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Category Archives: Vikings

Queen Emma & Vikings:Valhalla

Posted on January 28, 2021 by Patricia

In writing my trilogy about Emma of Normandy I hoped to spotlight the 11th century, twice-crowned queen of England whose name had long been relegated to footnotes in history books. I think I’ve succeeded to some extent because a good … Read More →

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Swords, Wyrms & Vikings

Posted on March 18, 2020 by Patricia

One of the treasures on display at Durham Cathedral’s Open Treasure Exhibit is an impressive, enormous 13th century sword, the Conyers Falchion. According to a legend, it was used by Sir John Conyers to slay the Sockburn Wyrm. The wyrm … Read More →

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Cnut the Great, d. 12 November

Posted on November 12, 2018 by Patricia

Cnut the Great, England’s Viking king, died on Wednesday, 12 November, 1035. Cnut’s birth date was not recorded, but it was likely some time in the 990’s, so he was probably in his early to mid-forties when he died at … Read More →

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Review: The Ceremony of Innocence, a play written in 1968 by Ronald Ribman

Posted on August 21, 2015 by Patricia

It is Christmas Eve in the year 1013. The king of England, Ethelred, has retired to a cell in a monastery on the Isle of Wight. He is mournful, despairing, and self-exiled from his court and kingdom due to remorse … Read More →

Posted in Anglo-Saxons, Art, History, Research, Review, Theatre, UK, Vikings | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

5 May 1010: The Battle of Ringmere

Posted on May 4, 2015 by Patricia

On 5 May in the year 1010, a great battle was fought between the Anglo-Saxons and the Danes at a place in East Anglia called Ringmere. In the fall of 2012, as part of the research for my novel The … Read More →

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Æthelred II – the Haunted King

Posted on April 22, 2015 by Patricia

On 23 April 1016, King Æthelred II died in London. He was about 50 years old, and he’d ruled England for 38 years. At his death he’d not yet been given the byname, Unræd, (ill-counseled, a play on the Old … Read More →

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