Ornulf Wang-Sandaas

Ragnarok Ornulf Wang-Sandaas

"It was not before Leiv Harald Haraldssønn got religious he wanted revenge. But then, what he had turned to was the old Norse Åsafaith, and since the Vikings were rather generous with their vengeance his bloody ambitions lay far beyond the terrorists that had murdered his wife and daughters. "A few years ago I re-read the Icelandic family sagas, gory tales of revenge, with characters larger than life, and a dry, black humour. Inspired by them I sought out Håvamål again, the old Norse collection of wise saying. That set me thinking. How would the Vikings handle this day and age, given their values, and modern technology?This book is an attempt to describe one possible scenario. I have attempted to be true to their values, with absolutely no kow-towing to modern sensibilities. Some try to make out the Vikings were tradesmen with a undeserved reputation for murder and mayhem. I think my ancestors would say 'we would trade if we had to'. They lived for war, and you could get away with anything as long as you did it with style and panache. Quick-witted people were respected, and cutting remarks were always appreciated. When it came to revenge, they were patient as the sea, and they did not stop at an eye for an eye. In this day and age I should perhaps warn any potential reader that this novel is not politically correct. I have attempted to be true to the Vikings, and I am pretty sure their attitudes might be just a tad offensive to Harry, if not Tom and Dick.