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Thilde Kold Holdt: The historical inspiration behind the women of The Hanged God Trilogy

This March we’re celebrating Women’s History Month with Thilde Kold Holdt, author of the brilliant Hanged God Trilogy, who’s sharing the legendary, archaeological and historical influences behind the women in her Viking Age fantasy series.

We’ve already met Alvilde and the skeleton in Grave C 22541, but there’s no one quite like Auðr…

When talking about strong Viking Age women, many will likely think of female warriors like Lagertha, known from the TV show Vikings, Alvilde whom we heard about previously, or even Hilda from the Hanged God Trilogy, but female strength does not necessarily have to take the form of physical violence.

To me, it’s older women like Auðr who truly show the strength and influence of Viking Age women. Therefore it is the stories of women like Auðr who brought to life Siv and Tyra in the Hanged God Trilogy.

Auðr the Deep-minded was an independent woman and is recorded as one of the four most influential settlers in early Iceland. To begin with Auðr was born as the second daughter of Ketill Flat-nose, a great Chieftain in Norway. Her story as we know it began ever so timidly when Auðr married Olaf the White, the self-proclaimed Norse King of Dublin. Following her husband, Auðr moved to Ireland and birthed their son Thorstein the Red. (Yes, Vikings were really into colours.)

When Auðr’s husband died in battle, Auðr took her son to Scotland where he gained a wife of his own, had seven children and became a proper warrior. Until the tragic event that forced Auðr into the history books as the strong grandmother she was.

For when Thorstein was betrayed and slain in battle, Auðr became the head of the household and had little time to mourn the loss of her son. Stranded in the hostile British Isles which betrayed and killed her son, Auðr knew that her kin would only be safe by leaving those shores. In Norway too, feuds had risen against her father and their kinsmen, but two of her brothers were said to have settled in Iceland. Surely, they would welcome her and her family with open arms.

In secret Auðr commissioned a ship to be built deep in the forest and gathered a crew of twenty men loyal to her. When the large ship was finally sea-ready, Auðr took all of her granddaughters, as well as her widowed daughter-in-law, all of their kin and all of their thralls on a seafaring journey towards the newly discovered Iceland.

Auðr first commanded the ship safely to the Orkney Islands, where she arranged a marriage for one of her granddaughters before pushing off from shore to steer the ship the last of the way to Iceland.

By the time Auðr’s ship arrived on the Icelandic coast, winter was already beginning to set in and her large retinue were in dire need of shelter. Arriving at the house of Auðr’s elder brother, they naturally expected appropriate hospitality, but were instead turned away.

The whole family, a crew of twenty and all of their thralls, were too many people to house, her eldest brother said. He could only house half of them, but this refusal of proper hospitality offended Auðr so much that she left with the entire retinue to instead overwinter with her second brother.

As soon as spring came around, Auðr left her brother’s house to find a place on the Western coast to settle. In Iceland Auðr freed the thralls who journeyed with her from Scotland and gave them, as well as all of her crew and kinsmen, land to farm. Then they built a homestead in Hvammur, from which Auðr arranged prosperous marriages for all her granddaughters.

When Auðr became frail and realised that her time in Midgard was up, she gathered all of her kinsmen at her side and arranged a great feast. For three days and nights straight they drank and laughed and sung while Auðr gave gifts and advice to all of her kinsmen and friends. On the third night she announced that the feast needed to continue for another three nights so that it could also be her funeral feast, and then she passed away.

The high attendance of the feast became a final testament to the strength and respect this woman earned in life, but although Auðr may have passed on, her presence is still very much felt on the western coast of Iceland.

Today you will still find the remains of Auðr’s house in Hvammur, where her kinsmen lived for generations, and where the famous Icelandic historian Snorri Sturleson, who wrote the Prosa Edda, was born. Nearby her home, Auðr raised a Christian cross to pray, and thus that place too gained a name. Today it is still known as Krosshólaborg (literally: Cross-Hill-Town) and a stone cross has been raised in Auðr’s memory. Travel west from here to the cape and you will find Dagverðarnes (literally: Breakfast-Ness), named as such because when Auðr and her loyal men left her brother’s house to search for a place to build, they stopped to eat breakfast there. Travel further north and you will come across Kambsnes (literally: comb-headland) where Auðr is said to have lost her comb, once upon a time.

All throughout the landscape of Western Iceland Auðr has left her mark, and as such, the legendary tale of Auðr lives on to this day. Auðr may not have been a female warrior who roared and ran into battle, nor did she truly begin her own story until she was already a grandmother, but by Skadi, that did not hinder her from leaving behind an impressive legacy. And is that not precisely what marks a Viking of worth?

As the Alfather said:

“Cattle Die,
Kinsmen die,
We must die likewise,
I know one thing which never dies,
The reputation each gains in life.”
-Hávamál-

Slaughtered Gods, the third and final book in The Hanged God Trilogy, is out this October.

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Thilde Kold Holdt: The archaeological inspiration behind the women of The Hanged God Trilogy

Throughout March, Thilde Kold Holdt, author of the fantastic Hanged God Trilogy, is celebrating Women’s History Month by sharing the legendary, archaeological and historical inspirations behind the women in her series.

This International Women’s Day, we’re delighted to share how a skeleton discovered in 1900 influenced one of Thilde’s heroines…

While legendary stories are a great source of inspiration, reality is not far behind. When digging into the earth, we sometimes find mysterious pieces of the lives of Vikings whose stories are yet to be told. Stories we can only imagine from the little we’re given. Such is the fate of a skeleton in Norway called C 22541.

This is a rare and incredibly exciting discovery. Not only was the woman at Nordre Kjølen buried with an axe, she was also buried with a sword. And unlike axes, double-edged swords have no household functions. They were expensive items in the Viking Age and were weapons purely used for war.

Grave C 22541was unearthed in 1900, and scientists at that time conducted osteological examinations that led them to the conclusion that the person in the grave was a woman. She was 155cm tall, 18 or 19 years old, and had a head wound, that might or might not have led to her death, for there is signs of healing to be found on the skull.

The woman was put to rest with a sword, an axe, a spear, five arrowheads and a shield. As well as the skeleton of a horse with bridle and a few other tools. The skeleton is dated to somewhere in the mid 900s, which in terms of the Hanged God Trilogy is just around the time of birth of our very own Hilda.

In a re-evaluation of the grave in 1984, Per Hernæs especially noted the woman’s height and asserted that, being so short, she simply could not have been a warrior.

Yet, if we have learned anything from reading the sagas, it must be that Vikings fought with their wits as much as their strength. In battle a sword strike was as valid as a kick to the crotch, which would significantly even the odds for a shorter warrior. All is fair in Viking warfare.

We don’t yet know much about the woman in grave C 22541. Why was she buried with so many expensive weapons? Why did she die at such a young age? Was she recovering from the huge headwound which shattered part of her skull? How had that happened? So many questions left to ponder and inspire.

Thanks to the renewed interest in the area of shieldmaidens in more recent years, new studies are being made about the woman from Nordre Kjølen. I have speculated about this woman for a long time, so I eagerly await the results to finally be able to hear more about this real-life Hilda.

Slaughtered Gods, the third and final book in The Hanged God Trilogy, is out this October.

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Thilde Kold Holdt: The legendary inspiration behind the women of The Hanged God Trilogy

March is Women’s History Month! To celebrate Thilde Kold Holdt, author of the Hanged God Trilogy, will be sharing the legendary, archaeological and historical inspiration behind some of the women in her brilliant Viking Age fantasy series throughout the month.

When we think of the Vikings, we undoubtedly think of Norse mythology and the Prose Edda. It’s almost impossible to separate the Vikings from their legends…

Take it away, Thilde!

The story of Alvilde is going to sound familiar, but likely you haven’t heard it told quite this way.

There was once a Norse woman locked up in her room, guarded by a big snake-like dragon. Whoever could slay the beast would win her hand in marriage, but any who tried and failed would be beheaded and their heads would be displayed on poles at the entrance.

Alf, son of King Sigar, was always on the search for an adventure, so he took up the challenge. He drenched his clothes in blood to make the beast wild. Barely had he approached before the beast smelled him and attacked, but Alf drove a burning hot metal rod into its mouth, and followed up with a spear. The beast fell.

This is where the story truly diverges from the one you may be recalling from your childhood. For when Alf asked to marry the girl, as had been promised, Alvilde’s father, the King of Gotland, said that a marriage proposal would be for the girl to decide.

12th century historian Saxo Gramaticus tells us that Alvilde’s mother was against the marriage and although Alvilde was interested in Alf, her mother convinced her that Alf wasn’t the right choice. So, Alvilde refused the proposal. Alf left alone, and soon after, Alvilde too left Gotland.

For this is the tale of a true shieldmaiden, a female warrior of her time. Her name is Alvilde (literally: all wild) and she exchanged her womanly dress with the garments of a man, transforming from timid girl to harsh Viking. Off she went to raids with like-minded girls.

When Alvilde and her fighting girls came across a group of men mourning the recent death of their Chieftain, the men promptly selected Alvilde to be their new Chief and joined her ranks. Alvilde continued to gain renown. She gathered a small fleet of followers and then came a decisive battle which would ultimately change Alvilde’s entire life.

For after slaying the beast and being refused marriage, Alf, son of the king, journeyed on. Eventually he came upon a fleet of warriors with slim figures. They fought fiercely and eventually Alf successfully removed the helmet of the other fleet’s leader. That is when Alf discovered that their leader was a woman, and besides, the very woman he had hoped to marry all of that time ago. Alvilde was the one who had conjured such a bloody battle.

This time, Alvilde and Alf did get married.

And for me, that is what makes Alvilde my top pick among the many stories of shieldmaidens. When she was free from the shackles which held her back, she chose her own destiny. She went off to fight, gained great reputation and respect, gathered other women who wanted to raid like her, fought alongside with, and against, men on equal footing, and yet… After all of that warrior success, she is not any less attractive to the son of the King than she was before, when she was merely a mysterious girl hidden away in her room guarded by a dragon. A mere conquest. Now, Alvilde has conquered on her own and gained a true warrior’s reputation and yet, this does not hinder her femininity. Instead her independence and warrior capabilities make her more attractive. Now, that’s the true Viking way.

Hilda from the Hanged God Trilogy follows a somewhat similar path to that of Alvilde. Hilda feels locked up by her father who has tried to keep her away from raids, and decides on her own that time has come to raid and become a warrior. A choice which does not readily offer itself to her. It’s a dream she has to go out and fight to attain, and just like with Alvilde and Alf, Hilda’s independence and strength does not in the least make Einer lose interest in her, or make her any less attractive. Quite the opposite.

Slaughtered Gods, the third and final book in The Hanged God Trilogy, is out this October.

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OUT NOW: Shackled Fates by Thilde Kold Holdt!

We’re incredibly excited that Shackled Fates by Thilde Kold Holdt is out now!

This much-anticipated follow up to last year’s Northern Wrath is the second instalment in the fan-favourite Hanged God trilogy, weaving myth and history together in a deeply magical saga.

As Ragnarok looms, the trickster Loki breaks free from his chains.

In the battle to come, all shall die, but Ragnar will do anything to save his gods.

Einer scours the nine worlds for Hilda, who walks among gods and goddesses, searching the truth of the Runes.

For centuries Siv has run from her past, but she knows that to protect her daughter, and Midgard, she will have to face her worst fears.

It is time to confront the Alfather.

“Readers will be chomping at the bit for the finale.” — Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Shackled Fates is a blockbuster sequel that somehow out performs everything the first book gave us.” — SFF Oasis

“Holdt does a fantastic job and proves once again she can spin a tale worthy of the gods and the nine worlds.” — FanFiAddict

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Shackled Fates and Slaughtered Gods by Thilde Kold Holdt

The Hanged God Trilogy 2 and 3

Earlier this month SciFiNow exclusively revealed the absolutely stunning covers to book two and three in Thilde Kold Holdt’s The Hanged God Trilogy.

Following on from Northern Wrath, the second in the series Shackled Fates is out October 2021, with book three Slaughtered Gods following in autumn 2022.

See the covers below and read the blurb for Shacked Fates over on SciFiNow!