For Me Fate Wove This Trivia Quiz

Answer: 893-896

We have been in 893 since "Silver Hammer, Golden Cross". "Wildswept" mostly takes place over a few months of 893; its final chapter takes us to winter for the birth of Ceridwen's daughter Rodiaud, whose name is exclusive to Gotland. In this book, we go back to Angle-land in 893 to watch three years' worth of shattering events unfold.

Answer: False

On the contrary, others accept her condition because Burginde spreads rumors that Ashild secretly married Ceric and does not go to him because the broken Peace makes travel deadly. Oundle's Abbess thinks that if the spouses believe themselves married, the church's blessing is a mere formality. That solves the problem of how Ashild can be pregnant without being deemed a loose woman, which would have destroyed her reputation.

Unfortunately, Ceric remains unaware that he will become a father.

Answer: Swords and spear heads

As Guthrum left Dagmar nothing in his will, she has little dowry. Hrald does not care because he is enamored with her. Haward receives ten swords and twenty spear heads for giving Dagmar to Hrald.

Dowry consists of goods a bride brings to a marriage. Part of its purpose is providing financial security for the woman should the husband die before his wife. Bride-price is offered by the groom's family to the bride's. A morning gift is given by a husband to his wife the morning after their marriage. This last practice was prevalent in Germanic tribal cultures, where it was called "morgengabe".

Answer: She is discovered with another man.

The outlawed man she loves comes back for her, and Dagmar makes the rather ill-advised decision to speak to him in her bedchamber. When Hrald finds them, he casts her away, and her lover Vigmund is not pleased when she tries to convince Hrald to let her stay. In those times, a man could regain his honor or have his outlawry repealed, but a woman's lost reputation was gone forever. In a time when women had to come to a marriage with a dowry and be bought with a brideprice, I sympathize with Dagmar for wanting to keep her position rather than throw all away, as her choices are few. Though a wife never has to return the morning gift, Dagmar gives her ring to Ælfwyn. Historically, whether the dowry was returned upon marital separation depended on the culture; often a bride got it all back (i.e. medieval Iceland), but sometimes her husband kept some (Ancient Rome).

Four Stones is a product of Randolph's imagination but she locates it near modern-day Oundle, North Northamptonshire.

Answer: Ceridwen's father

Cerd died when Ceridwen was three, in the first chapter of the first book. Ashild perceives Ceridwen as having replaced her mother, even though the opposite is true: Sidroc married Ælfwyn despite having only ever loved Ceridwen. It is a mark of good will that Ashild names her child after her mother's friend's father.

As with other English names in the series, the "C" in the Welsh name Cerd is pronounced like a "k". The new child brings happiness back to Four Stones and connects Ælfwyn and Ceridwen, as Cerd is grandchild to them both.

Answer: The Saxons are defeated and must retreat.

Ceric has been afield much longer than normal because of the greater need for men to fight Haesten's Danes. The constant hunger, lack of good clothing, and sleeping in bad conditions bring about combat fatigue, and the defeat at the Danes' hands cuts deep. According to the author's notes, Haesten disappears from the historical record in 894, leading some historians to think he died around this time.

As this scene occurs in 895, Haesten might be dead during this Saxon retreat.

Answer: He was Modwynn's first husband.

After seeing his sons die in their first battle, he retired from fighting to live as an ascetic monk. We meet him when Gyric searches for a holy man to marry him and Ceridwen in Book One. He returns to Kilton in Book Two to train warriors but takes occasional retreats into the woods. During one of Sidroc's visits to Kilton, the two arm wrestle, and Cadmar emerges victorious (monk beats warlord!). Cadmar follows Edwin to protect him but does not kill even one warrior before being killed. Modwynn's only husband was Godwulf. Cadmar was a favorite of mine, so I am sad to see him dead.

Answer: He is wounded and leaves the field without attacking.

He hopes to comport himself well but fails to gain glory. Again, he believes he cannot live up to being Godwin's son and Kilton's Lord.

Kilton was one of King Ælfred's real holdings. Randolph moved it to the seaside.

Answer: Onund

Gunnulf died in "Silver Hammer" after volunteering to fight with Hrald against Thorfast. Onund blames Hrald for Gunnulf's death; he spreads false rumors about Hrald, is cast from Four Stones, and joins opposing Danes. Hrald keeps secret the romantic relationship between Gunnulf and Onund, for which the two could have been killed in that time period.

The normally-gentle Hrald continues attacking Onund after the man's death, an action that disturbs him afterwards.

Answer: She is speared in the back by Ceric.

Ceric seeks vengeance for Cadmar's death and thinks he has it by killing the flagbearer. He is horrified to discover the flagbearer is not his enemy, but the woman he considers his wife. Ashild died as she lived: following her heart. Life as an extra lady at Kilton would not have satisfied her; dying in battle would have met with her approval. Realizing this led me to cry for the third time this series. Hrald considers himself partly responsible, as he allowed her to accompany him, while Ceric wants to be killed for his actions. Ashild's story was not inspired by any historical person, but flagbearers, who were often young, were uniquely vulnerable.

The "Me" in the title refers to Ashild. Ceridwen thinks that the Fate woven for Ashild was harsh. As well, the cover chosen by Randolph prominently features a raven. In "Silver Hammer", Ashild sews the raven flag and sings a lament while she does so, foreshadowing her death. In "Wildswept", she pledges herself to Odin. Two ravens, Hugin and Munin, accompany Odin and bring him the world's news. She dies retrieving the flag she made.

Answer: Women visit her resting place.

Many girls claim to have seen her in dreams, where Ashild gives them strength, and they come to offer gifts at her grave, which becomes a shrine. They admire her courage and treat the journey to see her tombstone and spear as a pilgrimage. This concerns Sigewif, as Ashild is not canonized.

Answer: Modwynn

Perhaps the double blow of Ashild's death and losing the chance to raise her great-grandson Cerd overwhelms the old woman's heart and she expires. She was a widow for about 23 years. "Modwynn" means "heart's delight".

Answer: He disappears into the woods.

Ceric appears to have survivor's guilt, combat fatigue, and PTSD from killing the woman he loved. He wonders why Gyric, Ninnoc, Cadmar, Ashild, and Modwynn are all dead while he lives. In "Silver Hammer", Ashild tells Ceric how she cursed him as a child for not letting her play with him and Hrald one day: "That you should lose your way." He certainly has, and does not stay to the end of Modwynn's funeral mass. Worr follows his trail into the woods but loses it.

Answer: He was caught in a storm and went back to Gotland.

He and Sidroc have been living on opposite sides of the island for 15 years and neither knew it. He is nearly 70 when he reunites with his son and learns his grandson bears his name. The name "Hrald" evolved into "Harold".

Answer: Swimming

I have been waiting for him to fill his promise since the third book, though we sadly do not see the lesson. Meeting elder Hrald and seeing Sidroc fulfill his promise was soothing balm to finish an often-brutal book. Now, if only Ceridwen can teach Sidroc to pronounce her name...