Title: Hild Author: Nicola Griffith
Published: November 12, 2013
Genre(s): Historical Fiction
Page Count: 546
Rating:
Summary from Goodreads:Hild is born into a world in transition. In seventh-century Britain, small kingdoms are merging, usually violently. A new religion is coming ashore; the old gods’ priests are worrying. Edwin of Northumbria plots to become overking of the Angles, ruthlessly using every tool at his disposal: blood, bribery, belief.
Hild is the king’s youngest niece. She has the powerful curiosity of a bright child, a will of adamant, and a way of seeing the world—of studying nature, of matching cause with effect, of observing human nature and predicting what will happen next—that can seem uncanny, even supernatural, to those around her. She establishes herself as the king’s seer. And she is indispensable—until she should ever lead the king astray. The stakes are life and death: for Hild, her family, her loved ones, and the increasing numbers who seek the protection of the strange girl who can read the world and see the future.
Hild is a young woman at the heart of the violence, subtlety, and mysticism of the early medieval age—all of it brilliantly and accurately evoked by Nicola Griffith’s luminous prose.
Saint Hilda of Whitby was a woman apart from others. She was a counsellor to kings and bishops, during her lifetime the Catholic church took hold in Britain. Hilda’s legacy is remembered today. But before she became a revered abess and advisor to rulers, Saint Hilda was just Hild—a girl adrift in the politics and economics of the seventh century Angles. In this novel, Nicola Griffith envision’s this extraordinary woman’s girlhood, with great success. Hild is a rich, mesmerizing novel, worth reading—worth savoring.
To the best of my knowledge, there aren’t many (or any) detailed records of Hild’s early life, so a lot of this novel must be based on Griffith’s educated guesswork, but in no way does that affect how intriguing this story is. We don’t know that Hild’s growing up year’s were like this, but we don’t know they weren’t, either. In any case, Griffith presents Hild with a masterful, obviously well-researched approach that immerses the reader fully in Hild’s world—and what a world.
After her father’s death, Hild travels to her uncle’s court with her mother and older sister. Her uncle, Edwin king, is slowly gathering all the Angles together under his rule. Since her birth, Hild has known she is “the light of the world” and in her uncle’s court, she rises to the position of king’s seer. As young as ten years old, she is directing the king’s actions, telling his armies when to go to war and where to attack, advising on international trade and internal politics. People think of her as a witch; they’re frightened of her, in awe of her. In a world dominated by warriors and kings, Hild wields tremendous power, and for that she is truly remarkable.
Unlike most women of her time, Hild’s strengths do not lie in subtle maneuverings or mind games. She wears skirts, but she carries a sword. The king trusts her word without question, places important decisions in her hands. The character Griffith has created in this book is amazing. She’s a child faced with adult responsibility, a woman treated as neither a man or a woman; rather, to everyone, Hild is some sexless other to be treated with kid gloves. That feeling of alienation is something Hild struggles with, but it seems to be the price of her power.
The themes of womanhood and female strength in this book are not often obvious, but Hild is most certainly a book that deals with gender themes. It’s about a woman who, in spite of her sex, rises to a position where her voice can be heard. That position is not a sure thing, it is precarious, but it is hers, and it’s more than most women at the time could hope to achieve. Hild stands out as a girl working to protect herself and those she loves through unconventional methods. She’s merely trying to find a place in the world: protection, security, freedom.
The backdrop of Hild’s personal struggles is the tumultuous seventh century. Hild is a member of the ruling family, and all around her, various kings and thegns and lords are all trying to carve out a name for themselves. Angles, Saxons, Irish, British, Welsh. Hild is book that’s heavy on politics and fighting and diplomacy. Nicola Griffith has fully imagined the setting and the time period, her research is obvious, and it’s an excellently crafted world.
There is an elegance and beauty to this book that’s rather mesmerizing at times. Hild is a dense, involved read, but it’s worthwhile for the seeming authenticity that Griffith brings to the table. It’s the kind of book that you immerse yourself in, that you somehow experience rather than simply read. I enjoyed it a great deal, though I’m also glad all the books I read aren’t like this one.
