Today, it is a pleasure to welcome my friend and colleague at Historical Writers Forum, Virginia Crow, to History…the Interesting Bits to talk about her contribution to the latest Historical Writers Forum Anthology, To Wear A Heart So White: An Anthology of Historical Short Stories About Crime and Punishment.
Nameless Not Faceless: The Possible Lives of the Bocksten Man
I love a mystery. Right from childhood, I’ve been fascinated by the things we do not – and cannot – know. The quest for knowledge is human nature, but it can only be maintained so long as the unknown exists. Sometimes, this is frustrating, other times it is tantalising.
Cue: one such example…
Usually in history we know the names of people whose appearances we are left to imagine based on contemporaneous portraits or remarks made about them. But, when I discovered the story of The Bocksten Man, this was turned on its head. Here was a man who – through the wonders of forensic archaeology – we knew almost exactly what he looked like, and yet we have no idea what his name was.
My imagination was piqued!
Aside from his appearance, the one thing we do know for certain is that someone – or most likely more than one person – really didn’t like him. Aside from the blow to his head, which almost certainly killed him, he was pegged down at the bottom of the lake by two shafts, including one through the heart. It is this act which led this nameless man to become something of a celebrity 700 years later.
There are as many theories as there are theorists about who he was and why he was executed in such a way. Many of these ideas have him being a criminal, no doubt seeing it as easier to accept that he merited such an end, or as a sorcerer on a charge of witchcraft. Both these seem unlikely to me, as he was clearly well-cared for and appears to have had all the benefits of a backing from the Roman Catholic church. The only theory which stars him as an antagonist which I deem likely (just playing a game of probability, here!) is that he was discovered to be a charlatan, concealing himself behind stolen or falsely-gained clothing and belongings.
But I did not like the thought of him going to this watery grave without having someone to speak for him, albeit a few centuries too late. I’m a sucker for an underdog, and it was time to help him emerge from the shame of some of these theories. This is where his nameless status became a very handy tool. Usually I dislike writing real historical figures as so many people have preconceived ideas about them, so I have to invent my own characters to brush shoulders with the greats of history, tucking them in to various mysteries throughout the ages. But The Bocksten Man was the perfect balance between reality and possibility. How could any writer resist?
I’m not going to tell you the story I created for him – you’ll have to read it in the anthology! – but I would love to know your theories about him. Better still, write him as you think he would have been. Whoever he was, he had an adventure, and isn’t that what we all look for in our stories? A fellow author wrote to me and said: you’ve got to love a bog body, and he was absolutely right!
You can find out all about The Bocksten Man through the Halland Kulturhistoriska Museum: https://museumhalland.se/en/the-bocksten-man/
Images:
The Remains of The Bocksten Man (Peter Lindberg, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons); The Reconstruction of The Bocksten Man (Toxophilus, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)
About the book:
To Wear A Heart So White: An Anthology of Historical Short Stories About Crime and Punishment
A cost for every action, and a price for every deed.
The Historical Writers’ Forum proudly presents seven stories of Crime and Punishment, from across the ages. From an anchoress to a war hero; from Italy to Missouri; this anthology has a story for everyone.
Included stories are:
The Ignoble Defence – Virginia Crow
Agatha’s Eyes – Rachel Aanstad
A Pact Fulfilled – Eleanor Swift-Hook
Carte de Viste – Ronan Beckman
A Dish Served Cold – Brenda W. Clough
Shadows of the Adriatic – Tessa Floreano
A Dangerous Road – D. Apple
Click here to Buy the book: To Wear A Heart So White: An Anthology of Historical Short Stories About Crime and Punishment
About the Author:
Virginia Crow is an award-winning author of historical fiction. Her writing borders on the edge of reality, challenging the beliefs and superstitions of bygone days.
She lives in Caithness, where her life is dictated by Orlando and Jess, her two spaniels.
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My Books:
Signed, dedicated copies of all my books are available through my online bookshop.
Coming 30 January 2025: Scotland’s Medieval Queens
Scotland’s history is dramatic, violent and bloody. Being England’s northern neighbour has never been easy. Scotland’s queens have had to deal with war, murder, imprisonment, political rivalries and open betrayal. They have loved and lost, raised kings and queens, ruled and died for Scotland. From St Margaret, who became one of the patron saints of Scotland, to Elizabeth de Burgh and the dramatic story of the Scottish Wars of Independence, to the love story and tragedy of Joan Beaufort, to Margaret of Denmark and the dawn of the Renaissance, Scotland’s Medieval Queens have seen it all. This is the story of Scotland through their eyes.
Available for pre-order now.
Also by Sharon Bennett Connolly:
Heroines of the Tudor World tells the stories of the most remarkable women from European history in the time of the Tudor dynasty, 1485-1603. These are the women who ruled, the women who founded dynasties, the women who fought for religious freedom, their families and love. Heroines of the Tudor World is now available for pre-order from Amberley Publishing and Amazon UK. Women of the Anarchy demonstrates how Empress Matilda and Matilda of Boulogne, unable to wield a sword themselves, were prime movers in this time of conflict and lawlessness. It shows how their strengths, weaknesses, and personal ambitions swung the fortunes of war one way – and then the other. Available from Bookshop.org, Amberley Publishing and Amazon UK. King John’s Right-Hand Lady: The Story of Nicholaa de la Haye is the story of a truly remarkable lady, the hereditary constable of Lincoln Castle and the first woman in England to be appointed sheriff in her own right. Available from all good bookshops Pen & Sword Books, bookshop.org and Amazon.
Defenders of the Norman Crown: The Rise and Fall of the Warenne Earls of Surrey tells the fascinating story of the Warenne dynasty, from its origins in Normandy, through the Conquest, Magna Carta, the wars and marriages that led to its ultimate demise in the reign of Edward III. Available from Pen & Sword Books, Amazon in the UK and US, and Bookshop.org. Ladies of Magna Carta: Women of Influence in Thirteenth Century England looks into the relationships of the various noble families of the 13th century, and how they were affected by the Barons’ Wars, Magna Carta and its aftermath; the bonds that were formed and those that were broken. It is now available in paperback and hardback from Pen & Sword, Amazon, and Bookshop.org. Heroines of the Medieval World tells the stories of some of the most remarkable women from Medieval history, from Eleanor of Aquitaine to Julian of Norwich. Available now from Amberley Publishing and Amazon, and Bookshop.org. Silk and the Sword: The Women of the Norman Conquest traces the fortunes of the women who had a significant role to play in the momentous events of 1066. Available now from Amazon, Amberley Publishing, and Bookshop.org.
Alternate Endings: An anthology of historical fiction short stories including Long Live the King… which is my take what might have happened had King John not died in October 1216. Available in paperback and kindle from Amazon.
Podcast:
Have a listen to the A Slice of Medieval podcast, which I co-host with Historical fiction novelist Derek Birks. Derek and I welcome guests, such as Bernard Cornwell, and discuss a wide range of topics in medieval history, from significant events to the personalities involved.
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Don’t forget! Signed and dedicated copies of all my books are available through my online bookshop.
For forthcoming online and in-person talks, please check out my Events Page.
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©2024 Sharon Bennett Connolly FRHistS and Virginia Crow
History... the interesting bits! 