Greetings Mr. Moorcock,
I am Danish, male, in my late twenties, and my interests are Norse and Greek Mythology, History, and Tradition.
The only book I have had the time to read from your work unfortunately, is the book called "Stormbringer" that contains the following novellas:
a. The Sleeping Sorceress, b. The Revenge of the Rose c. The Stealer of Souls d. Kings in Darkness e. The Caravan of Forgotten dreams f. Stormbringer.
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I bought your book Stormbringer, about two years ago, and I have been reading it at least once a month ever since.
I have been infatuated with that book; nothing had ever fascinated me so deeply.
And I wonder why.
a. General remarks on the book Stormbringer:
-----------------------------------------------------
It is my understanding that you tend to dismiss Stormbringer as a somewhat immature work, that you wrote for a somewhat unpopular science fiction magazine. Is that true?
The feeling I had while reading the book is, that it was if you were actually
living what you wrote, it was as if in some manner, you actually saw what your wrote unfurling before your eyes.
The one thing that I like the most about Stormbringer is I suppose, that in spite of its fantasy elements, it does sound realistic as opposed to other popular fantasy series that are far too childish.
b. Norse elements in the book Stormbringer:
---------------------------------------------------
Sir, by my meager experience and moderate scholarship, I have found the following prominent Norse elements in the book:
-------------->a. The legend of Esbjorn Snأ¸rre, the Northern Werewolf, read Norse Shapeshifter, contained in Book III of Stormbringer, entitled "A Rose Redeemed; A Rose Revived".
This is in actuality, a Norse legend.
-------------->b. Book V of the series, entitled "Kings in Darkness" is in essence, a rewritten version of certain parts of the Eyrbyggjasaga.
...or Helga Fell the "Holy Mountaininto which the relatives of Thorolf Mosturbeard died, which had:
"great fires burning inside it, and the noise of feasting and clamor over the ale-horns"
[Eyrbyggjasaga]
There might have been little feasting and ale horns inside your Hellig Bjerg sir, but still the parallel is there.
---------------->c. The final book of the series entitled "Stormbringer" was based on the Ragnarأ¸k Myth.
There are more Norse elements in Stormbringer, but the above have struck me as being more prominent.
I reckon that you did like Norse History and Mythology a lot. Are the above hypotheses of mine correct, sir?
c. Questions about certain characters:
------------------------------------------
a. Would Master Wheldrake the poet be yourself sir, or your alter ego?
b. Could you please tell me what was the inspiration for naming the character Donblas the Justice Maker, one of the Lords of Law? He is my favourite character.
c. What was that which you called "a pure untainted evil" and associated with the true form of the sword Stormbringer?
d. Have you actually met a Norseman who was a Navigator or Seaman, thus your decription of Esbjorn Snأ¸rre as a seaman?
e. Does your mentioning of the Legend of the Northern Werewold, has anything to do with the Ulfhednir otherwise known as Bersekr?
Have you read the Skallagrimssonar? Were you influenced by Skallagrimssonar in what you have written about the shapeshifters?
f. Your reference to Elric as "the wolf", has anything to do with our perception of the wolf as being an evil creature?
g. Melnibonأ© symbolises Great Britain to a certain extent, does it not?
h. Your perception of the Gypsy Nation as a creation of Chaos, that has formed a kind of psychic gravity of its own, that makes certain people feel irresistibly drawn to it, eventually to become a part of it, I find a very very important allegory.
I have linked it, with the infatuation that certain children and young adults develop these days, with certain computer games, especially on-line games that deal with magic and the "practising of the dark arts" (your quote).
Some of these people, become so much drawn into these games, that loose touch with reality to a certain extent, and that leads them almost always to their destruction, exactly like it happened with the Gypsy Nation.
Of course, it needs not be games alone; the internet, and especially certain discussion boards, can play that role as well.
Would you care to comment on the above sir?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Many thanks for your kind attention.
Med venlig hilsen,
Kveldulf
[/i]
I am Danish, male, in my late twenties, and my interests are Norse and Greek Mythology, History, and Tradition.
The only book I have had the time to read from your work unfortunately, is the book called "Stormbringer" that contains the following novellas:
a. The Sleeping Sorceress, b. The Revenge of the Rose c. The Stealer of Souls d. Kings in Darkness e. The Caravan of Forgotten dreams f. Stormbringer.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I bought your book Stormbringer, about two years ago, and I have been reading it at least once a month ever since.
I have been infatuated with that book; nothing had ever fascinated me so deeply.
And I wonder why.
a. General remarks on the book Stormbringer:
-----------------------------------------------------
It is my understanding that you tend to dismiss Stormbringer as a somewhat immature work, that you wrote for a somewhat unpopular science fiction magazine. Is that true?
The feeling I had while reading the book is, that it was if you were actually
living what you wrote, it was as if in some manner, you actually saw what your wrote unfurling before your eyes.
The one thing that I like the most about Stormbringer is I suppose, that in spite of its fantasy elements, it does sound realistic as opposed to other popular fantasy series that are far too childish.
b. Norse elements in the book Stormbringer:
---------------------------------------------------
Sir, by my meager experience and moderate scholarship, I have found the following prominent Norse elements in the book:
-------------->a. The legend of Esbjorn Snأ¸rre, the Northern Werewolf, read Norse Shapeshifter, contained in Book III of Stormbringer, entitled "A Rose Redeemed; A Rose Revived".
This is in actuality, a Norse legend.
-------------->b. Book V of the series, entitled "Kings in Darkness" is in essence, a rewritten version of certain parts of the Eyrbyggjasaga.
...or Helga Fell the "Holy Mountaininto which the relatives of Thorolf Mosturbeard died, which had:
"great fires burning inside it, and the noise of feasting and clamor over the ale-horns"
[Eyrbyggjasaga]
---------------->c. The final book of the series entitled "Stormbringer" was based on the Ragnarأ¸k Myth.
There are more Norse elements in Stormbringer, but the above have struck me as being more prominent.
I reckon that you did like Norse History and Mythology a lot. Are the above hypotheses of mine correct, sir?
c. Questions about certain characters:
------------------------------------------
a. Would Master Wheldrake the poet be yourself sir, or your alter ego?
b. Could you please tell me what was the inspiration for naming the character Donblas the Justice Maker, one of the Lords of Law? He is my favourite character.
c. What was that which you called "a pure untainted evil" and associated with the true form of the sword Stormbringer?
d. Have you actually met a Norseman who was a Navigator or Seaman, thus your decription of Esbjorn Snأ¸rre as a seaman?
e. Does your mentioning of the Legend of the Northern Werewold, has anything to do with the Ulfhednir otherwise known as Bersekr?
Have you read the Skallagrimssonar? Were you influenced by Skallagrimssonar in what you have written about the shapeshifters?
f. Your reference to Elric as "the wolf", has anything to do with our perception of the wolf as being an evil creature?
g. Melnibonأ© symbolises Great Britain to a certain extent, does it not?
h. Your perception of the Gypsy Nation as a creation of Chaos, that has formed a kind of psychic gravity of its own, that makes certain people feel irresistibly drawn to it, eventually to become a part of it, I find a very very important allegory.
I have linked it, with the infatuation that certain children and young adults develop these days, with certain computer games, especially on-line games that deal with magic and the "practising of the dark arts" (your quote).
Some of these people, become so much drawn into these games, that loose touch with reality to a certain extent, and that leads them almost always to their destruction, exactly like it happened with the Gypsy Nation.
Of course, it needs not be games alone; the internet, and especially certain discussion boards, can play that role as well.
Would you care to comment on the above sir?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Many thanks for your kind attention.
Med venlig hilsen,
Kveldulf
[/i]
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