Frige hwæt ic hatte
Are the riddles in the Exeter Book designed to have more than one answer, and, if so, why? To educate or to entertain? Either way, here’s my solution to Riddle 53.
Read more "Frige hwæt ic hatte"Author: Nicola Griffith
Elfshot, medicine, and changing belief systems
Anglo-Saxon medicine is a mix of empirical treatment and sophisticated psychological techniques. The trick with placebo and nocebo—for both the medieval practitioner and the modern—is in understanding what the stricken patient believes. These beliefs change over time.
Read more "Elfshot, medicine, and changing belief systems"Gododdin
Hild is heading north to talk (unofficially, of course) with Coledauc of the Gododdin. I had to draw maps to work out where she might go, and how, and why.
Read more "Gododdin"Carnyx
When did the Picts stop using the carnyx in war? And why? Perhaps it was because they were weighty and cumbersome. Perhaps it was because of cultural change—religion.
Read more "Carnyx"Breguswith’s eye salve kills MRSA
Breguswith knew all about the miracle eye salve that fights MRSA…
Read more "Breguswith’s eye salve kills MRSA"Genetic structure of the British population
“The regional genetic differentiation and differing patterns of shared ancestry…carry clear signals of historical demographic events.” Nature’s recent article on the genetic makeup of the British population is full of eyebrow-raising stuff.
Read more "Genetic structure of the British population"Hæðfeld: Where Edwin lost his head?
Where, exactly, was the battle of Hæðfeld? I have a theory, based on research I’ve done on water courses and roads of 632.
Read more "Hæðfeld: Where Edwin lost his head?"Working Roman baths in 7th C Northumbria?
Were there any working baths in seventh-century Northumbria? I’m guessing not, but perhaps some of those wall forts were in reasonable shape. Birdoswald? How about Arbeia? We know that Osric was born there…
Read more "Working Roman baths in 7th C Northumbria?"My new site
I am switching Gemæcca, my previous site, to WordPress—and taking the opportunity to rename it Gemæcce. It will happen gradually. Think of this as a test. As such, I’m just going to repost something from my personal blog.
Read more "My new site"East Anglian accession dates
According to Bede, when Hild is recruited to the church in 647 CE she is in East Anglia, and has been for a year. I’m trying to work out why.
Read more "East Anglian accession dates"Happy 1400th anniversary to Hild!
How do you say, fourteen hundreth in Latin? I will cheerfully admit that my Latin is rubbish, but I had a go anyway.
Read more "Happy 1400th anniversary to Hild!"I am coming to the UK at beginning of October
NOTE: This blog relates to 2014. I’m coming to the UK next month, 1—10 October. I’ll be doing a bunch o’ stuff to support Hild. If you’re a reader of this blog I hope you’ll come along and introduce yourself.
Read more "I am coming to the UK at beginning of October"Latin for fourteen hundredth anniversary?
This year is the 1400th anniversary of Hild’s birth. According to Bede.* Given that her feast day is mid-November, and in my novel her birthday is mid-October, I’ve decided autumn would be a splendid time to celebrate.
Read more "Latin for fourteen hundredth anniversary?"Anglo-Saxon ethnic origin stories
It was a challenge to set aside the most recent hypotheses about the ethnogenesis of the English and write purely from Hild’s experience, her cultural perspective.
Read more "Anglo-Saxon ethnic origin stories"HILD out in the UK on Thursday 24th July
Hild will be out in the UK on Thursday July 24. The first UK notices are beginning to appear. I’m particularly proud of two. One from Alex Woolf…the other from Max Adams.
Read more "HILD out in the UK on Thursday 24th July"
Gemæcce 