An unnamed narrator makes occasional appearances in the novel, speaking to someone we cannot see, talking him through a tough time by telling the story of Tan-Tan. In the final pages that we learn that this is Tan-Tan’s house eshu from Toussaint, talking to the fetus in her womb. The earbug that had not died when Tan-Tan went through the dimension veil provided Granny Nanny and the eshu with a means of tracking Tan-Tan and they, being good parents, found her. By the time they found her she was too old to hear them, but Granny Nanny was able to suffuse the fetus with the “nanomites” necessary for communication.
As Tan-Tan gives birth to the son that her father gave her, the seed he planted as she destroyed him in self-defense, she brings Granny Nanny, the benevolent parent-force, to the wilds of New Half-Way Tree. This final scene completes the cycle, confirms for us that there is something good in everything bad and something bad in everything good. Much as the rebirth of the daddy tree brings the promise of safe haven in the future, so too does the baby, Tubman, bring the hope of freedom from oppression to the hard world of New Half-Way Tree.
-*-
Heather Shaw is a transplanted Hoosier now enjoying life in the San Francisco Bay Area. She has published short fiction and articles, and has been known to read her poetry at such places as a San Francisco Sex Education benefit, a Lollapalooza Poetry Tent, and a poetry slam or two. Her ongoing goals are to further her fiction career, maintain her online journal, dance in the moonlight, and read, read, read. Heather’s previous publications in Strange Horizons can be found in our archives. Visit her Web site for more information.
Further Reading:
An interview with Nalo Hopkinson in Strange Horizons.
Nalo Hopkinson’s Web site, with information and novel excerpts.
Another article on Midnight Robber.
A conversation with Nalo Hopkinson discussing Midnight Robber.
Nalo Hopkinson on her writing background.
Vikings in America
By Arturo Rubio
8/27/01
After a long journey, the weary European explorers catch a glimpse of land, far on the horizon. The men grow restless, as their ships slowly sail toward the coast. Images of rich lands and adventure race through their minds. Finally they disembark and set foot on America’s pristine land for the first time in history. Two continents have made contact. Yet these are not Spaniards, commanded by an Italian sailor named Christopher Columbus. These are Vikings, guided by Leif Eriksson, arriving at American shores almost five hundred years before Columbus’ momentous “discovery.”
This is the story of the first Europeans who bridged the gap dividing two continents. These explorers, known as Vikings, were part of a rich and complex culture. There is much to be learned behind the facade of pirates and barbarians that has commonly been attached to them. More interesting is to learn about their way of life, their prowess at sea and exploration, and the way they, in the long run, enriched European history.
The Men
The Vikings were native to the land that today is Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. The populations living in these three territories were very independent from each other. Each country was a society composed of a King, a noble class—known as Jarls or Earls—and commoners. The country was divided into districts, each holding a yearly assembly—known as a Thing—in which Vikings discussed matters of common interest. All men were equal in the Thing; any man had the right to demand the settling of a dispute or whatever problem afflicted him.
Each country had its own sphere of influence. Vikings from Norway, known by many as Normands, would travel to northern England, Scotland, Ireland, and the archipelagos farther to the Northwest. Vikings from Denmark, known as Danes, journeyed through southern England, the European mainland, its coasts, and the Mediterranean. Vikings from Sweden, known as Rus by Slavs, roamed parts of eastern Europe, even venturing as far away as the Caspian Sea.
Putting aside the image of murdering barbarians, we now know that they were skilled farmers, traders, navigators, explorers, and settlers. They were very good storytellers, too. History was passed on from generation to generation by way of Sagas. These stories were memorized and told to others. Elders, through them, narrated the adventures of kings, heroes, and prominent families. Many of these Sagas were written down by Icelanders in the fourteenth century, in an effort to preserve the Viking’s history, which would otherwise have been forgotten. Thanks to these Sagas we know many things about them, as well as their voyages. But other cultures who came in contact with Vikings also documented their way of life.
In 921 the Arab chronicler Ibn Fadlan met Rus traders of Swedish origin, near the Middle Volga. Impressed by their appearance he described them as “perfect physical specimens, tall as date palms, blonde and ruddy.”
Of their women he wrote that “each one wears on either breast a box of iron, silver, copper or gold; the value of the box indicates the wealth of the husband. Each box has a ring from which depends a knife. The women wear neck rings of gold and silver, one for each 10,000 dirhems which her husband is worth; some women have many.”
It is interesting to note that Viking women had an important role in society, compared to other cultures at the time. A woman had complete authority over the farm when the husband was off on a raid or trading trip. She could own land and had the right to demand divorce if she no longer wanted to be by her husband’s side.
Ibn Fadlan was appalled by their apparent lack of hygiene as well as their uninhibited sexual practices. “They are the filthiest of God’s creatures. They have no modesty in defecation and urination, nor do they wash after pollution from orgasm, nor do they wash their hands after eating. With them are pretty slave girls destined for sale to merchants: a man will have sexual intercourse with his slave girl while his companion looks on. Sometimes whole groups will come together in this fashion, each in the presence of others. A merchant who arrives to buy a slave girl from them may have to wait and look on while a Rus completes the act of intercourse with a slave girl,” he added.
He also took note of how the Vikings honored and bid their dead farewell. According to both Ibn Fadlan and the Sagas, when a wealthy Viking died, he was buried along with his ship. Ibn Fadlan witnessed one of these burials and narrated in great detail the specifics of the event. According to him, the deceased’s ship was dragged out of the water and taken to where the burial would take place. It was propped up on four wooden stakes inside a pit that had previously been dug. A tent was then constructed in the middle of the ship and more wood was set underneath it. The corpse, dressed in fine clothes, was put inside the tent along with different objects he would need in the afterlife.
First they deposited fruit, intoxicating drinks, and fragrant plants beside him. Then bread, meat, and onions were placed before him. After that a dog was brought, cut into two pieces and placed inside the ship. His weapons were then placed by his side. Two horses were dismembered and also put inside the ship. Both a rooster and hen were also sacrificed and placed inside.
In the end, a female slave who had volunteered to join her master in death, was killed and deposited in the ship. The vessel was then set on fire and the remains covered with a mound of soil. Finally on top of this mound the Vikings placed a wooden post; on it they wrote the man’s name and the name of his king, and then they departed. This was typical of a wealthy man’s burial. In the case of a poor man, a small boat was constructed. He was placed inside, set on fire, and then buried.
Viking life revolved around farming and trade, yet every single man was proficient in the use of weapons. The basic battle gear of a Viking was a long sword, an axe, and a small knife. A wealthy man could also have a pike and a bow and arrows. For protection he carried a round shield and a coat of chain mail, as well as a metal helmet. This brings us to another misconception, the image of a Viking wearing a horned helmet. There is no evidence that Vikings ever wore this type of headgear. Actually, a conical metal helmet with a simple rectangular nose guard was commonly used in battle.
There was a small group of elite warriors though, known as Berserks, whose only purpose in life was to fight. It is thought that they engaged in rites honoring Odin, the god of war. The Sagas portray Berserks as fierce warriors, possessors of superhuman strength, and literally invincible. According to many accounts they would go into battle in some sort of trance, striking down everything that moved, even while they were severely wounded. They would carry on in this manner for many hours until the effects of the trance wore off. After this they would fall into a deep stupor, needing days to recover.