#helenesparhawke

[rowenawarden]

All of these images were chosen as aesthetics from coming chapters and scenes. I can’t wait to get back to my laptop and writing again, hurry up final chapters! I have so much planned....

[rowenawarden]

The Inspiration of the Sparhawke Women.

When planning the women of the Sparhawke family, I took alot of inspiration from mythical beings such as lady justice, avenging angels and historical figures. By chopping and choosing bits and pieces from Celtic and Viking culture/folklore, I decided that the weapon of choice for ancient Sparhawkes was the Spear, hence the Title ‘the Spear of Eldia’, this will be explained later as to its importance but it has been mentioned in regards to Helene Sparhawke in the Opening chapter of the Warriors of the Walls.  

Aurora herself is inspired by Queen Boudicca, the leader of the Iceni who after her husband and king died, was subjected, alongside her two daughters, to horrors at the hands of the Romans who were occupying ancient britian at the time to send a message to those who resisted their rule. From those injustices, she rose alongside her countrymen and women, uniting the tribes in a uprising that would see londinium(London) burnt to the ground and threaten the roman rule in britain in such a way that even till this day it is remembered, however, no amount of numbers or spirit of conviction could account for Roman superiority and as the legend goes, Boudicca and her uprising lost the final battle to the romans but rather than allow herself to be captured, she is said to have poisoned herself so as to never again submit. Aurora’s mentality is supposed to mirror this never submit mentality that is shared by the Sparhawkes before her as is her storyline. Just Like Boudicca, Aurora and her family has suffered at the hands of her overlords and now she is beginning to rise up in such a way that we will learn why the interior feared her coming of age.

I also liked the hierarchy of the Vikings and Celt society as even though they were predominantly patriarchal, the women of these cultures did enjoy rights and freedoms that their roman counterparts did not. Women could serve as both warriors and leaders, figures such as Scathach and Aiofe were renouned for their battle prowess and lead armies. It is figures such as these that I used to cut the cloth that would lead to the eventual end game for the Sparhawke legacy. 

[rowenawarden]

Helene Sparhawke, the face that started it all. It was her death that sparked King Karl Fritz into forsakening his empire to bring retribution upon them.