Jeff Foltz's Blog, page 2
January 4, 2011
Birkebeiner at Birkie
The Birkie has added Birkebeiner, A Story of Motherhood and War to their online store. The link is http://store.birkie.com/store.php?crn=205&rn=435&action=show_detail . I hope a lot of you xc ski types who are planning to read the book will go to this link and support the Birkie by purchasing it there. Not only are they selling the book on their website, but they have graciously invited me to the Birkie Expo on Feb. 24th and 25th to sign copies that they will have on sale there. Each copy helps an event we all love and, hopefully, you'll like the book.
December 29, 2010
Birkie Connection
Some of you have asked me what inspired me to write Birkebeiner, A Story of Motherhood and War. The first time I participated in the American Birkebeiner (the largest cross country ski race in North America), I arrived a couple of days early to reconnoiter. Several times, I traveled the corridor that connected the Colosseum and the hotel. Each trip took me past the large portrait of Thorstein and Skjervold carrying Prince Hakon. At the time I didn't know their names or anything else about the story. My curiosity grew with each pass. Finally, I stopped in front of the portrait and said to a skier coming the other way and minding his own business, "Those guys are not baby sitters. What's the story here?" The skier passed, wondering, I'm sure, if I belonged there or had just wandered in from the cold. But the question remained, gnawing at my curiosity. When I returned from the Birkie, I begin to research. One thing led to another and about a year later I went to Norway. By that time I was hooked - inextricably mired in the story. I had a lot of help along the way to seeing it in it's final form, but I enjoyed the journey that started at that portrait. I hope you enjoy the story.
November 24, 2010
The "Snake" scene
God Morgen,
I've had a couple of inquiries about the "snake scene", so I thought I'd give you a bit of background. First, let me say that I'm not quite warped enough to dream that up by myself - yet! During the research phase of Birkebeiner, I came across an ancient manuscript called Heimskringla, by Snorri Sturluson, a compilation of post-Viking Norse and Icelandic Sagas. With much of the "saga" literature of that time, it is difficult to tell what is fact and and what is fiction, but it's generally a blend. According to one of Snorri's sagas, this was a torture that some employed. Actually, the saga had an accompanying illustration which pretty much convinced me it needed to be in my notes.
Two things that I felt I had to convince Birkebeiner readers of were that infant Hakon was in grave danger, and that the bishop would stop at nothing to kill him and his father. That's the reason this scene and some of the battle scenes are in the story.
Frankly, the scenes from which I derived the the most pleasure and satisfaction from writing were the scenes which established the personalities and characters of the main players, Inga, Magnus, Torstein, and Skjervald. Whichever scenes you liked best, or skimmed over, I hope you enjoyed the story and I welcome your comments.
Jeff
I've had a couple of inquiries about the "snake scene", so I thought I'd give you a bit of background. First, let me say that I'm not quite warped enough to dream that up by myself - yet! During the research phase of Birkebeiner, I came across an ancient manuscript called Heimskringla, by Snorri Sturluson, a compilation of post-Viking Norse and Icelandic Sagas. With much of the "saga" literature of that time, it is difficult to tell what is fact and and what is fiction, but it's generally a blend. According to one of Snorri's sagas, this was a torture that some employed. Actually, the saga had an accompanying illustration which pretty much convinced me it needed to be in my notes.
Two things that I felt I had to convince Birkebeiner readers of were that infant Hakon was in grave danger, and that the bishop would stop at nothing to kill him and his father. That's the reason this scene and some of the battle scenes are in the story.
Frankly, the scenes from which I derived the the most pleasure and satisfaction from writing were the scenes which established the personalities and characters of the main players, Inga, Magnus, Torstein, and Skjervald. Whichever scenes you liked best, or skimmed over, I hope you enjoyed the story and I welcome your comments.
Jeff
