Herger/Ahmed (The 13th Warrior)
Mar. 17th, 2006 02:43 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
mlyn.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
ship_manifestoTitle: The Pen and the Sword
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
mlyn
Fandom: The 13th Warrior
Pairing: Herger/Ahmed (aka Ibn or Eben)
Spoilers: The movie
"I am Ahmed ibn Fahdlan ibn Al Abbas ibn Rashid ibn Hamad, and things were not always thus."
The movie / Canon
From the moment The 13th Warrior starts, the viewer is told who the narrator is and sees what a dismal situation he is in: stuck on a boat in a fierce storm, rocked by waves and drenched by rain. But we are quickly transported to better times, memories of his earlier life. We find that Ahmed ibn Fahdlan is a poet from Baghdad, "the greatest city in the world." But he is banished from that city for lusting after another man's wife, and the caliph makes him an ambassador to the Tossuk Vlad. Journeying with his father's friend, Melchisidek, and other members of a caravan, they pass through many lands of various peoples. The exposition of the opening sequence ends with the caravan fleeing a band of Tartars. The Tartars back off when they see a Viking longboat coming up the river.
Ahmed and Melchisidek visit the Vikings (or rather, Northmen) in Ahmed's role as ambassador, but his role quickly changes. When the Northmen are called back to their homeland to deal with an ancient and unknown evil, the group of fighters are assembled according to an oracle's demands. She gives one final requirement: that the 13th warrior, the last of the group, be no Northman. The decision is made immediately: that Ahmed be the 13th warrior. He has no say in the matter.
Over the months of their travel back to their homeland, Ahmed learns the Northmen's language and tries to integrate himself into the group. He has the most contact with Herger the Joyous, who used Melchisidek to communicate with Ahmed in Latin. (It is a misconception that Herger speaks Greek; Melchisidek tries Greek with him but Herger answers in what is clearly Latin, the other well-known language of educated men.)
As Ahmed learns the Norse language and is able to communicate with the group, we find that Herger calls Ahmed "Little Brother" as well as "Eben," a bastardization of "ibn," which means "son of" (the nickname given to him when that was all Herger could gather of Ahmed's list of forefathers, his patronymic or nasab).
Once they reach their destination, the warriors set about protecting a small kingdom and solving the mystery of the evil afflicting them. The evil beings prey on the kingdom, attacking farms and even the main lodge, taking the heads of their victims and gnawing on the limbs.
Ahmed finds that the "eaters of the dead" or "wendol" are not monsters, but men, a cannibalistic tribe of savages. The group kills the mother and the leader of the wendol, and then Ahmed is released from duty. He and Herger part ways and Ahmed returns to his former life. But none of them are the same from their time together.
Across seas of monsters and forests of demons we traveled. Praise be to Allah the merciful and compassionate. May his blessing be upon pagan men who loved other gods, who shared their food and shed their blood, that his servant, Ahmed ibn Fahdlan, might become a man, and a useful servant of God.
I must insert here that the original story by Michael Crichton, Eaters of the Dead, is based heavily on the story of Beowulf. It is said that he wrote the book to make the Beowulf epic more accessible and interesting to modern audiences. He also ties in a notable historical figure, Ahmed ibn Fahdlan (or Fadlan), a Persian who traveled the world and had quite a bit of contact with the Northmen. Therefore we get a monster story with a hero named after Beowulf (Buliwyf) but told from a different culture's perspective.
Hollywood snatched up the story for a good popcorn flick. Crichton produced the film, and when he was unhappy with John McTiernan's direction, took over the project and finished it. There are a lot of problems with the film--to name a few, the Northmen would not have had plate armor, and Ahmed should speak Latin himself if he is an educated man--but overall it's a wonderfully told story and a movie that became somewhat of a cult hit. It's a beautiful film with excellent performances and quotable dialogue.
Character Studies
What is revealed about Ahmed can be easily summarized. He is a poet, unused to living in the harsh world away from the caliph's court and quiet libraries, disgusted by unrefined barbarians. He is a Muslim: when Buliwyf asks him to show him writing, he writes "There is only one god, and Muhammad is his prophet." He struggles with reconciling the ethics of killing a monster and killing a man. He is persistent and tenacious: he learns the Northmen's language, engages in a pissing contest of sorts to impress them, does not hesitate to work with them when asked, and constantly strives to prove himself as a man worthy of their respect.
Little is known about Herger's background, but his character is one of the few that gets well developed in the film. He is obviously close to the leader of the Northmen, Buliwyf. They have a comfortable rapport, often communicating with only glances. He is somewhat short in stature and not a young man, but his extreme intelligence and physical prowess make him formidable. He speaks Latin and Norse, and understands Greek enough to answer in Latin. He believes in the old Norse gods, although the setting of the story, Jutland (Denmark), was a Christian nation at this time. He is a passionate person, playful and intense, with a quick laugh and a sharp mind.
The other warriors are Buliwyf, Edgtho the Silent, Roneth the Rider, Ragnar the Dour, Helfdane the Fat, Rethel the Archer, Haltaf the Boy (no good pic), Halga the Wise, Skeld the Superstitious, Weath the Musician, and Hyglak the Quarrelsome.
Considering that the Northmen were avid traders at this time in history, all of the warriors in the group are likely worldly men who bring a variety of cultural experience to the group. We see this through the presence of people from other cultures (notably Weath, who is a red-haired Celt with a brogue) and artifacts, such as a variety of armor and weaponry that would have been scavenged from the spoils of raids.
Why the pairing works
The slash starts with the studs. Antonio Banderas and Norwegian actor Dennis Storhøi are the hunky manly men who play Ahmed and Herger. Ahmed looks fantastic in kohl-lined eyes and intensely colored robes. Herger fills out a pair of leather pants to perfection (with lacing up the front and back!). Ahmed's curly dark hair is reminiscent of the refined cut of a Roman general, while Herger's blond lengths shine in the sun. Ahmed is smart and Herger is witty. Ahmed has a lot to learn about surviving in the wilds of Jutland, while Herger is utterly confident and capable in his surroundings. These two glow with testosterone and machismo.
Put them together, and sparks fly. From their first scene together, the chemistry is wonderful. Even though they cannot talk without an interpreter, Herger stares at Ahmed with fascination, ignoring his friends. While most of the group rebukes Ahmed's presence, Herger willingly shares information with Ahmed and Melchisidek. And after Ahmed is brought into the fold, the brotherly love begins: Herger gives him an unfortunate nickname and teases him mercilessly with the rest of the group. After Ahmed learns the language, the teasing continues unabated. But Ahmed sticks by Herger's side, paying close attention to everything that goes on around them.
When, at one point, Herger enters a duel with an ally of a troublesome prince, Ahmed becomes enraged that he would risk his life. In the context of the movie, with so much testosterone sloshing around, this does not seem surprising...until you consider the fact that this is one man expressing concern for the life of another. He is not so concerned over anyone else's welfare, and what's more, he is upset to the point of sputtering with frustration that Herger is nearly killed. Why is he so upset? I asked myself. The answer was obvious.
Herger watches Ahmed, touches him, advises him, shares mead with him, and comes to respect him. Ahmed does not return the affection so directly, but he learns quickly from Herger's examples, respects his knowledge, cares for his well-being, and, by the end of the film, reflects happily on becoming more of a tough, worldly man than the sheltered and naive poet he had been before. Although he ultimately leaves the company of the Northmen, he does so with renewed respect for a people he had once considered barbaric.
Photographic evidence!
Herger constantly watches Ahmed. CONSTANTLY. He watches when Ahmed is chosen, when Ahmed shows off how well his horse jumps, looks for Ahmed with concern and then smiles when he finds him, watches Ahmed when he speaks, makes off-hand comments and looks directly at Ahmed as though he was speaking only to him, smiles and nods in approval when Ahmed figures out a clue, and watches when Ahmed prays.
Herger and Ahmed are also never far apart. This need to be in each other's space starts on the ship, continues when they ride together (watch Herger look at Ahmed once and then again in quick succession), when Ahmed points out something to the group, after one battle, after another battle, in the wendols' cave, and when Buliwyf is dying.
Some more of Ahmed and Herger's interactions include Herger touching Ahmed's face, examining how badly he's hurt; Ahmed drinking from Herger's horn (how phallic!), Herger catching Ahmed as they maneuver on a rope, Herger urging Ahmed to rest before the final battle (look how bright it is outside! What kind of resting does he have in mind?), and in their final moments together, Herger and Ahmed wave goodbye to each other with adoring expressions (but there are no goodbyes between anyone else), and then Ahmed makes a wistful last look back.
But my most favorite part of this relationship is the sort of comments Herger makes to Ahmed, usually because of Herger's cheerful grin.
("What happened?") "An engineering dispute!"
"Put your hand down, Little Brother." (The first time he calls Ahmed this.)
"Did she finish you, or bring you back to life?" (So interested in Ahmed's sex life!)
"The way we'll know is, they don't follow us, it's too far to swim!"
Why I ship them
I find many aspects of these characters appealing on a deep level. They're both played by attractive men. The characters are intelligent, talented, efficient, and capable in their surroundings. They say funny, clever things that endear them to each other. They are MFEO, basically.
Aside from this, I find the pairing to be fascinating because there is so much that can be explored. Herger is nearly a blank slate but takes an usually intense interest in Ahmed, while Ahmed follows the Northmen eagerly. There's the opportunity for Ahmed to learn new things, and Herger's obvious interest in educating him. The setting is rich for exploration, too: the film takes place in 922 A.D., the group travels all over Europe, and two cultures come face to face with interesting results. Not only do opposites attract, but opposite worlds.
My background with the pairing
I first watched the film based on recommendations of friends. My only interest was in seeing something that was reportedly a well-done action flick, full of cool historical costumes and kickass fight scenes. I found the characters to be delightful, with entertaining interactions that made me giggle gleefully and dialogue that stuck firmly in my head.
Only later, when I became more of a full-blown slash fan, did the idea of slashing the two characters enter my mind. I don't even know how it happened; I only remember begging my friends-list for some Herger/Ahmed fic. The request was supported by other interested parties, but not fulfilled. I made a couple of Herger icons and let it go.
Then in December 2005, I went to a play in Seattle and found out that one of the actors had played a role in The 13th Warrior (Neil Maffin, who played Roneth). I was fascinated with the guy based largely on this credit, and when I got home I begged my friendslist to help me figure out who he had played in the movie (not yet knowing who was called what). I began reviewing the film with obsessive scrutiny, and that mindset of finding the actor threw me into slash fervor. Suddenly there was a story in my head. I decided that if no one was going to make a fandom for me, I'd make one myself.
Why readers should follow this pairing
The pairing is worth following because the characters have such a rich, invigorating interaction but leave so much to be desired, canon begging to be filled in. When a friend pimped my fic on her LJ, someone commented with, "Herger? Is that the saucy blond who kept calling Ibn ‘little brother'?" The slash is memorable even to people who weren't looking for a new pairing.
Short fandom guide
Trickster by Keeleywolfe and Kirby Crow (goes to Kirby's site; the link I had for Keeleywolfe's copy has broken). This is an extra scene thrown in after a particularly slashy moment in the movie. The fic is not bad but pretty short, and a stand-alone.
My 13th Warrior by Hergerbabe. This is essentially a retelling of the movie with wishful thinking thrown in. There is not a lot of original content, and what is original does not match the tone of the film.
Untitled 13th Warrior fic by Nancy. This is a work in not much progress that takes place after the movie, posted at the archives for the Lust in the Dust list.
There is also the fanlisting for the movie, currently updated. There are no fanlistings for the characters or a relationship.
There seems to be a Bungie.net forum, but not a lot of activity there, certainly not of the slash kind.
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
cap_it has a memory for the movie, although I found the screencaps lacking in some areas and made more of my own. The post by cely can be found here.
And I have created a community solely for pimping people into the fandom, no matter what pairing they choose to explore. The community is13_warrior. There's a page of informational links for research hounds. I have also been posting my ongoing fic there, an epic called Gods and Monsters, as well as a mood theme. I intend to add character notes, movie meta, notes and links for my own fic universe, and anything else that pertains to the fandom.
As far as I know, there are no vids for this fandom, nor artwork of any sort beyond icons. All the more reason for people to create it--there's no competition in or saturation of the fandom. So if you have fic, or links, or art or vids or meta...please comment here, or join the community and send it along.
Author:
mlynFandom: The 13th Warrior
Pairing: Herger/Ahmed (aka Ibn or Eben)
Spoilers: The movie
"I am Ahmed ibn Fahdlan ibn Al Abbas ibn Rashid ibn Hamad, and things were not always thus."
The movie / Canon
From the moment The 13th Warrior starts, the viewer is told who the narrator is and sees what a dismal situation he is in: stuck on a boat in a fierce storm, rocked by waves and drenched by rain. But we are quickly transported to better times, memories of his earlier life. We find that Ahmed ibn Fahdlan is a poet from Baghdad, "the greatest city in the world." But he is banished from that city for lusting after another man's wife, and the caliph makes him an ambassador to the Tossuk Vlad. Journeying with his father's friend, Melchisidek, and other members of a caravan, they pass through many lands of various peoples. The exposition of the opening sequence ends with the caravan fleeing a band of Tartars. The Tartars back off when they see a Viking longboat coming up the river.
Ahmed and Melchisidek visit the Vikings (or rather, Northmen) in Ahmed's role as ambassador, but his role quickly changes. When the Northmen are called back to their homeland to deal with an ancient and unknown evil, the group of fighters are assembled according to an oracle's demands. She gives one final requirement: that the 13th warrior, the last of the group, be no Northman. The decision is made immediately: that Ahmed be the 13th warrior. He has no say in the matter.
Over the months of their travel back to their homeland, Ahmed learns the Northmen's language and tries to integrate himself into the group. He has the most contact with Herger the Joyous, who used Melchisidek to communicate with Ahmed in Latin. (It is a misconception that Herger speaks Greek; Melchisidek tries Greek with him but Herger answers in what is clearly Latin, the other well-known language of educated men.)
As Ahmed learns the Norse language and is able to communicate with the group, we find that Herger calls Ahmed "Little Brother" as well as "Eben," a bastardization of "ibn," which means "son of" (the nickname given to him when that was all Herger could gather of Ahmed's list of forefathers, his patronymic or nasab).
Once they reach their destination, the warriors set about protecting a small kingdom and solving the mystery of the evil afflicting them. The evil beings prey on the kingdom, attacking farms and even the main lodge, taking the heads of their victims and gnawing on the limbs.
Ahmed finds that the "eaters of the dead" or "wendol" are not monsters, but men, a cannibalistic tribe of savages. The group kills the mother and the leader of the wendol, and then Ahmed is released from duty. He and Herger part ways and Ahmed returns to his former life. But none of them are the same from their time together.
Across seas of monsters and forests of demons we traveled. Praise be to Allah the merciful and compassionate. May his blessing be upon pagan men who loved other gods, who shared their food and shed their blood, that his servant, Ahmed ibn Fahdlan, might become a man, and a useful servant of God.
I must insert here that the original story by Michael Crichton, Eaters of the Dead, is based heavily on the story of Beowulf. It is said that he wrote the book to make the Beowulf epic more accessible and interesting to modern audiences. He also ties in a notable historical figure, Ahmed ibn Fahdlan (or Fadlan), a Persian who traveled the world and had quite a bit of contact with the Northmen. Therefore we get a monster story with a hero named after Beowulf (Buliwyf) but told from a different culture's perspective.
Hollywood snatched up the story for a good popcorn flick. Crichton produced the film, and when he was unhappy with John McTiernan's direction, took over the project and finished it. There are a lot of problems with the film--to name a few, the Northmen would not have had plate armor, and Ahmed should speak Latin himself if he is an educated man--but overall it's a wonderfully told story and a movie that became somewhat of a cult hit. It's a beautiful film with excellent performances and quotable dialogue.
Character Studies
What is revealed about Ahmed can be easily summarized. He is a poet, unused to living in the harsh world away from the caliph's court and quiet libraries, disgusted by unrefined barbarians. He is a Muslim: when Buliwyf asks him to show him writing, he writes "There is only one god, and Muhammad is his prophet." He struggles with reconciling the ethics of killing a monster and killing a man. He is persistent and tenacious: he learns the Northmen's language, engages in a pissing contest of sorts to impress them, does not hesitate to work with them when asked, and constantly strives to prove himself as a man worthy of their respect.
Little is known about Herger's background, but his character is one of the few that gets well developed in the film. He is obviously close to the leader of the Northmen, Buliwyf. They have a comfortable rapport, often communicating with only glances. He is somewhat short in stature and not a young man, but his extreme intelligence and physical prowess make him formidable. He speaks Latin and Norse, and understands Greek enough to answer in Latin. He believes in the old Norse gods, although the setting of the story, Jutland (Denmark), was a Christian nation at this time. He is a passionate person, playful and intense, with a quick laugh and a sharp mind.
The other warriors are Buliwyf, Edgtho the Silent, Roneth the Rider, Ragnar the Dour, Helfdane the Fat, Rethel the Archer, Haltaf the Boy (no good pic), Halga the Wise, Skeld the Superstitious, Weath the Musician, and Hyglak the Quarrelsome.
Considering that the Northmen were avid traders at this time in history, all of the warriors in the group are likely worldly men who bring a variety of cultural experience to the group. We see this through the presence of people from other cultures (notably Weath, who is a red-haired Celt with a brogue) and artifacts, such as a variety of armor and weaponry that would have been scavenged from the spoils of raids.
Why the pairing works
The slash starts with the studs. Antonio Banderas and Norwegian actor Dennis Storhøi are the hunky manly men who play Ahmed and Herger. Ahmed looks fantastic in kohl-lined eyes and intensely colored robes. Herger fills out a pair of leather pants to perfection (with lacing up the front and back!). Ahmed's curly dark hair is reminiscent of the refined cut of a Roman general, while Herger's blond lengths shine in the sun. Ahmed is smart and Herger is witty. Ahmed has a lot to learn about surviving in the wilds of Jutland, while Herger is utterly confident and capable in his surroundings. These two glow with testosterone and machismo.
Put them together, and sparks fly. From their first scene together, the chemistry is wonderful. Even though they cannot talk without an interpreter, Herger stares at Ahmed with fascination, ignoring his friends. While most of the group rebukes Ahmed's presence, Herger willingly shares information with Ahmed and Melchisidek. And after Ahmed is brought into the fold, the brotherly love begins: Herger gives him an unfortunate nickname and teases him mercilessly with the rest of the group. After Ahmed learns the language, the teasing continues unabated. But Ahmed sticks by Herger's side, paying close attention to everything that goes on around them.
When, at one point, Herger enters a duel with an ally of a troublesome prince, Ahmed becomes enraged that he would risk his life. In the context of the movie, with so much testosterone sloshing around, this does not seem surprising...until you consider the fact that this is one man expressing concern for the life of another. He is not so concerned over anyone else's welfare, and what's more, he is upset to the point of sputtering with frustration that Herger is nearly killed. Why is he so upset? I asked myself. The answer was obvious.
Herger watches Ahmed, touches him, advises him, shares mead with him, and comes to respect him. Ahmed does not return the affection so directly, but he learns quickly from Herger's examples, respects his knowledge, cares for his well-being, and, by the end of the film, reflects happily on becoming more of a tough, worldly man than the sheltered and naive poet he had been before. Although he ultimately leaves the company of the Northmen, he does so with renewed respect for a people he had once considered barbaric.
Photographic evidence!
Herger constantly watches Ahmed. CONSTANTLY. He watches when Ahmed is chosen, when Ahmed shows off how well his horse jumps, looks for Ahmed with concern and then smiles when he finds him, watches Ahmed when he speaks, makes off-hand comments and looks directly at Ahmed as though he was speaking only to him, smiles and nods in approval when Ahmed figures out a clue, and watches when Ahmed prays.
Herger and Ahmed are also never far apart. This need to be in each other's space starts on the ship, continues when they ride together (watch Herger look at Ahmed once and then again in quick succession), when Ahmed points out something to the group, after one battle, after another battle, in the wendols' cave, and when Buliwyf is dying.
Some more of Ahmed and Herger's interactions include Herger touching Ahmed's face, examining how badly he's hurt; Ahmed drinking from Herger's horn (how phallic!), Herger catching Ahmed as they maneuver on a rope, Herger urging Ahmed to rest before the final battle (look how bright it is outside! What kind of resting does he have in mind?), and in their final moments together, Herger and Ahmed wave goodbye to each other with adoring expressions (but there are no goodbyes between anyone else), and then Ahmed makes a wistful last look back.
But my most favorite part of this relationship is the sort of comments Herger makes to Ahmed, usually because of Herger's cheerful grin.
("What happened?") "An engineering dispute!"
"Put your hand down, Little Brother." (The first time he calls Ahmed this.)
"Did she finish you, or bring you back to life?" (So interested in Ahmed's sex life!)
"The way we'll know is, they don't follow us, it's too far to swim!"
Why I ship them
I find many aspects of these characters appealing on a deep level. They're both played by attractive men. The characters are intelligent, talented, efficient, and capable in their surroundings. They say funny, clever things that endear them to each other. They are MFEO, basically.
Aside from this, I find the pairing to be fascinating because there is so much that can be explored. Herger is nearly a blank slate but takes an usually intense interest in Ahmed, while Ahmed follows the Northmen eagerly. There's the opportunity for Ahmed to learn new things, and Herger's obvious interest in educating him. The setting is rich for exploration, too: the film takes place in 922 A.D., the group travels all over Europe, and two cultures come face to face with interesting results. Not only do opposites attract, but opposite worlds.
My background with the pairing
I first watched the film based on recommendations of friends. My only interest was in seeing something that was reportedly a well-done action flick, full of cool historical costumes and kickass fight scenes. I found the characters to be delightful, with entertaining interactions that made me giggle gleefully and dialogue that stuck firmly in my head.
Only later, when I became more of a full-blown slash fan, did the idea of slashing the two characters enter my mind. I don't even know how it happened; I only remember begging my friends-list for some Herger/Ahmed fic. The request was supported by other interested parties, but not fulfilled. I made a couple of Herger icons and let it go.
Then in December 2005, I went to a play in Seattle and found out that one of the actors had played a role in The 13th Warrior (Neil Maffin, who played Roneth). I was fascinated with the guy based largely on this credit, and when I got home I begged my friendslist to help me figure out who he had played in the movie (not yet knowing who was called what). I began reviewing the film with obsessive scrutiny, and that mindset of finding the actor threw me into slash fervor. Suddenly there was a story in my head. I decided that if no one was going to make a fandom for me, I'd make one myself.
Why readers should follow this pairing
The pairing is worth following because the characters have such a rich, invigorating interaction but leave so much to be desired, canon begging to be filled in. When a friend pimped my fic on her LJ, someone commented with, "Herger? Is that the saucy blond who kept calling Ibn ‘little brother'?" The slash is memorable even to people who weren't looking for a new pairing.
Short fandom guide
Trickster by Keeleywolfe and Kirby Crow (goes to Kirby's site; the link I had for Keeleywolfe's copy has broken). This is an extra scene thrown in after a particularly slashy moment in the movie. The fic is not bad but pretty short, and a stand-alone.
My 13th Warrior by Hergerbabe. This is essentially a retelling of the movie with wishful thinking thrown in. There is not a lot of original content, and what is original does not match the tone of the film.
Untitled 13th Warrior fic by Nancy. This is a work in not much progress that takes place after the movie, posted at the archives for the Lust in the Dust list.
There is also the fanlisting for the movie, currently updated. There are no fanlistings for the characters or a relationship.
There seems to be a Bungie.net forum, but not a lot of activity there, certainly not of the slash kind.
cap_it has a memory for the movie, although I found the screencaps lacking in some areas and made more of my own. The post by cely can be found here.And I have created a community solely for pimping people into the fandom, no matter what pairing they choose to explore. The community is
13_warrior. There's a page of informational links for research hounds. I have also been posting my ongoing fic there, an epic called Gods and Monsters, as well as a mood theme. I intend to add character notes, movie meta, notes and links for my own fic universe, and anything else that pertains to the fandom.As far as I know, there are no vids for this fandom, nor artwork of any sort beyond icons. All the more reason for people to create it--there's no competition in or saturation of the fandom. So if you have fic, or links, or art or vids or meta...please comment here, or join the community and send it along.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2006-03-17 11:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-03-18 12:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-03-18 05:00 am (UTC)I love the pictoral part of the essay, too. It gives people a visual reference to support your hypotheses.
Unfortunately as you've discovered, fic is woefully thin in this fandom, regardless of pairing. Maybe this will encourage people to watch the movie, read the available fic and maybe write their own (or at least start or join in a meta discussion about the movie, characters or pairings).
Hmmm. Maybe it's time to revv up those 2 PWPs.
no subject
Date: 2006-03-18 05:34 am (UTC)I can only hope! But then, I've been focusing awfully hard on one pairing when I think Herger/Buliwyf and other characters have some serious potential. There's Roneth, Edgtho, and Skeld to name the other major hotties.
Hmmm. Maybe it's time to revv up those 2 PWPs.
Uh, yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes. Yes.
no subject
Date: 2006-03-18 01:23 pm (UTC)You don't have Cheyene Dancer's A Bond Between Brothers in here.
http://slashcity.org/cheyene/13.htm
This fic made me a fallower of this pairing.
So sad that there is not more with those two.
And thanks for the great essay.
annakas
no subject
Date: 2006-03-18 06:14 pm (UTC)There's a lot more of these two in the fic I'm writing, so you're welcome to check it out at
no subject
Date: 2006-03-30 01:27 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-03-30 01:32 am (UTC)Thank you for the reply!
no subject
Date: 2006-04-04 05:57 pm (UTC)I absolutely love this film, and Michael Crighton's book, love Ahmed and Herger (and Buliwyf and, especially, Edgtho) but, not really being a slash fan, had never thought of Ahmed/Herger before. (If you get the chance to see it, btw, there is a recent Canadian film, Beowulf and Grendel which will seem extremely familiar -- it even stars the actor who plays Weath the Musician in The 13th Warrior).
I'll certainly be reading your fic and the other fics you recommend & joining your community, so thanks again!
(I'm currently writing a story myself in which the main OC is shamelessly based on Edgtho and the fight between him and Eowyn is ripped off from the duel you describe between Herger and the Prince's man ;-)
no subject
Date: 2006-04-04 06:05 pm (UTC)I knew about Tony Curran's project but didn't realize it had already been released, so thanks for the reminder.
I'm looking forward to seeing you around the comm. Please feel free to post your fic there; with a quick explanation that it's based on Edgtho, I think that's close enough for people to be interested. I'll check it out if you link it, anyway. *G*
no subject
Date: 2006-04-08 02:07 pm (UTC)My story is being written for the
I like your Gods and Monsters story very much, especially all the incidental details. You mention your friend's input -- are argr, seiðskratti, and klámhogg genuine parts of Viking culture?
no subject
Date: 2006-04-09 01:31 am (UTC)I like your Gods and Monsters story very much, especially all the incidental details. You mention your friend's input -- are argr, seiðskratti, and klámhogg genuine parts of Viking culture?
Yes! I plan on posting informational links to the community for my story as well, not just for the pairing. One link is for a paper on homosexuality in the Viking culture, and it had plenty of vocabulary words. That was the starting point for following up the initial first chapter; I knew I wanted to write something as a sequel, and then I looked at that information and got the idea to have Ahmed victimized by the Northmen. I didn't quite think the story would blow up to be this huge, but I'm still having fun writing it.
no subject
Date: 2006-04-09 06:40 pm (UTC)Excellent essay. And I'm just so happy to see there are more fans of the movie than I thought :)
no subject
Date: 2006-04-09 08:13 pm (UTC)Thanks for commenting!