by Peter Fox
Rathulf looked towards the prow of the trader. ‘Well, Gunnar is kidding himself if he thinks he can replace Alrik.’
Ottar smiled. ‘No one will ever replace Alrik,’ he said. ‘He was one of a kind.’
Rathulf looked away, struggling to hold back the storm of confusing emotions that sprang up at the thought of his friend. He hated himself for it, but it was evident to him now that Alrik had meant far more to him than he’d ever understood. How cruel, then, for their time to have been cut short so brutally. What of all the grand adventures they’d planned on the lazy days they’d spent together on the Wave Skimmer?
Alrik’s eyes had shone with eagerness as they’d imagined sailing to Byzantium to explore its fabled covered markets and golden streets; or travelling overland to the smithies of Aachen in search of the perfect sword; or heading in the opposite direction to the far north of Midgard to hunt the great white bears that roamed the frigid ice floes; and, most recently, leading the Viking fleet to Dumnonia to reclaim Rathulf’s kingdom. Rathulf felt a pang of sadness deep within his heart. They’d not achieved a single one of those dreams.
‘The pain will dull eventually,’ Ottar said, ‘and you will find a new companion, but there will always be a part of you that hankers for the life which might have been.’
Right now, that felt like an impossibility to Rathulf, but what choice did he have? Put one foot ahead of the other, Myran had told him during one of their many arguments. One small step at a time will take you closer to that better place, and a step further away from the bad. It may be slow, but you will be rewarded for your patience. Rathulf had said something rude at that point, but perhaps the slave had been right after all.
Ottar broke back into his thoughts. ‘Like it or not, fate has brought you to this time and place, Rathulf. Your destiny is clear. I suggest you stop fighting it.’
With that, Ottar patted him on the shoulder then stepped down onto the main deck. Rathulf watched as the sailor moved about the ship, checking the halyards and stays and instructing his crew in their preparations for the long journey across the open seas. Beyond him, Gunnar stood at the prow, one hand wrapped around the stem-post, face to the sea, his eyes closed. Are you really afraid? Rathulf wondered, then he saw another person up there, full of hope and anticipation. Rathulf let out a curse and quickly brushed that vision away and consciously focused his mind on his brother.
He lifted his bandaged hand and peered into the tiny ruby eyes of the wolven ring on his finger. Where are you? he wondered again, and how in the name of all the Gods am I going to find you? He closed his eyes, but nothing came. All he heard was the swish and splash of the water against the Storm Beater’s hull and the creaking of her mast and timbers under the breeze. You’ve got to help me, he thought. You have to send me some sort of sign, something to guide me to you. I need more than a name. But nothing more came of it, so Rathulf stared into the blue-black depths for a while, watching the water rush beneath the hull as they rode the stiff breeze toward the distant mouth of the fjord.
Farewell Thorvaldsby, he thought sadly, feeling the chasm in his soul widen as he bid goodbye to his home and his life as a Viking. Despair rushed to fill the void in his heart, but he thrust it aside, determined not to take that path. He drew in a deep breath and turned his mind instead to Dumnonia, resisting his shattered spirit as it railed against that daunting, uncertain future. Ottar and Myran are right, he told himself. Somehow I must find hope; I must honour who I am. He looked down at his breast, then he unpinned Ingrith’s amulet from his tunic and held it in his hand for a moment.
Farewell Rathulf, he said in his thoughts, letting the amulet slip from his fingers into the Storm Beater’s wake. For I am Caelin, son of Cadwyr, Wolf of Dumnonia, and for good or ill, this is my destiny.
END OF BOOK 3
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READ ON IN BOOK 4 OF THE WOLVES OF DUMNONIA SAGA:
THE MONK’S SWORD
MAPS, GLOSSARY AND
HISTORICAL NOTES
Warning: These notes contain information which may spoil the reader’s enjoyment of the books if read in advance of the story. You are advised to consult only those words in the glossary relevant to the passage you are currently reading. You will also find plenty of other information – including more background to the characters, the Viking Age, and the inspiration for this series – at: http://www.wolvesofdumnonia.com
The World in 823 AD
While the characters and their deeds in this book are imagined (with the exception of the Saxon King Ecgberht of Wessex), the historical context of the Wolves of Dumnonia saga is authentic.
All of the locations mentioned in this book existed in Rathulf’s time, and where possible, I have used the contemporary names for those places. For instance, Escanceaster = modern-day Exeter; Konstantinoupolis = modern-day Istanbul. In the case of the settlements on Sognefjorden and its various branches, I have applied the typical Norse naming convention of the day, which was the owner’s name + the Old Norse term for homestead / settlement (‘by’). Rathulf’s and Thorvald’s home is thus known as ‘Thorvaldsby’.
On the following pages, you will find maps showing the places mentioned in the text, plus some contextual maps showing the extent of the Viking world in the early 9th century. You can find high resolution, colour versions of these maps on the Wolves of Dumnonia website.
Following the maps is a glossary of place names listed in alphabetical order under the name by which they were known 1,200 years ago.
Glossary of Names
Throughout this series, you will encounter names and terms that may be new to you, principally because most of the unfamiliar ones are Old Norse (the language of the Norwegian Vikings; abbreviated to ‘ON’ in the glossary) or derived from Old Norse. There are also a number of Old English (abbreviated to ‘OE’ below) place names which have since evolved into the different spellings by which we know those places today. The glossary will hopefully shed some light on them for you. There’s also the odd Latin term in there too. Remember you can hop over to the searchable online version at: www.wolvesofdumnonia.com
A note on historical place names
Where possible, I have used the name and spelling by which a settlement was known in the early- to mid-ninth century (i.e. the 800s AD). In some cases, this has been quite difficult, however, because spellings often vary between sources, or in some cases, there isn’t a record of the name by which that settlement was known at that time. You might also be surprised how much a place name can change over time; sometimes to a completely new name altogether. This is especially the case where a place has changed hands through history (e.g. Eboracum > Eoforwic > Jorvik > Yerk > Yourke > Yarke > York). I have also chosen to use the ‘er’ suffix (rather than ‘re’ written in some sources) for names like ...mynster and ...ceaster. I am sure I have been inconsistent from time to time, for which I apologise to those purists amongst you.
Likewise for my Old Norse spellings, where I suspect I have also been inconsistent, for instance using ‘th’ instead of ‘ð’. Again my apologies to any who are offended by my misspellings or my mixing of accents and modifiers.
ON = Old Norse. OE = Old English (Anglo-Saxon). L = Latin
Name or term
Description
Abbasid Caliphate
The Abbasid Caliphate was the third caliphate to succeed the Islamic prophet, Muhammad. Founded by Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib (566–653 CE), from whom the dynasty takes its name, the Abbasid Caliphate grew to be a vast empire spanning the middle east and north Africa, and which was centred on its magnificent capital, Baghdad. This was Myran’s birthplace.
Aquitania
Part of the Frankish Empire, now modern-day western France.
Armorica
Home of Mael ap Caradoc in exile, Armorica is the Roman name for the province of northwestern Gaul and Spain. In the context of this story, specifically the lands known today as ‘Brittany’ in western France.
It is no coincidence t
hat the area is called Brittany (and its inhabitants ‘Bretons’), as these lands were settled by the Britons of Cornwall following the collapse of the Roman Empire in AD410. Indeed, by the middle of the 6th Century, this area of Armorica was known as Britannia, and within this division were the minor kingdoms of Dumnonia and Cornouaille, reflecting their direct origins across the channel. The Breton and Cornish languages were also identical in those times, and even today are the most closely related of the surviving Celtic languages.
It isn’t known why the migrations took place, for certainly a large number of people left old Dumnonia for Armorica, and this occurred over a period of centuries. The most popular theories centre around the Saxon expansion into British lands; as the Saxon influence extended westward, more people left for the “free” lands of the south. It is even possible that the settlement was originally started by a few adventurous souls, and as ‘New Dumnonia’ became more secure and viable, perhaps more people came, lured by the travel brochures which promised warm sun, fertile lands and, most importantly, no Saxon overlords. [Todd: 238-240]
Baghdad
Myran’s birthplace and capital of the Abbasid Caliphate. Baghdad was founded in 762 AD and grew to be one of the most important administrative, cultural and academic centres in the first millennia AD; a true ‘Golden Age’ of Islam. Baghdad was the largest city in the world for much of the Abbasid era, peaking at a population of more than a million (an astonishing size in those times). During Rathulf and Myran’s time, it was known a the ‘round city’ for the impressive city walls that encircled the citadel and the city’s core.
Bardisby
ON, literally ‘Bardi’s home.’ See ‘By’ below.
Bodmine /
Dinurrin
Modern-day Bodmin, Cornwall, the de facto capital of late British Dumnonia, and the only market town to appear in the Domesday Book in the region now covered by Cornwall. Known as Dinurrin in Caelin’s and Aneurin’s time, this was an important monastic settlement, established by St Petroc in the early 500s. The name of the town probably derives from the Cornish ‘Bod-meneghy’, meaning ‘dwelling of or by the sanctuary of monks’.
Brydianport
OE name for a settlement on the southern Wessex coast, translating as ‘port on the (River) Bride.’ Now known as Brideport, Dorset.
Byzantine Empire
An ancient empire whose capital in Rathulf’s time was Konstantinoupolis (modern-day Istanbul, Turkey). Considered by many scholars of the day as the seat of Christian civilization (it was also known as the Holy Roman Empire), although sadly lacking in gold-paved streets, despite Sigvald’s claims to the contrary. Also the source of Sigvald’s silk pantaloons. Despite it being on the ‘edge of the world’, the ever-curious Vikings did make it all the way out there, and their reputation for fierceness eventually led to them being the preferred members for the Imperial Guard (‘the Varangian Guard’). Unfortunately, these fellows rapidly earned a reputation for their drinking, and were colloquially known as the Emperor’s Wine Bags (one wonders if this had any bearing on the high success rate of imperial assassinations).
Caer Uisc
Capital of Dumnonia, now known as modern-day Exeter. See the entry for Escanceaster below.
Cornwall
The modern name for the land that was once part of the kingdom of Dumnonia. While some sources claim that the present-day name of Cornwall is derived from ‘Cornovii’ (the Celtic name for the people inhabiting the far west of the land), unfortunately it is more likely to have originated from Old English. The Saxons referred to the Dumnonians as the Cornwælisc or Cornwealhas; the direct translation being the ‘Welsh of the Horn’ (horn referring to the promontory which the Dumnonii inhabited). Innocuous enough until one learns that ‘Welsh’ (wælisc) is, in fact, a less-than-kind term derived from the Old English word ‘wealh’ (plural wealhas), meaning a foreigner, stranger or borderer, and also serf or slave. No wonder the Welsh prefer to describe themselves by their Celtic name, Cymru (pronounced coom-ree). Some Medieval maps also show the area now covered by Cornwall and Devon as ‘West Wales.’ [Source = Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable 1898 + others]
Crediantun
Saxon name for an important monastic settlement a few miles northwest Escanceaster (Exeter), its modern name being Crediton. OE meaning is “town on the River Creedy.” It is perhaps most famous for being the birthplace of Winfrith or Saint Boniface, who was born there in c. 672 and then took his Christian mission across to the Frankish Empire (where he became patron saint) and to the heathen lands beyond. OE.
Dornwaraceaster
OE name for modern-day Dorchester. The town is ancient, originally named Durnovaria by the Romans and Durngueir in British.
Dumnonia
Birthplace of Rathulf and his brother Aneurin ap Cadwyr, an ancient British kingdom in the far southwest of what is now England, occupying the rough land area of present-day Cornwall, Devon and some of Somerset. Also home to Tintagel, claimed by many as the birthplace of legendary King Arthur. After two centuries warding off the inexorable expansion of the Saxon Kingdom of Wessex, Dumnonia eventually fell to the Saxon King Ecgberht in 838AD. Thereafter the people inhabiting the area became known by the Saxons as the West Welsh, or ‘kernow-wealas’, from which the modern-day name ‘Cornwall’ is derived. ‘Wealas’ is a somewhat derogatory Saxon word meaning ‘foreigners or strangers.’ Wealas, or Wales as we know it today, thus means ‘foreigners or strangers,’ which is why, unsurprisingly, folks from this country prefer the original British term Cymru (pronounced ‘cum-ree’) to describe themselves today.
Durnovaria
An important town in southwestern Wessex, now known as Dorchester (in County Dorset). During Rathulf’s time it was a Saxon stronghold, still largely protected by its original Roman defences (hence the modern suffix ‘chester’). Nearby is the massive Iron-age hill fort of Maiden Castle, which was Durnovaria’s predecessor.
Escanceaster / Caer Uisc
The Anglo-Saxon walled city now known as Exeter. Originally built by the Romans as the administrative centre of Dumnonia and named Isca Dumnoniorum. When the Romans left, the British moved back in, named it Caer Uisc, and it remained the capital of Dumnonia until the Saxons took the city from the Dumnonians some time in the 600s AD. The first part of the name, ‘caer’ is the British word meaning ‘stronghold’, ‘fortress’, or ‘citadel’, in this case referring to the roman walls that enclosed the town. The Saxons kept the Roman name of Isca and added the suffix ‘Ceaster.’ Ceaster (also ‘chester’ or ‘caster’) is an Anglo-Saxon word meaning ‘a nice, strong, walled town or fortress kindly built for us by the Romans.’ Chester/caster is a common element of many place names in Britain to this day (e.g. Chester, Dorchester, Manchester, Lancaster, Silchester), indicating their Roman origin. Evidently the medieval scholars tired of the mouthful that was Escanceaster, however, and eventually shortened it to the much punchier ‘Exeter.’ OE.
Fjordlands
In this series of novels, the area that comprises the southwestern edge of Norway, stretching from modern-day Stavanger north up to Trondheim. In Rathulf’s day, anything beyond Trondheim was so cold, remote and full of monsters that no one with any sense would venture there.
Hamtun
Saxon name for a large, important port town that was built near the site of the earlier walled Roman fort and town of Clausentum. It is now known as the busy modern-day port city of Southampton.
Hjaltlands
ON name for the Shetland Islands.
Konstantinoupolis
Capital of the Eastern Roman (or Byzantine) Empire. Originally named Byzantium during Roman times, the city was renamed Constantinople in honour of the Eastern Roman Emperor Constantine in 330AD. During Rathulf’s times it would have been more commonly known by its Greek name, Konstantinoupolis. The city actually earned itself an imaginative Old Norse name too: Miklagarðr (from mikill ‘big’ and garðr ‘city’), also spelt Miklagard and Miklagarth. The city still
exists, but is now known as present-day Istanbul, Turkey.
Ljóthús
ON name for the Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides, Scotland.
Lundenwic
Saxon name for present-day London. OE.
Norvegr
The original name from which modern-day ‘Norway’ comes, from the Norse meaning ‘the north way,’ (Norðr vegr) referring to the sheltered sea route up the west coast of that country.
Petrocstowe
Saxon name for an important Dumnonian monastic town, famous for being founded by St Petroc, one of the early Irish Christians missionaries who brought the Celtic brand of Christianity to Dumnonia and far beyond. Modern-day name is Padstow. Cornish name is Lannwedhenek. Home of St Petroc’s Priory before it moved inland to Bodmin, most probably as a result of Viking raids.
Sanctus Germanus
A monastery, also known by its Cornish name as Lannaled, founded by St Germanus ca. 430AD by the banks of the River Lynher, southern Dumnonia. Modern-day name is St Germans, Cornwall. L.
Sceaptesburh
Saxon name for modern-day Shaftesbury in Dorset. ‘Sceapt’ is from the OE name meaning ‘a point’ and ‘Burh’ is the OE word for a fortified settlement.
Scirburne
Saxon name for modern-day Sherborne in Dorset. OE name meaning ‘bright, clear stream.’
