Olaf's Saga

Book excerpt: 'Olaf's Saga' is an historical novel chronicling one Norse man's life in the late 8th century . The story is told by Jon Loftsson a direct descendent of the protagonist, some four hundred years later to his adopted son Snorri. The tale descibes Olaf's background and his upbringing in the harsh Viking world. Olaf has life changing events thrust upon him and as a result he has to make his way in 'Midgard' - the world of men. As a young Norse man, Olaf sees the first brutal death of a Saxon by one of his kind. He takes part in the early raids on Christian monasteries located at remote sites around Britain; experiencing the joy of success and the despair of failure. The entire text is punctuated with references to the Norse pantheon, with characters at times speaking in their all but forgotten language (translations are provided). There are also many references to Norse technology of the time such as their boats - the drakkar and knarr, their weapons, as well as number systems, time telling and various religious festivals. 'Olaf's Saga' not only paints a full and detailed picture of the Norse World, but also tells an intriguing and spell-binding story."