A Modern Hermit: Hermipedia

November 4, 2013 by

 

modern hermit

Hermit is a Modern Hermit.

Once Viking arrived on his Island world, Hermit knew he must provide some modern amenities and life for this new female presence.

After all, Hermit’s Man Cave Clam Cave is quite nice and modern for himself, but it caters to a man’s tastes, and even though Viking appears to be strong, athletic and adaptive, he knows that she will want some of the finer, modern surroundings most females prefer in life.

Hermit looks around at all of his tools and weapons in his clam shell, hanging so neatly organized, and placed just so, and chuckles at all of his work he can do so easily.

He decides he will craft a new modern life for her new world!

modern hermit

A Modern Hair Comb Carved of Tortoise-Shell for a Modern Life…

Hermit returns to his center table in his clam cave, and carefully shaves and shapes this beautiful, modern hair comb with his sharp knife. While carving, he thinks back to the first day they met on his Island world, and how she startled him from his sleep.

Here’s part of that story…

 

How Viking and Hermit Met…

 

Hermit awakes from a deep sleep to the sound of his shell bells.  Those bells only sound if someone or some thing nears.

Hermit feels a tingle in his belly.  Who or what can it be?  His memories of others is faint, and he can’t remember any faces…not even his own.

When he swam ashore all those years ago, he made it to the beach and collapsed with exhaustion.  He could feel the sunburn on his cheeks, and the sand between his fingers, but he couldn’t remember how he got there.

Every time he caught a fish, planted a seed or started a fire, he didn’t know how he knew such things.  And there were so many things he knew.  He could build anything, craft any tool, harvest any crop, and calculate the hours.

Hermit gathered seashells from his island beach, and punctured a small hole into each shell.  He strung a small rock through each, and hung them on the bushes of his pathway.

Something now approaches…

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Back to Hermit’s modern tortoise-shell carving…

In these new, modern times on Hermit Island with this new female leading the way on modern life…making Hermit feel young, and keeping an old Hermit company, Hermit wants Viking to feel as comfortable as possible, and prepared her clam shell with necessary modern updates.

Modern Updates for A New Life

First, he cleared out all of his extra tools and weapons hanging on the walls, except the long spear that she would possibly need during the night to defend herself from the roaming gitchoos, in case they somehow entered her clam shell.

For modern use, she needed some kind of table to keep her personal items, and since she lost everything but her sword and shield that the sea storm washed away, she needed a new, modern bag to carry things for her new life in this world with Hermit, and at least a comb to part and braid her hair in the mornings.

Making that modern bag from finely braided and vegetable dyed jute was a great lesson and task, and she was amazed and enthralled by Hermit’s skills to create such fine, modern work. She practiced the braiding method with him, and can’t wait for more projects like that for her new life.

It also matches her shield.

modern hermit

More Modern Updates

Hermit rubs and polishes Viking’s hair comb for the finished touch, and looks to the special compact sea shell he made for her to keep a few red berries, blended with aloe cream lip balm. She can keep it in her new modern bag, and it will be a surprise gift, he thinks.

Hermit smiles, thinking of how much she’ll like that, because he wants her to feel welcome and comfortable in her new world, just as he over the many years.

Viking Loves Her New Modern Gifts…

modern hermit

Life on the world of Hermit Island isn’t so bad.

Courtney & Betina

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Lost Vikings: A Viking Story

October 28, 2013 by

lost vikings

A Viking  Story About Lost Vikings…

Here is Viking walking through her favorite flower field on Hermit Island, over the path, and across the river past the meadow.  She likes to go there to pick flowers to bring back to Clam House Clearing.  They look so lovely on the center table in the stone vase Hermit made.

When Viking walks through this happy field, she remembers the story her father told of the lost Vikings from her village.

The Story of The Lost Vikings…

The lost Vikings left on a regular fishing trip, and took their longship out past the cresting waves into the deeper waters of the sea.  These lost Vikings took their ship to a place well-known, and fished many times by many ancestors before them.

After many days passed, the Viking villagers grew concerned over their absence, and feared these Vikings were lost at sea.

It was strange that the Vikings were lost, as it was a common place to fish, and even Viking had been there with her father many times before.

One of the village Viking girls waited for her love to come back to her, and he sadly never returned.  Each night, she stood out on the cold sand, and looked over the waters under the moonlight, hoping to see his ship appear in the distance.

She spent many nights waiting, and returned to the village only when she could no longer stand with exhaustion.  She sometimes said she could hear the ship horn blowing over the wind, and carrying the sound toward her, and that the lost Vikings and her love were just around the bend of the rocks.

Each time nothing.

This Viking girl eventually stopped waiting on the beach, but would walk through the marketplace, with her clothes dirty, her hair uncombed, and mumbling to herself.  She didn’t even wear her Viking helmet anymore out in public.

This girl was the same village girl Viking saw often in that marketplace, and she never knew why she acted the way she did, until her father told her the story of the lost Vikings and her broken heart.

The other Viking girls would laugh at this girl, and tease her, and were so mean.

One time, Viking became so angry at the constant taunting and teasing, that she drew her sword and shield, pointed her sharp blade at the throat of the tallest mean girl, even taller than Viking, and said…

“If only I get the chance some day to bear the burden of this girl, but I shall not bear your words one moment more!”

Viking held her sword steady, squinted her eyes, pursed her lips, and readied her movements.

The taller Viking girl stepped back away.  Her face was red with embarrassment, and she looked around the marketplace to see who was watching. She left with the other mean girls, but oh how they gave Viking such looks.

Viking knew that was the day she made enemies.

As she picks the purple flower, and places it behind her ear, she wonders if her father is waiting on the beach each night…looking out over the water for the lost Vikings and his lost Viking?

lost vikings

 

She smiles thinking of her father, and the love story he told her of the Lost Vikings.

~Courtney & Betina

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Dictionary of The World of Hermit Island: Hermipedia

October 19, 2013 by

dictionary

Hermipedia Feature: Dictionary & Background of The World of Hermit Island

Hermit Island is a different place indeed!  To some, it is a place of myth that holds the stories of those lost at sea over many years, and to others, like Viking and Hermit, this world is very real, and what they know and learn every day.

What is this world defined, and who are Viking and Hermit?  What is the background of this mysterious Island world, and the dictionary background and stories of Viking and Hermit?

Let’s define and explore these questions with a Dictionary & Background of The World of Hermit Island, to reveal definitions and details we may already know, and ones to learn still.

In order to learn everything about this fairy tale myth, you must read our stories.

Now, the Background and Dictionary of this World…so far:

Dictionary Hermit Background

dictionary

 

The background of Hermit comes to him in his dreams, or while he is practicing his spear throwing, rope braiding, or harvesting his growing crops.  His background reveals itself in pieces, like deja vu moments , when he feels that he has lived that exact moment before, and it is repeated somehow.

He knows the memory is true, but somewhere lost in his thoughts that he cannot find.

Dictionary Background of a Soldier

His background is one of a valiant soldier and leader, and he surely knows he did learn much from his days spent as one.  How else would he learn to survive so well on this Island world, is what he thinks to himself?

Dictionary of Survival Instincts

Where did he learn to spear fish, learn to build a fire, throw his spear with such accuracy, speed and distance?  Where did he learn to swim, grow food, carve and craft tools, and live off the land?

How did he learn to ride Kasha the seahorse so easily, and devise such strategy for surviving the dangerous roaming night animals on this Island world with his clever clam house shells?

dictionary

Dictionary Background of a Time Before

Sometimes while he is working, he sees his hands in front of him, and they are very young and large.  They are missing their wrinkles, and belong to a man of great size.  His old hands still possess that amazing strength and grip. They just look different now.

At these flashing moments to his youth, he considers he may have spent time here on this Island world before as a younger man, and even a time before these many current years.  Did he wash up to the beach of this world twice, he thinks to himself?

And why is this young Viking girl so familiar to him?

Dictionary of  Mystery

This world of myth and mystery only knows.  Only it holds the key to these burning questions to learn.  Somewhere out there in that sea, beyond Hermit Bay where he helps Viking learn to spear fish, those churning waters know too.

dictionary

Background Dictionary To Be Continued…

Dictionary of The World of Hermit Island: Hermipedia

~Courtney & Betina

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Viking Games: Hermipedia

October 5, 2013 by

viking games

Welcome to Our Hermipedia Feature: Viking Games

Hermipedia is our part fiction, part fact presentation of everything you want or need to know about the characters, setting and things on Hermit Island, where our children’s book series, The Viking and the hermit takes place.

If you’d like to read all of our Hermipedia, just click on it at the bottom of this post, and it will give you the entire series to read and learn with your kids, and to just have fun…of course!

Now on to learning more about Viking Games!

Vikings would play a variety of games from swimming, running and racing, horse fighting, wrestling, skiing, curling, and a number of board games similar to chess.

Viking Games: Curling

The curling game was similar to shuffleboard with Scottish origins, where to play, you slide stones over a sheet of ice to reach a target area of four rings. Curling game has a nickname of  “Chess on Ice”, and the vikings likely adopted these same style games with specific movements of game pieces to specific target game areas either on a board or on a sheet of ice, as a type of game of strategy they liked to play.

Viking Games: Board Games

The Viking Games on boards, usually had a King piece in the center of the board, that was trying to reach the outer edges of the board, and the larger number of pieces were trying to capture the King piece in the process.

This board game was called “Tafl”, and it spread everywhere the Vikings travelled, including Northern Europe, Ireland and England from earlier than 400 AD.  It wasn’t until the 12th century that it was rivaled by the game of chess.

More Viking Games:

Since Vikings liked to battle, they valued athletic skills, and in particular needed great strength to handle a battle axe, sword and shield.  They also needed to have endurance to run, and to swim well, since they spent much of their time on the water in Viking ships.

Viking’s Favorite Game in Our Story

Viking from our Viking and the hermit story, is an accomplished swimmer, and upon earning her place among the Viking men on Viking fishing trips, she then convinced her father to teach her to use a sword and shield.

Viking’s favorite game will always be swimming in the water, where she is most comfortable, very fast, and able to hold her breath under water for a very long time.

Being so comfortable in the water helps Viking to learn to spear fish with Hermit at Hermit Island Bay, where she must ride Sasha over the water and away from the uggies to catch her fish…

viking games

What’s your favorite Viking Game?

Viking Games: Hermipedia

Courtney & Betina

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Sea Urchin Uggies of Hermit Island Bay

September 26, 2013 by

sea urchinToday for Hermipedia, we’re covering Sea Urchins…

There in the water of Hermit Island Bay rest many sea urchins just waiting for something to come near.

These sea urchin uggies poke, strike or stab with their needle like spines, and they own the sandy floor bottom of the sea Bay.

Only the seahorses can make their way, touching down in just the right places of the sandy floor, and if you’re going to go spear fishing in the shallow sea waters, you’d better be on a seahorse like Sasha or Kasha.

Why do the sea urchin uggies like to stab, strike and sting so much?  It’s hard to say, but they do, and you’d better watch out!

sea urchin

Differences and Similarities of Sea Urchins and Uggies…

Urchins vs. Uggie Shape and Movement

A sea urchin got its name from the hedgehog, because it is round in shape, and has similar looking spines.  Our Hermit Island uggie urchins are not as round in shape, but have their own individual shapes like a plant or bush.

The typical urchins do not have a layer of muscle that allow them to move their body parts, but the uggies of Hermit Island do have this muscle layer, and they can move and strike with their spines at will.  They can also control the extension and direction of their urchin like striking spines.

Urchins and Uggie Spines

The spines of uggies can extend out to almost 12 inches, and you cannot determine an area of the uggie body that appears to be a short spine as in safe distance from your body.  Any size of uggie urchin spines can lengthen at will, and reach an object with close enough distance.

Large or small, each uggie urchin can be unpredictable, and the stab from one can be extremely painful.  If the urchin spines break off in your skin, they must be removed immediately.

Urchins and Uggie Faces

The normal sea urchins do have a mouth, but do not have eyes like our sea urchin uggies do.  The ability to see and move, makes uggie urchins more dangerous, and only the sensors in the tails of Hermit Island seahorses give an ability to navigate away from their striking spines.

Uggies like to make a certain face when they think they can strike, a bit like this…

sea urchin

 

Will Viking avoid a strike learning to spear fish?  You’ll have to find out!

Sea Urchin Uggies of Hermit Island Bay: Hermipedia

Courtney & Betina

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Recipes Hermipedia: Hot Spiced Fig-The Viking and the hermit

September 10, 2013 by

recipes

It’s a lovely day for Recipes Hermipedia, isn’t it?

Hermit can be quite the chef, and today he and Viking will gather all of the food necessary to make a favorite to drink at sunset…Hot Spiced Fig Recipe.

Recipes, recipes are fun to make

Let’s take a break for food that’s great

I’m chef, you’re chef too

It’s food for you

It’s fun to do!

Recipes Hermipedia: Hot Spiced Fig…

recipes

Recipes for you to share: The Viking and the hermit

~Courtney & Betina

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Sea Star Grabbas of Hermit Island-Hermipedia: The Viking and the hermit

September 1, 2013 by

sea star

Today’s Hermipedia Feature: Sea Star Grabbas of Hermit Island…

A sea star is a starfish, and there are a bunch of sea star starfish Grabbas on Hermit Island, where our children’s book series, The Viking and the hermit takes place.

Sea Star Starfish Grabbas Species of Hermit Bay

The starfish Grabbas species in the waters of Hermit Bay are different from a regular sea star starfish.

Let’s run through some similarities and differences in the species!

How Many Species of Starfish and Where Do They Live?

First, did you know that about 1500 species of starfish live in the oceans? A starfish can live in the tropics as well as the polar subzero waters, and they can be found as far down in the depths of the sea as 20,000 feet.

Our starfish Grabbas species in our story, and in the waters of Hermit Bay live in a more tropical environment.

So far, Hermit has only found them as far down as where the seahorses take him, but it is quite likely they do live as far down as 20,ooo feet as well.

Star Shape and Size

They get their name from their star shape, but the starfish Grabbas happen to be quite a bit larger than the typical sea star. Whereas most species are about the size of an adult hand, our starfish species are about the size of a smaller octopus, and even as big as Hermit.

Most of our star species have five arms, which they use to swim, and climb over rocks both in the sea and on land.  They can even climb up to the top of a cliff, and spring off to fly in the air.

This usually happens when you spear fish, because they like to steal the fish that you’ve already caught.

Since most starfish are opportunistic predators, our sea star species pose a greater threat based on their sheer size. Plus, they are able to hunt and eat prey much larger than their mouths, much the same as typical species.

Starfish Speed

The typical starfish species move very slowly at a pace of 6 inches in 1 minute. But our star species are capable of very fast speeds, and they can be down in the depths of the sea, and up to the cliff of the rocks, to spring to your fish caught on your spear in under 5 minutes.

This sea star below started on the sandy floor…

sea star

Then the sea star starfish and friends climbed all the way up the rock cliff really fast!…

sea star

Starfish Brain Power

Unlike regular starfish species which lack a brain, our species do have brain power, and communicate with each other in their own way.  They work together as a team to move and distract their prey, and in particular are drawn to any fishing activity in the sea, where they can attempt to grab, and steal away a caught fish on a spear.

Just ask Viking and Hermit!

Sea Star Grabbas of Hermit Island-Hermipedia: The Viking and the hermit

~Courtney & Betina

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P.S. Can you guess why Hermit named them Grabbas?

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How to Ride a Horse or Seahorse-Hermipedia: The Viking and the Hermit

August 23, 2013 by

how to ride a horse

Today’s Hermipedia Feature: How to Ride a Horse or Sea horse on Hermit Island…

The sea horses in our children’s story, The Viking and the hermit: Spear Fishing with Sasha & Kasha, are not like other seahorses, but you can ride them very similarly, just like a regular horse.

The Difference Between a Horse and Our Sea horses

First, we need to point out some differences on how to ride a horse from one of our sea horses in our story.  A sea horse  is more upright than a horse, but is similar in height.  Instead of holding reins like on a horse, you hold around the neck of the sea horse.

Horses Gallop vs. Sea Horses Skip

The sea horse does not gallop or trot like a horse, but a ride on one springs and bounces much like a pogo stick instead.

There is a rhythm of movement while riding a sea horse as well. It is both forward, and riding over a hump, like a horse on land, but the hump is bigger and more vertical in riding, as the sea horses spring, skip and jump.

A horse can navigate over land of course, and water too, but the sea horses of our story are supreme swimmers as well as mobile on land for riding.

Similarities Between Riding a Horse and Our Sea Horses

Our sea horses have a saddle area or curve of their backs for riders to sit, although the ride is bare back, and without any stirrups.

Mount a Sea Horse

To mount a sea horse for riding, a rider must hold to the sea horse neck, and lift and swing up onto the sea horse.  The sea horses are very good at sitting still to make this easier if you first pet them, and rub their long noses.  You can then rub between their eyes, and stroke their head comb, over and down to the back of the neck, where you need to place your hand to lift yourself up for riding.

How to Ride

A rider sits upright and straight on the back of the sea horse, much like a horse. To ride, you want your shoulders straight and not rounded.  For riding, you need your lower back to not be curved, but lined up under your shoulders.

To ride like Viking, and because she is so tall, she does not need to swing up onto the back of the horse like Hermit.  She can just scoot up, and keep both legs to one side, like side-saddle on a regular horse.

how to ride a horse

The Difference Between How to Ride and Stop a Horse from a Sea Horse

Since there are no reins with our sea horses, to stop the skipping, hopping or jumping, riders need to lightly squeeze with their legs to first let the sea horse know.  Then, a rub on the neck where riders hold, will tell the sea horses to come to a stop.  It also helps to just say, “Whoa Kasha.”, or “Let’s stop Sasha.”

Our sea horses in our story, and particularly Kasha and Sasha are very smart, and will hear voice commands well.  Especially if they have gotten to know you, like Hermit, and know that Hermit likes Viking, and it’s OK to like Viking too.

How to Ride a Horse or Seahorse-Hermipedia: The Viking and the Hermit

Courtney & Betina

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Becoming a Hermit-Hermipedia

August 13, 2013 by

becoming a hermit

Becoming a Hermit-Hermipedia

How did Hermit become a hermit?

What are the reasons for becoming a hermit, and how does the time, life and home evolve for people who are hermits happen?

Becoming a hermit can be completely by accident, and with Hermit’s life and home on Hermit Island, we know in our story that his time there has been vast, and the reasons for exactly why he found himself alone to be a hermit are unknown to him from lack of memory.

Hermit’s reasons for becoming a hermit are not voluntary like others, but due to his state of predicament and keen survivalist instincts. The self-sufficiency he needs in his life and time on Hermit Island, where he found himself washed up to the beach as what seems now a life time ago, are his reality.

His home life displays the years of life and time accumulated and necessary to construct, build and grow the essentials for survival on his new home Island.

Hermit finds that although his time spent on his new home gave him new things to learn, they came quite naturally to him, and he concludes that he must have known how to do many things in his previous life that he can’t remember, before waking up on the beach, and becoming a hermit there over the years.

Hermit’s reasons for being a hermit might some day come back to him.

Each morning, he wakes from his dreams, and tries to hold that dream in his head before it melts, and he forgets.  Sometimes in his dreams, he fights with a sword and shield, and sometimes he just sits with other soldier men around the flames of a campfire.

Only glimpses stay with him like fire flies that shoot from a flame, dance in the air and disappear.

What he does know from his dreams and faint memories of people from a time ago, is that they looked to him for guidance, and he was confident and strong, just like he feels now with his handcrafted spear and braided jute rope.

becoming a hermit

What Are Some Common Reasons for Becoming a Hermit?

Some will call it a recluse, but one of the reasons could be someone who rejects consumer or commercial society, and removes himself.

Another of reasons might be religious or mystical, or similar to Hermit just practicing self-sufficiency and survival.

Some criminals become hermits, because they have to hide out, and away from the police or authorities, and others might have a psychological disorder from traumatic stress or personality traits.

Most of the famous hermits in history were born of religious reasons.

Our Hermit of The Viking and the hermit:

One day, Hermit will remember how and why he became a hermit, and made his permanent home to survive on Hermit Island.  Hermit will remember his life from before, and you shall too some day.

Becoming a Hermit-Hermipedia

Courtney & Betina

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About the Vikings-Hermipedia: The Viking and the Hermit

July 25, 2013 by

about the vikings

 

Hermipedia Feature: About the Vikings

If you’re new here, Hermipedia is a made up encyclopedia mix of fact and fiction to explore and explain all characters, wild life, activity, flora and fauna of Hermit Island, where our Illustrated Children’s Book Series Adventure, The Viking and the hermit takes place.

Today we are learning some Viking’s History and about the Vikings!

The Meaning of the Word, “Viking”

The word “viking” is an Old Norse(Icelandic language) noun which refers to an expedition overseas usually by ship. In other expressions, “to go on a viking” meant to go on a raid or participate in piracy, but could also simply have meant to have a seaborne mission of trade or commerce.

Viking Revival Age

Much of what we know about the Viking’s history today is based on the 19th Century Viking Revival Age, which was a rediscovery of the Viking past for Norwegians.  At this time, Norwegians  saw a rise in nationalism, and began to look to their Viking history and ancestry more.  With the discovery and excavation of the first Viking ship there, it gave Norwegians new knowledge about the Vikings, their history and their culture.

This Viking ship was built around 900 A.D., and in a ship or boat burial mound of dirt. We also know that the only complete Viking helmet ever found was in Norway.

The Viking Revival Age also marked when Norway and Sweden came together in history under one Swedish King.  Norway was previously united with Denmark until a Declaration of Independence, war and Treaty agreement resulted in the official United Kingdoms of  Sweden and Norway between 1814 and 1905.

During this Viking’s Age, the theory that Vikings explored North America centuries before Christopher Columbus were published and discussed. Today in America, Leif Erikson Day is celebrated on October 9th, in honor of the first Europeans or Vikings to set foot in North America, and discover the New World.

Columbus Day is still celebrated on October 12th as his arrival in the Americas in 1492.

The Viking and the hermit:

Although much of Viking’s past remains a mystery to Hermit, and he knows that she is sensitive talking of it, Viking and Hermit both find great comfort in each other’s company, and feel connected, as if they know each other from a time before.

Each day on Hermit Island, Viking learns something new, and she grows more confident in her skills and place there.  Each task proves she can learn more, and she likes the way that makes her feel.  She left her Viking village and family lost and alone, but she now has Hermit and his Island as her new friends.

At night, she lies in her guest home-clam house bed, and looks at her beautiful Viking helmet gift from her father, resting on the shelf above.  The pain of not seeing him subsides slightly, as she thinks of waking up to be ready to spear fish with Hermit.

Courtney & Betina

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