The 13th Warrior

In talking about Weilow (the queen) on the dennisstorhoicircle list, I said that I'd been thinking a lot about Buliwyf and his relationship with Weilow. Actually, I've been writing a fic.

I thought screencaps would help explain what I'm seeing and thinking, so I decided to make a post for everybody.

( Thoughts on Buliwyf, Weilow, and what wasn't in the movie but probably should have been )

All in all, I think this is strong support for a relationship between the two characters that didn't make it into the film. My fic is about done, too, so soon you'll have the chance to see more of what I'm thinking.

I found this while working today, from Associated Press Photo:



Caption: A handful of Arabic 10th century silver coins found by brothers Arvid and Edvin Sandborg on the Swedish island of Gotland Oct. 30, 2006. The 1,100 coins, along with several silver bracelets, formed a three kilo (6.6 lbs) Viking treasure trove that the brothers found buried on a neighbor's property last week. (AP Photo/Tobias Wallstrom)

and another image, similar caption:



Brothers Arvid, left, and Edvin Sandborg, right, show a handful of Arabic 10th century silver coins on the Swedish island of Gotland Oct. 30, 2006. The 1,100 coins, along with several silver bracelets, formed a three kilo (6.6 lbs) Viking treasure trove that they found buried on a neighbor's property last week. (AP Photo/Tobias Wallstrom)


Ahmed must have been robbed... ;)

So, what DID inspire me to write Gods and Monsters, anyway?

The short answer: an article on homosexuality in Viking society, sent to me by ixchel55 when she found out I was interested in writing fic for the fandom. I had already started it, actually; she came on soon after to help me research and refine the story.

This post is an addendum to the already-existing Links Depository at this comm. All of these links are the ones used *specifically* in researching and writing the fic. Some of these sites are still general info but most are targeted toward specific things.

Among the collection are the sources for Herger's Latin and Nordic tattoos, the jewels on his cuff, and the Byzantine names source I've been using.

( Cut for size )

Check out the earlier Link Depository for updates, too. I added a link to a website selling costumes from the movie. Whee!

My manifesto for Herger/Ahmed is up at ship_manifesto, here. I look forward to any thoughts you have.

I'm creating this entry as a permanent archive for links to informative pages, the topics relating to the movie The 13th Warrior. This page will coincide with the essay I'm working on for ship_manifesto, which will be posted within the week.

General History sites
(keep in mind that the time period for the movie/book is early 10th century, around 922 A.D.)

Medieval Islamic Cultures: general knowledge site.

Muslim terms

Medieval Life.net

Medieval Chronology: a chronology of important moments in medieval history, and it's color-coded!

Ravensgard's Viking Age Page: general Norse culture information (see also the parent site for a broad range of information: http://www.ravensgard.org/gerekr/culturesf.html).

Early Muslim food


Clothing reference websites

Arabian Business and Cultural Guide: this is probably too modern for our time period, but I used it as a reference early on in my fic, so I'll include it anyway.

SCA Clothing & Costume links: SCA being the Society for Creative Anachronism, the people who generally put on Renaissance Fairs; this is an excellent collection of good links.

The Costumer's Manifesto

Divattortenet.lap.hu, another general clothing site: in various languages, covers many cultures and periods.

Muslim and Middle Eastern Clothing, Jewelry, & Make-up: largely for women; includes some quotes from the Qu'ran and Hadith regarding rules for garments/appearances.

SCA Costume How-To Links: extremely comprehensive for cultures and periods; another SCA resource.

An Overview of Middle-Eastern Garments in the Middle Ages

Persian clothing

Oriental Costumes - Their Designs and Colors: organized by region, small bits of information with "plates."

Near and Middle Eastern Textiles: just on fabrics, not garments.

Pre-Mongol Persian Costume

Islamic Dress and Head-dress for Men


Name website

The Medieval Names Archives: excellent, excellent archive of links to subpages; organized by region/culture.


Movie-related links

North Island 'Eaters of the Dead' photos page: a page promoting the area of Vancouver Island where the movie was filmed. Very cool shots of the set, actors, and props!

Asbjorn Riis' website: "Bear" Riis played Halga the Wise, and this is his personal website. There's an interview with him regarding his work on the movie on this page, with some illuminating information about the production and his fellow actors.

Reel Clothes: 13th Warrior: want Herger's leather pants? Or maybe Ahmed's silk-lined black wool robe? They're for sale at this respected Hollywood business website. (Sooo tempting...)