An ancient tale of intrigue and violence, Finn’s Legacy imbues this Old English story fragment with emotional complexity and human resilience in the face of disaster.
From an old English fragment and scholarly works, including those of J.R.R. Tolkien, the author weaves a story believable as history yet also believable as human drama with which people of any era can identify.
Amongst the fifth century peoples of the North Sea coasts, Frisia under King Finn appears to be a particularly peaceable kingdom, humming prosperously along via commerce and industry. Frisia has welcomed folks of other tribes, particularly many Jutes displaced by the conquest of their area by the Angles. These Jutes have contributed much to the society, and many have risen to trusted places in the government and the king’s household, most particularly Finn’s right-hand man, Guthere. Yet, the Jutes don’t just remember their losses, they nurse them and look to independence in the future, be it through compensation or reconquest. And revenge. Revenge is always part of the calculation.
Into this situation enters Friduwulf, Finn’s teenage son, returning from an eight-year fostering situation with his Hocing rover uncle, brother of Finn’s Queen, Hildeburh. But not just the uncle accompanies the young prince; there are two boatloads of retinue, guarding them on their journey. And these men are enemies of the Jutes. Hengest, the uncle’s second-in-command, is a renowned fighter against the Jutes; and Hengest knows much more of the king’s advisor’s past than Guthere would care for Finn to learn.
The visitors arrive just before Yule and are invited to winter over for practical, travel reasons. Also, Finn is not so good at reading the room. A significant portion of his court and population have a feud with these visitors. They may have pledged allegiance to Finn and promised to keep the peace, but the Jutes have other, greater loyalties.
And while the visitors aim to behave, rovers will be rovers, so there is some friction. And even without the odd barroom fight, the Jutes see Hengest as the personification of their injuries. Plots are hatched, tragic accidents are engineered, and soon the Yule peace is irrevocably broken by a tense multi-day siege situation that leaves all sides— Jutes, Frisian, and Hocings—in desperate straits.
After a slow-burn of building tension through escalating and compounding conflicts between Finnburg’s Jutes and the rovers, Finn’s Legacy explodes into a thrilling and engrossing action-packed conflict. Underscoring the mayhem and death are the exceptionally well-drawn characters. Their humanity makes the horrors they undergo even more compelling.
In many ways, Finn’s Legacy is Queen Hildeburh’s story of her devotion to her children. The story opens with her anxious and enraged over her youngest son gone missing. The reader learns much of Hildeburh in this scene—she battles neuroses with which modern folk can identity and an explosive temper as well. “Her thoughts swirled…her own morbid mind’s-eye image of drownings. She clutched at a notion that surfaced from this maelstrom…The shadow-stepper eased closer, rank breath tickling Hildeburh’s neck, still hidden but eager to lurch into view and terrorize her once again.”
Yet what seems modern is always seen through the character’s cultural lens: belief in the twists of fate, prophecy, and inevitability. Her quick, bold action to save the little boy shows the reader the Queen’s priorities and her ability to fight for those she loves.
The other point-of-view character is Hengest. The warrior’s interiority illustrates the conflicts among various strong ties of loyalty: he is sworn to young Friduwulf and his uncle, and they need him for the trip to Finnsburg, but Hengest’s wife and family need him over the winter as well. And his wife, a seer, predicts destruction and death ahead in Finnsburg.
Women have important roles in this story, both as heroes and villains, which this reader appreciated. We see females as political leaders and spies, warriors, seers, and religious leaders as well as wives, mothers, and homemakers. These characters lend verisimility to the society and enrich the tale.
Finn’s Legacy is a big story with a large population. Many individuals with similar sounding names are introduced early on, which can be confusing. They do sort themselves out into their factions fairly easily, and reference materials at the end of the book will help the reader keep the cast organized.
In the end, Finn’s Legacy is a fascinating piece of historical fiction. I look forward to more glimpses into the past from its author.
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