In 1030 C.E. — When Harald, the second son of King Cnute, returns from fighting the king's enemies in Northern Wales, he expects his life to return to normal. He's surprised when he's granted a large landholding—an idyllic life, far from the power-mongering of King Cnute's court, farming in the Midlands, evening walks with his beloved Selia. It’s a gift they cannot refuse, but the king has other plans for Harald and his wife.
In my historical fiction series, The Atheling Chronicles, I follow the course of Harald Harefoot's life as he becomes "throne-worthy." Harald is the middle son of King Cnute, the ruler of Engla-lond, Danmark, and Nordvegr. Harald could be chosen as the next king by the thegns and bishops who will meet after Cnute passes.
My readers have journeyed with Harald to Rome, endured his captivity in Erui-lond (Ireland), watched as he and his beloved Selia faced assassins when they tried farming, and struggled with him as he battled in Northern Wales. In my new book, Ravens Hill, Harald and Selia face new challenges.
Although Harald is loyal and obedient to his father/king, he has made it known that he wishes for a peaceful life with Selia, away from court intrigues and power struggles. While not overtly challenging his son's decisions, Cnute raises Harald's status by granting him a large estate in the Midlands. It is an offer he and Selia feel they cannot refuse.
When they arrive to take over the estate, Ravens Hill, it is during a heat wave and the water courses are shallow. Harald and Selia are suspicious of the steward, Ricmann Two-Beard, who manages the estate or tún, and they disapprove of the ruthless housecarls who guard the tún and collect rents. The bailiff (bookkeeper) is compulsively nervous and the chaplain/priest is far from holy.
Although Harald is loyal and obedient to his father/king, he has made it known that he wishes for a peaceful life with Selia, away from court intrigues and power struggles. While not overtly challenging his son's decisions, Cnute raises Harald's status by granting him a large estate in the Midlands. It is an offer he and Selia feel they cannot refuse.
When they arrive to take over the estate, Ravens Hill, it is during a heat wave and the water courses are shallow. Harald and Selia are suspicious of the steward, Ricmann Two-Beard, who manages the estate or tún, and they disapprove of the ruthless housecarls who guard the tún and collect rents. The bailiff (bookkeeper) is compulsively nervous and the chaplain/priest is far from holy.
The former owner, Thegn Wulfrun, would have left the landholding to his daughter, but she has entered the neighbouring convent, mourning the death of her lover, and her father did not want the Church to have his land. The Abbess of the convent, Thegn Wulfrun's unyielding sister, still wishes to acquire Ravens Hill.
As Harald and Selia make their presence known, they find themselves up against more challenges and unknown enemies. One major concern is the murder of Aloc, the miller's son, the lover of the thegn's daughter. As the new tún-lord, Harald recognizes the tension among his tenants, and knows he must find the murderer. He must do this while establishing their trust in his fairness and strength. But with every small, progressive step Harald and Selia take, opposing forces move to drive them out.
Although Ravens Hill can be read as a medieval murder mystery, it is at heart the story of Harald and Selia striving to be true and strong in a land ruled by a Viking king, who holds Anglo-Saxons and Danes together as one people.
As always, writing about the eleventh-century pre-Norman Conquest always leads me into more research. For Ravens Hill, I had to delve into landholding, folk-land versus book-land, rents and services, and taxation. Next to Harald and Selia's lands are the lands of a men's abbey and a women's abbey. By this time, the two had separated. I researched extensively to discover the make-up and structure of Christian institutions at a time when abstinence was expected, but not always followed. I also read up on eleventh-century grain mills and was impressed with the engineering.
Though the novel is set in 1030 CE, the heat wave and drought happened in 1032 CE, according to The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles. With our own problems with summer wildfires increasing here in British Columbia, this seemed like a natural avenue to follow. I examined how folk would have met this problem without modern fire-fighting equipment, and how devastating such natural disasters must have been.
Though I used many sources, including blogs and articles found online, three books on this era were particularly valuable:
-The Year 1000: What Life Was Like at the Turn of the First Millennium by Robert Lacey & Danny Danziger
-Winters in the World: A Journey Through the Anglo-Saxon Year by Eleanor Parker
-The Death of Anglo-Saxon England by N.J. Higham
I often use Old English words to enhance the time setting. An online OE translator is convenient and the book, The Wordhord by Hana Videen is an excellent resource.
Ravens Hill in eBook form can be pre-ordered at a discounted price until its release on April 15. The print edition will appear in the summer of 2025. Reviews so far have been positive. All of The Atheling Chronicles titles are available through Tirgearr Publishing. Happy reading. Please review and rate my books on Amazon and Goodreads.
Garth Pettersen
Garth Pettersen is an award-winning Canadian writer living in the Fraser Valley near Vancouver, BC, Canada where he and his wife board horses. Pettersen has a BA in History from the University of Victoria and is a retired teacher. His short stories have appeared in anthologies and in journals such as Blank Spaces, The Spadina Literary Review, and The Opening Line Literary 'Zine. Garth Pettersen's historical fiction series, The Atheling Chronicles, is published by Tirgearr Publishing and is available through most online outlets. Book #4 in the series, The Sea’s Edge, received a first-place Incipere Award. Find out more at Garth's website https://www.garthpettersen.com/ and find him on Twitter @garpet011
As Harald and Selia make their presence known, they find themselves up against more challenges and unknown enemies. One major concern is the murder of Aloc, the miller's son, the lover of the thegn's daughter. As the new tún-lord, Harald recognizes the tension among his tenants, and knows he must find the murderer. He must do this while establishing their trust in his fairness and strength. But with every small, progressive step Harald and Selia take, opposing forces move to drive them out.
Although Ravens Hill can be read as a medieval murder mystery, it is at heart the story of Harald and Selia striving to be true and strong in a land ruled by a Viking king, who holds Anglo-Saxons and Danes together as one people.
As always, writing about the eleventh-century pre-Norman Conquest always leads me into more research. For Ravens Hill, I had to delve into landholding, folk-land versus book-land, rents and services, and taxation. Next to Harald and Selia's lands are the lands of a men's abbey and a women's abbey. By this time, the two had separated. I researched extensively to discover the make-up and structure of Christian institutions at a time when abstinence was expected, but not always followed. I also read up on eleventh-century grain mills and was impressed with the engineering.
Though the novel is set in 1030 CE, the heat wave and drought happened in 1032 CE, according to The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles. With our own problems with summer wildfires increasing here in British Columbia, this seemed like a natural avenue to follow. I examined how folk would have met this problem without modern fire-fighting equipment, and how devastating such natural disasters must have been.
Though I used many sources, including blogs and articles found online, three books on this era were particularly valuable:
-The Year 1000: What Life Was Like at the Turn of the First Millennium by Robert Lacey & Danny Danziger
-Winters in the World: A Journey Through the Anglo-Saxon Year by Eleanor Parker
-The Death of Anglo-Saxon England by N.J. Higham
I often use Old English words to enhance the time setting. An online OE translator is convenient and the book, The Wordhord by Hana Videen is an excellent resource.
Ravens Hill in eBook form can be pre-ordered at a discounted price until its release on April 15. The print edition will appear in the summer of 2025. Reviews so far have been positive. All of The Atheling Chronicles titles are available through Tirgearr Publishing. Happy reading. Please review and rate my books on Amazon and Goodreads.
Garth Pettersen
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About the Author
Thank you, Tony, for hosting my guest blog. Much appreciated.
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