Sandi Layne's Blog, page 28

Kind of a Typical Day

This is kind of a Typical Day in the Life.

I had to fill out a Manuscript Information form on Éire's Viking this morning, which includes scrolling through the manuscript itself and pulling out short excerpts that can be used in promotional stuff. Also involved is figuring out tag lines for the book. That is ALWAYS hard for me in my own work.

Anyway, I got that done and then it was time to send the latest version of EV in after I tinkered with a couple of chapters so that when my editor dives back in, she's doing it with the latest version.

AND I've got the final book of the series to work on as well. Today.

...While I am preparing for the release of An Unexpected Woman which happens NEXT MONTH.

Mondays are pretty awesome. :)

Pinteresting!

This wasn't initially something I thought I'd get into doing, to be honest. Pinning. Spending way too much time on Pinterest. That kind of thing.

However, I have somehow managed to accumulate pins. Not that many, but more than I had considered feasible.

I have a Pot Pourri album. This is not for fragrances, but for random pins that don't fit elsewhere.

Additionally, I have a Top Ten Forever album. Board. Something. It's a work in progress. It is where I put things that will always be in my Top Ten List for...whatever. Books, Doughnuts, that kind of thing.

Lastly, I have a board for some of my novels. That is, the novels each have their own board. The link to my Pinterest board is HERE and you can see what's there, if you've a mind to do so. One purpose to these boards is for me to have a visual reference point for a particular item. Sometimes, the board is there for interested readers who might wonder what I was thinking when I wrote...whatever it was I wrote. Or to find out what kind of car a character has or what a building or place might look like.

I don't pin as often as I might, but it can be addicting once I get going.

So what about you? Do you pin? Want to share links? Family friendly, please. ;-)

Thanks for reading. :)

VIKINGS Season Finale with Lissa and Sandi

For the last time in 2013, Lissa Bryan , author of the upcoming novel Under These Restless Skies , is with me to discuss VIKINGS, on the History Channel.  She and I live-tweeted again last night, with many exclamation points and, "Noooooo!" tweets figuring in our exchanges.

We've had a lot of ups and downs over the course of the past nine weeks.  There have been episodes we loved (most of them) and those we weren't as happy with (well, okay, only one).  With a finale, it is natural to have a love-hate relationship.  And I guess maybe we do.

If you haven't yet watched this series, but were waiting for it to be complete before you did so, get started!
Episode IX: All Change
Lissa: We've come to the final episode now and what a magnificent journey it has been.

Sandi: It really has. Thank you for suggesting we do this. This series has been amazing.

Lissa: Last night, I fell in love with the show all over again, torn between raging and fangirling over how many details they incorporated from the saga. The tree that doesn't lose its leaves... Ragnar's riddle-challenges to Princess Aslaug... Even details I wish they HADN'T incorporated. For once, I was almost hoping for historical inaccuracy!

Sandi: Gasp! lol I am not as versed in the Saga, of course, but I appreciated the story as it came at us. The riddle was well-done and I appreciated how Aslaug answered it. That dress? Uh-HUH. And the wolf was great.​​

Lissa: I want to hate Aslaug as a "home wrecker" but I can't. She's probably been waiting her entire life for a worthy suitor to come along and uniting her forces with those of Ragnar makes political sense, even if it's painful, emotionally. She's the daughter of a famous shield maiden... Is she a warrior herself? The show didn't give us any indication of that.

Ragnar set out on his journey to negotiate a settlement with the rebellious jarl for Horik, but it seems this might create a schism within his own house. In trying to include his brother, he may have seen the last threads binding them together severed. Rollo finally gave into the dark side. And I don't think Ragnar even realizes his brother was tempted. It's going to be terrible when he realizes he's been betrayed.

Sandi: I am still of the mind that Rollo doesn't want Ragnar dead. Rollo doesn't wish ill on his brother; I believe he loves him sincerely. But he feels left out when he believed that they would be equal. He feels slighted and unnoticed and for a man of his nature, that's a powerful motivator for undertaking actions he might not otherwise consider. The actor, Clive Standen, did a great job displaying this in understated acting during the final scene with Jarl Borg.​​ There will be a feeling of betrayal, of course, but I do hope that the brothers can reconcile. The Jarl played Rollo like a fiddle. I hope that comes to light.

Lissa: I think you're right. I don't think this came as an easy decision for him, despite the things he'd said to Siggy about wanting to be earl. And maybe he never ALLOWED himself to follow those thoughts to their natural conclusion. (If he's jarl, where is Ragnar?) Even now that he's agreed to go to war with him, he may be imagining this scenario can be solved without having to take Ragnar's life.

Speaking of betrayal, I agreed with you that a bit of a tumble wasn't seen as big a deal as we modern folks think of it, but I was anguished at the pain it was causing Bjorn. He's seen his parents as a united front, passionately in love, and now, suddenly, he sees his father beginning to distance himself from his mother. Bjorn witnessed poor Lagertha begging Ragnar not to leave her during the festival, so he knows his mother is hurt by his father going off to play around with other women. It wasn't the sex as much as it was a symptom of a deeper problem between them.

Sandi: Yes, and I am hoping this will be addressed. Relationship tension will be interesting in Season 2, but there are so many other problems to be addressed as well. ​​

Lissa: I was impressed that Ragnar kept his vow to Bjorn, at least until he learned Princess Aslaug was pregnant. In this detail, they deviated from the sagas, because in the old stories, the princess refused to allow Ragnar into her bed until they were married. Will Bjorn reject his father if he decides to leave Lagertha?

Sandi: ​This is hard to say. Bjørn is close to his father and wishes to emulate him, but a boy ("man" or not, the lad's young) is naturally protective of a mother he has seen honored and loved all of his life. He believes all the best about Lagertha. Will that filial emotion cause him to shield her from hurt or defend her or urge her from Ragnar? Something I think that has been well handled is how the death of a child, even an unborn one, can affect a couple's relationship. ​

Lissa: I was glad the show didn't go for the "low-hanging fruit" and turn it into a simple "power corrupts" story line. He didn't start partying like a rock star when he assumed the mantle of the jarl. Ragnar has made some decisions I dislike emotionally, but he's acted quite sensibly when it comes to ruling his people. Even his relationship with Aslaug, I think, will be decided more on what's best for his jarldom than his own, personal desires.

Back home, tragedy has struck. The plague scenes were so well done. The smoke of the pyres hanging low, the emptiness of the once-bustling little village ... Lagertha looked exhausted from tending the ill, who were packed in like sardines on the floor of the jarl's house. Once again, she proves herself to be a fine leader, quite possibly better at the job than her husband.



Sandi: I will jump on the Lagertha Bandwagon, here. She does (and has always done, as far as I have seen) a great job with crisis. She keeps a cool head and leads her family, her people. She's a rock, even while frightened about her husband's mission and their relationship and his future. Just an amazing woman.

Lissa: I can't see Ragnar cutting her completely out of his life. He truly does love Lagertha, even if he feels the gods are leading him in another direction. It remains to be seen how Lagertha will react to what's happened, and whether she'll accept a secondary position in his life. I doubt if Aslaug would accept the lower-status!

I was anguished for her when she lost Gyda; Ragnar is going to be shattered by the loss, and I fear it will be even more of a wedge between he and Lagertha. Siggy also lost her daughter... will this change her path? Will she reconsider her plans to topple Ragnar and Lagertha because they have both lost a daughter in the prime of life? Will she feel guilty that she was the one who brought the plague to Kattegat?

Sandi: This will be the second child that has been taken from Ragnar, even if he seems to have been successful with engendering more. I do hope that Ragnar doesn't do something stupid. I hope he brings his strong right arm and gets his people back to a good place when he comes home. And Siggy! That threw me. What about her relationship with Rollo, in light of what has happened? Her guilt about the plague will remain to be seen. She has disrupted the whole community, without malicious intent, and this will weigh on her. Still, I hope that the Rollo/Siggy storyline isn't abandoned.

Lissa: Rollo doesn't really want Siggy. He wants Lagertha. And if Ragnar divorces her...

Sandi: Indeed! And wouldn't that be interesting...?

Final Analysis from Two History Geeks:

Lissa: The costumes and sets were, hands-down, the best I've ever seen in a historical television series. The attention to detail was remarkable. I recognized many props that were replicas of artifacts. Except for a couple of minor you'd-never-notice-it-if-you-weren't-a-geek flubs, the show demonstrated a real commitment to historical accuracy, and I adore them for it. I also love how they wove details from the legends into the storyline. It gets my history geek thumbs-up!

Sandi: The costumes were very good, save for a few noticeable exceptions. The scenery was exceptional and felt very authentic. The culture was presented, I think, fairly. I noticed differences between these Vikings and the Northmen I studied for my trilogy, but it is clear that a great deal of effort went in to the crafting of this series. History Channel deserves many kudos.

Lissa: Thank you for all of the wonderful discussions we've had. This has been great fun, and I look forward to next year's episodes!

Sandi: Thank you! It's been a delight, to be sure. :)

Lissa and Sandi and Sacrifice, Vikings, Epi. VIII

Episode VIII: Sacrifice

Wow, what an episode last night!

Lissa Bryan, author of the upcoming historical fiction, Under These Restless Skies, and I once again watched and made gasping or shrieking sounds at our televisions during another vivid episode of VIKINGS.

Lissa: I admit, I didn't enjoy this episode as much as I have the previous ones.

Sandi: Me, either.

Lissa: Between the Viking orgy and Athelstan's drug trip, a lot of the episode was taken up by things that didn't really advance the plot.

Sandi: I concur. But Ragnar's offering of Athelstan as a sacrifice — this man he'd seemed to hold as a friend — was interesting. More later...

Lissa: The sacrifice was going to be one of his friends, no matter what. I think, in a way, he was honoring Athelstan by saying he was a worthy gift to offer the gods. The cinematography was awesome, in both the intoxication scene and sacrifice scene. But my True Love became impatient. "Okay, he's tripping. We get it."

Sandi:  It was rather...extended.

Lissa: We've already discussed that human sacrifice is believed by many scholars to be somewhat of a rarity during this time, but I have to praise the producers for their attention to detail. They seem to have based this scene off of the writings of Adam of Bremen about the Temple of Uppsala, sticking very close to his account, though scholars question how much of it is truth and how much of it was exaggerated tales he was repeating. (Support for at least the stories is provided by the Osberg tapestry, which shows bodies hanging in a grove of serpent-trees.) The one thing that isn't questioned is the existence of the temple itself. Which was pretty spiffy, if you believe the descriptions.

Sandi: This is my concern with heeding stories and sagas as history, which is why, I guess, I haven't bought into them as much as I might have. I will have to remedy that, but not today. The research I did for  Éire's Captive Moon  indicated that human sacrifice was not a part of the Norwegian experience by the early 9th Century, so I usually side-eye that kind of thing in the literature.

Lissa: Yep, when pretty much all of your recorded history is written by people who despise you, it's not exactly reliable. I've encountered the same thing in my new Tudor novel, Under These Restless Skies. Many stories of Anne Boleyn's behavior as queen has been taken from the imperial dispatches of Eustace Chapuys, who absolutely hated her. Even knowing that, historians seem to have included many of his tales in the "official" narrative of her life, making her seem petty and spiteful.

[caption id="attachment_1251" align="alignright" width="300"] From the website of author Michael Wills[/caption]

Sandi: But the Temple of Uppsala was indeed remarkable. A cultural landmark that stood for centuries.

Lissa: But certainly not within walking distance of Kattegat. Especially in that pink gown, Lagertha! That gown was NOT made for hiking, girl!

Sandi: That did rather surprise me.

Lissa: When I saw how barren Ragnar's house was at the beginning of the episode, I knew he was crushed by the death of his child, andit turned out to be true. Sitting on the floor in front of a dead fireplace, asking the eternal questions associated with loss: "What did I do to deserve this?"

Sandi: That was remarkable.I had never seen the earl's residence without a crowd.

Lissa: Yet another one of those delicate touches by the director, the significance of which is probably lost on most viewers, though they might have caught an impression of barren loneliness. But the jarl's hall was the social center of the village, sort of a combination of a court house and tavern. For it to be empty indicates something is very, very wrong.

Ragnar asks Athelstan if he will come with him on the pilgrimage, which I didn't catch at the time, but made a lot more sense when the priest asked Athelstan if he was there of his own free will.

Sandi: When Lagertha quietly asked Ragnar "Does he know?" and Ragnar answered in the negative, I was all Dun Dun Dun....!

Lissa: I had assumed she was talking about the orgy-tastic celebrations to ensue. I knew there would be an orgy. Just knew it. What's the use of being a pagan if there aren't any orgies?

Sandi: And, by the by, the orgy sequence was tastefully handled, overall.

Lissa: Seeing Ragnar drinking and brooding while Lagertha was collecting the sacrifices was painful, as was the distance between them. My heart broke for her when she begged Ragnar to stay with her instead of heading back outside into Woodstock--I mean, the festival. And drat that man, he went!

You may have heard a horrible screech sounding all the way from Ohio when Ragnar asked Odin's statue WHO would give him his sons. I'd hoped against hope... but it seems the series is heading in an unpleasant direction.

Sandi: I saw that coming when Lagertha lost the child. I see Ragnar as a man who sees his destiny and will do what he can to achieve it. He believes he is prophesied to have many sons and, let's face it, "There are old pirates and there are bold pirates, but there are no old, bold pirates." Substitute Vikings in there and this might be applicable.

The man wants to procreate.

Lissa: *mutters darkly about Henry VIII*

Sandi: You know all about the pressures of being the man in charge...Oh! Speaking of procreation... I enjoyed the small moment about Gyda growing up. This was well handled (and makes me think (hope?) that there are plans for Gyda coming up) and also served to point to Lagertha's age, as well. Her daughter is able to bear children now. She's a woman. Lagertha's childbearing years are thus symbolically truncated. But Lagertha being strong and awesome, she handled this with love and tenderness as well as nostalgia. I loved that scene.

Lissa:  I agree: beautifully done! Pride, tinged with bittersweet.

I wonder if Gyda felt it was a blessing to become a woman at this event.

Sandi:  Something that did occur to me, yes. Did Bjørn go off to learn a thing or two (ew, maybe, but if he's a man in his culture, yeah?) and would Gyda then be expected to go and do likewise at a future event? Though, as they only go once every nine years, it'd hardly be inappropriate at the "next" gathering.

Lissa: Athelstan heads into the temple, apparently still blissfully unaware of why he is there. I wonder if he felt betrayed or wounded by Ragnar's decision to sacrifice him, or if he understood the meaning behind it. Very Biblical, the priest asking him to deny his Christian faith three times, but then finding the cross clutched within his palm...

Sandi: This bothered me, as a Christian. But then, there is Biblical precedent with Peter denying Christ three times and still being appointed later to "feed my sheep." Three times. Athelstan was just acting on the life-saving expedient and, in terms of the context, I understood him.

I just didn't approve.

Lissa: I wondered if the priest recognized the significance of it and intentionally asked him to deny Christ three times. I think Athelstan was being sincere... He feels he has lost the right to call himself a Christian because he has strayed so far from the faith, and so he was able to meet the priest's eyes and say "No." I'm not entirely sure he would go back, even if he could, but part of him still can't let go entirely.

I would compare it, in a way, to Lagertha's bittersweet reaction to Gyda's maturity: Recognition of growth and change, yet sorrow for that which has been lost.

Sandi: I think the priest did the thrice-repeated question because the powerof three is a universal concept. The Irish had triads, even when their culture was largely pagan, for example. The "rule of three" or the threefold law is something understood by wiccan communities. I felt that this was something that might have been asked of any questionable sacrifice.

Lissa: "His heart is corrupt," the Seer pronounced afterward. "His face is not pleasing to Odin." He's a heretic, AND he's ugly! I know what the Seer meant, but I still found it incongruously amusing at the moment. And Ragnar leaning forward to whisper that Athelstan's faith saved him once again...

Sandi: "Your God came through for you, this time." Yeah. I liked that. But I am not happy with Ragnar, even so. The actor is doing a GREAT job with the role though. I see a slow slide toward someone different than the determined explorer from the first couple of episodes.

Lissa: He is. His grief, yet pride, when Leif laid down on the altar shone through those remarkable eyes. As a viewer, I can't take my eyes off him in a scene. He has an amazing hypnotic quality; so does the actor who plays Floki. The actress who plays Lagertha is amazing, but these two men really were born to play those parts. The casting department deserves an Emmy, without a doubt.

Sandi: Oh, yes. I concur. Ragnar displayed friendship and also a sense ofthanks when Leif walked to the sacrificial altar. Beautifully done.

Lissa: And another small ache in the heart when Floki started to rise to offer himself as the sacrifice, to be stayed by the gentle hand of his lover. "Not you."

Sandi: That was a lovely moment. Small and understated and perfect.

Lissa: That expression on his face when he looked around: "Anybody? Okay, I'll do it!" as if the question was who would run to the store to pick up more beer. It underscored his faith, and his love for his family, that he's so comfortable with the notion of dying for them.

What a bizarre introduction for King Horik! He didn't have Floki's mischief, and so it just seemed mean-spirited, throwing the rooster at the sleeping priests and kicking them awake.

Sandi: King Horik (well, in my reading) was a king of the Danes in the early 9th century. I like this chicken thing. I wonder if there's a story about him that touches on that?

Lissa: I can't recall reading anything about it, but I'm certainly no expert. I do know that he was vehemently opposed to the spread of Christianity within his realm, so the irreverent nature of his morning "chicken attack" seems somewhat incongruous.

Now, Ragnar and King Horik are a team. I caught the warning when King Horik noted he didn't appreciate his earls being independent in their raiding campaigns... I wonder if Ragnar took it to heart. Ragnar's being sent to bring another jarl to heel... The "twist we will not see coming?" Time will tell, I suppose.

Sandi: Horik was polite but very, very clear. "Don't mess with me like you did with Haraldson. I will break you."

Lissa: Trouble in Paradise between Rollo and Siggy! She's jealous and he's indifferent. She certainly took him to school, though, carefully setting food in front of him while she explained he wasn't going to get very far without her. Did Ragnar even consider bringing his brother to the meeting with the king? The director did such a good job with that scene, Siggy's paring knife seeming to bisect his throat as she chatted of him needing her help for effective betrayal.

Sandi: Oh, yeah. That was very smooth of her. She was out alone in the forest, near a fire...and Rollo was intensely involved with "enjoying the gifts of the gods" with a beautiful blonde. Nice one, Rollo.

= = =

The season finale is next week and the teaser is already worrying me!  How about you?  

Lissa and Sandi and VIKINGS, Episode VII

And...we're back!

Lissa Bryan , author of The End of All Things , and I once again live-tweeted during the latest episode of VIKINGS on the History Channel.  We are still enthusiastic fans and hope you are, too!  Two firm thumbs up from us for this remarkable series.  According to IMDb, there will be nine episodes of this first season, so we've only two more to go.

Episode VII: A King's Ransom

Lissa: Before we begin, I think we have to agree the previews of next week's episode DID NOT HAPPEN. It was a dream sequence ... or something ... and that's what I'm firmly sticking to.

Sandi: Yes. I will stand with you in this matter. I was quite upset by the possibility that Athelstan would turn his back on his faith AND that he might be sacrificed. (Though! His appearance was not a problem...)

Lissa: Twitter lit up with admiration for Ragnar's new head tattoos last night.

Sandi: They were there the week before, too, but no one said anything. lo

Lissa: Ragnar is having way too much fun with this leader thing, but he seems to be doing rather well with it. He's proceeding with caution, even when his men are urging him to charge in with both axes swinging.Lissa: Ragnar is having way too much fun with this leader thing, but he seems to be doing rather well with it. He's proceeding with caution, even when his men are urging him to charge in with both axes swinging.

Sandi: I see sometimes a strange light in his eyes that is troubling. I can't trust that face always...but, I believe he is acting for the best interest of his people, overall.

Lissa: I think Ragnar is taking many things as a leap of faith. He, too, has a belief in destiny, and perhaps he thinks the gods won't let any harm come to him until he fulfills it.

The dinner scene was fun. It seems the Vikings decided to ham it up a little and play "barbarians" to shock the English.

Sandi: They really did seem to have fun with the English.

Lissa: I also liked the scene in the midst of it when Ragnar smiled gently and said hello to Ælle's son. He really is a good guy.

Sandi: I was unsurprised at the ransom demand but quite surprised that Ælle went with it. The conversion stipulation puzzled me, however. One would think that the clergy and king would know that a conversion under those circumstances would not hold.

Lissa: I've read of some other "forced conversions" along these lines, in the chronicles of the Spanish conquistadors, the persecution of the Jewish people in Spain, and in the accounts of the Crusades. In the case of the Jewish converts, the Morranos, it gave the rulers more power over them because they could now be tried for heresy, even if they hadn't broken any civil law. They believed the baptism held mystical power that made the convert a Christian even if they didn't behave or worship as one, and God would judge them even more harshly than a heathen for turning his back on the faith.

Lagertha is a wonderful leader. She seems to have fallen perfectly into her role as countess. I loved the scene with the accused adulteress. She got the community to not only accept the child, but to embrace it as a gift from the gods. Very smart, Lagertha. If the husband (who appears to have participated in her enjoyment of the stranger's charms, judging by that comment about them all being in the same bed) had cast her out, she and her child would have become a burden on the community, instead of contributors. Lagertha's no fool, inserting that comment at the end that if the husband mistreated his wife,  he'd answer to Lagertha.

Sandi: I liked that she saw to the proper care of the baby and that the woman wouldn't be condemned in that circumstance. In my readings, normally if a man slept with a married woman without the consent of her husband, he would pay the husband off. It was not a huge deal, apparently. That this didn't apparently happen would - as the husband indicated - be evidence that the husband did give his consent. So it was right that the baby be kept as the wife's child.

Lissa: A badass warrior she may be, but Lagertha has a deep well of compassion. I loved how she taght her son compassion when Siggy came as a supplicant. "And if your father had died, I woud be standing where she is now. What do you want me to say to her?" Unfortunately, I suspect you're right that Siggy is up to no good, despite her apparent gratitude and her comforting of Lagertha.

Sandi: I am thinking indeed that Siggy is "keeping her enemies closer" as the saying goes. She is keeping a close eye on the new earl's wife - and her children. She will have her sharp eyes everywhere. Indeed, I wonder even if she had something to do with the loss of Lagertha's child. I was suspicious immediately. But then....I have that tendency, don't I?

Lissa: Oh, lord, I didn't even think of that... Could Siggy really be that evil? I grieved for Lagertha when she lost the child.

Sandi: Me, too. And it was...such a gruesome view on the show, too.

Lissa: I didn't expect that. I thought the child would turn out to be Fridleif, the son he and Lagertha are recorded to have had in the legends. (Bjorn Ironside was supposedly the son of another of Ragnar's wives.) I fear Ragnar will take this loss hard. Both will likely be bewildered by it because of the Seer's prophecy Ragnar would have many sons. (But, oh, Lagertha, the Seer did not say with whom!)

Sandi: Indeed! Which makes me wonder what the writers might have in store!

Lissa: Floki's character continues to evolve. I'm starting to wonder if the mandness might just be an act on his part, something he does for fun to watch how people will react. He's just too darn canny. If Rollo does decide to do something to Ragnar, he'd better take out Floki, too, or his reign would be short, indeed.

Sandi: Floki is crazy-brilliant. I do think he's probably unbalanced, but that doesn't diminish his devotion to Ragnar or to his people. Or his gods.

Lissa: Judging from the number of #FLOKI Tweets, he's one of the most popular characters on the show.

Rollo's conversion-- or at least, the appearance thereof-- was a surprise. I fear it may be part of the plot brewing in his mind, hoping that king Ælle will support a fellow Christian if Rollo decides to rebel against his brother. Floki appears to smell a rat, proving how sharp his mind truly is.

Sandi: Rollo's determination to "kill Christians" was emotional. That struck me. Was he afraid of the anger of his gods or of Floki? How is that going to shape the future of the story?

Lissa: Deep down, it has to torment Rollo that he's at least considering rebelling against his brother, especially when Ragnar is openly loyal and devoted to him.

So! Two more episodes... How will they bring this off?  I don't know, but for next week...?

Lissa and Sandi and Two Earls - Vikings, Epi. VI

Welcome back!   Lissa Bryan , author of The End of All Things , and I are back with another discussion of The History Channel's fantastic series: VIKINGS.

We're still enthusiastically fangirling and were so happy to hear they got picked up for another season!


Episode VI: Burial of the Dead
Lissa: Every episode, I find myself saying, "So much to talk about!" The hallmark of a good show.

Sandi: Indeed! Last week, we outdid ourselves. ;-) This episode totally had me doing the "eyes bugging out and leaning forward in my seat" thing. I live tweeted during the whole thing and even my son came up to see the battle.

Lissa: I'm glad my fears were unfounded that the earl or his men would hurt Floki to try to force him to reveal Ragnar's whereabouts. The acceptance of the challenge and the battle seemed to come so fast! I kept wanting to shout, "Hold on, I haven't prepared myself for this yet!" When Ragnar's sword broke, my reaction was the same as Lagertha's. I closed my eyes for a moment. But Haraldson had at least enough honor to not press his advantage unfairly when Ragnar threw the broken sword and his shield aside.

Sandi: The earl's pre-fight commentary was VERY interesting to me. He seemed, there at the final night of his life, to pay Ragnar some private respect. But not so anyone beyond Siggy could see it. This was a surprise to me and I wondered (briefly) if it was a foreshadowing of Haraldson's victory.

Lissa: It was so sad to see his insecurities out in the open, his fear that if he showed Ragnar respect or admitted he might have been wrong, his men would abandon him for Ragnar instead. He never did truly understand leadership, it seems.

Sandi: My thoughts exactly.

The use of the axes was very well done. It was the most common weapon in hand to hand combat and every one of the warriors had at least one when they fought. They wielded them well, the pair of them.

Lissa: My favorite axe fighting scene remains the one where Ragnar runs home to the village after the attack. He's choppin' as he goes, with incredible skill and this sort of "I ain't got time for you, so die quickly, please" impatience.

Sandi: We didn't even mention the raid last time. How careless of us. But yeah, I am with you.

Lissa: Siggy really does seem to have loved Haraldson after all. Giving him those two precious locks of hair, her last tangible connection to her sons, when he lost his faith, and then her terrible cry when the jarl's lifeblood began to soak into the soil. I felt compassion for her for the first time.

Sandi: Now, I saw that differently. What I was thinking Ragnar might have done was to cut off the earl's right hand, to disable him from fighting in Valhalla. This kind of dismemberment would have been mean, but final. I thought Siggy was responding to that possibility. As it was, Ragnar but sped the earl on his way.

Lissa: I didn't think of that, probably because it seems such an un-Ragnar thing to do. In the end, he did respect Haraldson, even if it did come down to a battle to the death between them.

As suspected, it seems there was at least a plan by Haraldson's right-hand-man to slay Ragnar if the earl fell in battle. It was refreshing to see no one tried to obey his command to kill him, and I smirked a little when his own end came swiftly. And Siggy, grabbing a dagger to murder her daughter's new husband! I was surprised there were no repercussions from this actions. Thiry's husband was an earl himself (where were his men?) and she just killed him in cold blood in front of everyone.

Sandi: I had just tweeted that I wished someone would take out Short Second when Rollo axed him. I totally fist-pumped. I was surprised at Siggy's taking out of the Swede, though. I know she hated that he was her daughter's husband, but killing an ally in front of witnesses was foolish. I wonder if there will be repercussions.

Lissa: And so Ragnar took the fur-covered throne, accepting the pledges of his people. When Rollo came forward, his poor face still showing the signs sof his torture, I thought he was sincere and I was happy. The two of them working together would make a mighty leadership team, but then when he asked Ragnar how the two of them would ever be equal again during the raids, my heart sank.

Sandi: I caught the "as long as" conditional to his oath and laughed, but inside, I wondered. Because Rollo made this oath in front of all the men...how much will that matter.

Lissa: Haraldson's funeral was a jolly affair, the first time we've seen the "stereotypical" Vikings, tearing into meat with their bare hands, sloppily toasting one another with their drinking horns, and literally rolling around in the mud.

Sandi: And Athelstan, meandering through looking dazed or drunk or both. But his new attire was nice.

Lissa: Bjorn holds his liquor better! I feel a little sorry for Athelstan right now. His faith is still a major part of his life, but he's beginning to love these people, even if their customs shock him on occasion.

Ragnar shocked me with his cruel teasing when Siggy asked to light the pyre, bringing the torch to her and then handing it off to another. It seemed pointlessdly mean and out of character for him. If he didn't want to give her the honor, it seems the Ragnar we know would have taken her aside and gently explained his reasons why instead of slighting her in front of the entire village. And why? Siggy and he had no personal quarrel.

I chalked it up to his being ill from his wounds. The producers did a wonderful job with that. In many series, the hero would bounce back right after the pivotal battle, perhaps with a slight limp or something, but Ragnar was worse-off after his fight with Haraldson. His face was sheened with fever-sweat and his eyes looked bleary all through the funeral festivities.

Sandi: I concur - he looked quite horrible and weak. And even later in the winter, when both pig and pregnant lady were "fattening" (ha! to that!) he was still obviously recovering.

Lissa: The slave girl who elected to follow Haraldson to the afterworld really touched me for some reason. Perhaps it was a testament to the skill of the actress. I could feel her fear and sorrow to leave life, and the raw courage it took to follow through on her offer without wavering. I understood Bjorn's outrage when Athelstan wanted to leave instead of watching to honor her bravery and sacrifice.

Sandi: I had to sit with Athelstan on this one. I wouldn't have wanted to see it happen. Bjørn, though, is very Old School and keen on tradition. I wonder if he is more like his mother or father in this regard?

Lissa: And then, ah... my heart was broken when Rollo spoke of himself being the earl. I so hope he was just saying that so Siggy would be interested in marrying him, but I fear not.

And speaking of fear, the snake pit! God, what an awful way to go.

Sandi: First thing out of my mouth was the Indiana Jones quote. "Snakes. Why'd it have to be snakes?"

Why didn't he go for Thyri??? I was baffled.

Lissa: As alliances go, Thyri would have been the better choice, but I think Rollo has a bit of a thing for Siggy. She's also ruthless enough to help him in his plans, whatever they may be.

Sandi: I have theories as to how Rollo might make himself earl and marry Siggy without killing off his brother. Exactly. Theories... At this point, I'll keep them quiet, though. I see Rollo as respecting Ragnar, but wishing to be his equal, not his supplanter. He wants his brother - and all the family, I think - out of the way.

Lissa: Spoilers.....It appears they are sticking to the saga, as horrifying as that may be. Let's hope they don't include Thora and Asluag!

Sandi: Well..there is another season coming up, so let us be hopeful! :)

Lissa & Sandi & VIKINGS, Epi. V

Yes! I'm back with Lissa Bryan after watching the latest harrowing episode of VIKINGS on The History Channel last night.

We are still very enthusiastic fans!


Episode V: Raid
Sandi: Last night's episode made me nervous.

Lissa: Me, too! Every episode of this show has kept me on the edge of my seat.

Speaking of nerves, Lagertha was as cool as a cucumber during the attack. I probably would have been worse than the kids, whimpering and clinging to her skirt as she raised that shield and said, "Stay behind me." She didn't know what was out there, having only heard screams and caught glimpses of the fighting, but she was as brave as a lioness, ready to defend her cubs. 

Sandi: She rocked. Absolutely

Lissa: I loved when she handed Althestan the axe and he sort of just paused, like, "What the heck am I supposed to do with this?"

Sandi: I know, right?  I'm sure he's split wood with one, but yeah. He looked out of his league. Still, he did well helping Lagertha get the kids away.

Lissa: So, the gauntlet has been thrown down! Ragnar and Haraldson will meet on the field of mortal combat. It's a pretty safe bet it's Ragnar who wins that particular fight.

Sandi: He might indeed, but at what cost?  What will the fallout be?  Will there be retribution or celebration? (And what, oh WHAT, will happen to the earl's right-hand-thug?)

Lissa: I hope that they'd respect he won fair-and-square. Surely, there is some honor left in them... Well, maybe not in his goon, but in the others?

Floki showed his true colors and now it's clear why Ragnar cherished him as a friend. I actually got a little choked up when Lagertha said they were eating up Floki's winter supplies and he simply smiled and said the gods would provide. Crazy he may be, but he's a loyal friend.

Sandi:  I concur. I was all mushy about that. He's "tetched"  perhaps, as you said before, but he seems like a good guy. And I wonder if he'll build a new boat...or if he'll even have to?

Lissa: As her dowry, doesn't the boat technically belong to Thyri now?

Sandi: Ah! Well, her or her hubs, depending on the agreement, I'm guessing.

Lissa: I pictured your herbalist self nodding as they were collecting garlic and sage to treat Ragnar's wounds.

Sandi: LOL I was adding chickweed and cabbage leaves and making a poultice with thyme.  Yeah... Charis would have also stitched up that leg wound.

Lissa:  Cauterizing the wound wasn't the best thing to do, was it? It's useful to stop someone from bleeding out, but as a disinfectant procedure, I thought it was lacking... And it makes the wound worse than it was!

Sandi: Yeah... That was a blinking deep wound.

Lissa: What surprised me the most was how deeply attached Athelstan has gotten to Ragnar. He dove right in, without question, when Ragnar didn't surface. (Where'd he learn to swim? Unanswered question lingering in my mind....) 

Sandi: Athelstan may have learned to swim at the monastery, since they were near the sea. It's possible. He was brought there as a lad - maybe one of the  monks thought it would be best for him not to die if he wandered off.

Lissa: I'm skeptical. Swimming wasn't a skill most people had. Even sailors didn't usually know how to swim. It may just be an oversight on the producer's part, but to me, it hints our priest may have a more interesting background than he's so far admitted to.

Sandi: The question about whether or not he was a slave seemed very bold to me. Came way out of the clear sky.  He must have felt very strong in his position as more-than to have broached that when Ragnar has been unsettled.

Lissa: Technically a slave he may be, but I think he was saying he would prefer to be Ragnar's friend. It was, to me, like an unspoken, "If I'm free now, I'm still staying right where I am." He seems to feel like he's one of the family now.

Sandi: That could be interesting. And if Athelstan is freed, technically, he'll have other duties... Like will he have to swear allegiance to the local lord?  What about taxes?

Lissa: I was also amused when they were exchanging tales of how the world was created. These fantastic, violence and gore-laden tales from the Vikings, and then they turn to ask Athelstan how the Christians say the world was created and he just sort of sighed... I guess the story in Genesis really can't top the entertainment value of the world being crafted from bones.

Sandi: It isn't quite the same and certainly wouldn't have had the kids all wide-eyed, yeah.  I think the little introductions of the Viking beliefs that the writers have included in this story have been nicely handled. Nothing overdone, but incorporated as a natural part of the life, there.

Lissa: What did you think of the wedding? I wish they had shown the exchange of swords/rings There was no bedding ceremony, which I thought was a loss. The bride wore the married woman's veil, which she shouldn't have technically donned until the next day, but I decided to give that one a pass.

Sandi: Oh. Ick. The Wedding.  Cannot say that I was impressed with the groom. At. All. Musta been a rich old guy (did you see his teeth? ICK.).  Thyri handled the situation with all the aplomb I could have expected, poor lass.

Lissa: She certainly did. She behaved like a well-mannered maiden of the day, a striking contrast between her mother's outburst and the daughter's composure.

Sandi: The wedding itself seemed really well decorated for a snowy winter day.

Lissa: I noticed that. "Been saving those flowers, have you?" It was rather late in the year to be staging a wedding. You didn't want to have one in the winter for fear your guests could be caught in storms traveling to it.

Sandi: Must have been a very well-insulated hall, since most of the women seemed lightly dressed for the time of year.

Lissa: I gave a pass to that one. All of those dancing bodies in a relatively small space would warm it up  pretty well.

Sandi: I would have liked to have seen the ceremony, too.  It is a significant historical thing and I wonder why it didn't make it to the screen.

For Thyri to be wearing the married-woman head-covering... Yeah. I just felt sorry for her by then. I hoped there'd be a way out of it for her.  However! The image of her in her night dress with her still-be-coated spouse snoring and sprawled on the bed led me to believe that perhaps she got a bit of a reprieve regarding her marital initiations, anyway.

Lissa: Which may have interesting consequences... Her marriage isn't valid since it hasn't been consummated.

Siggy's outrage seemed a little odd in a time of arranged marriages. Of course, the Vikings hoped the couple would be happy in their union, but the groom being young and handsome wasn't a primary consideration. I can understand her being upset she wasn't even consulted until the union was pretty much a fait accompli, but still, it's a pretty good marriage for the jarl's daughter. The story Haraldson told about his son's bodies and the ritual disrespect they were shown explains a lot about his motivations.

Sandi: I thought Siggy's response was uncalled for.  The society in which she lives (and the man to whom she has bound herself) dictate that arranged marriages, even to a man not considered to be comely (she had clearly approved of Rollo, I think) would have been well-regarded if the husband was rich and/or powerful.  It was a good alliance and you'd think Siggy of the Mercenary Heart would have got that. (This might be a characterization flaw on behalf of the writers, however.)

Lissa: Old and unattractive he may be, but he didn't seem like a BAD guy. If it was indicate he was cruel or intended to mistreat Thyri, it would have been more understandable. He seemed sincere when he told Thyri he would be a good husband to her  and despite the lewd joking when they left the wedding, he seemed to treat her with respect.

Sandi: The story of Haraldson's sons was just awful. He's been carrying that with him, letting it fester. I wonder if his rule would have been different in a good way if they had lived? Or at least died in an honorable battle?

Lissa: Yes, I think that was a moment which completely changed him and the fate of his people. As he told Siggy, he just doesn't care about anything, so his rash decisions make more sense now.

What the heck is Rollo up to? Did he really hope to join Haraldson's men? As soon as he kissed Siggy at the secret meeting, I said, "Dead man walking!" Then again, there's a strong possibility she'll be a widow soon.

Sandi: I'm with you! What was THAT all about? Siggy would have liked him to be her son-in-law (and then he kissed her and I thought... NO NO NO. MOM. Call her MOM, lol.) But then...OW. What did Haraldson DO to Rollo? Blood flowed freely. I am thinking he didn't something horrible with his mouth and I'm kind of scared to see what it was.

Lissa: I think when we see Rollo next, he'll be wearing a Joker's smile.

Sandi: Ew. But yeah.

Okay. Question time. Torture as a true Viking practice that was not connected to a criminal penalty.  Now, I know it had a place in some of the indigenous American populations, as a way to prove bravery. But I haven't heard of it being used in Viking societies.  Leaving someone out for exposure, maybe, but not what we saw with Haraldson & Co. Have you come across anything like that?

Lissa: It's in keeping with Haraldson's madness. he doesn't behave according to his society's rules any longer. He has no honor, and he's convinced Rollo knows more than he's saying. A man without honor doesn't see it in others. That's why I'm worried Floki might be taken captive when he goes to deliver the message.

Sandi: Ahhh! I hope not! That would not be fair. BUT it would be in keeping.

So as I wait for next Sunday's episode, I am left pondering about the challenge Ragnar is making. He's doing this before he's physically ready and after the conditioning Athelstan had remarked upon would have left him due to his recuperation time.  Can he defeat Haraldson in a weakened state?  If he does, will one of the thugs try to finish him off? If he doesn't, what will happen to him and his family?

Lissa: I don't think he has any other choice. His small band can't fight Haraldson's forces. The only way he can ensure his family's survival is to beat Haraldson one-on-one. I wouldn't put it past Haraldson to tell his men, "If I fall, shoot him down with arrows," but I'm hoping his men will find some shred of decency left in them. Or Lagertha will be waiting in the wings with an axe.

Sandi: Mwahaha! Athelstan needs to learn to fight with one.

===
End note: I noticed, here, that though this episode is titled RAID, Lissa and I really didn't talk about the raid that began the episode, wounding Ragnar and leaving his family without a home, livestock, or possessions. If you have anything you'd like to add, leave a comment below! Thanks!  See you next week...

Lissa & Sandi & Lagertha & Ragnar & Wilhelm's Scream

Welcome back to our little kaffe-klatsch! Lissa Bryan , author of The End of All Things , and I are once again sharing our exclamations and concerns about the terrific mini-series VIKINGS on The History Channel.

We live-tweeted during the original airing of this show from 10 - 11 Eastern on Sunday night.  It was a lot of fun, even if I was struggling to tweet from my new-ish iPhone.


Episode IV: Trial
Lissa: The good people at the History Channel must have paid attention to my complaints last week. We got to see Lagertha in battle not just once, but twice. I thought we might see it a third time when Haraldson was mocking her claim to have killed big, strong Knut (I always want to spell that "Canut" and then picture him ordering the tides to retreat.) Haraldson must not know much about shield maidens.

Sandi:  Haraldson is not a wise man at all, at all. I keep saying that, I know, but maybe he'll hear me one of these days and retire with a pension. ;-)

Lissa: Somehow, I don't think a happy retirement with grandchildren playing at his knee is in the cards for old Jarl Haraldson.

Sandi: No, REALLY?

Lissa: As shocking a plot twist as that may seem. :D

Sandi: Lagertha's slaying of Knut was necessary, but I was worried about it from the moment it happened, since it had to be the one man that the earl had sent with them to play watchdog. Naturally.

Lissa: The scene struck me a little odd because... well ... rape is part of the package of attacking and pillaging a village. Surely, she's encountered this situation before. Her own brother-in-law is known to toss a girl over a table when the mood takes him. I doubt highly that Ragnar's band has a standing no-raping-the-villagers policy to appease Lagertha's oddly modern sensibilities.

Sandi: I concur. I am wondering if she's been on a raid before. Because who, then, would safeguard the kids? Perhaps it was her first big raiding party?

And, Ragnar had advised her not to go off without "the others" yet she did - she went off alone, essentially. That was foolish of her. Still, she got to show her chops and she did a very final job of making sure Knut never assaulted another woman! Lagertha doesn't shy from bloodshed.

Lissa: No, she certainly doesn't. As soon as he called her a "bitch," I declared, "Dead man walking!"

Sandi: Oh yeah. That was a bad, bad move. On top of everything else.

Lissa: Ragnar made me laugh out loud a couple of times. He has this delicious, wicked glee in his eyes when he's gone a-raiding. "Don't resist and we'll not hurt you. God bless!" Almost like Floki with the communion wine... he likes messing with people's heads just a wee bit.

Sandi: Floki...okay, he annoys me. But I feel that he's truly not quite right and I'm wondering how "wrong" he'll show himself to be before this is over.

Lissa: In those days, wasn't madness seen as divinely inspired? Floki is what my grandmother would have called "tetched in the head" but he's a brilliant shipbuilder. Not much of a warrior... He was relegated to the back ranks of the fight, like Lagertha (which only makes sense in her case because upper-body strength is necessary to make an impenetrable wall.)

TL did raise an eyebrow at the beach battle... "They're not protecting their flanks, and the English aren't attacking that weak spot."

Sandi: Yes. And I was surprised that Lagertha called for the shield wall. Her voice doesn't have the strength in it that Ragnar's did, and I think the wall was less formidable than it could have been. Okay, I might be projecting...

Lissa: I must note, I heard the Willhelm Scream as the Saxon soldiers retreated. It have me a giggle.

(My elder son noted that, too, when he popped in.)

Sandi: And Ragnar messed with everyone. Waiting for Sunday - he has insider info and he didn't tell anyone. Waiting for the church bells, knowing what it meant. He had been grilling Athelstan a fair amount, it was clear. The "God bless" and the smile - yes, I laughed. Because it was an obvious show of his upper hand in the situation.

Lissa: He seems to have learned his English lessons well.

And his mischievousness seems to be a trait inherited by Bjørn  If I was Athelstan  I'd sleep with one eye open, lest the little monster make good on his declaration about sacrificing him to Thor!

Sandi: That was funny. Bjørn looked so serious, but he was just being mouthy. And I loved that he gave his sister some ale. I am thinking most kids drank ale at that time and Athelstan was being persnickety, but I could be wrong. lol

Lissa: Yes, kids drank ale. Small beer was one of the favored drinks for children and servants, but ale was an acceptable beverage. It would have been more accurate if Athelstan had said something like, "No, don't drink the ale, it's too expensive. Save that for your parents and drink the small beer." It could have been a chance to show off differences in status again, that Athelstan was relegated to drinking the "children's beer" because he's a slave.

Sandi: Yes. This. Exactly.

Lissa: The trip to Kattegat turned out to be all right... I worried about that, that something would happen to them along the way, or they'd be put in danger once they arrived by Haraldson. Poor Athelstan  Bjørn threatening to sacrifice him and Ragertha threatening to pull out his lungs... The guy just can't win!

Sandi: I worried, too, that something would happen - but to the farm! But no, all was well on the homestead. Just not with the people. But Athelstan chose well and kept the manling of the house happy and nothing bad happened to the kids under his watch. Whew.

Lissa: This episode had some sobering moments of grief, as well. When they buried their fallen warriors, and then, later, when Erik was slain. I'd like to see them do a funeral service for him in the next episode.

Sandi: Oh! My jaw dropped when Erik was killed. I was SO saddened. I know it's because I fangirled over him initially, but also, he was a sturdy character considering the dearth of lines he was allotted, here. He was a catalyst and adviser. Which was why he was murdered, of course.

Lissa: I was pleased to see the failure of Haraldson's clumsy gambit to exploit any jealous feelings Rollo might have toward his brother. A friend on Facebook mentioned Siggy's weird behavior. Her "Sexy Lady" demeanor seems now to be her way of trying to support her husband's regime. They trotted their daughter out and when Rollo didn't jump at the bait, she hurried over and gave him the eyes. It has to be with Haraldson's approval; as paranoid as he is, she wouldn't dare look up from the floor if he wasn't in on the plan, which makes the whole scene in the early episodes with his men more understandable. She's using the only tool she has at her disposal to try to support him.

Sandi: Thing is - we saw what happened last time Haraldson "offered" his wife up to one of his retainers. Dead Northman, you know? So, this rather worried me regarding Rollo. And he didn't immediately jump up and drool over the daughter, either. He's playing his cards close to his hauberk.

Lissa: I'm surprised you didn't hear me scream when Ragnar arrested. Heraldson threw down all of his cards and lost, badly, in front of everyone at the Thing. And Ragnar's twinkling eyes, "Who has the key?" surely didn't help matters. Now, it's open war between the two of them.

Sandi: I have to give props to Rollo, here. I was gratified and a little saddened, too, by his willingness to vouch for his brother despite the enticements suggested by the earl. He did it for Lagertha, he said, and I believe him. Which makes me think (and her, too, I'm guessing) that he cares for her more than he cares for his treasure chest. Unrequited feelings always make me a little sad. Even if he's a guy who'll consider betraying his brother. And he might have, too, if Lagertha hadn't put herself in the middle that way.

Lissa: He did the right thing, even if he did it for the wrong reasons. I worried for a moment that his feelings for Lagertha would lead him to think this was a convenient way to get his brother out of the way. "Say, Jarl, thanks for offering your daughter, but I'd really rather have my brother's widow...."

Sandi: I wonder what possessed Ragnar to try to claim Knut's kill for himself. What was he thinking?

Lissa: Love, I think. He'd probably say it was for a practical reason, such as claiming she would be better at taking care of the children if he was convicted, but I think his motive was protecting the woman he loves, plain and simple.

Sandi: It was clearly a lie and I would imagine that most of the men with him knew it, too.

Lissa: And yet, they let him do it... They must have felt his desire to protect his wife was honorable, honorable to make up for lying in the sight of the gods at the trial.

Sandi: One can only imagine that this was considered worthy of the gods' notice, ja?

Lagertha was basically okay with this arrangement to begin with, as well, which also startled me. I wonder if she would have ripped Ragnar a new one in private if she had had the opportunity?

Lissa: I'm sure she would have. She likely didn't want to call her husband a liar in front of the whole Thing, though she lost her ability to remain silent when it started looking bad for Ragnar.

The previews scared me! I found myself chanting, "They have to follow the saga ... they have to follow the saga!"

Sandi: Oh, the previews worry me, too! I'll be on edge until I see the next episode!

= = =

Thank you for reading! Hope you're enjoying hearing our thoughts even a fraction as much as we're enjoying watching the show! 

Vikings w/Lissa Bryan Episode III

Lissa Bryan, author of  The End of All Things , and I once again huddled up to discuss the latest episode of VIKINGS on The History Channel.  We're still enamored and approving and give it two, er, golden chalices. Yes, that. :)

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="529"] Click here to go to the VIKINGS page at The History Channel.[/caption]

Lissa: I gotta yell RIP OFF! It was finally my chance to see Lagertha in battle, and what did I see? One two second shot of her stabbing someone. I was heartbroken!

Sandi: I really hope this isn't the only time she gets to go all warrior woman in this series. But it was a small scene and she did get the opportunity to flaunt her awesome (to a small degree) earlier in the series when the lowlife's invaded her personal house.

Lissa: Not good enough! I intend to write a strongly-worded letter if my demands are not met, possibly start a petition on the White House's site.
I did have to grin when the Jarl's servant came to get Bjorn as "surety" against his father's return, but was persuaded rather quickly to change his mind by the hatchet in Lagertha's hand.

Sandi: That was brilliant. Don't MESS with a noted shield maiden.

Lissa: And might I say I gave a little sigh of nerdy bliss at the weaving in her over-tunic in that scene?

Sandi: Oh I thought of you when I saw the detail on that!

Lissa: Althelstan has to be the best-treated slave in history. Ragnar pretty much turned him loose the second he got home. Got him drunk, offered him some fun between the sheets...

Sandi: THAT flabbergasted me. I have to kind of figure that the impetus for that one came from Lagertha. She's a sensual woman and has eyes in her head. I was kind of surprised that they let their slave refuse, to be honest.

Lissa: I think they were so amused by the idea a man would remain celibate for his god and believe sex was a sin that they just let him be.

I understood from the scene Ragnar cut the rope and said, "Run away, then," that he knew Althestan would realize he had nowhere to go and follow Ragnar home, but still... He left the priest alone with his children, around sharp objects... When Althelstan picked up the knife, for a moment, I held my breath. Would he....? But no, he used it for shaving his head. Do you think that Ragnar had such sharp instincts he knew Althelstan was harmless? Or do you think he figured even his children were warriors enough to fight the priest if he tried to harm them? And to trust him enough to take care of the farm and the kids while Lagertha and Ragnar are gone a-raiding!

Sandi: I really think Ragnar is using his instincts with Athelstan - and I am thinking they're good instincts. He's let the man run loose for a few days, as it were, with his children and has been watching closely, I'm guessing. It isn't about his children (notice how Ragnar all but ignored his son but appeared/pretended to heed his daughter?) but about his own sense of Athelstan.

Lissa: Poor Bjorn's was so aghast! "You cannot put a slave above me, your own natural son!" Yet another great way the producer's showed the sharply defined lines of status in those days. An adult male slave, no matter how trusted or responsible, couldn't outrank a freeborn child.

I think I was right about Ragnar being interested in Althelstan's faith. He was asking tactical questions, of course, but he also seemed interested in hearing about this strange, new god.

Sandi: I concur. For whatever reason, Ragnar is a curious fellow.

Lissa: I liked Lagertha's reference to the "Bloody Eagle." Even if it wasn't really a custom -- scholars are still divided over that one-- I can see Lagertha inventing it!

Sandi: I have to say, my own brother ragged on me about not including the Bloody Eagle in  Éire's Captive Moon . I felt it wasn't a solid-enough custom to include and not one I wanted to foster, in any event, without plenty of precedent. But yes, I can SO see Lagertha going through on her threat if anything happened to her children under Athelstan's watch, for all she might have found him sexually intriguing.

Lissa: The scene of the Jarl having the boy killed and burying the treasure? As I understand, that wasn't really a "thing." Scholars aren't convinced there was much human sacrifice among the Vikings, peat bog bodies likely being the victims of capital punishment rather than ritualized sacrificial practices, etc. It seems to have been rare and mostly practiced with the burial of people, not goods. And it's assumed the victims were slaves, isn't it? The boy who was killed wasn't a slave.

Sandi: I can see a leader doing this kind of thing with a prisoner or a slave, yes, but not so much with the child of one of his own people. That's just foolish and, as I've said before, Haraldson is not acting as a wise leader, even if he is a powerful one. Human sacrifices were more common during themidvinterblót, in my reading. A time that was prepared for it and where the community understood it was coming. Even so, the era of human sacrifice was over by the 8th Century.

Lissa: One thing I noted... the Jarl said his son was once strong like the boy he sacrificed. In the first episode, I had wondered if the Jarl's dream was prophetic, but now it seems it may have been a memory. His sons were apparently slaughtered by an enemy.

Sandi: All that being said, I believe Haraldson was only using the old tradition as an excuse - he's just out to inflict damage, forgetting that there are consequences for actions. Somewhere.

Lissa: His wife is encouraging him in that madness. To what ends?

Sandi: I am thinking she's power-hungry, too. She seems so...I don't know. Like I'd want to wash my hands after shaking hers, you know?

Lissa: Is the Jarl impotent? Is that why he's so intent on proving his power in other ways? He has no son and if he is impotent, his chances of having one are nil.

Sandi: Ha! Compensating, is he?

Lissa: I liked the scene of the 'first contact' between the Northmen and the English. (But since when do the English speak the Northmen's language? Althelstan's knowledge of it was treated as a novelty, but now, suddenly, random army dudes speak it?)

Sandi: I had the sense that there were two different languages happening, since Ragnar understood (sorta) the armed guards but his men didn't.

Lissa: It interested me, not only because I have a little nerdgasm every time I hear Old English in the show, but because it demonstrated the mistrust and missed cultural cues which may have led to unnecessary conflict when two peoples met for the first time.

Sandi: I enjoyed how the Northmen approached the coast. They were expecting (to an extent) the ease of the monastery raid, but the coast was at first bare. And then we saw the armed group that came to greet them and I was so nervous!

Lissa: I was, too, until I got a good look at the soldiers. Old, out-of-shape men with a few young boys. (Doubtless, Ragnar noticed that, too!) I wonder if this was intentional, but knowing the care of the show's producers, I would venture to day it was. Was there a plague which carried off most of the seasoned warriors? A war between the kings of England?

Sandi: BUT! I really enjoyed how they managed the meeting, here. The tension was palpable, the wish of the Britons (?) to understand the newcomers. "Trade?" They wanted to be peaceful, but there was no trust even though there were efforts at communication. The aggression in Ragnar's group, the "make 'em go away" from the Britons and the final effort of the Anglo leader to try to foster trust by giving his badge of office (probably)... Wow. I was breathless. Truly.

Lissa: I wonder if Ragnar's band is going to get to see the king and what he will think when he sees that medallion around the neck of one of the invaders.

Sandi: AH! Good question! I wonder, too. Will Haraldson see it or will it get added to the plunder as a "regular" treasure?

Lissa: I think the costuming department must have paid attention to your Tweet!  Monk shoes pass muster! I thought of you when they showed a closeup of that monk's dangling toes.

Sandi: Ha! Yeah. You know I was keen on the feet in that scene. Still cracks me up that Clive Standen - Rollo - noticed that tweet of mine.

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Thanks for reading! See you next week!

Watching VIKINGS with Lissa Bryan

Thank you all for your kind reception of last week's discussion of The History Channel's miniseries VIKINGS.  Lissa Bryan, author of Ghostwriter and The End of All Things , and I are still enthralled with this show!

Image Source: The History Channel. Click on the banner to be taken directly to their VIKING website. All other images taken from THC are used solely for illustrative purposes. I make no claim of optioning them for any commercial purpose.
Episode II: Wrath of the Northmen
Lissa: Well! Lots and lots to talk about this episode!

Sandi: Wait. Before we do that, I HAVE to shake my head at the soles of Rollo's boots in the "Secret Voyage Meeting at Eric's House" scene. The costumers have by and large been outstanding with this show but someone in editing should have trimmed those few frames to get Rollo's modernly shod feet out of the picture. Fairly certain patterned treads (clean, no marks!) and the slightly raised dress or work heel weren't part of the 8th Century cobbler's trade. Okay, I feel better, now. Let's get to the rest of the awesome. :)

Lissa: Wow... Um... I'm embarrassed to admit I didn't notice that. Good catch!

I loved Ragnar washing clothes with Lagertha. She does seem the type to bash him with her shield if he tried to say that was "woman's work." I was disappointed he insisted she stay home, though I understood his reasoning. Leaving their farm unattended during this time would be just asking for trouble.

Their fight was interesting! Bash a man with a shield, then pause for a passionate kiss. Then bash him again, because he's apparently not getting it through his thick skull. But what I liked was the fact you could tell they were taking care not to actually hurt each other during their scuffle. Though she's angry, Lagertha loves Ragnar passionately. (Don't tell him I said so, but I think she's the tougher of the two, and I can't WAIT to see her in battle.) And then their son telling them to settle down like two squabbling kids! But, I suppose he's considered a man now that he has his band.

Sandi: I was entirely on Ragnar's side for this fight. He was using sense in the midst of his grand adventure. I did wonder for just a fraction of a moment if Lagertha would take him up on the "You go, I'll stay home" thing.

Lissa: Me,too! Call his bluff, Lagertha!

Sandi: Like you, Lissa, I thought the fight was great. She was venting her frustration and he let her because he loves her and respects her. If Bjørn hadn't broken it up, I imagine he would have continued to allow her to beat up on him without repercussions until she broke his nose or something. I saw the scene as a measure of their equality, even if he does make that final decision.

We'll get back to his decision making in a moment.

Lissa: Strange scene with the Jarl and his wife, encouraging his man to sleep with his wife & then killing him for accepting it. The Jarl is starting to seem just a wee bit unhinged.

Sandi: Jarl (Earl? In Nordweg, they are Jarls...) Haraldson has said foolish things in this episode. He insists upon the Nothing to the West stance without leaving himself an "if/then" clause just in case to save face. And the set up with his wife...? If he has to run a "Will he sleep with my wife?" trust test with all his men...? The man is lacking basic skills.

Also note that in that scene, he didn't do the violence himself. He had his men do it for him (very messy, even if we didn't see the gore overmuch).

Lissa: There is something rotten in the state of Denmark. I got the impression when he was talking to his wife that he doesn't trust her, either. There was a long pause when he said his enemies were everywhere. There's no doubt she's entirely on "his side" but it's hard to tell what she would do if she thought the situation called for drastic measures. Does she love him, or does she love her status?

My True love commented during the ritual washing scene: "One of the grossest rituals, ever!" And I agree.... In the realm of "yuck" that one ranks up pretty high in the ratings. It was nice to see it included, though. But that brings up another point: I like the fact the producers haven't made them look filthy the way we're used to seeing the "barbaric" Vikings in movies. They eat and drink neatly, wash their clothes, and don't look like they eschew bathing.

Sandi: I'm not a fan of the "sharing bodily fluids" thing, so I'm with you and your True Love on that one. I didn't see any evidence for it for my Ostmen in Nordweg, so I never included that ritual. I write a good evisceration, but that...? I just couldn't.

Lissa: As I understand, the documentary evidence for it is more-or-less one report from an Islamic traveler who thought the Vikings were disgusting barbarians. It could have been there was a ritual face washing and afterwards, the man puffed water away from his lips and snuffled his nose like we do when we surface from being underwater in a pool, which he might have thought was gross if they were doing it before the bowl had been moved. Who knows? It's easy for a gesture to be misinterpreted, especially if the witness is already biased.

Sandi: Ah, Eaters of the Dead and all that, yeah? The producers are doing a great job of keeping it real, but not making it abhorrent. I saw a comment on twitter that the tweeter perceives negatively reinforced stereotypes for the vikings, but I personally don't feel that way. I think that we're getting strong family ties, intelligence, creativity, and a sense of the class divide in that society in a way that makes sense. These are people who live and have codes and manners and all those good things. I enjoy it.

Lissa: They're showing it as a real culture. I'm sure there will be errors in the interpretation, but try to imagine people playing "Americans" a thousand years from now. They'll have us eating nothing but cheeseburgers and worshiping cat pictures.

Sandi: OH MY. Yes.

Lissa: What do you think was the significance of the scene with the slave girl?

Sandi: Well, first I think it was to add to Rollo's increasingly negative characterization. We now know he wants Lagertha (who won't have him and who kind of unmanned him in her rejection) so he is feeling rejected and needing to prove his manhood. But since he apparently isn't able to woo anyone to satiate his physical needs, he takes a slave, who cannot really say no. And the fact that she is still a young girl only makes this so much more wrong.

What was sad was that she didn't protest. Like, this was something to be expected and had indeed happened before. So we also get a vivid look at the class system in this society, here. Rollo didn't feel it necessary to hide what he had done. He didn't spirit the girl away or anything. He just did what he wanted and left her.

Lissa: It was that utterly casual nature of it that made it so chilling. Modern audiences will despise him for it, but, as you said, he didn't think he'd done anything wrong, and the slave girl didn't try to scream for help from the men only a few yards away. This was tragically "normal" for her.

Sandi: It also made us pity her MORE when the scene with the blacksmith happened later. I am wondering what the consequences will be for that girl.

Lissa: I hope the Jarl kept his promise not to hurt her, but there was no indication the blacksmith had a wife, so she may be orphaned and alone. Hopefully, the blacksmith had a brother, or she has another male relative to take her into his protection.

The sea voyage was marvelous. I've always tried to picture these things, but never managed to make it come alive the way the show did. The reality of living in such close quarters, virtually unprotected from the elements, and the fear/exhilaration of rowing into a storm. It was juxtaposed to beautifully with Lagertha's tale-telling with her children, their rapt faces glowing in the fire.

Sandi: I confess, the whole time I was watching it, I was thinking, "Why didn't they show us how they provisioned themselves for this voyage?" All of a sudden, we went from the slave girl scene to getting on the longship.

Lissa: There was a small blink-and-you'll-miss-it scene of them provisioning the ship, loading on bundles and crates, and the cage of ravens.

Sandi: Ah, I'll blame the flu. :) [The flu was also the reason this didn't get posted Monday!]

Now back to Ragnar's decision making. Rollo's made a big deal about how they're all equal on that voyage and I believe Ragnar's intent was that the equality extended to plunder and such, not decision-making. Someone has to be in charge. Especially on a ship in the middle of the ocean. The craft is Ragnar's and so should these decisions be. I think he was rather...violent...with the dissenter on the voyage, but a captain had to be unquestioned.

Lissa: If that kind of panic spread, it could have been really bad for Ragnar and for the voyage itself. The men might have insisted on returning and then Ragnar would have to face the consequences, assuming they didn't kill him & toss his carcass to the fish.

Sandi: He also did the raven test. This reminded the men that there was a rational way to check for land as well as calling upon Odin's discernment and asking (quietly) for the god's blessing on this trip.

Lissa: It showed how intelligent these people really were. I contrasted this with Columbus's voyage, where the solution was to put a man high up on the mast to watch for sight of land.

Sandi: They really were amazing in how they managed to cross such large bodies of water practically blind. In an aside, did you see that Vladimir Kulich (Buliwyf fromThe 13th Warrior and a model in my head for Agnarr in my  Éire's Viking  series) is Eric in this series? I was all fangirling on twitter for a minute.

Lissa: I wondered if that would set off a nerdgasm across the country!

Sandi: Well, it did here! :)

Lissa: The raid on the monastery was wonderful. Certainly not your stereotypical "guys in horned helmets running in screaming." They approached like seasoned warriors would approach: with caution and smarts. Instead of bashing at the gates, they unhinged them quickly. I think they were disappointed the fight turned out to be such a fish-in-a-barrel moment.

Sandi: I got that sense, too. "Too easy" and "Where's the good stuff?" was all over their demeanor.



I was surprised, though, that Athelstan knew of the danger to come with the ship. The Lindisfarne invasion of 793 was the first known Viking attack in this area. Now, Athelstan has traveled and such, but the Northmen hadn't made much of an impact at this point, yet. The Irish poems, for example, didn't start lamenting their coming until the 9th Century. Instead of being curious or just wary (not to be wondered at with how isolated the monastery was) he immediately determined (after seeing just the one ship) that the visitors were bad guys.

Lissa:  I think it was their terror that the storm was a sign of the end of the world had a lot to do with it. Then, seeing the prow of that ship slide in out of the fog... it probably looked like a sea monster to him, at first, so it's no wonder they assumed the demons of hell had arrived. The no-nonsense prior illustrated that confusion perfectly. He heard a hysterical report that something was coming and he shook his head slightly, like, "Y'all crazy," before ordering that the gates be shut, seemingly "Just in case."

Sandi: And he said he had learned their language. This is a puzzle to me. It takes time to learn these languages well enough to converse as well as he seemed to do. Had he then been taken captive before? That would explain his panic, but this was not something too likely at this stage in the Viking incursions.

Lissa: I wondered about that, too, if he was an escaped slave. Being a missionary doesn't seem like a logical explanation at this point.

I wondered a bit about the scene where Athelstan explains to Ragnar why he chose to protect the Gospel of St. John instead of the gold. There was a hint of interest in Ragnar's demeanor, maybe just curiosity, but I wonder if Athelstan's faith will influence Ragnar as the show progresses.

Sandi: Ah, yes. Good point!  I love all the different ideas we're getting so early on in this series. :)

Lissa: The scene when they were rowing away from the monastery reminded me so much of  Éire's  Captive Moon . I pictured Charis sitting on that ship as her homeland faded into the distance and felt sorry for the poor monks, captured by these horrifying, demonic creatures, taken away into the unknown. It truly must have felt like the end of the world for them.

Sandi: I felt much the same. I kind of put Cowan in Athelstan's shoes as he hunkered down and shielded his head, resigning himself to what was going to happen.

I'm very much looking forward to the next episode. I'm wondering what will happen between Athelstan and Rollo. Previews of Haraldson's declaration made me think the man is unfit to lead his people and I wonder if that will be part of the plot as the series progresses.

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Thanks for reading! Next week, Episode Three: Dispossessed

Doesn't that sound ominous...?