by Dan Smith
Did You Know?
The Viking Age is usually said to have lasted between the years 793 and 1066.
The first significant Viking raid in England was in the year 793 at Lindisfarne, close to the part of England where Ylva’s story takes place. But experts believe that Vikings had raided England at least once before, in Portsmouth, four years earlier.
Experts can’t be sure that anyone ever actually called the raiders ‘Vikings’, and there’s a lot of debate about where the word even came from. Records suggest it became a popular word long after the Viking Age was over. It’s more likely that the raiders who came across the North Sea were known simply as ‘Danes’, ‘Norsemen’ or ‘Northmen’.
Vikings did not wear horned helmets. In fact, most of them probably didn’t even wear helmets at all. Swords and helmets were extremely expensive and difficult to make, so those who did own them were usually either very rich, or had taken them from an enemy they defeated in battle. An axe, like the one Ylva uses to fight the bear, was much more common because it was cheap and easy to make, and it could be used both as a weapon and as an everyday tool.
Experts know that Old Norse, as spoken by the Vikings, and Old English, as spoken by the Anglo-Saxons, were very similar languages because many of the original Anglo-Saxon settlers came from Scandinavia – the home of the Vikings. Anglo-Saxons, like Cathryn and Bron, would have thought the invading Vikings had strange accents, but they would have understood what they were saying.
Murder was a serious crime in Viking culture, and revenge was hugely important. If a person was killed fairly in battle that was fine, but murder had to be punished. That’s why Ylva is so determined to avenge Mother’s death. But sometimes a single murder could lead to a long and bloody string of revenge killings.
Slaves like Ylva were the least important people in Viking culture. They were seen as cattle, and the law did not recognize them as humans. Slaves were not allowed to own property, they were not allowed to marry, and their children automatically belonged to their owners. Slaves were often treated badly, and were forced to carry out the most difficult and unpleasant tasks in the home and farm. A man who killed or stole another man’s slave would have to pay the owner as if he had killed that man’s cow or pig, or stolen his property.
If a slave owner died, his slaves were often sacrificed and buried with him.
Slaves were one of the most common trade items in Viking culture, so they were extremely valuable to raiders – like the three-fingered man – who captured and sold them. Vikings brought slaves back from their raids overseas, but they also enslaved people from their own countries.
Some historians think that the Great Heathen Army attacked Eoforwic (York) on 1st November 866 (the month before Ylva arrived in England). This was already a time of civil war in the kingdom of Northumbria, with the two Saxons kings – Aelle and Osbert – fighting for control.
When Vikings took control of Eoforwic, they changed its name to Jorvik, but the city is now known as York.
It’s difficult to be certain of many of the dates and facts about the Vikings during the time of Ylva’s adventure, because the Vikings didn’t write their sagas and histories down at that time. A lot of information was passed by word of mouth, and not actually written until many years later, and by that time some of the facts were either forgotten or changed. Most written records of the time come from other people writing about the Vikings. For instance, much of the information we have about the Great Heathen Army comes from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, but it doesn’t give us very much detail. Historians are unsure exactly who led the army, when it arrived, how big it was, or why the warriors came. According to the saga The Tale of Ragnar’s Sons, the army came to avenge the death of Ragnar Lothbrok, a famous Viking adventurer and warrior, who was thrown into a pit of snakes by King Aella of Northumbria. The army was said to have been led by Ragnar’s sons, who included Ivar the Boneless, Halfdan Ragnarsson, Hvitserk Ragnarsson, Bjorn Ironside, and Sigurd Snake-in-the-Eye. Other stories and sources suggest they were joined by the Viking chieftans known as Guthrum and Ubba (who might also have been a son of Ragnar Lothbrok).
Acknowledgements
I’ve learnt a lot about Vikings while writing this book. I’ve also realized there’s still so much more for me to learn. But what’s really amazing is how much we just don’t know – and probably never will know – about the Viking age. In a way, that made life difficult for me when trying to find information for my story, but in the end it worked out for the best because it allowed me to use my imagination to fill in the gaps. I am, after all, a storyteller, not a historian. And being a storyteller means I could put mountains where there are none, and I could make Ylva battle a bear even though the last bears probably died out in England about 100 years before Ylva’s ship ever reached these shores.
So it turns out that I’ve learnt something about bears as well as Vikings.
When I see Ylva’s story on these pages, as you have just done, it feels strange to think that it didn’t come to me fully formed. But that’s the way of stories; they develop and evolve until they become what they need to be – and sometimes the only way to find the heart of a story is to discuss it with other story-lovers, and to listen to their ideas. Well, lucky for me, I had Barry Cunningham right there at the beginning to help Ylva on her way, so thank you Barry, you have an excellent nose for sniffing out a good story. (He also has a beard that any Viking would be proud of, but don’t tell him I said that.)
Thank you also to Rachel Hickman, who was there to offer ideas and encouragement. Your enthusiasm confirmed that this was the right story to tell, and you later commissioned talented artist Jill Calder to design the eye-catching and unique illustration that looks so amazing on the cover of She Wolf.
When it comes to the nitty-gritty of the story, though, it was Rachel Leyshon who stood at the front of the battle with me, axe in hand. Rachel endured my persistent emails and Friday morning calls to talk through all the crazy ideas. It was also Rachel who kept saying ‘Oh, there’s just one more thing . . .’ which usually meant more than just one thing and often resulted in me rewriting another section of the story. But Rachel is always, always upbeat, insightful (and right), and a pleasure to work with. Thank you, Rachel – you have a way of finding the truth of a story, and Ylva’s quest for revenge wouldn’t be what it is without your advice.
Laura, you’ve done an awesome job with the layouts and making sure everything looks so good inside the pages of this book – and you’ve had to put up with the irritation of me changing things along the way, so thank you for all your patience.
Thanks also to Elinor who I know is working hard to send She Wolf adventuring across the sea, which is where any true Viking would want to be. Thanks to Claire for working hard on the copy-edit, to Jazz for organizing events, publicity, and being all-round awesome, and thanks to the rest of the brilliant team at Chicken House – Kesia, Esther, Sarah and Lucy! It’s a pleasure to work with you guys.
It’s hard to believe that I’ve now been working with my agent, Ella, for over a year. Ella has lived up to all expectations – with a keen eye for a story, a love of the fine detail, and an in-depth knowledge of the Viking age! I know you’re there to battle alongside me, Ella, so thank you for all your support and encouragement.
Writing books and sending them out into the world can sometimes feel like a lonely business, and I can only hope that they reach as many happy readers as possible. That can’t happen without reviewers, book-lovers and booksellers who enjoy my books and recommend them to their friends, readers and customers. There are a few special people who have championed my books for a long time now, so I want to say a huge thank you to them too – with a special mention for Helen at Forum Books, Fiona at Waterstones, Richard at Drake, and Sharleene at Seven Stories.
But where would I be without my Viking clan? My shield-maiden and my warriors? (By which I mean my brilliant wife and children.) Who would I annoy? Who would I ignore when I’m l
ost in a story? Who would I use as a sounding board for ideas? Who would I hit with the axe that now hangs over my desk? (Don’t worry, the axe is made of foam.) I couldn’t do any of this without them; they’re the best, and I’d go adventuring with them any time.
And lastly (did you just sigh in relief?), and lastly, I want to say thanks to you guys. Yes, you. The ones holding She Wolf right now. You are the readers tucked up in bed, or relaxing by the window, or snuggled on the sofa. You’re sitting on the bus, the train, the plane. You’re safe in your special place. You’re in the classroom with one of those amazing teachers who loves books and stories and knows exactly how to spread that love (you teachers are awesome, by the way). You are a reader. Be proud of that. Stories make us better people; they take us to new places and they show us amazing things. An immeasurable amount of good comes from reading, but that’s not the best reason to pick up a book. Nope. The best reason to pick up a book is because stories are fun. And who doesn’t want to have fun?
ALSO BY DAN SMITH
MY FRIEND THE ENEMY
1941. It’s wartime and when a German plane crashes in flames near Peter’s home, he rushes over hoping to find something exciting to keep.
But what he finds instead is an injured young airman. He needs help, but can either of them trust the enemy?
. . . an exciting, thought-provoking book.
THE BOOKSELLER
Paperback, ISBN 978-1-912626-35-9, £6.99 • ebook, ISBN 978-1-909489-06-6, £6.99
ALSO BY DAN SMITH
BELOW ZERO
When Zak’s plane crash-lands on Outpost Zero, a small Antarctic research base in one of the most isolated places on Earth, he discovers a cold, dark nightmare. The power’s out and the people who live there have disappeared. Worse, as he searches for answers, bizarre visions suggest a link to something else – deep beneath the ice – which only he can understand . . .
Paperback, ISBN 978-1-910655-92-4, £6.99 • ebook, ISBN 978-1-911077-55-8, £6.99
ALSO BY DAN SMITH
BOY X
Kidnapped, Ash McCarthy wakes up on a remote tropical island. Why is he there? And how can he get home? Ash needs answers.
To escape, he must take risks. But what’s more dangerous: the jungle, his captors, or the chemical injected in his veins?
Boy X is a breathless adventure where nothing and no-one is expected. Dan Smith’s pacey prose gallops along, capturing the reader and entangling us in the puzzle plot.
THE SCOTSMAN
Paperback, ISBN 978-1-909489-04-2, £6.99 • ebook, ISBN 978-1-910655-52-8, £6.99
ALSO BY DAN SMITH
MY BROTHER’S SECRET
Twelve-year-old Karl is a good German boy. He wants his country to win the war – after all, his father has gone away to fight. But when tragedy strikes and his older brother Stefan gets into trouble, he begins to lose his faith in Hitler. Before long, he’s caught up in a deadly rebellion.
Rich in detail, this is a thought-provoking story.
JULIA ECCLESHARE
Paperback, ISBN 978-1-909489-03-5, £6.99 • ebook, ISBN 978-1-909489-54-7, £6.99
Text © Dan Smith 2019
First paperback edition published in Great Britain in 2019
This electronic edition published in 2019
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Produced in the UK by CPI Group (UK) Ltd, Croydon, CR0 4YY
Cover and interior design by Steve Wells
Cover illustration © Jill Calder
British Library Cataloguing in Publication data available.
PB ISBN 978-1-910655-93-1
eISBN 978-1-912626-23-6