This Dark Land

Dwarfs are a very well known creature that often features in folktales and legends. They are still a very popular character to use in fiction particularly fantasy fiction such as The Lord of the Rings . They are very small creatures no more than two feet tall and often described as ugly with long pointy ears and bulbous noses. Dwarfs are believed to have originated from Germanic, Norse and  English folklore. They lived in secluded mountainous regions and are commonly associated with the element of earth due to their love of mining for treasure, metal craft and forging. The most interesting folklore surrounding dwarfs comes from Norse mythology where they were first recorded in the 13th century which spoke about dwarfs being responsible for the forging of Thor's hammer and the spear of Odin. In Norse mythology Dwarfs are depicted as being pitch black creatures and their ancestral home was Svartalfheim, an underground network of mines. About the Author S....

The Vikings or Northman were a breed of people whose culture was built on their love of  farming and battle. The viking warriors' idea of heaven was the great legendary hall of Valhalla where each day they would fight and feast everyday in their afterlife waiting for the penultimate battle- Ragnarok. Not everyone would be granted passage to Valhalla after death. To be able to enter they must have died in battle, and be chosen by the Valkyries, Odin's battle maidens. In the ancient Norse tales it has also been suggested the Valkyries also possessed the rather sinister ability to choose who would die in battle and join them. The Valkyries were said to be noble and beautiful creatures with long flowing corn blonde hair with skin as white as the moon. They charged into battle on steeds of clouds armed with flashes of lightning. It is aid they always appeared in groups of nine, a magical number. After the last battle cry they would swoop down along with the ravens and ha...