"Horned Helmet" by Henry Treece

 A Viking story, very similar to Treece's Viking's Dawn. Beorn, an orphaned Icelander, is 'adopted' by Vikings and grows up sharing the hardships of the Viking way of life. It's all about being a man and fighting bravely and ensuring that you face death with a smile.  Little thought is given to the lives of those who suffer these predatory sea-borne brigands. It is written in the style of the sagas and includes incidents from them and genuine period poetry. 

But there are moments when Treece encapsulates profundities in just a few words. For that, he must be reckoned a great writer.

Selected quotes:

• "Greek ... was like trying to read the thorns in a bush." (Ch 4)
• "But it is against the will of the gods to let a man's days run too smoothly with laughter. It is the sort of pattern they will not weave, even though warp and weft seem set to pass the cloth out clean from the loom." (Ch 11)
• "Though he was older now, he had known more mealtimes than meals in the time since he had left Iceland." (Ch 13)
• "Five times he was closer to death than the shod foot is to earth." (Ch 13)
• "If this place is too quiet for you, then you must do what many young hounds do, and go sniffing the hedgerows for yourself." (Ch 13)

A very boyish boys' own adventure. August 2021; 122 pages

This review was written by the author of Motherdarling  and The Kids of God

Also by Henry Treece

• The Viking trilogy: Viking's Dawn ,  The Road to Miklagard, and Viking's Sunset
• Legions of the Eagle: Romano-British adventure
• The Golden Strangers: A story from prehistory

"Viking's Sunset" by Henry Treece

Harald Sigurdson, whose Viking career has already been chronicled in Viking's Dawn and The Road to Miklagard, sets of on a voyage to revenge himself on a renegade Viking who has looted and burned Harald's own village. With his best mate Giant Grummoch and a crew of characters, he chases northwards to becomes the first Viking to visit Greenland and live with the Inuit; they then voyage on to North America.

As with the other books, this is concerned with bravery in battle and manliness. Cowardice and weakness are despised. Meeting a good death is everything. Women must stay at home, keep house and bring up children. It is a sobering reminder of the mindset not only of the Vikings but of writers for children as recently as 1960.

Some moments:

• "Thorfinn said, 'A poet must live, Harald'. Gudbrod said, 'Why'?" (Ch 10)
• "Before death, man stands alone, and no one may comfort him." (Ch 23)

A very macho boys' adventure story. August 2021; 176 pages

This review was written by the author of Motherdarling  and The Kids of God

Also by Henry Treece

• Horned Helmet: more Vikings
• Legions of the Eagle: Romano-British adventure
• The Golden Strangers: A story from prehistory

"Viking's Dawn" by Henry Treece

 The first part of a trilogy, this book follows the adventures of Harald Sigurdson, apprentice Viking, as he sails under Thorkell on the ship Nameless. They seek to steal treasure from other ships and coastal communities (this is a children's book so there is no rape) but they pay for it with the death of some of their comrades. There's a lot of death. There is treachery but there is also honour among thieves. There is also a lot of superstition: they take a treasure which is cursed and brings bad luck, two men meet one another in their dreams, there are monks and druids. 

Classically paced, the first quarter of the book takes place before the ship is launched, Harald's first killing is just after the half-way mark, and they meet the Christian holy man who will play a significant part in the climax at the three-quarters mark.

The hero is a young man thirsting for glory and fiercely loyal to his leader. One would hope that the character would develop over the course of the book as a result of some fairly traumatic experiences, but Harald is a hero to the end.

Many of the myths of the Vikings on which this book relies (eg that they wore horned helmets into battle) has been disputed. The book rather glamorises the Viking way of life.

Is it suitable for a children's book? Treece's Vikings are amoral, seeing might as right and stealing what they can. There is a lot of killing and a lot of death and these are lightly born: the general feeling being that the point of life is to have a 'good' death, preferably in battle. I suppose that may accurately reflect the attitude of people for whom life was full of unexpected death, in whose face they were relatively powerless: "You are but an ant crawling on a hunter's boot. That boot may carry you a long distance and you will think that life is good to you. Or it may crush you, then you will know no more." (Ch 5). It may also reflect the attitude of the time: it was written in 1955 so it probably reflects the attitudes of a man who served in World War II, though Treece was an RAF Intelligence officer rather than a soldier.

It is a classic boys' adventure story, almost devoid of women except as home-makers, but nowadays one might question what the subtext is. For example: "Ships be like any other creature. Show them who is master and they will obey; but once let them have the upper hand and they will run wild and break their backs in rebellion." (Ch 6)

Great moments:

• "Life is never sure, Harald. Whichever way a man turns, he thinks he might have done better to take the other path." (Ch 1)
• "A man who is troubled in his mind might bite and do hurt without intending it." (Ch 6)
• "These were old vikings, who knew the sea as a friend, an enemy, a grave." (Ch 6)

An easy read. August 2020; 176 pages

The series continues with:

• The Road to Miklagard
• Viking's Sunset

Also by Henry Treece

• Horned Helmet: more Vikings
• Legions of the Eagle: Romano-British adventure
• The Golden Strangers: A story from prehistory

This review was written by the author of Motherdarling  and The Kids of God

"The Gauntlet" by Ronald Welch

A children's book from the old days (published 1951); my brother-in-law says it was his favourite children's book and he is aged over 60. I remember reading it when I too was a young boy.

It is a classic boy's adventure story mixed with historical novel. Peter falls asleep on a Welsh hillside under a ruined castle and wakes up to find himself holding a gauntlet. He is transported back to the fourteenth century where he discovers he is the elder son of the castle's Marcher Lord. Over the next few months he learns about mediaeval table manners and diet, how to be a squire, how to handle a falcon and a longbow and a sword, and he goes to a monastery to be taught his letters (he is criticised for not spelling son 'sonne'). Then the castle is besieged by Welsh rebels and Peter discovers what really happened to Peter de Blois, whose brass-plated tomb is in the local church.

A cleverly written book mixing careful research with a simple story.

March 2020; 194 pages