A Viking Story

July 1, 2014 by C&B~Viking & Hermit

A Viking Story…

The rain drops hit Viking’s forehead, and roll down into her eyes. They sting, but soothe the burning from her own tears.

She doesn’t wipe them away. They just fall with the rain drops to the sand color wooden deck at her feet. Viking looks out towards the crashing waves and rain in the black color night, and doesn’t look back.

As she points her ship into the black, she remembers the time she sailed out with her father and the other Vikings to fish as a young girl. She was the only girl on the ship. All of the other girls had to stay back in the village with the rest of the Vikings, but Viking’s Dad had a soft spot for her requests.

She begged him to fish with him and the other boys. She knew she could so just as well, and saw no point in the idle chit chat she endured daily with the other village Viking girls.

Why those girls had to make fun of a Viking and all Vikings who passed with their hair or dress, she never knew, but it bored her so.

She loved to be on the water, and down in the waves to swim every chance she got, and she knew that if she could show her Dad she could fish with the boys, her next request could be to fight like Vikings with a sword and shield!

Now, a Viking leaves into the black color night…alone and sad, but she knows she must go.

Story Excerpt from Book II: The Viking and the hermit: The Grabbas Are Coming

Get to know Viking in our story better!

She is confident and strong, and has many adventures learning many things from Hermit on his Island. This Viking Story from above is the beginning of Viking’s story adventure to sail off, and find Hermit Island.

Viking has more of her story to share, and you can find out why she had to leave her Viking village alone and sad in the story series.

More Viking Story will be told.

Courtney & Betina
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Filed Under: A Viking Story, Blog Tagged With: season, story, viking, viking story, vikings

How to Lasso a Shaku Fish

January 14, 2014 by C&B~Viking & Hermit

It takes a rope, a knot, a tie and a lasso to lasso a Shaku Fish…

Hermit swings the lasso rope, with a tie and loop over his head. He twirls his lasso rope like a spinning wheel in the air.

The mare is just across the meadow, chewing on grass, and she doesn’t hear Hermit approaching.

With his lasso rope spinning, he steps on a small tree branch, and it crunches out a sound. He glances down at his foot in its sandal, and sees how large and young it appears.

“Wait…that’s not my foot.”

He thinks as he takes a quick breath, and opens his eyes.

Above is the shimmering coral ceiling of his clam house shell, instead of his lasso rope.

“Where am I? Ahh…it is just a dream.” He says to himself.

He lifts up the bed covers, and swings his legs out, touching his feet to the ground.

“Now, those are my feet…old and small.”

He gets up, and stretches his arms while yawning.

Then plucks the lasso from the wall, and checks the tie knot. The tie and knot are strong, and the braided jute rope is rough and sharp in his hand.

“I think I’d better practice my rope lasso throwing today. You never know when I’ll need it.”

…Good thing he got to practice how to lasso thanks to his dream, because he will need it. He’ll definitely need it.

Here’s a bit of what happened from Book 3–The Viking & the hermit: Shaku Riding

First, meet Shaku…

How to Lasso a Shaku Fish…

A Lasso Trick

Hermit thinks he will slip his lasso rope over Shaku’s head as it shoots by the rock, but which side will that be?

He watches Shaku’s tail fin to clue him in. “Right, left, right, left, left…got him!”

Hermit breaks free, and Shaku runs the length of the rope to snap it. Hermit knows that rope and knot tie will not last long.

Find out what happens next! Read The Viking & the hermit: Shaku Riding.

More on How to Lasso:

Most people know a lariat as a lasso, but the word lasso actually refers to the act of throwing the looped end of a lariat rope.

Instructions

Slip your rope through the small loop tie at the end of the lasso rope called the honda knot. Form a noose approximately one to two feet in diameter.

Hold the rope loop lightly in your right hand a foot or so from the honda knot. Coil the rest of the lasso rope in your left hand leaving 5 to 6 feet of kink-free rope between the noose and the coil.

Position yourself in front of a target…

Relax your wrist and slowly begin to swing the lasso rope over your head, right to left. Expert ropers suggest thinking of your wrist as an axle and the lasso rope loop as a wheel revolving horizontally over and around your head.

Cast the rope loop by swinging your arm quickly forward. As you move your arm forward bring your wrist down to shoulder level and extend your arm out. Be careful not to interfere with the motion of the lasso. Let your palm open and swing the rope toward the target.

Strive to send the noose on a straight, level course to your target by maintaining a smooth steady rhythm as you cast. Keep your arm and wrist straight and extended toward the target. The force you use to thrust the loop forward will also play a role in how far your lasso rope goes.

Pull the length of lasso rope coiled in you left hand to tighten the tie loop around your target.

How to Lasso & More on the Honda Knot Tie

Honda Knot Tie

This is the knot tie all cowboys use to form their lasso or lariat. The Honda Knot creates the most nearly-perfect circle of any knot. Its round shape, especially in a stiff rope tie, helps it slide freely along the rope…which is what makes it good for a lasso.

Do you think you could lasso this?…

How to Lasso a Shaku Fish

Subscribe and get a FREE Coloring Picture of Shaku for your kids!

Courtney & Betina
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Filed Under: Blog, Hermipedia Tagged With: hermit, how to lasso, kids, knot, lasso, rope, story book, tie, viking

Viking and Hermit Story Book: What Do They Think?

December 10, 2013 by C&B~Viking & Hermit

“Viking?”

“Yes, Hermit”

“Do you know what they are saying about our story books, Viking?”

“No. What are they saying?”

“I think they like them!”

“They do, Hermit?”

“It seems so, Viking.”

“One of our readers said we are ‘Simply Charming’.”

“Hermit, I think I am blushing.”

“Your face is red, Viking.”

“Is it? Now it is even more red.”

“Do you want to know what some of our readers said, Viking?”

“Oh yes, Hermit. Tell me!”

“Here are some customer reviews on Amazon about our Viking story book for children, Viking”…

Very Cute! 5 stars…Definitely an enjoyable read for kids. The storyline is very entertaining and the illustrations are adorable. Can’t wait to read more!

Simply Charming! 5 stars…I volunteer in a kindergarten class, and I’m always looking for books to read to the students. I found this storybook simply charming!

The story and the characters are wonderful, and the illustrations are so colorful and appealing for a children’s book!

I look forward to reading it to the students and following the series.

The Viking and the Hermit 5 stars…A good story for kids, very imaginative and colorful. It pulls the reader into the world of the Hermit’s island and the beginning of adventures to come.

The Viking and the hermit 5 stars…Interesting idea. I read it for my girls and than faced some questions about Vikings that ‘forced’ me to refresh my history lessons. It was fun and beneficial for both, girls and myself. I am looking forward to reading the Book 2 that was announced from the same series.

Super Book for Kids 4 stars…I read this book with my 5-year old… twice in fact as she enjoyed so much..!

Nice storyline and very creative..

What a cute story! 5 stars…I got this book for my niece. I wanted her listen to a story different from what she had already heard before. I’m glad I picked up this book. The story is very entertaining for kids and the illustrations are super cute! Great find!

“Wow, Hermit! I think they really do like us and our story book! Those are a lot of stars.”

“Those stars were all for our first story book, and they still have to read our second story book, Viking.”

“Oh yes. They must read our second story book to find out how I did with my spear fishing.”

“Yes indeed, Viking. Spear fishing here on Hermit Island is not like any other spear fishing, is it?”

“I will give you that, Hermit…indeed! I can’t wait to hear what they think of our second story book, and of course, our third story book is almost ready to tell as well.”

“Shh, Viking. Don’t give it away!”

“I know. They will have to find out, won’t they?”

“Yes, Viking. They can find out all about The Grabbas Are Coming next.”

“Let’s get back to Clam House Clearing, shall we Viking?”

“Sounds good, Hermit.”

Get The Viking and the hermit: Spear Fishing with Sasha & Kasha & The Viking and the hermit: The Grabbas Are Coming illustrated story books for children on Amazon Kindle today!

Stay tuned for the Viking Story Book 3: Shaku Riding, and its release this December, along with a special 3 Story Book Combo in print! Sign up for our newsletter to get a FREE Shaku Coloring Picture!

Courtney & Betina
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Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: a hermit, a viking, about the vikings, book, books, children, hermit, read, stars, story, the hermit, the viking, the vikings, viking

Lost Vikings: A Viking Story

October 28, 2013 by C&B~Viking & Hermit

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?

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

~Courtney & Betina
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Filed Under: A Viking Story, Blog Tagged With: A Viking Story, about the vikings, lost, lost vikings, the viking, viking, vikings

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

September 1, 2013 by C&B~Viking & Hermit

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…

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

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?

Filed Under: Blog, Hermipedia Tagged With: edit, encyclopedia, hermit, hermit island, hose, marine, retrieved, sea, sea star, series, species, star, starfish, stars, viking

About the Vikings-Hermipedia: The Viking and the Hermit

July 25, 2013 by C&B~Viking & Hermit

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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Viking Helmet-Hermipedia

July 6, 2013 by C&B~Viking & Hermit

Today’s Hermipedia Feature: Viking Helmet

Viking Helmets, Arms and Armour:

Much of the arms and armour used by Vikings indicated a Viking’s social status, and a Viking helmet is thought to have been limited to the very richest of their society. As war was a very prestigious activity, the nobility and professional warriors were likely to have worn a Viking helmet. The average Viking might have just a spear, shield, an axe, large knife or hunting bow.

Beautifully finished and refined weapons showing quality and color were a way for a Viking to present her wealth and place in society.

The end of the 8th to the mid 11th century marks the Viking Age, and there are very few archaeological finds to tell a definitive story. Much of what we know and think of Vikings comes from Old Norse tales that were written in the 13th century.

These tales are called Sagas, which are stories about ancient Scandinavian and Germanic history, voyages and battles, and they were written in Old Norse, which is an Icelandic language.

Viking Helmet:

There is only one known complete Viking helmet in existence today that came from a village in central Norway. It has a rounded cap and a guard for the eyes and nose made of iron. This helmet does not display any refined finishes or color. Helmets were made of iron, as well as hardened leather and iron strips.

A Viking helmet may have been inherited, and passed down from generation to generation instead of being buried, giving reason to the limited archaeological findings. The helmets were likely passed from father to son.

The horned Viking helmet we think of today, and that Viking wears on Hermit Island, may have been used for ceremonies or rituals, and less likely in war or battles. These helmets likely displayed distinctive color and style of workmanship.

Romantic Viking Helmet:

The horned helmet came from Romantic artists in the Romantic Age from the late 1700’s to the mid 1800’s. These artists gave Vikings winged helmets in their artwork. It wasn’t until 1820 that a Swedish artist illustrated a Swedish poem showing horns instead of wings on the helmets. This picked up in artistic expression, and stayed with the common depictions of Vikings in art.

The horned helmet didn’t completely take over the winged artistic expression until the 1890’s, through German and English illustrated children’s books.

The Viking & the hermit Viking Helmet:

Viking’s horned helmet is made from exquisitely dyed hardened leather in deep, emerald green color with welting detail and golden dyed leather trim. It was a special gift from her father…custom made and dyed with the finest care from the best hatter of helmets in the village, and the most prized oxen.

“Viking often grabs her helmet horn while thinking, especially while listening and learning from Hermit, and taps her finger on the tip of the horn. One of the bone tips is slightly worn, and less sharp, because of her habit. She finds herself thinking of her father at those moments, and how he taught her so much, just like Hermit.”

Hermipedia Feature: Viking Helmet

Courtney & Betina
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What is Hermipedia?

June 26, 2013 by C&B~Viking & Hermit

What is Hermipedia exactly?

It’s the encyclopedia of all things on or about Hermit Island, its inhabitants, the wild life, plant life, sea life and everything encompassing your reading adventure of our Children’s Book Series: The Viking & the hermit.

What are some of the features of Hermipedia that you can expect to read and discover?