One of the greatest challenges facing a historical novelist is choosing what information to use from a sea of research. But just as tricky is wanting to find out about a historical event or place and discovering that almost nothing is known about it for sure. Kim Rendfeld dealt with both of these situations as she wrote her latest novel.
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By Kim Rendfeld
The title for The
Ashes of Heaven’s Pillar is derived from the Irminsul, a pillar sacred to
the Continental Saxon peoples, including my heroine, Leova. The one thing we
know with certainty: Charlemagne ordered its destruction in 772 and took the
gold and silver in its temple.
The nature and location of the Irminsul is uncertain—as
is whether it was the only one. Some sources say it was a stone pillar, others
say wooden pillar, and still others say it was a tree. It’s been described as
having an idol of the war god atop it. Because of the presence of a carving,
some have placed it at the Externsteine, north of the Saxon fortress Eresburg.
We can’t turn to the pagan Saxons for any clarity. They
did not have a written language as we know it, and the Church did everything it
could to obliterate a religion it considered devil worship.
So what’s a historical novelist to do with so many
contradictions? Choose the most plausible version that best fits her story and
confess her liberties in an author’s note. Or a blog post.
My first liberty is to call the Irminsul the Pillar of
Heaven. Irminsul is often translated as “universal pillar.” I chose Pillar of
Heaven in my novel because frankly it sounds better. And Wodan, the war god
whose idol might have surmounted the pillar, was a sky god, so the Pillar of
Heaven is not too much of a stretch.
Next was the location. Leova lives in a village just
outside the fortress of Eresburg. Having it nearby allowed her to smell the
smoke when it burned and see the charred blotch it left behind. It made the
loss more real and more devastating.
Flames are a dramatic form of destruction, which is why I
decided the pillar should be made of wood. To the Continental Saxons, the Irminsul’s
destruction was the equivalent of burning a cathedral. Did the Saxons believe
anyone who desecrated their sacred monument would face the gods’ wrath? Again,
there is no text to verify it. But this was age that believed in divine favor
and retribution, so that idea passes the plausibility test.
From a storyteller’s point of view, actual facts about
the Irminsul are not as important as its impact on the characters. And in this
case, Leova’s faith is shaken, as you will see in the excerpt below.
Excerpt
“I greet you in the name of Our Lord, Jesus the Christ,” he
roared. “My name is Father Osbald. We come in peace and mean you no harm.”
By his accent, Leova knew the priest was a Saxon from Britain,
like many of the other priests who had come to her village. They were mild men
bearing treats for the children along with the teachings of their odd religion.
“But the God who destroyed the Irminsul will strike down anyone
who harms us,” the priest said. “The sound of our horn will summon scores of
Christian soldiers to our aid.”
From the corner of her eye, Leova saw Wulfgar and Ludgar
shrinking back. Perhaps, the Christian God was stronger than the gods of the
Saxons.
“We will give safe conduct to Eresburg to anyone who promises
to accept baptism,” Osbald continued.
Wulfgar’s voice boomed. “How can you give safe conduct? You
are not warriors.”
“We do not need swords and armor when we have the power
of the one, true God. The Frankish soldiers know God will condemn their souls to
eternal torture if they harm anyone in our care.”
Osbald spoke Saxon, but Leova could not understand half of
what he was saying. From the confidence in his voice, Leova surmised the
Christian God had given His priests magic power, enough to cow warriors into
submission. How she needed safe conduct to the fortress—and Derwine!
“What is baptism?” Leova asked.
“You vow to follow Christ, forsaking your devils, and He cleanses
you of your sins,” the priest replied.
“Do we have to shave our hair in that strange way?” Sunwynn
asked.
“No, child.” Osbald chuckled. “The tonsure is an honor reserved
only for men of the clergy.”
Baptism appealed to Leova. She suspected the conquerors
would be more generous with those who shared their religion. Maybe it was fate
to follow a stronger God. The Saxon gods had allowed the Irminsul to be
destroyed, Leodwulf and Derwine to die, and Eresburg to be conquered by
foreigners. Despite her sacrifices and prayers, the Saxon gods had betrayed her
and her family!
“I and my children accept your offer,” Leova called to
the Christian priest, “but we will attend to our dead first.”
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To read the first chapter or find out more about Kim Renfield, visit her website, her blog Outtakes of a Historical Novelist, or like
her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter at @kimrendfeld.
You can purchase The Ashes of Heaven's Pillar at Amazon and Barnes & Noble and elsewhere.
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