Tue 13 Feb 2018
Paul Atherton - Viking Voices - True History 902 - 917 AD

Paul explained that his interest in the Vikings began when he heard about the Viking Cuerdale Hoard near Preston. The Viking hoard was found by the south bank of the River Ribble in 1840 and is one of the largest ever found.

Paul Atherton

Around 8,600 items were found including silver ingots and coins and it is thought they were buried around 903 AD.
Paul’s interest in the Vikings continued and his researches enables him to write his historical novel ‘Viking Voices - The Sword of Amleth’. It gave him the opportunity to use his middle name of Vincent and published it under the name of Vincen Atherton.
The Viking era in Britain began with the raid on Lindisfarn in 793 AD and this was followed with another on Rathin Island, Ireland in 795 AD. The Vikings could be Norse or Danes whose religion was based on the god Odin.

A small part of the Cuerdale (Preston) Hoard

They believed that those slain in combat would go to Valhalla, the Hall of the Slain, and be ruled over by Odin.
The Viking occupation gave us many place names that remain today and large trading centres were set up and York was one and re-named many times over its history. In Dublin a slave trade thrived and one of the main communication routes between Dublin and York was via the River Ribble at Preston. This is also the location of the Cuerdale Hoard.

Viking Voices - The Sword of Amleth