Before there was Scotland, a number of smaller kingdoms shared the land. One of these was Alba, itself a union between the native Picts and the Irish settlement of Dalriada. Alba eventually became dominant, swallowing up the Viking lands of Orkney, Caithness, and Sutherland to the north, the Isles and Galloway to the west, Anglo-Saxon… Continue reading Friday Fact: the Kingdom of Strathclyde
Tag: research
Friday Fact: Structures of Alba
At the time of my Alba novellas, the structural landscape of Scotland was just as diverse as its people. I thought I'd give you a visual taste of some of the buildings you might see if you wandered into my books. 😉 Brochs These weren't much in use at the time of Daughters… Continue reading Friday Fact: Structures of Alba
Friday Fact: Red, White, and Green Martyrdom
We all know what a martyr is, right? Someone who dies for their faith, like the millions of heroes who have died rather than renounce the name of Jesus Christ. But did you know that in the Celtic Church there were two other kinds of martyrdom that don't involve bloodshed? I first encountered this interesting… Continue reading Friday Fact: Red, White, and Green Martyrdom
Friday Fact: Sigurd the Stout
Doing my research for Sons of Alba, I came across the interesting story of Sigurd the Stout, who was the Jarl (or king) of the Orkney Islands just prior to the time period. At that time, Orkney was a thoroughly pagan Viking kingdom, still involved in heavy raiding along the mainland of Alba (Scotland). But… Continue reading Friday Fact: Sigurd the Stout
Friday Fact: Born to be King?
You might know the song about Bonnie Prince Charlie, about him being "the lad that's born to be King". The Jacobites believed him to be the rightful king of Scotland based on the accident of his birth. But before the Medieval Normans got a hold of Scotland - or Alba as it was once known… Continue reading Friday Fact: Born to be King?
Writer Wednesday: Immerse Yourself in Setting
Writing historical fiction has changed a lot over the past decade. I know this because I wrote Daughters of Alba ten years ago with only the benefit of a handful of books from my local library. Now that I'm writing Sons of Alba, I'm finding a plethora of information on the web that simply wasn't… Continue reading Writer Wednesday: Immerse Yourself in Setting
Erin E. M. Hatton 