From My Fantasy Writing Desk
I’m a day late posting this week. Yesterday was my birthday. I was distracted by some gourmet food and relaxing, and forgot to put this together. Here it is!
Stephanie Hopkins featured an interview with me on her excellent blog “Layered Pages.” She asked insightful questions that I had fun answering, including one that explains why Toad, Mole, Badger and Rat are pictured above. (We also talked about my latest book for which she created the pretty banner pictured here.) Click here to read the interview on Layered Pages.
Archaeology I Enjoyed
Tudor Treasure in the Garden
My gardening turns up inconvenient large rocks, not gold coins. But during a little quarantine outdoor activity session, an English family turned over the soil and out popped a hoard of Tudor era gold coins. Some of the coins were minted during Henry VIII’s reign. Unusually, they include his wife-de-jour’s initials. The use of initials continues for Catherine, Anne, and Jane. Each of those coins would have had a short run before they needed changing.
In an ordinary year, metal-detecting enthusiasts report most of such buried finds. However, this year gardeners accounted for a large portion of them. One more peculiar plague side-effect. Click here for The Guardian “Tudor Coins Dedicated to Three of Henry VII’s Wives Found in Family Garden”
How Vikings Worshipped
From Archaeology’s “Around the World” section comes this intriguing archaeological find for appreciators of Norse mythology. This sounds like a truly impressive space for worship.
NORWAY: Prior to the construction of a housing development near Ørsta, archaeologists uncovered traces of a Viking-era temple dating to the 8th century. This “god house,” where deities such as Odin, Thor, and Freya were worshipped, is the first of its kind ever found in Norway, although examples are known from Sweden and Denmark. The building, which originally measured 45 feet long and 40 feet tall including its central tower, would have been the focus of rituals and sacrifices, particularly during the winter and summer solstices.