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Author Archives: Patricia

Vikings Valhalla 1.5: Just Your Typical Viking Feast

Posted on March 1, 2022 by Patricia

This episode begins with Freydis at the temple in Uppsala, praying before Thor and Odin. This is all part of the Norse gods vs. Christian God theme that runs through the series. And yes, this was a time of change … Read More →

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Vikings Valhalla 1.4 The Battle at London Bridge

Posted on February 28, 2022 by Patricia

Question One: Did Olaf Haraldsson pull down London Bridge? Yes. But he did it in 1014. In that year the armies of  Swein Forkbeard had taken control of England and London. Æthelred, Emma and their sons had fled to Normandy. … Read More →

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Vikings Valhalla 1.3: The Viking War on England Begins

Posted on February 27, 2022 by Patricia

Remember, we’ve telescoped time in this series. Events that happen in the course of a year are actually pulled from an entire decade between 1002 and 1015.  Episode 3 starts with gruesome scenes of battle and plundering in Kent. We … Read More →

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Vikings Valhalla 1.2: Enter the Queen

Posted on February 26, 2022 by Patricia

There is a lot to unpack in this second episode of Vikings Valhalla, most of it having to do with what’s happening in England. The thing is, we know a lot about what was happening in England because we have … Read More →

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Vikings Valhalla 1.1

Posted on February 25, 2022 by Patricia

The first thing that the audience watching VIKINGS VALHALLA needs to do is to throw away the historical timeline because that is what the script writer, Jeb Stuart, has done. Let me give you some examples: The opening scene takes … Read More →

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A Family Tragedy

Posted on February 5, 2022 by Patricia

In 11th century England the blending of royal families due to consecutive marriages of both king and queen could result in dissension between step-brothers and half-brothers. In one case it led to disaster: the death of Alfred Ætheling. On 5 … Read More →

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On the Life & Early Death of the Ætheling Athelstan

Posted on June 25, 2021 by Patricia

Athelstan was the eldest son of King Æthelred II of England. One of at least 9 brothers and sisters, Athelstan was born sometime in the mid-to-late 980s—we don’t know the exact year—and he died on 25 June 1014 at about … Read More →

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The Queen Behind the Queen

Posted on June 22, 2021 by Patricia

The first 2 novels of my trilogy show a Queen Emma whose face is turned away from the reader.  But for my third novel I wanted to show a stern, determined Emma, and I knew exactly what she should look … Read More →

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A Cornwall Recollection

Posted on June 13, 2021 by Patricia

As the world turns its eyes on the G7 Summit currently taking place in Cornwall, I’m reminded of a lovely book published by Wanderland Writers in 2015 filled with stories and poems written by a group of travelers visiting, most … Read More →

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Vikings or vikings?

Posted on June 6, 2021 by Patricia

In Chapter Two of The Steel Beneath the Silk King Æthelred asks his son Athelstan why he has arrived several days late to an important meeting of the witan. Athelstan responds, “I was in Devon, my lord, responding to news … Read More →

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