The Story behind The
Briton and the Dane Trilogy
Cover design by Steven Novak
I fell in love with medieval England after reading Sir
Walter Scott’s “Ivanhoe” in my sophomore year of high school, but my interests
soon turned towards the Dark Ages when the formidable Vikings harassed the
civilized world once Hollywood released such blockbusters as “The Vikings,”
“The Longships,” and “Erik the Viking.” Add to the mix “Alfred the Great,”
“Prince Valiant,” and “King Arthur,” and an incurable romantic anglophile was
born.
As time went on Hollywood changed its venue of period
movies, but I found solace with the many British programs being aired on our
local PBS station. With the advent of BBC America and History International, I
was able to find great documentaries such as “The Dark Ages,” “Life in
Anglo-Saxon Times,” “Dark Age England,” and “Viking Exploration,” to name but a
few.
During this time, Erik the Viking was hovering in the
cobwebs of my creative mind, waiting to escape oblivion, waiting to tell his
story, waiting and waiting and waiting, but it was not until 2008 that I was
able to find the time to devote to fulfilling my lifelong dream of writing my
Erik the Viking novel.
Why did I focus on Alfred the Great and King Guthrum? I
chose these two formidable characters because I find them fascinating. This was a time of conflict and change, when
Christianity was replacing the pagan religion, and the feared Vikings no longer
plundered the fertile country of Britannia but remained and settled the land.
When King Alfred defeated King Guthrum in 878, one of the
terms for peace was the Christian baptism of the Danish King. I wondered how this heathen King might have
felt about denying the gods of his ancestors as he willingly accepted the Roman
Christ God, and also wondered how willing his subjects had been to submit to
the rules of the new religion.
In addition to the religious conflict, there were also petty
Kings who coveted the throne, not only King Alfred’s crown, but King Guthrum’s
as well. Throw into the mix,
illegitimate offspring and you have all the makings for a great story.
While Erik started out as my main character, the supporting characters quickly sought to usurp the protagonist role. I had often heard the phrase, “but then my characters took over,” and suddenly discovered that the statement is very true. Erik had to share the limelight with the many prominent figures, and these characters refused to play a minor role in an ongoing saga.
The same holds true for the antagonist; there are many
opponents as the story unravels, each with their own agenda, but each seeking
power and wealth.
I delve into the minds of the characters as they deal with
conflicts that are quite common today: father/son relationships and
acknowledgement of paternity, religious confrontation, and warfare. The people
who lived in the Ninth Century were flesh and blood as we are flesh and
blood. They faced the same problems,
made similar choices, and perhaps regretted their decisions, just like us.
I also wanted to reach out to the families of our modern day
warriors, and to remind everyone that the only thing that has changed in
warfare over time has been its weaponry.
What has not changed is the anxiety as one awaits the fate of loved
ones; waiting is difficult no matter which century a person lives in.
Since “The Briton and the Dane: Legacy” is the third and
final installment of the trilogy, I should be willing to say goodbye…the key
word here is should…but there are many stories still to tell, and many
characters to meet, and enough passion, intrigue, treachery and betrayal to
enthrall an audience…so fear not my faithful fans, the series will
continue.
“The Briton and the Dane” trilogy has been a joy to write,
and I trust a joy to read. Enjoy the
adventure, it only gets better.
Coming Soon:
“The Briton and the Dane:
Concordia” - available 2013
Cover design by Steven Novak
Visit my webpage (http://www.maryannbernal.com) for more
information.
