Ermentrude's Knot. Candi J.D. Holme

      Preface

      Since I was a young child, I always had it in my heart to be an author. My inspirations for achieving this goal were my love of history, ancestry, languages, and ancient maps. While recently researching my family’s ancestry, I discovered how Europe’s boundaries changed. I grew particularly interested in the history of Germany and Poland, since my family’s ancestry, on my mother’s side, centered around this region. When I researched the modern history of these countries, I felt as though I had only scratched the surface. Later on, I researched the earlier histories of Germany and Poland, learning more about the eastern Germanic Tribes around the fall of Rome. I studied ancient and modern maps, learning how tribes of people migrated and how languages and cultures changed throughout Europe and Asia.

      My research expanded during the writing of this book about the Gothic People, or, as they called themselves, the Gutthiuda. Gleaning what little information I could find about the people who lived before and during the fall of Rome, I set to work developing a story based on my imaginings of living during those times. I didn’t want my book to be based on Roman history or on numerous wars and military details. I wanted it to be of interest to readers who wouldn’t normally select a history book. I wished my book to be based on historical facts and theories, and be entertaining, as well. I hoped that this book would give the reader a sense of the Gothic people, who were fierce in battle, yet loving to their families. I wanted to contrast the way Gothic families behaved within their society and outside their familial structure during times of conflict. The name, Goth, in the ancient language, means ‘honorable’. Yet, in many stories about the Goths, one is left with a distasteful impression of them. Ermentrude’s Knot focuses on the positive sides of Gothic life, the home life versus the fierce battles that they participated in with great success.

      During this period of history there were influences from the East, with the Sarmatians, as well as from the Slavic/Sporoi people dwelling further north. The Gothic or Gutthiuda, as they referred to themselves, were just one of the Germanic tribes living in the Baltic region. They dominated the period of time when the Roman Empire was expanding. Yet, the Germanic tribes were expanding, too, causing more conflict near the Roman borders.

      While writing this book, I realized that so much of what occurred during centuries of early human history was relevant to our current times. Modern issues are often based on a long history of human behaviors, whether it concerns the economy, philosophy, or moral issues. In Ermentrude’s Knot the main characters face decisions on how to support their family, personal values, as well as, the moral issues of premarital sex and the acceptance of slavery.

      I believe, as many women do, that there’s nothing more pleasing than a story with a strong female character, romance, and adventure. So, naturally, my story centers on the appealing characters of Ermentrude and Saskia, who have good relationships with the men in their lives, but questions arise. How did Gothic men deal with strong women in their lifetime? How much influence did Gothic women have in their tribe and families?

      I took great pleasure in researching, writing, and reading this book. I hope readers will be inspired to read more historical fiction and non-fiction. I thank you, the reader, for reading my book, Ermentrude’s Knot.

      Candi Holme February 9, 2012

      Characters in Ermentrude’s Knot

      Ermentrude (Gothic warrior and main character)

      Ansgar /Atta and Ermien (parents of Ermentrude)

      Ava (Ermentrude’s sister; friend of Adafuns, and Leovigild, who is Amalia’s brother)

      Adalwulf (Ermentrude’s brother, married to Amalia; daughter of Tius and Ermenberga)

      Vaclav (Ermentrude’s uncle, married to her Aunt Gunda, sister to Ermien)

      Gerulf (Ermentrude’s first love; Gepid husband of Vilocia, whose mother is

      Tota: Elduara’s friend)

      Gernot and Alfons (Gerulf’s brothers)

      Eiriks (Ermentrude’s Gepid husband)

      Saskia (Ermentrude’s best friend)

      Beowulf and Elduara (parents of Saskia)

      Anselm (Saskia’s Gepid husband)

      Bruno and Erwin (Anselm’s brothers)

      Badwila (A Gepid friend of the family and Bruno; husband of Eihidia)

      Eihidia (wife to Badwila and daughter of Fenius and Istia)

      Fenius and Istia (friends of the family; parents of Eihidia,etc.; Sarmatian brother is Zygru)

      Ateus, Arpoxais, Gnurus, Skunkha, Saulius (sons of Fenius and Istia)

      Hairuwulf and Andagis (Gepid guards and friends)

      Roderic, Rochus, and Evoric (Gepid guards)

      Arnold and Bertram (comrades of Adalwulf; Ermentrude’s suitors)

      Hathus

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