Best Selling Author of Historical Fiction and Fantasy
By D.W. Roach The Silver in the Still Pond The forest was silent but for the crunch of boots over frost-hardened soil. The three Vikings moved cautiously through the pines, their breath misting in the pale light of dawn. They had raided all day and found little—no silver, no livestock, not even a frightened farmer … Continue reading The Nøkken: The Lure Beneath the Water
By D.W. Roach Few figures from Norse mythology loom as large in modern imagination as Thor. Whether he’s appearing in comic books, blockbuster films, or video games, Thor remains one of the most recognizable gods in human history. Yet the Thor of the Eddas and sagas is far from the blond-haired superhero we know today. … Continue reading Thor: From Hammer-Wielding God to Pop Culture Icon
By D.W. Roach If you’ve ever wandered into a renaissance fair, a pagan festival, or even a lively corner of the internet, you may have run across folks proudly calling themselves Asatru. Horns of mead may be raised, runes may be carved, and occasionally someone shows up in a horned helmet (spoiler: those aren’t historically … Continue reading Modern Paganism and Asatru: Faith, Heritage, and Why You’re Probably Not a Viking
The event (facts we have) On 8 June 793 (traditional dating), seaborne raiders struck the monastery of Lindisfarne (Holy Island) off Northumbria’s coast. The attack was recorded by several near-contemporary sources and quickly became emblematic of the “Viking Age.” The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle notes a terrifying year of portents followed by the raid; the Northumbrian scholar … Continue reading Lindisfarne, 793: What We Know, What We Think, and Why It Shocked Europe
By D.W. Roach The Vikings remain some of history’s most iconic warriors, remembered for their raids, longships, and ferocious reputation in battle. Yet the reality of Viking combat was more complex than the popular image of horned-helmeted berserkers swinging axes. Their fighting styles, weapons, and tactics were deeply shaped by their resources, social structures, and … Continue reading Viking Combat: Weapons, Tactics, and Evolution
By D.W. Roach Robert E. Howard’s Conan the Cimmerian is a literary creation steeped in the raw power of myth and legend. While Howard pulled from many cultures to craft Conan’s Hyborian Age, few stories wear their Norse influence as proudly as The Frost-Giant’s Daughter. First published in 1953 (posthumously), the tale is a fever … Continue reading The Frost-Giant’s Daughter — Robert E. Howard’s Norse-Infused Vision
By D.W. Roach When the Viking Age officially ended in 1066 CE with the Battle of Stamford Bridge, it did not mean the Vikings vanished overnight. The popular image of fierce Norse warriors sailing home, tossing their swords into the sea, and quietly becoming farmers is overly simplistic. The truth is more nuanced—a gradual transformation … Continue reading The End of the Viking Age: What Really Happened to the Vikings?
By D.W. Roach The word “Viking” carries a powerful mystique today. It conjures images of longships cutting through icy seas, warriors with shields raised, and a culture steeped in myth and legend. But in the modern world, the term is often misunderstood. Many people take DNA tests, find even a fraction of Scandinavian ancestry, and … Continue reading Why You Can’t Be a Viking—But You Can Embrace Viking Heritage
By D.W. Roach Few works of modern fantasy have captured the imagination as profoundly as J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. Yet behind the hobbits, elves, and dark lords lies a deep well of mythological inspiration—chief among them, the rich tapestry of Norse and Viking culture. Tolkien, a philologist and scholar of ancient languages, … Continue reading The Lord of the Rings and the Echoes of Norse Myth: How Viking Lore Shaped Tolkien’s World
By D.W. Roach When we think of religion, our minds often turn to the structured faiths of the modern world—Christianity, Islam, Buddhism—religions with holy texts, clergy, and codified systems of belief. But the Norse religion, often called Old Norse paganism, was something quite different: a rich tapestry of myths, rituals, and worldviews that bound together … Continue reading Norse Faith: Belief, Myth, and the Shaping of a Pagan World
D.W. Roach "Marauder" 