Edrich of Haluken

Preface

                                                                  

                                                                                             

 

Greetings from the author. This is a very different story than I have ever written, but then I’ve only published three. I had the opportunity to work with a Norwegian physicist who happens to be an avid amateur historian. His efforts to understand Viking culture in Norway and Denmark gave me the idea for a new story.

I like to include historical elements but the story is a fiction. It is based in the later seventeenth century.

The central figure is a boy from the clans who encounters a nobleman and helps him weed out corruption. The clan structure is not exclusive to Scotland and can be seen all over Europe in some fashion.

Viking is neither a race or nationality. It is a culture, a way of doing things. Vikings have received a lot of bad press over the centuries. There was some raiding but mostly peaceful trade was preferred. What Vikings excelled at was exploration. Of course historians are still quibbling about that aspect of their culture. Some refuse to acknowledge their contributions while others insist they were the first Europeans to visit the North American continent. The settlement at L’anse aux meadows in Labrador is pretty good evidence.

Edrich the protagonist is beset by challenges in his new life. How he meets them is the heart of the story.

Keep in mind this is historically informed fiction but fiction all the same. There will be too much detail for some and not enough for others. I welcome your comments, just keep them civil please. And by the way it is in English but several Norwegian phrases come up.

                                                                                Jules Porter