Erling the Bold

Erling the Bold
A Tale of Norse Sea Kings

By

5
(1 Review)
Erling the Bold by Robert Michael Ballantyne

Published:

1869

Pages:

274

Downloads:

1,550

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Erling the Bold
A Tale of Norse Sea Kings

By

5
(1 Review)
It is a bold and stirring tale of the old Norse rovers who conquered and settled in England at various times between the fifth and eleventh centuries. The narrative is interesting of itself, and it gives an excellent description of the manners and customs of the rugged race who inhabited the North of Europe at the dawn of modern history.

Book Excerpt

g the islands near the fiord, she turned aside to enquire the news.

Haldorstede lay about a mile up the valley, and Hilda passed it every morning on her way to and from the saeter. Ulfstede lay near the shore of the fiord. Turning into the smithy, she found Erling busily engaged in hammering a huge mass of stubborn red-hot metal. So intent was the young man on his occupation that he failed to observe the entrance of his fair visitor, who set down her milk pail, and stood for a few minutes with her hands folded and her eyes fixed demurely on her lover.

Erling had thrown off his jerkin and rolled up the sleeves of his shirt of coarse homespun fabric, in order to give his thick muscular arms unimpeded play in wielding the hammer and turning the mass of glowing metal on the anvil. He wore woollen breeches and hose, both of which had been fashioned by the fingers of his buxom mother, Herfrida. A pair of neatly formed shoes of untanned hide--his own workmanship--protected his feet, and his waist was e

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For a book written in the late 1800s this is excellent, an enjoyable read with a reasonable pace. Historical fiction which compares with Conan Doyle’s Sir Nigel and the White company, and a good read compared to Howards Conan. Norway just before it is united under one King, and how the Norsemen may have been forced to spread out even to as far as the new world.

Pleasantly surprising.