The Ritual Master Welcome to 12th century Sweden. A goblet of ale in you hand and a warm cloak on your back, you are ready for the adventure that is Jan Guillou’s novel “The Road to Jerusalem”. The first book in his Crusades Trilogy, the novel follows the character of Arn Magnusson from his birth in Arnäs, Sweden, in the year 1150, until his departure to Jerusalem.
The story of Arn familiarizes us with the Swedish medieval society, governed by clans and religion, but still deeply rooted in mystical ancient rites. When Arn has an accident and nearly dies, his mother vows that if he is to be saved by the grace of God, his life will be dedicated to the church. And so, the boy is sent to the Abbey of Varnhem, where he discovers the rules of a Cistercian monastery. His guides in this process are old Templar Knights, and the adventure of his new life begins.
It’s funny how I never thought of including books of Vikings into my Scandinavian reading calendar, and then the Universe sent me this novel to awaken my curiosity even further and send me on a path of Nordic exploration in time. Because this is truly a book that creates a Viking atmosphere. The words seem to carry with them a smell of damp incense and frozen moss. You never seem to see the sun shine high up on the sky, everything appears as if in a perpetual twilight, with only a candle to light the way or the letter.
And as with all medieval historical fiction, the characters seem to have a depth of thought that you wouldn’t imagine in such rough conditions. Arn’s religious upbringing makes him look naive in such a violent world, but his natural skill for combat is what might give him the upper hand. The book ends with his condamnation to 20 years as a Templar Knight in the Holy Land, so I will most certainly continue reading the trilogy next year. But for a first volume, I find it precious for understanding Swedish society in the Middle Ages.
A quote that feels medieval, by its concentrated power :
“An offence with words is the worst offence.Words kill.”
― Jan Guillou, The Road to Jerusalem
Until tomorrow, enjoy your reading !
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