Eastern Europe
Origin of an Alphabet
” Whosoever condemns the Slavic writing shall be excluded from the Church until he mends his ways. For such men are not sheep but wolves; by their fruits ye shall know them and guard against them. ” […]
Mild
Human Affairs
Saga of a Shieldmaiden
” At once she summoned a great assembly and had herself raised to kingship over the third of Sweden which King Eirek had agreed to let her rule in stewardship. She also gave herself the name Thorberg. No man was so bold as to call her a maiden or a woman – whoever did that would have to suffer harsh punishment.” […]
Uncategorized
Rare Persuasive Power
“For while all other young men of that time used to sue in marriage with their own lips, this man was afflicted with so faulty an utterance that he was ashamed to be heard not only by strangers, but by those of his own house.” […]
Viking
A Famous Fatality
THE SCENE: The “blood-eagle” was a legendary Viking execution method. The passage below represents one of the few instances where an actual blood eagle is described in detail. THE TEXT: Where the armies met each […]
Human Affairs
…And Your Mother Smelled of Elderberries
“But he went to the mares all the more often, and all the more closely. One of the horses was pale in color. He found it the best of all the horses, and in springtime, everyone who saw the pale mare though that she must be pregnant.” […]
Humor
Sex Lives of the French Bourgeoise
Cavorting lustily at play.
She, pleased with the festivities,
Said to the doing fellow, “Please,
Let’s think up names to give my dear,
To your thing there and my cunt here.” […]
Human Affairs
The Viking Who Played Too Rough
“On the third day two men went after him and many of them shoved him. He struck the eye out of one of them with the ball, and felled another and broke his neck.” […]
Eastern Europe
Honor Thy Daughter-in-Law
“The Derevlians, on the other hand, existed in bestial fashion, and lived like cattle. They killed one another, ate every impure thing, and there was no marriage among them, but instead they seized upon maidens by capture.” […]
Viking
A Winning Sea Strategy
“For the soldiers of Hother performed the bidding of their king, and kept off the attack of the spears by a penthouse of interlocked shields; while not a few of the spears smote lightly on the bosses and fell into the waves.” […]
Human Affairs
The Manners of a Viking
“You two must be incredibly unlike,” they said, “as hideous as you are. We have never seen a maiden so beautiful, and we don’t think that she looks anything like you, because you are the greatest monstrosity.” […]