The World of Shield Maiden
Shield Maiden is set in our world in about the year AD 600. These are the years when thousands of Anglo-Saxons are crossing from Germany and Denmark and pushing west, creating a land that will one day be called England.
Anna’s people are Angles. Tradition says that the Angles who came to Mercia crossed the North Sea in around 527 and so by Anna’s time her people would have lived in Scenestane for over 70 years.
Scenestane itself and the surrounding lands are based on the village of Shenstone. Two Roman roads do cross northwest of the village near the village of Wall - itself the ruins of the old Roman town of Letocetum. Now owned and run by the National Trust, it can be visited, as can the museum there (www.nationaltrust.org.uk/letocetum-roman-baths/how-to-get-here). Evidence of several Roman Villas have been found around the village in archaeological digs over the last century. Likewise there was a barrow north of the village, and on the hills to the west, there is an Iron Age hill fort on private land. Shenstone means ‘beautiful stones’ and refers to the Roman ruins that would have been visible when Anna’s ancestors came to the village. The modern day parish church and the ruins of a much older one are on a rocky hill populated with trees. The English often built their churches on former pagan temples so to me it seemed a good place for Iden’s temple.
The Angles were not Christians. Mercian kings allowed Christian missionaries in from AD 633 onwards but it would take a century for it to all become Christian. So Anna, her ancestors and even her own children (if she lives to have them) would be pagan.
About the Gods
The Anglo -Saxons believed in many gods and goddesses. There are at least fifty different gods, each having care and power over certain aspects of the universe. Anglo-Saxon gods are not always kind. They can be harsh, arrogant and certainly strong-willed. In Shield Maiden we hear about four gods: Thunor is the thunder god. The Vikings called him Thor and that name is more familiar to us today.
Anna actually meets three other gods in person. Here is a little bit about them:
Woden
Name: Woden (Called Odin by the Vikings and Woden in England)
Position: Chief of the gods. God of wisdom and thought. Also a war god.
Appearance: An old man with a long beard. Has only one eye so wears a patch.
Special powers: Can make the dead speak and change men’s fate and destiny - their wyrd.
Items of power: The spear Gungnir, which never misses its target. The ring Draupnir, which can make other rings to give as gifts. The eight-footed horse Sleipnir which can ride fast through all the Nine Worlds.
Animal Companion: Woden has two Ravens Huginn and Munin (Thought and Memory)who fly across Midgard to tell him what is happening. He also has two wolves, Freki and Geri.
Notes: It is said that half of those who die in battle are taken to feast with Woden until the end of time in the halls of Vallhalla. Wednesday is named after him as are many villages and towns such as Wednesbury.
Heimdall
Name: Heimdall
Position: Gatekeeper of the gods. Watches the Bifrost - the gateway to Asgard.
Appearance: A handsome young man with blond hair.
Special powers: Has very good eyesight and hearing. It is said that he can hear and see a single blade of grass grow.
Items of power: The Gjallahorn - a horn which can change shape and size and can be used to summon help or an army. Also has a powerful sword.
Animal Companion: None known.
Notes: Heimdall watches the bridge between the worlds. At the end of time he will blow his horn to summon all the gods to war in the final battle of Ragnarok.
Freya
Name: Freya
Position: Goddess of Love and Beauty but also in charge of the Valkyries. Half those who die in battle are sent to her afterlife fields to live with her.
Appearance: very beautiful young woman with long blonde hair.
Special powers: She is a Vanir goddess. The Vanir possessed powerful magic and enchantments.
Items of power: The Brisingamen - a necklace that can control people’s minds.
Animal Companion: A cat or pair of cats.
Notes: The constellation Orion in the night sky was once called Freya’s belt.
About the Nine Worlds
The Anglo-Saxons believed that the universe was a big tree called Yggdrasil. In its branches nine worlds (sometimes seven) were supported. The nine worlds are:
Asgard - home of the gods and location of Valhalla where the dead go to feast with Woden.
Midgard - Our world, Earth. Home to humans.
Vanaheimr - Home to Vanir, gods of magic.
Ālfheimr - The world from which the beautiful light elves come.
Jotunheimr - Land of mountains and giants.
Muspellsheimr - Land of fire and beings of fire.
Svartálfaheimr - Land of the svartálfar dark elves.
Nidarvelir - Land of the dweorgar or dwarves.
Niflheimr - Land of Ice.
In addition, near Niflheimr is Hel (spelt with one l)- the realm of the dead.
This symbol -used by Woden - symbolises The Nine Worlds as three triangles. (It also means Wyrd/fate)
Myths and Monsters
The Anglo-Saxons believed in many different creatures and monsters. Anna has encountered these non - human creatures in Shield Maiden:
Name: Barghests (sometimes called black dogs)
Nature: Huge black dogs or hounds, as large as a calf.
Special powers: They can move silently at times, some can shape-shift.
Notes: These terrifying dogs are often linked to certain roads, gates or locations near water such as a ford or bridge.
Name: Dweorgar (dwarves)
Nature: usually described as ugly, often bad tempered and occasionally evil.
Special powers: Dwarves are talented at mining precious metals as well as making magical items and artefacts.
Notes: It was believed that the dwarves invented Runes and writing.
Name: Svartálfar (dark elves)
Nature: Very different from the beautiful light elves. Dark elves are often described as ugly and misshapen.
Special powers: Can influence human dreams and give nightmares.
Notes: Live underground. Possibly sunlight can turn them to stone.
Name: Valkyries
Nature: Immortal angel-like beings in the form of beautiful warrior women.
Special powers: Can fly between the worlds and ride the skies.
Notes: The Valkyries sometimes choose who live and die in battle. They also carry the bodies of those slain in battle to the halls of Woden or the fields of Freya.
Name: Ravens
Nature: Big black birds.
Special powers: Sharp eyed, these creatures are used as scouts by Valkyries. Woden also owns two Ravens who fly over Midgard and report back to him.
Notes: It was believed that Ravens were bad omens and seeing one meant someone would die.
These were just a few of the creatures who the Anglo-Saxons believed inhabited the woods and hills. It was for fear of them that they avoided such places in the night. When bad things happened they would blame them and they would pray to Woden and Freya to protect their families.
Wilburh’s Spells
Wilburh uses a combination of a rune stick (a stick with spells engarved in runes on it), a charm (a collection of twigs and plants tied together) and words to cast his spells. Here are what those spells mean:
Déor áflíeh means “animal flee”. Wilburgh uses it to cause the snake to retreat.
Fulbeorht means “full bright or very bright.” This is the spell Wilburgh uses to get the torches to flare up brighly.
Heoruflá æledfýr means “arrow +flame of fire” and is used by Wilburgh to shoot a fire bolt at the dark elves.
Sunne- āblǣnden means “sun+blind” - a blinding spell.
Language
Anna and her friends along with all
the Anglo Saxons used a language called Old English which evolved out of Old German – the language spoken in the homelands in West Germany. Old English was in use between the 5th and 11th centuries when it merged with Norman French and produced middle English. Modern English came later still.
Old English looks and sounds VERY alien to a modern English speaker. Here is the Lord’s Prayer in Old English:
Fæder ure þu þe eart on heofonum; Si þin nama gehalgod
to becume þin rice gewurþe ðin willa
on eorðan swa swa on heofonum.
urne gedæghwamlican hlaf syle us todæg
and forgyf us ure gyltas
swa swa we forgyfað urum gyltendum
and ne gelæd þu us on costnunge
ac alys us of yfele soþlice
Translation of Old English
Father our thou that art in heavens; be thy name hallowed
come thy kingdom; be-done thy will
on earth as in heavens
our daily bread give us today
and forgive us our sins
as we forgive those-who-have-sinned-against-us
and not lead thou us into temptation
but deliver us from evil. truly
Runes and writing
The Anglo-Saxons originally wrote in an old style using runes. Just as the Welsh alphabet of today has no ‘k’ and some letters are combined to give different sounds (the tongue-twisting ‘ll’ for example) so too the runic alphabet has some letters missing and some combined. Try writing your name in Runic. For ‘c’ use the runic character for s or k. For ‘q’ use k together with w; for ‘x’ use k and s, and for ‘y’ use i.
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