Favorite Author and Guest Blogger Renee Vincent, author of the Emerald Isle trilogy!

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:

Raeliksen

Mac Liam

The Fall of Rain