Shield Maiden
Page 14
Understanding the historical jargon!
There are lots of words in this book that are specific to Anglo-Saxon times (which is hardly surprising, as the story is set in those times!). This list might help you if you get stuck.
brazier – simple cooking device, a bit like a barbeque, with coals in the bottom and a grill on which food (usually meat) would be cooked
burgh – town
byrnie – piece of armour that covered the neck and shoulders of a soldier
chamberlain – person who looked after the household of a king or nobleman
ealdorman – high-ranking royal official of an Anglo-Saxon region
fyrd – part-time soldiers who also had non-military jobs
garrison – group of soldiers stationed in a fortress or town for defence
housecarle – bodyguard of a king or nobleman
insignia – badge or emblem
metropolis – capital or main city of a country or a region
Norseman – someone who spoke what is now known as Old Norse between the 8th and 11th centuries AD
overlord – land-owning lord who allowed others to live on his land in return for their work
pagan – person who believes in lots of different gods
palisade – a fence of wooden stakes or iron railings
scullion – servant who did the worst kitchen jobs
thegn – noble or military courtier of a king or nobleman, below an ealdorman in rank
What does that mean?
There are some other uncommon words in this book, too. This list might help you if you get stuck.
cavernous – like a cavern or cave in size and shape
etiquette – rules for polite behavior
incantations – words intended as magic spells or charms
invincible – unbeatable
maiming – wounding someone in a way that means their body is permanently damaged
parried – evaded attack using a weapon as a countermove
treacherous – guilty of betrayal
What next?
This story is written from the viewpoint of an Anglo-Saxon king’s daughter. How does she make us view the Danes? How would this be different if the story were written from the viewpoint of a Danish king’s daughter? Why not do some research and choose part of the story to write from the viewpoint of the Danes?
Answers to ‘Who’s Who?’
1c2d3f4a5e6b
ISBN: 9781472918093
When the young Celt Lucan sees a legion of Roman soldiers near his village it definitely makes sense to hide. But hiding in a wagon could prove to be a dangerous mistake . . .
Follow Lucan’s hilarious adventures as he tries to escape the dreaded Romans.
Join brothers Arthur and Finn as they travel back to ancient Egypt, where they try to prevent a kidnapping and stop a war; and to ancient Greece, to try and impress the Spartan king and avoid the wrath of the Persian Army.
First published 2016 by Bloomsbury Education, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
50 Bedford Square, London, WC1B 3DP
www.bloomsbury.com
Bloomsbury is a registered trademark of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Text copyright © Stuart Hill 2016
The moral rights of the author have been asserted. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers
A CIP catalogue for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN: 978-1-4729-1862-8 (paperback)
ISBN: 978-1-4729-1863-5 (ePub)
To find out more about our authors and books visit www.bloomsbury.com. Here you will find extracts, author interviews, details of forthcoming events and the option to sign up for our newsletters.