or series of battles, that you’d like to read more about?
5. Any additional thoughts you might have about the book.

Book Review: Julian of Norwich by Janina Ramirez

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Biography, Janina Ramirez, Julian of Norwich, Medieval, Medieval Literature, Non-Fiction, Revelations of Divine Love, SPCK

Title: Julian of Norwich: A Very Brief History

Author: Janina Ramirez

Links

• Clip from author’s BBC 4 documentary
• Author interview on BBC Radio Oxford
• Author’s twitter profile
• Author website

Published by: SPCK on 10/1/2016

Blurb: ‘A great, very readable introduction.’ – Danièle Cybulskie, Medievalists.net

Over six hundred years ago a woman known as Julian of Norwich wrote what is now regarded as one of the greatest works of literature in English. Based on a sequence of mystical revelations she received in 1373, her book is called Revelations of Divine Love.

Julian lived through an age of political and religious turmoil, as well as through the misery of the Black Death, and her writing engages with timeless questions about life, love and the meaning of suffering.

But who was Julian of Norwich? And what can she teach us today?

Medievalist and TV historian Janina Ramirez invites you to join her in exploring Julian’s remarkable life and times, offering insights into how and why her writing has survived, and what we can learn from this fourteenth-century mystic whose work lay hidden in the shadows of her male contemporaries for far too long.

A Note From the Publisher

Janina Ramirez is the course director on the Undergraduate Certificate and Diploma in History of Art at Oxford University. She has written and presented numerous BBC history documentaries, the most recent of which, ‘In Search of the Lost Manuscript: Julian of Norwich’ (BBC 4) aired in July 2016. She is the author of The Private Lives of the Saints: Power, passion and politics in Anglo-Saxon England (W. H. Allen, 2015).

My Take: This was my first encounter with anything by, or about, Julian of Norwich. As a growing Medievalist, I had her works on my radar so when I had a chance to read and review a copy of a short introduction to the woman, I had to jump on it. It was not only worth my time to read this wonderful book, but it has also convinced me to make Julian’s Revelations of Divine Love one of my must-read books of 2017.

The title promises this to be a very short introduction and, indeed, it succeeds at accomplishing just that. In four short chapters, the reader is given a better understanding of who Julian of Norwich was, what she wrote, how it compares to some of her contemporaries such as Margery of Kemp, what makes her work, and life, unique and worth our interest, and why we should still be reading her today. At no point does this book feel like it is overloading the reader with needless information. Rather, the clear prose of Janina Ramirez is open and inviting enough to compel the reader to want to know more about this woman and convince them that her work should be read and studied still today.

In short, this is a wonderful book to read for both newcomers and those who have read and studied Julian of Norwich. Reading this excellent book makes me wish that every Medieval author had such a nice, brief introduction available to expose the reader to who they are and why they should still be read today. This book is definitely a must-read for anyone interested in Medieval history or literature, Medieval religious authors, or who are looking to find an author whose Christian experience is something different than those flooding the current Christian bestseller lists.

Book Review: The Faraway North by Ian Cumpstey

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Ballads, Book Review, Ian Cumpstey, Medieval, Medieval Literature, Scandinavian, The Faraway North, Translation

Title: The Faraway North: Scandinavian Folk Ballads

Translated and Introduced by: Ian Cumpstey

Published by: Skadi Press (June 23, 2016)

Pages: 91 (eBook)

Blurb: These ballads convey a fantastic vision of the world as it was imagined in medieval Scandinavia, with monsters and magic intermingled with the very human concerns of heroism, tragedy, love, and revenge.

The great hero Sigurd is joined in this collection by troll-battling warriors including Holger Dane, Orm the Strong, and others. There are dramatic scenes of romance, betrayal, and loss. Some of the ballads translated here are attested by paintings or maps that date from earlier than when the first full ballad texts were first written down in the 1500s. An adventure ballad relevant to the history of an Eddic poem is also included.

The ballads are storytelling songs that were passed down as part of an oral folk music tradition in Scandinavia. This collection brings many new ballads to the English-speaking reader. The readable verse translations succeed in conveying the rhythm, spirit, and imagery of the originals. The translations are mainly based on Swedish and Norwegian ballads, with some from Danish tradition.

For each ballad, there is also a short introduction with commentary and background information.

The paperback edition includes fifteen full page black-and-white illustrations.

The ballads included are:
Åsmund Frægdegjeva; Steinfinn Fefinnson; Esbjörn Proud and Orm the Strong; Sunfair and the Dragon King; Bendik and Årolilja; Sigurd Sven; Sivard Snare Sven; Little Lisa; Sven Norman and Miss Gullborg; Peter Pallebosson; Sir Svedendal; King Speleman; Holger Dane and Burman; Sven Felding; St Olaf’s Sailing Race.

Praise for Warrior Lore:
“A charming introduction to Scandinavian Lore.” — Sam Smith, in The Journal (once ‘of Contemporary Anglo-Scandinavian Poetry’)

My Take: Oh how I loved reading through this. The Medievalist in me delighted at these short and catchy ballads. Ian did a great job at translating them in a way where repetition, rhyme, and rhythm all seemed to be in tact. Being no expert at Scandinavian, I cannot say how faithful the translations themselves were to the original text but, based upon the notes provided I am inclined to trust that Ian is knowledgeable about the language as well as the lore surrounding these Medieval Ballads.

The introductions accompanying each ballad did a good job of setting the scene for the events about to transpire. There were plenty of times that, without those introductions, certain details or events might have been overlooked upon a first read because they appear in allusions or in fast-passing moments during the ballads. So those introductions are perfect companions to each ballad in this collection.

There are a lot of similarities with these ballads and the literature of the Anglo-Saxons and the Icelanders, the two areas of Medieval literature that I am most familiar with. After reading this collection, I feel a level of comfort in expanding my interest to Scandinavian literature from that period as well and look forward to uncovering more literary treasures and seeing what else Mr. Cumpstey has to offer. I cannot express enough how wonderful this short collection of ballads was to read, and highly recommend them to anyone with an interested in literature from medieval cultures or even fans of fantasy.

I was provided a free eBook copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

Medieval Armor: Leather

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Armor, Leather Armor, Medieval, Medievalist Monday

Welcome to part one of an unknown number where I will be looking at some of the common types of armor worn during Medieval England and, perhaps, Medieval Iceland. To start things off, I am looking at one of the most basic pieces of armor: leather armor. While there are many other parts of armor that were worn, for the purpose of this series I am solely looking at, and considering, the body armor. In the future I may look at shields, helmets, bracers, and many others.

When you think of the medieval times, odds are you think of a suit of metal armor. Many knights and lords would certainly go around armed in that manner, but not everyone could afford a suit, much less a shirt, of chain mail or plate mail to provide defense. So a poorer person might wear either leather armor, or else a gambeson (more on that next week!) when they went into battle. Some protection would be better than nothing, right?

Leather armor was made from boiled hides, a process which would harden them to where they could be worn and offer protection, while still allowing a reasonable amount of movability. A style of combat similar to modern fencing would likely have been an ideal situation to wear this armor, as it would allow agile motions due to flexibility and the light weight.

Image from wulflund.com

 

The primary purpose of armor was to stop, or deflect, the blows from the opponent. As the weaponry of an era advanced to penetrate a certain armor type, the armor would upgrade in ways to provide that protection. Unfortunately, leather armor would most likely have proven to be ineffective at stopping many of the attacks during this time. It would likely have been made from the skin of a sheep or goat, but an animal with a thicker hide (such as a bull) would have made a better layer of protection. In order to really provide the needed protection, the wearer would need several layers to deflect the blow from a sword, axe, or lance. Even a bludgeon weapon would be effective against a single layer of leather armor. This makes it unlikely that anyone who expected to be involved in serious warfare would wear leather armor, unless in layers or reinforced with strips of metal or some other device to improve its protective abilities.

This is not to say that leather armor was without its uses. There are some people who may have found it to be effective in certain situations. The common man or woman who sought some inexpensive layer of protection in the streets could have donned the leather armor. Seafaring men would have made use of leather armor, as chain or plate mail armor would prove too heavy to swim with should they fall overboard. So while mounted troops and infantry may have passed over the leather armor, there were certainly places where it might prove useful.

Image from behance.net

But, as you will see next week, the gambeson might have been the go-to armor of choice for those who were considering saving on price, or even those who wanted protection from projectiles and blades in combat.

Scop: The Medieval Minstrel

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Deor, Medieval, Scholarly Saturday, Scop

Welcome to another edition of Scholarly Saturdays. Today we are going to talk about scops, who performed the role that we commonly associate with either bards or minstrels. They were an integral part of the Medieval society and thanks to the scops we have some great works of literature today. The most notable of these is Beowulf, along with some other great poems from that time such as The Wanderer.

So what exactly did a scop do? Like the common perception of a bard or minstrel, part of their function was to entertain through songs accompanied by their harps. Sometimes they might tell amusing tales to please the crowd and raise moral or lighten the mood. They also could chant a recitation of an epic story, recounting the deeds of great heroes and giving honor to those men and women. This was the primary way for that society to preserve the memory of a culture for future generations.

They were far more important than a more modern perception of a poet of minstrel, though. They were present in a time when there were few forms of entertainment. They clearly had no television to watch, and even books were a very uncommon thing at the time (not that many people could even read or write well to take advantage of books) so the scop was the primary form of entertainment. This is why many scops had a permanent place with the kings, lords, jarls of the areas and so the life of a scop could have a firm place with food and shelter. But others would travel the countryside, bringing life and entertainment wherever they might happen to be staying.

One of the great benefits that a scop would bring, apart from the sheer value of entertainment, was the ability to transport the audience to new places. The people in this time might never travel far beyond the borders of their own birthplace, so much of the world around them would remain a mystery. So the scops could allow them to experience new sights and adventures that they would otherwise never get to experience in their own lives.

The ability of the scops to memorize long bits of poetry are the reason why we have so many great poetic works surviving today from that era. One of the Medieval poems that I find to be interesting is Deor, which is actually a lament written by a scop about his own life, or rather a wistful look back at his previous station in life that he no longer holds. Here is a link to a translation of the poem, which you can also listen to Seamus Heaney read (I recommend doing both!)

And, for the full experience, here is a video of it being recited in Old English and being accompanied by a lyre: