‘Behind the Text 37. ‘The Wanderer’ 7 : ‘The Wastes of Gadarike’

Hi,

This book is the seventh in ‘The Wanderer’ saga and is set in Russia (988-90) – then known as Gadarike (‘the land of fortresses’).Chapter 1 was started in September 1998 but the rest had to wait another 5 years before they written. Why? I wasn’t sure how to continue the tale apart from a broad outline. Religious squabbles play a big role, and the Pechenegs a lesser one than originally intended. This shift in balance was undoubtedly affected by the much earlier completion of the Byzantine and MOST of the Palestine books. If the reader does read Books 8 & 9 in ‘The Wanderer’ they may understand my reasons.

This book starts with Ethelwulf and his followers being on the run and it ends that way too; the bit in-between doesn’t prove much better for our hero. For over a century Vikings (known here as Varangians) mainly from Sweden had used the river system to spread a rather patchy control based on Kiev (aka Holmgard). They became surrounded by a collection of Slavic peoples, often hostile, with their own cultures, religious practices and ambitions..

Into this morass Ethelwulf (sometimes derisively called ‘the Westerner’)steps to find his Christian faith rejected by Orthodox Christians – as well as by Moslems, Jews and pagans.  From the start he’s deceived and even recovering ‘stolen property’ adds to his store of enemies. His judgement is questioned regarding an instance of religious strife, his loyalty doubted when challenged by the vicious governor of Sarkel, Menash Bulan, and his agent, Toghrul Beg; and he’s stalked by the awesome Pechenegs as he and his followers make their escape towards the Crimean area and the Black Sea.

One aspect which dominates the whole book is the sheer size of Gadarike. This is true whether the Wanderer and his men are hunting down Oleg Askoldsson & the runaway Princess, or simply enduring the journey to Khazaria, or attempting the impossible task of limiting Pecheneg raids. The final challenge proves to be the nightmare escape down the Kuban to its marshy delta and personal tragedy.

Not that this book is filled with evil, cruelty and bloodshed but that side of life sometimes threatens to swamp the good – such as the priests, Cyril and Makarios, the former seeking martyrdom and the latter helped by the gentle Elizabeth. Then there are the hopelessly optimistic Ali ibn-Yussuf, the loyal translator, Chorpan, and the doomed youth, Aaron. The key figure, if somewhat distant, remains the Grand Prince of Kiev, Vladimir I who never trusts Ethelwulf, being open to influence from his wife, Anna.

On the Sea of Azov Ethelwulf may well acquire a ship at Tmutorokan but, in Thorgeis Green-Eye he is joined with a fighter who shares too many characteristics with that unremitting enemy, Thorgrim the Short.

 

Bob Hyslop

‘Behind the Text 36. ‘The Wanderer’ 6 : ‘Swords for Sale’

Hi,

This book is the sixth in ‘The Wanderer’ saga and is set mainly in Finland (986-88), an area possessing somewhat limited historical evidence as regards the bulk of the population. Originally there had been a  first part (written in 1995) which dealt with werewolves but this was later rejected, partly as being too close to Crichton’s ‘The 13^th Warrior’, and replaced by an opening chapter set in Gotland which stands distinct from the rest of the book. It was intruded to allow for later plot development. What remained of the original first part was moved into 6:2 which deals with the Kainuu, a historical group which terrorised the Sami trappers in the far north. This book stresses the contrast between the Vikings and their ‘victims’ for exploitation – the Finns, Karelians and, most of all, the Sami.. In these surroundings Ethelwulf’s character sinks to the bottom: he serves with the Kainuu for several weeks and later leads a raid for slaves.

The breach with Thorfinn Cross-Eyed, the brutal chief of the Kainuu, creates one group of enemies. Rumours about the past history of Ethelwulf & his his men provoke a fight in the hall of Oleg Gunnarsson, Lord of Aldeigjuborg, which is so  destructive that Ethelwulf joins a slaving expedition.. He plays a key role in the defeat of an attack by native forces and then joins an attack on the key native stronghold of Pisamalahti, narrowly escaping death at the hands of a treacherous Thorgrim the Short. Victory brings slaves but it also brings disease. Ethelwulf is struck down and, just as in Jersey (see ‘The Wanderer’2) his cousins save him by drastic measures.

Again there’s a range of characters with Thorgrim the most notable villain, Oleg Gunnarsson the most enigmatic along with the charismatic Karelian, Karvulakki. There are several striking figures – the spy, Asa; the turncoat, Didrik ; the subtle Sami, Jovsset; the host, Egil Blue-Eyes; the vengeful, Blood-Harald; the natural leader, Olaf Tryggvason; and the honourable Jomsviking, Stein Thorgetsson. There’s also a wide range of scenery – from Lake Ladoga to  the river Kemijoki above the Arctic Circle, and even to the White Sea if the reader accepts the tale of Freysteinn  Kárisson (one of the best in the whole saga).

Ethelwulf is hopelessly out of step in this world –whether dealing with traders like Didrik or tyrants like Thorfinn (mis-styled ‘Open-Hand’); environmental challenges in the far north; the vicissitudes of a stronghold experiencing virtually continuous siege; or the problems of huge numbers of captives. Above all, however, it’s shown by what he considers the undeserved lack of trust. Somehow he flounders his way towards safety in Gadarike,

 

Bob Hyslop

‘Behind the Text 35. ‘The Wanderer’ 5 : ‘Empty Triumphs’

Hi,

This book is the fifth  in ‘The Wanderer’ saga and is set in the lands surrounding the Baltic Sea(985-86) – an early title was ‘The Swedish Sea’. It actually was the first part tackled – a short story inspired by a dream in the early spring of 1992 when I was recovering from an operation (see the progress of the Sons of Hel along the river Rega for what I dreamed). It was lengthened into a novella but stopped at the close of Part 3. I then turned to England, making that Part 1 of a 9 part saga ( a VERY sketchy overall plan was constructed!) and extensive End-Notes were added and became standard practice. Book 6 was revised to conform to companion sections c. 2000 and all published as a trilogy in 2008 in  Print format.

This book falls mainly into three sections. Ethelwulf the Wanderer, trying to blend in with his companions in the hall of Harald Bluetooth of Denmark volunteers to accompany the giant, Thorgrim the Short, to destroy brigands raiding the Wends living south of the Baltic. Victorious they then have to fight the savages they rescued. Finally they are forced to join an attempt by the Viking Styrbjorn to seize the Swedish throne. Disaster is only lessened by Ethelwulf’s military skills but his desire to ‘desert’ makes him unpopular.

Historical knowledge of the Wends is very limited and I have probably made them more savage than reality – even inventing religious rites to that end. Whereas the Jomsvikings, with an equally obscure history, are displayed as well-organised but arrogant bullies. Styrbjorn’s expedition is ‘historical’ but so murky as to give me ready material for fiction.

In this book women play a minor part – Thorgildis & Gunnhild (sister & wife respectively of Thorgrim) are quickly abandoned and Skuna, despite an affaire with Ethelwulf, is soon forgotten. Some characters( e.g.Krull the priest, Kalle Twistneck the brigand, and King Mistivoj) are pure evil. Others (e.g. Tokl, Styrbjorn and Vagn Aagesson) are more enigmatic and a few are mad (e.g. Thrain Lap-ear). A fine collection of play-mates – enough to make Ethelwulf to sail east in an attempt to escape the Viking world.

Thorgrim the Short changes drastically because I shrank his overall role and superseded him by Gunnar the axeman from Ireland. Whereas Gunnar becomes more companionable, trustworthy as the saga moves forward, Thorgrim slumps into a mood of morbid deceit. He’s a hero in Wendland but by the end of the book a paranoid and, in Book 6 , distinctly more dangerous. He almost appears to shrink in size as the story unfolds.

Book5 is halfway through the saga and, being the first written, perhaps suffers from continuity problems. It has some of the nastier passages in the whole work as well as some of my ‘more imaginative’ passages. It’s up to you as to decide if  the effect is to detract from the book.

 

Bob Hyslop

‘Behind the Text 34. ‘The Wanderer’ 4 : ‘Blood Feud’

Hi,

This book is the fourth in ‘The Wanderer’ saga and is set in Iceland (984-85). This meant an abundance of ‘historical’ evidence in the form of the Icelandic Sagas. However, these were written down at least two hundred years after this period and, from my long experience, play down the peaceful aspects of Viking life (e.g. farming) The picture they provide of 10^th century Iceland is like the Wild West with gunfights replaced by duels. Perfect for wanderers like Ethelwulf and his followers? Not quite, if, as in the case of Ethelwulf, the exiled Thane of Arne, you tumble into a violent dispute which becomes a blood feud. I should add that I include much procedural detail of how the community was managed – as well as how they celebrated Yuletide and organised the Althing (the earliest Parliament in the world).

I especially enjoyed having Ethelwulf ‘interact with  several of the personalities seen in the ‘Saga of Burnt Njal’ and the ‘Laxdaela Saga’. Of course, he doesn’t get on well with Skarp-Hedin nor Hallgerd, is nonplussed by Njal’s interrogation but irritated by Snorri the Priest and challenged by the Gunnar Hamundarson. Some of the tales appearing in the sagas are repeated here.

I added several characters to this rich mix. Here are some of them: the basic villain is Grim Gillisson who starts the feud by killing Ketil Clubfoot; the obnoxious Kalle Sigurdsson, whose story had to be omitted in the printed trilogy; the witch, Thorkalata, whose predictions haunt the exiles for the rest of the saga and her rival, Thurid, whose pleasant exterior hides a matching evil; and Thorleik the Black, a farmer who dies fighting at Ethelwulf’s side and is buried with a reminder of his killing of Eric Tin. There are several encounters between the few Christians on the island and the pagan bulk of the population. There is no sign that within 20 years Iceland was going to reject paganism in the manner as described in the ‘Saga of Burnt Njal’.

The climax is reached at the Althing where the dispute is not settled by judgement but in blood.   Even so, a key part of the book is played by women. Naturally there’s the rivalry of Hallgerd (Gunnar’s scheming wife) and Bergthora (Njal’s ruthless spouse) which fill several pages in the ‘Saga of Burnt Njal’. I must add Hallgerd, widow of Ketil, who draws Ethelwulf into the feud, the two witches. Thorkalata & Thurid,  Brid, the slave and the gentle Gudrun who, along with husband Hoskuld, are victimised by Kalle Sigurdsson before he comes to a sticky end.

This was written somewhat late (started 17/8/2004)- chiefly due to hesitation about how to best use such source material. However, this proved to be one of my favourite parts of ‘The Wanderer Saga’. I wonder if you can identify some of the reasons.

 

Bob Hyslop

‘Behind the Text 33. ‘The Wanderer’ 3 : ‘Isle Of Disorder’

 Hi,

This book is the third in ‘The Wanderer’ saga and is set in Ireland (981-84) divided between the native Celts and Viking invaders (largely based in Dublin, Wexford, Waterford, Cork & Limerick). The earliest written chapter I can date is 2:2 on 30/12/93 but it was extensively revived both in 1998 and subsequently.

Ethelwulf the Wanderer and his followers land near Waterford keen to sell their swords in this land of turmoil but quickly find themselves out of their depth. The machinations of a treacherous employer and their destruction of him win few friends. Ethelwulf’s involvement with Gormflath (a dominant figure in that period being married in order to Olaf, King of Dublin, and then the rivals Mael Sechlainn & Brian Boru before retiring into a nunnery) make matters worse and the strangers are expelled from Ireland – including a new recruit, Gunnar Thorgeirsson, destined to be a major figure in the rest of the saga

This book is heavily involved with historical events so the detailed End-Notes (easily accessible) should be very useful. However, it also deals with myth and magic which affect events in a manner not seen elsewhere in ‘The Wanderer’ saga. I was attracted to basing part of the saga in Ireland by both the above factors. To some extent I exceed my aim to write HISTORICAL Fiction but I make no apology because all may well be included in  FICTION. Could such creatures as a Phouka or Pishogue really exist? And what about the goddess Morrigan, especially in a form appearing here? They all exist in Irish mythology and folklore

I’ve made much play with characterisation in ‘Isle of Disorder’. There are villains – Brian of Clonmel and Harald, the psychotic killer outside the walls of Waterford; then the more ambiguous such as the traitor, Fergus O’Malley or Queen Gormflath or Cuan the Pishogue; finally here are the good, but few of them, such as Padrid O’Mara and his daughter, Deirdre. Perhaps the most important character to appear for the first time is the Gall-Gael, Gunnar Thorgeirsson, a self-serving master of the axe whose dreams are so cruelly shattered. Throughout the rest of ‘The Wanderer’ his character starts to unfold, gradually learning to master weaknesses such as his temper and to use his brain as well as his muscles. Here, for perhaps the first time, Ethelwulf reveals abilities in battlefield tactics – much borrowed from ancient authorities. In this book the three leading characters of the saga (Ethelwulf, Edwine and Morkere, twin sons of Elfhere Ethwoldsson) deepen their characterisation; the latter two abandon hope of return to home and family while Ethelwulf lays aside memories filled with sorrow and accepts the ‘wyrd’ (fate) of lifetime exile.

Bob Hyslop

‘Behind the Text 32. ‘The Wanderer’ 2 : ‘Isle of Intrigues’

 

Hi

The second book in ‘The Wanderer’ saga is very different from its predecessor – if only because Ethelwulf the Wanderer and his followers spend most of the time in the background It is really a set of short stories covering murder, theft, intrigue, brutality and an academic debate about fossils! It was one of the last parts of the saga written (actually started on 15 Oct 2001 although much enlarged & revised) – none of the parts were really completed sequentially which made sewing together the tapestry of the Wanderer more difficult. I delayed writing ‘Isle of Intrigues’ because so little is known about 10^th century Jersey, the setting of the book in 979-81. Officially it was controlled Richard the Fearless, Marquess of Normandy, and a slowly developing feudal structure was emerging , but the inhabitants were a mixture of natives, Vikings, Normans (the grandsons of Viking raiders) and others. Archaeology has uncovered remains of houses and an abbey but little else: Norman history really starts a century later, perhaps with the influence of the administratively advanced England which had been conquered in 1066.

The initial story concerns murder, grave-robbing and a little matter of official corruption while Ethelwulf’s intrusion may gain him friends but also powerful enemies. The next one concerns the details of a Benedictine Monastery undermined by factional strife. Then family discord forms the backcloth to the uncovering of fossils and what medieval thinkers thought of them. Then there is a murder mystery – not so difficult if one can look beyond the obvious. Finally his seizure means Ethelwulf faces expulsion to England and certain death. His cousins secure an alliance with Viking pirates and Jersey suffers extreme violence as Ethelwulf is rescued from Gorey castle.

The title comes from the amount of activity eluding the hero – culminating in his arrest. These include: a plot to frame a prominent merchant which results in 3 murders; a plot to take over control of the local Benedictine House by those willing to ‘cooperate more fully’ with the Norman authorities; a plot to seize fossils discovered on Jersey & destroy them as anathema to the Church; a plot to murder a merchant and seize his property; two plots – the first to seize Ethelwulf and send him to his death & the second to organise a pirate raid on the island and so secure Ethelwulf’s release. Mysteries remain: the extra vote in the monastic elections, the future lives of Jeanne, Brendan the Wiry and other villains, what happened to a hoard of fossils and who won the battle of St. Helier.

Bob Hyslop

‘Behind the Text 31. ‘The Wanderer’ 1 : ‘Witness To Murder’

 

Hi,

This book may be the first in ‘The Wanderer’ saga but it wasn’t the first written - for the details go to ‘Behind The Text’ 35. This book was started on 23 Oct 1992 but  was the first part to have detailed End-Notes.. Nine ebooks make up ‘The Wanderer’ saga, originally appearing as a paperback trilogy, which spans the northern world in the late 10^th century. The hero, Ethelwulf of Arne, travels from England to Palestine over 22 years.so I deliberately started the work slowly, getting the reader OUT of the 21^st century and into Dorset in 979. It’s part of England which eighty years before was divided between the native Saxons and the invading Vikings, resulting in the use of several languages and dialects, differing customs and values, both Christianity and paganism - all resting on a tradition of honour and vengeance and racial hostility

This book is set 979.Ethelwulf is a nobleman fighting off control by his widowed mother and drawn towards a neighbour, ten years his senior, the step-mother of King Edward. But the Queen at Corfe is plotting for her young son, Ethelred, to be the sovereign and that means assassinating her step-son. Ethelwulf by chance witnesses the murder on 18 March, narrowly escapes with his life and is blamed for the crime, becoming a Wolfs-Head or outlaw. Although the area is terrorised by Haakon, chief assassin and tool of the Queen, Ethelwulf gains supporters and, trusting Truth will out, challenges that authority. It doesn’t and he fights his way out of England at a frightful personal cost.

“The Wanderer’ has extensive notes ‘so you can learn as well as be entertained! Full of historical detail, this is an epic saga!’ (to quote one reviewer). Certainly I have my influences (e.g. Franz Bengtsson’s ‘The Long Ships’ and the Icelandic sagas) but it rests firmly on historical events. My hero tends to interfere when he shouldn’t (starting at Corfe castle and ending in a back-street in Jerusalem), wins both loyalty and enmity, drifts into the life of an exile affecting his personality (see the Anglo-Saxon poem ‘The Wanderer’ for that aspect). His cousins, Edwine and Morkere, represent the good and darker side of his personality. Such inner turmoil appears in other characters (e.g. the Queen and Haakon)

The background is a 10^th century England perhaps more organised and ‘tidied up’ than reality. Once the story gets going it moves quickly  - sometimes graphically – towards a climax with a sea-battle in Poole Harbour.

Bob Hyslop