Today I’m delighted to present a guest post from Christina Courtenay, the author of Tempted by the Runes!
Guest Post by Christina Courtenay
TEMPTED BY THE RUNES – published 9th December 2021 by Headline Review
Everyone knows Scandinavia is very cold in the winter – snow and ice are expected and even welcomed as they brighten up the otherwise short and dark days. Winter comes early too, at least a month before the UK, and lingers for longer in spring. Nowadays Scandinavians have warm and well-insulated houses with central heating, and whenever they venture outside they dress accordingly in thermals, waterproof clothing, thick boots, hats, scarves and gloves. But what about the Vikings? How did they manage?
They lived in houses that usually had only one central fire and with openings up near the roof to let out the smoke. They didn’t have modern insulation and the floors were mostly just stamped earth. As for clothing, the only materials available were linen and wool for ordinary garments, leather for shoes and fur for lining cloaks for example. But somehow they survived the cold and even enjoyed being outside in it.
Just like now, they would have worn multiple layers of clothing. Wool is very warm, depending on how it’s woven. It is especially cosy if it’s felted, and it can be made fairly waterproof if you coat it with grease of some sort. When I visited Iceland recently, I was shown how Viking women sometimes made an extra thick type of woollen weave with tufty bits inserted to create extra warmth. This would have been perfect for cloaks and blankets.
Leather shoes are thin, but they can be stuffed with things like wool or hay which makes them much warmer. Or you can make them out of leather with the fur left on the inside.
Vikings skied, using a crude version of skis that looked similar to ours. Some examples have been found in Norway. But they didn’t do it quite the way we do – it was more a way of walking through or across the snow. They usually only used one pole which was more for balance than propulsion. Experiments have been made with this type of skiing and it works well for covering quite a long distance, as well as downhill. (See https://youtu.be/3SmWFsFm5Is). Something similar is still practised by people in the Chinese Altai mountains. (See this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-wF2U-W6xs).
They also ice-skated, using bones from cows or horses and a pole to propel themselves across the ice. By tying the bones to the underside of their shoes, they made quite effective ice-skates. This has also been tried and works very well. I’m not sure one would have as much control as with modern skates, but it could be fun and is definitely faster than trying to walk across a slippery surface!
Having grown up in Sweden, I was put on both skis and skates at a very young age (between 2 ½ and 3) and loved spending my days outside in the winter. How about you? Do you love either sport? And if so, how do you think you would fare if you tried it the Viking way? I have a feeling I would manage but I’d find it very clumsy in comparison to the modern versions. Could be fun though!
About Christina Courtney’s book Tempted by the Runes:
Book Blurb
Born centuries apart. Bound by a love that defied time.
She couldn’t believe her eyes. The runes were normally so reliable and she had never doubted them before.
Madison Berger is visiting Dublin with her family for a Viking re-enactment festival, when she chances upon a small knife embedded in the banks of the Liffey. Maddie recognises what the runes on the knife’s handle signify: the chance to have her own adventures in the past.
Maddie only intends to travel back in time briefly, but a skirmish in 9th century Dublin results in her waking up on a ship bound for Iceland, with the man who saved her from attack.
Geir Eskilsson has left his family in Sweden to boldly carve out a life of his own. He is immediately drawn to Maddie, but when he learns of her connection to his sisters-in-law, he begins to believe that Fate has played a partin bringing them together. Amidst the perils that await on their journey to a new land, the truest battle will be to win Maddie’s heart and convince her that the runes never lie…
Purchase Links
Author Bio –
Christina Courtenay writes historical romance, time slip and time travel stories, and lives in Herefordshire (near the Welsh border) in the UK. Although born in England, she has a Swedish mother and was brought up in Sweden – hence her abiding interest in the Vikings. Christina is a former chairman of the UK’s Romantic Novelists’ Association and has won several awards, including the RoNA for Best Historical Romantic Novel twice with Highland Storms (2012) and The Gilded Fan (2014), and the RNA Fantasy Romantic Novel of the year 2021 with Echoes of the Runes. Tempted by the Runes (time travel published by Headline 9th December 2021) is her latest novel. Christina is a keen amateur genealogist and loves history and archaeology (the armchair variety).
Social Media Links
website / facebook / twitter / instagram
Giveaway to Win a signed paperback copy of Tempted By The Runes, a pair of silver Thor’s hammer earrings and a Thor’s hammer Christmas tree bauble (Open INT)
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Wow! This sure looks interesting! 😍
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I recently listened to the audio version of the Witch’s Heart by Geneieve Gornichec and Christina’s post certainly reminded of it. Plus, if you are a fan of Outlander, Christina’s book looks even more tempting.
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