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Erlings Word
Rescued from slavery when he is mistaken for a priest, Ailill assumes a new identity in order to survive the turmoil of a nation being born and the forces of an alternate world. Original.
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 1, 1997
18 people want to read
About the author
Lars Walker
19 books30 followersWalker is a native of Kenyon, Minnesota and lives in Minneapolis. He has worked as a crabmeat packer in Alaska, a radio announcer, a church secretary and an administrative assistant and is presently librarian and bookstore manager for the schools of the Association of Free Lutheran Congregations in Plymouth, Minnesota. He is the author of "The Year of the Warrior" and other novels and is the editor of the journal of the Georg Sverdrup Society. Walker says, I never believed that God gave me whatever gifts I have in order to entertain fellow Christians. I want to confront the world with the claims of Jesus Christ.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 24, 2008
From ISawLightningFall.com
Christian fiction -- the phrase alone is enough to set most bibliophiles’ teeth on edge. Gone are the days of C.S. Lewis and Walter Miller, Jr. publishing in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, of Flannery O’Connor penning the perfect Southern Gothic, of Dorothy Sayers introducing Lord Peter Wimsey to the world with a combustible “Oh, damn!” That is to say, gone are the days when Christian authors penned narratives that went beyond pabulum, narratives that mainstream readers might actually, well, read. But if conservative Lutheran author Lars Walker’s first novel is any indication, their spirit still lingers.
That novel is Erling’s Word, and its Dark Age-era story begins with a failed monastic candidate watching his parents be slaughtered by Vikings and his sister gang raped. His name is Ailill, and he ends up stolen from his native Ireland and sold as slave in Norway. Noting his clerical training, his captors offer him up as a priest, even though he possesses only a little education, less Latin and no faith. He’s bought by Erling Skjalgsson, a Norse lord and Christian who offers him freedom in exchange for helping turn his people from their barbarous rites to true worship. Ailill gladly agrees, but soon finds himself in over his head. The old gods are very much alive in the land and none too pleased to have a priest of the white Christ about -- even a false one.
Count complex, sympathetic characters and a willingness to do unexpected things with them among the virtues of Erling’s Word. One moment Ailill is catechizing and constructing a church, the next bedding a concubine and craftily planning a rival’s murder. Walker often tempers such interludes with sardonic wit and fine turns of phrase. When considering Erling’s offer, Ailill thinks, “I knew enough of the offices to be priest for his purposes. God wouldn’t care -- how could He, not existing as He did?” Later he looses a hilarious, page-long imprecatory prayer against Erling’s enemies, intoning, “May their stomachs be filled with squirming piglets, and swell, and burst, so that they trip on their guts. May their kidneys and rumps let loose together, and the waste fill the ship, so they drown in it. ” While Ailill doesn’t stay stuck in his duplicity, his character advances in unexpected ways, as do the lives (and deaths) of those around him. A disappointing denouement can’t spoil the fact that this is a novel both doubters and the devout will likely enjoy. Believing authors, take note: There are higher literary virtues than inoffensiveness.
Christian fiction -- the phrase alone is enough to set most bibliophiles’ teeth on edge. Gone are the days of C.S. Lewis and Walter Miller, Jr. publishing in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, of Flannery O’Connor penning the perfect Southern Gothic, of Dorothy Sayers introducing Lord Peter Wimsey to the world with a combustible “Oh, damn!” That is to say, gone are the days when Christian authors penned narratives that went beyond pabulum, narratives that mainstream readers might actually, well, read. But if conservative Lutheran author Lars Walker’s first novel is any indication, their spirit still lingers.
That novel is Erling’s Word, and its Dark Age-era story begins with a failed monastic candidate watching his parents be slaughtered by Vikings and his sister gang raped. His name is Ailill, and he ends up stolen from his native Ireland and sold as slave in Norway. Noting his clerical training, his captors offer him up as a priest, even though he possesses only a little education, less Latin and no faith. He’s bought by Erling Skjalgsson, a Norse lord and Christian who offers him freedom in exchange for helping turn his people from their barbarous rites to true worship. Ailill gladly agrees, but soon finds himself in over his head. The old gods are very much alive in the land and none too pleased to have a priest of the white Christ about -- even a false one.
Count complex, sympathetic characters and a willingness to do unexpected things with them among the virtues of Erling’s Word. One moment Ailill is catechizing and constructing a church, the next bedding a concubine and craftily planning a rival’s murder. Walker often tempers such interludes with sardonic wit and fine turns of phrase. When considering Erling’s offer, Ailill thinks, “I knew enough of the offices to be priest for his purposes. God wouldn’t care -- how could He, not existing as He did?” Later he looses a hilarious, page-long imprecatory prayer against Erling’s enemies, intoning, “May their stomachs be filled with squirming piglets, and swell, and burst, so that they trip on their guts. May their kidneys and rumps let loose together, and the waste fill the ship, so they drown in it. ” While Ailill doesn’t stay stuck in his duplicity, his character advances in unexpected ways, as do the lives (and deaths) of those around him. A disappointing denouement can’t spoil the fact that this is a novel both doubters and the devout will likely enjoy. Believing authors, take note: There are higher literary virtues than inoffensiveness.
December 1, 2016
First read this 3 years ago. Re-read to refresh my memory before reading West Oversea. Great book. See my review of the other edition of this book.
March 28, 2012
One of the few books that attempts to present the Christian history of medieval Norway in a fair light. At times raw and blunt, Walker's writing captures some of the "ragged faith" of Flannery O'Connor. His protagonists are never pretty. There is a comedic irony to it all: God really does choose the worst people to be his messsengers.
The pros of the book:
Walker does a good job at characterization and is ability to weave subplots (not plots, mind you). His crafting of a story and its difficulties, and the heroes' ability to navigate these difficulties, reminds one of Terry Goodkind (without Goodkind's penchant for sadomasichism). Secondly, Walker rightly notes that the gods of heathendom were quite real, contrary the bourgeoisie Evangelical, but were demons. When the Kingdom advances, it comes into sharp conflict with demons.
The book ends with our Holy King Olav Trygvesson. There are few reliable accounts of Olav and while Lars' is fictional, it is still more than most. Walker, perhaps not entirely realizing it, shows us the superiority of monarchy over polyarchy (e.g., democratic republicanism). In a harsh land, only a strong and holy king--one king, one law, one logos--can bring justice and order. (The chaos of modern America--analogous to the prophet's commentary at the end of the book of Judges in the Bible: there was no king in Israel and everyone did what was right in his own eyes).
Cons:
While Walker is a master weaver of subplots, he is not of plots. The book is episodic. I'm not quite sure what the storyline was, except in vaguest terms. I put the book down for a few months (my daughter was born) and picked it back up, but forgot where I was. It didn't matter. I was able to jump right in and not miss much. Incidentally, this story would make for an excellent television series.
The pros of the book:
Walker does a good job at characterization and is ability to weave subplots (not plots, mind you). His crafting of a story and its difficulties, and the heroes' ability to navigate these difficulties, reminds one of Terry Goodkind (without Goodkind's penchant for sadomasichism). Secondly, Walker rightly notes that the gods of heathendom were quite real, contrary the bourgeoisie Evangelical, but were demons. When the Kingdom advances, it comes into sharp conflict with demons.
The book ends with our Holy King Olav Trygvesson. There are few reliable accounts of Olav and while Lars' is fictional, it is still more than most. Walker, perhaps not entirely realizing it, shows us the superiority of monarchy over polyarchy (e.g., democratic republicanism). In a harsh land, only a strong and holy king--one king, one law, one logos--can bring justice and order. (The chaos of modern America--analogous to the prophet's commentary at the end of the book of Judges in the Bible: there was no king in Israel and everyone did what was right in his own eyes).
Cons:
While Walker is a master weaver of subplots, he is not of plots. The book is episodic. I'm not quite sure what the storyline was, except in vaguest terms. I put the book down for a few months (my daughter was born) and picked it back up, but forgot where I was. It didn't matter. I was able to jump right in and not miss much. Incidentally, this story would make for an excellent television series.
December 28, 2013
An Irishman, captured by Vikings, pretends to be a Christian priest in order to avoid death. Father Ailill serves as Erling Skjalgsson’s priest in Norway, where Erling, a prominent lord, is one of few Christians among many worshippers of the old Norse gods, like Thor and Odin. Set just before the turn of the 11th century, Father Ailill slowly comes to embrace the Christianity he administers.
There are a variety of things one might be put off by: violence, sexuality, supernatural creatures and visions, promotion of Christianity, or misrepresentation of Christianity. Nonetheless, I loved the book. There is plenty of action—the plot moves—as well as surprises all along the way. I love the picture of life in a time and place far removed from me. It’s fascinating to see the power struggle between Christianity and a pagan religion. Vividly portrayed is the pressure brought to bear on Erling and Father Ailill by the Norse who do not wish to upset their traditional gods.
Equally fascinating to me as a pastor is Father Ailill’s ministry. He brings to bear on a variety of problems the Christian faith he represents, and he does so with little hesitation and with a great deal of flexibility. I like his pluck as a minister of the gospel. At different times we see Ailill counseling, challenging culture, rashly accepting challenges to the power of “the White Christ,” conspiring to kill, hearing confession and confessing himself, considered a fool, and revered as wise. Also interesting are his doubts and struggles with sin, how he rationalizes some and repents of others.
There are a variety of things one might be put off by: violence, sexuality, supernatural creatures and visions, promotion of Christianity, or misrepresentation of Christianity. Nonetheless, I loved the book. There is plenty of action—the plot moves—as well as surprises all along the way. I love the picture of life in a time and place far removed from me. It’s fascinating to see the power struggle between Christianity and a pagan religion. Vividly portrayed is the pressure brought to bear on Erling and Father Ailill by the Norse who do not wish to upset their traditional gods.
Equally fascinating to me as a pastor is Father Ailill’s ministry. He brings to bear on a variety of problems the Christian faith he represents, and he does so with little hesitation and with a great deal of flexibility. I like his pluck as a minister of the gospel. At different times we see Ailill counseling, challenging culture, rashly accepting challenges to the power of “the White Christ,” conspiring to kill, hearing confession and confessing himself, considered a fool, and revered as wise. Also interesting are his doubts and struggles with sin, how he rationalizes some and repents of others.
June 9, 2015
The only thing to dissuade the potential reader from picking this particular volume is that the entire book was re-published together with "The Ghost in the God-Tree" in the volume "The Year of the Warrior" (2000). At any rate, the story stands on its own, and a collector will certainly want the 1997 publication. It is as good as modern pulp fantasy can get. Especially, I think, the book finds its strength in good dialog and historical research, and in believable, messy moralities of authentic characters.
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March 16, 2016I absolutely loved this. This is what all Christian fiction ought to be. This was a great story, there were deep themes, and it was faith-affirming. Maybe my favorite Christian fiction ever - it was really that good. I don 19t think the author and I come out the same place on theological issues - I don 19t think very much of the important idea of 1Crisk 1D that he presents. But even so, there were parts of this book that strengthened my faith and Jesus. This is just very well done.
October 24, 2009
Great fantasy!
August 26, 2015
A bit strange. Seems like the inspiration for the series "Vikings".
April 15, 2017
Excellent fiction about the coming of Christianity to the Vikings and the conflict between the old gods and the new God. Told from the perspective of an Irish priest kidnapped and forced to serve a newly Christian Viking lord.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews