Vikings and stuff

[JackLuis]

Anyone writing Vikings? Here's a odd info bit.

Shipwreck may contain near-mythical Viking navigation aid

Could be a McGuffin your bronzed warrior is searching for, when he finds Helga and sinks into her...

 

[oggbashan]

The Sci-Fi author Harry Harrison (Technicolor Time Machine) has an even simpler explanation of the Vikings navigational skills.

A movie company hired a mad professor's time machine to make in movie in five days, going back to Viking times, then returning to the present day five days later.

They sponsored a group of Vikings to sail to Iceland and then North America. To ensure that the vikings got there, they installed a gyro compass on the longship, with a compass repeater by the helmsman.

To their horror, when they had completed the movie, they found that the Viking sagas had actually recorded the name of the director of the movie as the financier of the voyage, and the 'compass repeater' as the secret Viking navigational instrument...

 

[voluptuary_manque]

Vikings are great for abduction/enslavement stories. Slavery was the growth industry in the eighth and ninth centuries. They rounded up Celts and Saxons and transported them to what is now Russia and sold them there, except for the ones they kept for themselves, of course.

 

[NekoParks]

Vikings are great for abduction/enslavement stories. Slavery was the growth industry in the eighth and ninth centuries. They rounded up Celts and Saxons and transported them to what is now Russia and sold them there, except for the ones they kept for themselves, of course.

Hey, watch it! You are talking about my ancestors. I had to get my Nordic good looks from somewhere. LOL!

The History Channel is running a series about the Vikings. I think it has the same producers as The Tudors, so I don't know how accurate it will be.

 

[IvyMae]

A Viking story would be refreshing. There aren't too many out there, and there is lots of room to explore.

 

[Handley_Page]

A Viking story would be refreshing. There aren't too many out there, and there is lots of room to explore.

But the old sagas are a bit difficult to read, and you cannot trust the historical accuracy, or can you. ?

 

[slyc_willie]

But the old sagas are a bit difficult to read, and you cannot trust the historical accuracy, or can you. ?

Why bother? The majority of readers don't know much about vikings other than the stereotypes. Give the characters names like Olaf and Sven, describe them as having long blonde hair and drinking mead from goat horns, and you're set.

Although, a little historical veracity would be nice, and there would probably be ONE person out there who might notice.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

No, there'd be two. You . . . and me! Good to see you back, Will, how're things down Texas way?

 

[Cruel2BKind]

Why bother? The majority of readers don't know much about vikings other than the stereotypes. Give the characters names like Olaf and Sven, describe them as having long blonde hair and drinking mead from goat horns, and you're set.

Although, a little historical veracity would be nice, and there would probably be ONE person out there who might notice.

I wrote a viking story. I wrote it knowing that it would be inaccurate as hell, but just sort of rolling with it.

I got an email from a guy who told me that he loved it, and then went down the list of all of my historical inaccuracies.

Apparently, carrots were purple back then.

 

[slyc_willie]

No, there'd be two. You . . . and me! Good to see you back, Will, how're things down Texas way?

Cooler than it should be, but we got us a nice house with terrific insulation so we don't mind. Just wish the grass would grow in the yard.

I wrote a viking story. I wrote it knowing that it would be inaccurate as hell, but just sort of rolling with it.

I got an email from a guy who told me that he loved it, and then went down the list of all of my historical inaccuracies.

Apparently, carrots were purple back then.

Historical inaccuracies are inevitable, as is the existence of people who will point them out. hell, even though I know there were quite a few wrong turns made in the film, I still love the 13th Warrior.

 

[Cruel2BKind]

Cooler than it should be, but we got us a nice house with terrific insulation so we don't mind. Just wish the grass would grow in the yard.



Historical inaccuracies are inevitable, as is the existence of people who will point them out. hell, even though I know there were quite a few wrong turns made in the film, I still love the 13th Warrior.

I enjoyed the book.

 

[slyc_willie]

I enjoyed the book.

Eaters of the Dead was a bit more accurate, but still fanciful. I did not read it until after I saw 13th Warrior, which is something I try never to do. Crichton's always liked to incorporate history in his stories, but only to a point. He can't resist sensationalizing everything.

Personally, I thought Sphere was his best. But the movie was laughably ridiculous, even with the talent in it.

 

[Niam1985]

Hey, watch it! You are talking about my ancestors. I had to get my Nordic good looks from somewhere. LOL!

The History Channel is running a series about the Vikings. I think it has the same producers as The Tudors, so I don't know how accurate it will be.

i don't know how accurate it is, but its hot so far.