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Click hereThe concept of a Viking Shield-Maiden, or woman warrior, had been thought a fanciful creation of ancient texts, fiction writers, television shows, and movies. The recent discovery of two separate warrior graves, complete with swords, shields, axes, bows, and even the skeleton of horses, revealed that the occupants were female, thus validating the existence of Shield-Maidens.
After initial raids against monasteries in Ireland, Norwegian Vikings established winter camps, called longphorts, on the Irish coast in the early ninth century. These eventually became Viking trading centers, and later, Irish cities, such as Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Waterford, and Wexford. The early Vikings were called Finngaill, or 'light Vikings', possibly due to their blonde features. Near the middle of the ninth century, Vikings from Denmark arrived on the Irish coast. They were known as 'The Danes', and the Irish called them Dubgaill, or 'dark Vikings', possibly because their intention was not just trade, but conquest.
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Jorunnabout 1 month agoAuthorThank you AlexFourways. I do like your historically better description of measurement and will try to use it in future stories. This is the same Elin as mentioned in my latest story - A Maiden-Song. I hope in the future to write another story that will connect that story to Elin's arrival in Ireland.
AlexFourwaysabout 1 month agoJorunn, great story and I must read more of your works. As you know, and your story implies, the English work Viking means 'raider' and was not a specific race. My only comment on language is that you mention 'centimetres' for the strawberry spacing, where the use of 'finger widths' would have fitted better with the other words that have crept into the unruly and aquisitive Anglo Saxon tounge.
Jorunn7 months agoAuthorThank you Anonymous. Love hearing your own personal story. Vikings raided over a pretty wide territory and were as well traveled as any group of people. Interesting you point out DNA. I wrote about half of the follow-up story today, and will have it in the Winter Contest. The ending or epilogue is about the discovery of a female grave in Ireland, unusually buried with a sword, and it nicely finishes up the tale. But tracing the DNA leads to a current time waitress in Dublin who, like you, did not know she had a Norwegian ancestor.
Anonymous7 months agoI’ve always been told that I was Greek on my mother’s side and English and German on my father’s side. I’ve always been interested in Viking stories. Some time after reading searching-for-amarillo-pt-02 I was persuaded to take a ancestry DNA test. To my surprise I had very little German DNA instead of English I was Irish and instead of Greek I was Turkish but the big surprise was I am 21% Norwegian. That was not even on the radar. I found this out the day before the day before I read Wilde Irish Strawberries. That made that story somewhat personal. I thoroughly enjoyed the story. I know you intended for the readers imagine the ending but I hope you eventually write a second chapter. Love your stories please keep writing and posting here.
Jorunn7 months agoAuthorThanks all, for your comments. This is not a typical romance story, and I am glad you enjoyed it.
Jorunn7 months agoAuthorI left the ending rather vague, and the reader can fill in what they think might happen. It would not be a very romantic story for them to charge into town and get killed by the Danes. Nor would it be historically accurate for them to charge into town and chase the Danes away. The Danes actually fought both the Irish and the Norwegian Vikings and conquered both, with some believing this is what led to the Norwegian Vikings to go to Iceland and Greenland. The most likely ending and the one that fits history, is that the Elin and Eamonn join many other Vikings who intermarried with the Irish. But that would be another story.
technofrog20027 months agoI really enjoy your stories and the historical background. I’ve always had a fascination with Norse history and mythology. Thank you for sharing your talent and your knowledge.
Davester377 months agoThis is great stuff! It’s interesting to consider how cultures have mixed, through the millennia. I appreciate your storytelling. Thank you for writing and thank you for sharing your work.
