Heidaby, Denmark 1019 ADDeep winter is a grim time of year, especially for the poor. It is a period of famine and starvation in the Scandinavian lands, which are less fertile than the English counties. What food there is must not be devoured by animals, so slaughtering begins with the Yuletide feast. Meat is plentiful for a while. As a Saxon nobleman, the deprivations of winter pass me by, hence the solstice festivities provide my favourite event of the year. Recognised as the Julblot in pagan parts of Denmark, our Christmas replaces the blood sacrifices to the gods with Christian prayers, to earn blessings on the forthcoming germinating crops.
JulblotThis Yuletide would prove more memorable than others. Foul weather set in at the beginning of November, enforcing our stay far across the t
