I want to thank the very
talented Regan Walker for inviting me to her wonderful blog for her special
March events. I am super honored to be here and to share my experiences with researching the history of Ireland for my novels.
The Norse in Ireland
One of the first or perhaps the most famous of
appearances made by the Northmen was in 793 AD, when a small band of armed men
attacked the monastery of Lindisfarne (a small island off the east coast of
England) and mercilessly killed the peaceful monks of the abbey. Not only did
they thieve the riches from the monastery, but they also slaughtered the cattle
to restock their ships. To the Christian world, including Ireland, this was an
outrage. And just as word quickly spread of this atrocity, so did the number of
reoccurring attacks on other monasteries, particularly those along Ireland’s
coasts and rivers.
Eventually, Ireland became the perfect place for
the Northmen to set up winter camps when excursions were put on hold until the
warmer seasons. Over time, these temporary encampments developed into
settlements and even flourishing ports. The Northmen started to trade,
intermingle, and adapt to the customs and culture of the Gaels, but there were
still those Irish who did not like the “foreigners” who swept into their
country like a vicious storm. Many of the Irish, noble and ignoble alike, had
come into brutal contact with these pagan people, and had lost their loved ones
to raids, skirmishes, or even the slave trade. The thought of actually allowing
these Northern people to integrate into their own country—which had so far
remained impervious to outside influences—left more than a bad taste in their
mouths.
The High King of Ireland, Niall Glundubh, had
quite possibly the worst grudge of anyone. He had demonstrated great efforts to
unite the constant warring Irish clans into one huge force in order to rid
their lands of the Northmen, starting with those who controlled Baile Átha
Cliath (Dublin). But there were some lesser kings who were left questioning the
probability of this victory—if not the morality of it—given that some had
already formed alliances with the Northmen and even married their daughters.
Joining this campaign would have been a blatant betrayal of those very
collaborations. Veritably, there were grown sons born of Irish and Norwegian
parents, thus further complicating matters. What seemed to be a clear-cut
battle between native and foreigner, had now evolved into an obscure civil war.
This is the very time period
when my story, Ræliksen, takes
place—when there was more at stake than just a claim on Ireland’s flourishing
port, but the very alliances made between Christian and pagan men, how ever
unlikely it seemed.
Why did I choose this
particular time period for the start of my Emerald
Isle Trilogy? Simply put, it was the most interesting of all the conquests
the Norse had made, at least for me.
With the expansion of the
trade routes, the Vikings set foot in many places around the world, including
lands as far east as Russia and the Orient, and as far west as North America.
But their countless excursions in Ireland were the ones that had always held me
riveted. I especially loved the numerous conflicts they’d had with the Irish
kings and the few—sometimes scandalous—alliances they sealed in marrying the
kings’ daughters.
Another reason I loved this time period in history is
because this was about the time when Christianity was introduced to the Northmen.
Some even accepted and practiced the new religion. This was mostly due to the
Northmen’s repeated journeys where they came into contact with, socialized, and
often times settled the lands of Christian Europe. But in my research, it still
boggled my mind as to what would make a proud heathen man, who believes in many
gods, suddenly accept and whole-heartedly believe in one God.
History does not give a clear-cut reason for the
Northmen’s conversion, only that in most instances it was demanded else they
face death. Certainly, that alone would’ve been convincing enough to prompt one’s
“conversion.” But to truly convert and pass it down to their children,
generation after generation, there had to be something more profound going on,
something deeper inside a man’s heart that led him to that pivotal moment of
adopting a strange new religion.
Dægan’s conversion in Ræliksen was just my fictional take on the matter, and it brought
to the surface the reflective side of my hero. He was a man who often reacted
quickly on his emotions, but still contemplated his actions. He wanted to
always stay on the path of righteousness. He was a man with a conscience and a
man humble enough to ask for help from someone bigger than his haughty self.
The significance of his conversion was the dawning of a new day…that despite
death, not all is hopeless and lost.
My other hero, Breandán Mac Liam (first introduced in Ræliksen but has his own story in Mac Liam) is a pivotal character as he
is the reason for both Dægan’s triumph and his struggles. Understand that
Breandán is Irish, while Dægan, no matter what we know as the reader, is still
the unwelcome, cruel and savage Northman on his Irish lands. So, without really
knowing the mutual relationship between Mara, the heroine, and Dægan, the
warrior chieftain, Breandán single-handedly brings havoc and pain into their
lives—not because he wishes any ill will on Dægan, but because he is simply
determined to save Mara from the Northmen, who he believes have taken her.
Once he realizes the love Dægan has for Mara, Breandán
becomes the behind-the-scenes kind of hero, aiding Dægan when he needs it the
most. Indirectly, the two ally themselves to save the one woman they both love.
However, where one might think
the story ends with Ræliksen, it only
just begins for Breandán as he walks away, still in love with Mara. With the
start of Mac Liam, we now get to take
a look into Irish way of life and see just how much Breandán really loves her
despite the seven years that have passed.
The research for this book
was a bit more difficult for me because for so long, my research had remained
on the Norse who’d come into Ireland. Now I had to forget what I knew about the
Vikings (largely a Germanic tribe) and concentrate on a completely different
race and creed of people from a Celtic nature.
Lucky for me, I had many
friends around the world who I called upon when books had failed me, especially
when I needed to capture that indigenous Irish pride and portray the Irish
psyche in a favorable light.
I found my “human” resources years
ago on an Irish Gaelic translation site and have stayed in contact with them to
this day. Several live in Ireland presently, which really helped when I needed
assistance on the general lay of the land since I’ve yet to visit it. When I
wanted to add a few endearments or greetings in Irish Gaelic to the story, I
relied on a select few who knew the difficult language well and the challenges
of translating properly. Without all of their help, I couldn’t have described and
represented Ireland in such a way that would have done it justice.
This in-depth research of
Ireland continued into The Fall of Rain,
which is actually a contemporary romance set on Inis Mór, the island where
Dægan Ræliksen and Mara had once lived and where Breandán had later come into
the picture. For this, I needed to present the reader with a nostalgic feeling of
the first two books in the series, while maintaining a modern setting with
actual, present-day landscapes, buildings, pubs, restaurants, cottages, and
roads.
This part of the research was
especially enjoyable because its purpose essentially became twofold. I was able
to research places that my hero, Leif Dæganssen, and heroine, Lorraine O’Connor
would visit or hang out in, while I also “planned” my future trip to Ireland
and where I would stay!
I'd love to hear
from those readers who also love Irish (or even Viking) heroes! Leave me a
comment for a chance to win an ebook copy of Raeliksen in the format of your choice.
Amazon buy links for the trilogy: