In his new book Gods and Worshippers, Norse scholar Thor Ewing turns our view of Viking religion upside down, suggesting that for pagan believers, mythical beings could be embodied in real people. Not only valkyries, but elves and even gods like Odin and Freyja had a double existence as both spirits and real people, he says. And these earthly divinities lived as wayfarers with their own laws and bizarre moral code.

Ewing also argues that the links between sacred and secular worlds were much closer than previously thought, with warlords doubling as priests, and criminals offered as sacrifices.

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Told by its protagonist ‘in the manner of the bards’, Ice Land is a lyrically written epic inspired by the beauty and history of that island, and the rich world of Norse mythology that infuses it. Intertwining the gods, giants and dwarves of the mythic poems, and the medieval prose stories of the Icelandic Sagas, Betsy Tobin spins a story of love and adventure under the shadow of the pregnant volcano Hekla.

Set in Iceland in 1000 ad, the novel counterpoints three narratives as they slowly interweave. Freya, warned by Fate of her people’s impending doom, must don her falcon suit and fly to Nidavellir, the cavernous land of the dwarves, in search of the golden necklace that has the power to change the course of history.

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Wessex Archaeology is pleased to offer many of its archaeological publications free (bar P&P) to the general public.We have reports on our excavations undertaken over the last 20 years in Dorset, Berkshire, Hampshire and Wiltshire, which we would like to offer free to any member of the general public, interested amateur or historic environment professional.

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The Domesday Book, the oldest and most famous public record in Britain, was based on the 1086 survey of England which covered 13,418 settlements south of the rivers Ribble and Tees.

For the first time, people will be able to retrieve and analyse the material while searching the database.

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The book is the first part of Rosalind’s Grim Gruesome series, seven children’s books about a Viking villain called Grim Gruesome, which will be launched at Jorvik Viking Festival on Thursday.

“Vikings are something that I have always been interested in and I wanted to try to find a really exciting, accessible way of trying to tell the story about them to children,” she said. “I know from reading to children that children love hearing about sword fighting and treasure. You only have to mention sword fighting and they all shout out cool’.

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Joanne Harris’ “Runemarks” follows a young girl’s adventures among Scandinavian gods and goblins; in case you’re wondering, there’s still plenty of myth to go around in the young adult market.

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Most of writer Brian Wood’s comics tend to take place either in the present day (”Local”) or in the near future (”DMZ”), so it’s a little surprising to see his latest work take place in the distant past.The Viking past, to be specific, since his new monthly series, “Northlanders,” trades urban landscapes for longboats and swords as Wood and artist Davide Gianfelice introduce us to Sven, a twentysomething warrior who’s come home from Constantinople to reclaim his inheritance and overthrow his evil and corrupt uncle.More

Sword Song is the fourth installment in Bernard Cornwell’s ambitious, ongoing account of the reign of Alfred the Great, one of the pivotal figures in English history.

Uhtred is a Saxon warrior who, as a child, was captured by the Danes and raised in the household of a Viking warrior. Though his deepest loyalties lie with his adoptive family’s pagan traditions, Uhtred is bound — by blood, history and sacred oath — to Alfred. These conflicting loyalties dominate Uhtred’s life and color the narrative at every turn.

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