He came to a place he knew, a great fallen tree trunk, its loosened bark covered with lichen. Beads of dew sparkled in a forgotten spider web hanging from one end of the trunk. He recalled why he knew it: The white hind had shown herself here, one Winter day, the Lady in her guise as a deer. He sat down upon the trunk, as he had then.
He lowered his eyes to the forest floor, and drew breath in the coolness of the moist air. As he raised his eyes he saw a flash of white. It was Her, the white hind. She stepped before him from out of a clump of hazels, turned and looked his way. But this time she had a white fawn at her side.
Here ends the tale of Tindr.
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The Circle of Ceridwen Saga:
The Circle of Ceridwen: Book One
Ceridwen of Kilton: Book Two
The Claiming: Book Three
The Hall of Tyr: Book Four
Tindr: Book Five
Also by Octavia Randolph:
Light, Descending
The Tale of Melkorka: A Novella
Ride: A Novella: The Story of Lady Godiva
You've read the books - now enjoy the food! Your free Circle of Ceridwen Cookery Book(let) is waiting for you at octavia.net.
Ten easy, delicious, and authentic recipes from the Saga, including Barley Browis, Roast Fowl, Baked Apples, Oat Griddle Cakes, Lavender- scented Pudding, and of course - Honey Cakes. Charmingly illustrated with medieval woodcuts and packed with fascinating facts about Anglo-Saxon and Viking cookery. Free when you join the Circle, my mailing list. Be the first to know of new novels, have the opportunity to become a First Reader, and more. Get your Cookery Book(let) now and get cooking!
The Glossary of Terms and other background information follow.
The Wheel of the Year
Candlemas - 2 February
St Gregory’s Day - 12 March
St Cuthbert’s Day – The Spring Equinox, about 21 March
High Summer or Mid-Summer Day- 24 June
Sts Peter and Paul - 29 June
Hlafmesse (Lammas)- 1 August
St Mary’s Day -15 August
St Matthews’ Day – The Fall Equinox, about 21 September
All Saints -1 November
The month of Blót – November; the time of Offering
Martinmas (St Martin’s) -11 November
Yuletide - 25 December to Twelfthnight - 6 January
Winter’s Nights – the Norse end of the year rituals, ruled by women, marked by feasting and ceremony
Anglo-Saxon Place Names, with Modern Equivalents
Æscesdun = Ashdown
Æthelinga = Athelney
Basingas = Basing
Caeginesham = Keynsham
Cippenham = Chippenham
Cirenceaster = Cirencester
Defenas = Devon
Englafeld = Englefield
Ethandun = Edington
Exanceaster = Exeter
Glastunburh = Glastonbury
Hamtunscir = Hampshire
Hreopedun = Repton
Jorvik (Danish name for Eoforwic) = York
Legaceaster = Chester
Limenemutha = Lymington in Hampshire
Lindisse = Lindsey
Lundenwic = London
Meredune = Marton
Sceaftesburh = Shaftesbury
Snotingaham = Nottingham
Sumorsaet = Somerset
Swanawic = Swanage
Wedmor = Wedmore
Witanceaster (where the Witan, the King’s advisors, met) = Winchester
Frankland = France
Haithabu = Hedeby
Land of the Svear = Sweden
Aros = Aarhus, Denmark
Glossary of Terms
brewster: the female form of brewer (and, interestingly enough, the female form of baker is baxter…so many common names are rooted in professions and trades…)
browis: a cereal-based stew, often made with fowl or pork.
chaff: the husks of grain after being separated from the usable kernel.
cooper: a maker of casks and barrels.
cresset: stone, bronze, or iron lamp fitted with a wick that burnt oil.
dísir: female household spirits, celebrated at Winter’s Nights feasts.
ealdorman: a nobleman with jurisdiction over given lands; the rank was generally appointed by the King and not necessarily inherited from generation to generation. The modern derivative alderman in no way conveys the esteem and power of the Anglo-Saxon term.
fulltrúi: the Norse deity patron that one felt called to dedicate oneself to.
fylgja: a Norse guardian spirit, always female, unique to each family.
hackle: the splitting and combing of fibres of flax or hemp with opposing brush-like tools.
hamingja: the Norse “luck-spirit” which each person is born with.
joik: (also, yoik) A chant-like Sámi song, evoking the essence and spirituality of a person, animal, or landscape element, and unique to each recipient.
Máttaráhkká: The Sámi mother Goddess, creator of human bodies, who lives under the floor boards of Sámi dwellings. She is the mother of Sáráhkká, patron of female fetuses, menstruating women, and those in child-birth, whose domain was under the hearth fire; Juksáhká, guardian of male fetuses; and Uksáhkká, patron of children. These last two Goddesses lived by a door.
nålbinding: a form of early knitting or crochet, using one’s thumb and threaded needle to form interlocking loops.
rauk: the striking sea- and wind-formed limestone towers on the coast of Gotland; the one on the cover of Book Four, The Hall of Tyr is at Fårö, Gotland.
seax: the angle-bladed dagger which gave its name to the Saxons; all freemen carried one.
scop: (“shope”) a poet, saga-teller, or bard, responsible not only for entertainment but seen as a collective cultural historian. A talented scop would be greatly valued by his lord and receive land, gold and silver jewellery, costly clothing and other riches as his reward.
skep: a bee hive formed of coils of plaited straw, built up into a conical shape.
skirrets: a sweet root vegetable similar to carrots, but cream-coloured, and having several fingers on each plant.
skogkatt: “forest cat”; the ancestor of the modern Norwegian Forest Cat, known for its large size, climbing ability, and thick and water-shedding coat.
skogsrå : “Lady of the Forest”; a womanly wood spirit who protected woodland animals, and yet guided hunters she favoured.
strakes: overlapping wooden planks, running horizontally, making up a ship’s hull.
thegn: (“thane”) a freeborn warrior-retainer of a lord; thegns were housed, fed and armed in exchange for complete fidelity to their sworn lord. Booty won in battle by a thegn was generally offered to their lord, and in return the lord was expected to bestow handsome gifts of arms, horses, arm-rings, and so on to his best champions.
wadmal: the Norse name for the coarse and durable woven woollen fabric that was a chief export in the Viking age.
verjuice: “green juice”; an acidic juice from unripe grapes or crabapples, much used as we would vinegar.
wither: the highest point at the top of the shoulder of a horse or deer, marked by a projecting knob.
withy: a willow or willow wand; withy-man: a figure woven from such wands.
wool-wax: (also wool-oil, wool-fat) All earlier names for lanolin. Lanolin was extracted from sheep's wool by boiling washed wool in water. When the pan was left to cool, a milky white grease would be floating on top - the sheep's waterproofing. The globules were further refined by squeezing them through linen cloths. Lanolin was invaluable as a simple remedy for chapped and roughened skin. Blended with powdered or crushed herbs, it served as a medicinal salve.<
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Great thanks to my wonderful First Readers for Tindr: Carol Bray, C.C., Breila Cicero, Suzanne Dixon-Sheppard (head wrangler), Kellie Jordan, Jennifer Joyce, Kim Komaromy, Nancy Langford, “Flashlight Barb” Martins, Favira Rahman, Violet Reynolds, Ellen Rudd, and Jennifer Stetson. Your feedback and encouragement made this a richer book, and I am indeed grateful for your continuing loyalty to my work.
To Kimberly Gerber Spina, my California Goddess of Abundance, giver of Light and every needful form of sustenance: You are the bow string to my arrow, and have made strong my wrist.
About the Author
Octavia Randolph has long been fascinated with the development, dominance, and decline of the Anglo-Saxon peoples. The path of her research has included disciplines as varied as the study of Anglo-Saxon and Norse runes, and learning to spin with a drop spindle. Her interests have led to extensive on-site research in England, Denmark, Sweden, and Gotland. In addition to the Circle Saga, she is the author of the novella The Tale of Melkorka, taken from the Icelandic Sagas; the novella Ride, a retelling of the story of Lady Godiva, first published in Narrative Magazine; and Light, Descending, a biographical novel about the great John Ruskin. She has been awarded Artistic Fellowships at the Ingmar Bergman Estate on Fårö, Gotland; MacDowell Colony; Ledig House International; and Byrdcliffe.
She answers all fan mail and loves to stay in touch with her readers. Join her mailing list and read more on Anglo-Saxon and Viking life at www.octavia.net.
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