Your answer to my question:

”  Mr. Cornwell,
As a longtime fan of the Saxon Stories, I couldn’t help but notice that there seems to be a clear distinction between “Danes” and “Norsemen” in this series. I had always thought that “Norsemen” was an umbrella term for all Scandinavians, but am I correct in assuming that it specifically refers to Norwegian Vikings in this context?

Eric.

Submitted October 23, 2012
A

It’s a rough and ready division, but yes – the Danes came from what is now Denmark (and adjacent territories) while the Norse were from further north. On the whole the Danes went southwards through the North Sea while the Norse rounded the tip of Scotland and struck south to Ireland and west to whatever!  Together they were all the ‘Northmen’ ”

This is actually not correct. I have always thought that your research was fairly good, but it annoyed me that in “Warrior Chronicle” you consistently called the Viking Danes.
I am, of course Norwegian, and the situation was much more complicated than your writing suggests. I know, you have to simplify things, but the fact is that the south of England was mostly controlled by Danes, BUT the north (think York – Jorvik) of England and Scotland and the islands there AND Ireland was conquered and controlled by Norsemen, Norwegian Vikings….. and Bebbanburg is in the north, isn’t it?

Your ” struck south to Ireland and west to whatever ” shows a disrespect for the Norse who conquered and settled in Greenland for 400 years and also “discovered” today’s America.

I just can’t read a book with such oversimplificatons.

Kind regards,
Jan Eek