I hope that given time, this Ancient Worlds Group will flourish again.

What I can bring to it is mainly in the area of the study of warfare. But I am branching out, trying to learn some lingo (the meaning of names has always fascinated me no end), and hoping to learn far more than I can offer.

My current interest in the "Viking world" is my desire to find out just how far south the early explorers of the Western Hemisphere got. My imaginative/hopeful side wonders if the most daring of them sailed as far south as Meso-America, and either fell foul of the natives (winding up as human sacrifices ?), or stayed and merged with the population. What a fun story THAT would make, even if I have to make it up myself ! I love writing historical fiction, and that plot is percolating.

Otherwise, I hope to learn more about the sieges of Constantinople (Mikelgard), and how the Vikings brought changes to Western European warfare from the East. (E.g. it is my belief that the so-called "kite" shield of the "Normans" was brought back from the Vikings' Byzantine military service experience.)

I am interested in all the sagas, and have read a number of the Icelandic sagas: my favorite being Njál's Saga so far.

My favorite hobby, to give tactile expression to my historical interests, is miniature war-gaming. I have a sizeable Anglo-Saxon/Viking army, and the Franks/Normans to oppose them, in 25mm scale: enough, certainly, to refight Stamford bridge and Hastings with every man represented (at 64 infantry and 50 cavalry per painted and based miniature: at c. 10,000 per side, you can add that up to how many miniatures that is).

Well, if I feel like it, I will add to this introduction/biography later.

(I am still figuring and plodding my way around Hugrunar, as a member who has "powers" =D)