The Vikings carved WHAT in the Hagia Sophia?!
Viking Graffiti in the Hagia Sophia | Playing the ‘head trash’ game | Author Update
Welcome to the newsletter, where history, storytelling, and inspiration meet. Every week, I share some of the fun historical research I’ve done while writing my novels, writing reflections (and sometimes tips), and sharing updates on my work and journey. If you were forwarded this message, you can join the weekly newsletter here.
Today’s Dispatch
Viking Graffiti in the Hagia Sophia.
Playing the ‘head trash’ game.
Reminder: Fell Deeds of Fate on Audio, by Tantor.
This week’s book recommendation.
Viking History
Viking Graffiti in the Hagia Sophia
The Empress and Her Wolf is soon to be released (July 1, 2025), and in anticipation of that release, I thought I’d share with you one of the more compelling and unexpected pieces of evidence for the presence of Viking Age Scandinavians in the Byzantine Empire: runic graffiti.
Two confirmed runic inscriptions have been identified in the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. Both are carved into the marble parapets of the upper galleries and are believed to have been made by Scandinavian warriors who served as elite bodyguards to the Byzantine emperors, called the Varangian Guard. The best known is the “Halfdan inscription,” discovered in 1964. Although partially worn, it includes the Norse name “Halfdan,” likely part of a typical formula meaning “Halfdan carved these runes.”
A second inscription was found in 1975 in a niche in the northern gallery. This one is more fragmentary, and its interpretation has been debated. Some scholars read it as the name “Ári” with the suggestion that it originally stated “Ári made [these runes],” while others interpret it simply as graffiti, possibly the name “Árni.” Additional markings have been noted on the parapets and may represent further runic inscriptions, though none have been formally published. Together, these inscriptions offer rare, direct evidence of Norse presence within the heart of the Byzantine Empire.
While the Varangian guard formed much later than the setting of The Empress and Her Wolf, the novel serves as a first encounter of sorts between what we today call Vikings and the rulers of the Byzantine Empire, who called themselves Romans. You can pre-order The Empress and Her Wolf here:
Writing and Publishing
Playing the ‘head trash’ game.
For writers—or me, at least—every time I think I’m on a roll, something torpedoes my confidence. I felt I was on top of the world a few weeks ago. I had completed several projects ahead of my deadlines, leaving me a little time to rest and do other things. And I felt I had knocked them all out of the proverbial park. My respite did not last long. All of my projects returned to me, and all needed a significant amount of rewriting.
One project bothered me the most: a novel I had already rewritten several times came back with significant issues. It bothered me that I had already poured so much time into it and still missed many obvious problems. I thought I had written a masterpiece. After my editor returned it to me, I felt I had written a discombobulated scrap of drivel.
Writing fiction can be a tremendously frustrating craft. Unlike other art forms, there’s a right and wrong way to do it. There’s no such thing as a Jackson Pollock for writing. Or perhaps there is, but no one knows about it because it's incomprehensible. And yet, even when following all the rules, writing can still come off as bad, because there’s a particular aesthetic to it, like art. Think of AI LLMs—they can write and follow all the rules, but don’t have a voice. That’s why they excel at creating soulless legal jargon, marketing copy, and other non-creative outputs, but we haven’t seen them make significant inroads in literary fiction.
When I received the novel back from my editor, I felt deflated. This novel, in particular, had felt harder to put together than the others, but I couldn’t tell you why. My books have all required complete rewrites. It’s an inevitable part of the process. As a writer, I get too close to my work and become blind to the faults in my narratives. The stories make sense to me because they live in my head, but they don’t always work with what readers expect.
Perhaps my frustration stems from the anomaly of The Kings of the Sea, the third novel in The Saga of Hasting the Avenger. It came back from my editor virtually squeaky clean, and I had written a near-perfect novel on the first try. There were no significant cuts, no need to kill any darlings, and the structure flowed. Everything went right. If my writing is supposed to improve with every book, why can’t I replicate that success?
And therein lies the rub. My negative self-talk (or what I like to call “head trash”) has a way of sneaking into my writing process. It tells me I’m no good. It tells me I’m a fake. And when a novel needs a full rewrite, it jumps in to say to me to get a real job. Head trash is a persistent mistress. If you’re a writer, you may not have heard it called that before, but you’ll know what I’m talking about.
So, how does one overcome head trash? For me, it’s a matter of remembering that thoughts are a hoax. All of them. We don’t know where they come from or where they go. In meditation, there is a visualization exercise where we are meant to imagine ourselves as the expansive, everlasting sky, and our thoughts are tiny, harmless clouds, floating in and out of view. Unless we grab onto them, they have no power.
With my novels, it’s remembering that writing is rewriting. No one gets it right on the first try. Why did The Kings of the Sea go so swimmingly? If I’m being honest with myself, it didn’t. The dev edit may have gone OK, but the line edit was a slaughter-fest. And these latest novels? Well, I am improving as a writer, and because of that, I’m being more daring in what I’m trying to do. The stories are bigger, characterizations are more in-depth, and I’m expanding the stories' breadth and scope in a manner that stretches my abilities. That means I’m writing bigger and better stories, but it will take more work and rewrites to pull them off.
Head trash says it’s because I’m no good. The reality is it’s because I’m getting better.
If you’re a writer and/or an aspiring author, I encourage you to pause when the negative thinking sneaks in. Remember that it’s just head trash. Throw it out. Meditate a little. Remind yourself you’re bigger and better than those little intrusive thoughts that tell you you’re no good. And remember that writing is rewriting, so if you have to go back to the drawing board more often, you’re doing the work to learn, grow, and write better stories. No one gets it right the first time.
Lastly, if you’re writing a novel, find an editor who pushes you. I have been fortunate to have had the same editor follow my work since The Lords of the Wind, and I have learned more in my back and forth with him than any college writing class could ever provide. You can check out my editor’s online courses, and even have him help you find the right editor for you at: https://darlingaxe.com.
Author Update
Reminder: The Fell Deeds of Fate on Audio, by Tantor Media
If you haven’t had a chance to check it out yet, The Fell Deeds of Fate is now available as an audiobook, produced by Tantor Media and narrated by Hollywood actor Gildart Jackson. His performance brings the story to life with depth and drama, capturing the intensity of Hasting’s journey.
Whether you're commuting, traveling, or just prefer to listen, it's a great way to experience the latest chapter in the saga. Available on Audible, Apple Books, and wherever audiobooks are sold.
Book Recommendations
Immersion and Emotion, by Michelle Barker and David Griffin Brown
Blurb:
A great novel is honed, not hatched.
There are two pillars to effective storytelling: immersion and emotional draw. Immersion is what transports readers into your story world. Emotional draw is what keeps them there.
This book will take you deep into the craft workshop of the Darling Axe's two senior editors. Michelle and David's core editorial philosophy is simple: every element of a story must serve the reader's experience.
Why I recommend it:
If you’re serious about writing fiction—whether you're just starting out or already deep into your career—Immersion and Emotion by Michelle Barker and David Brown is a must-read. Michelle and David are true masters of the craft. Their combined editorial insight, honed through years of working with authors across genres, offers a clear and actionable framework for creating powerful, engaging stories.
What I appreciate most about this book is how practical it is. Grounded in the principle that every element of a story must serve the reader’s experience, Immersion and Emotion cuts through the noise and delivers hard-won lessons on how to draw readers in and keep them emotionally invested. It’s the kind of book you’ll revisit often, whether you're outlining your next project or revising a final draft. David is also my editor, and I can attest firsthand to the depth of his knowledge and the clarity he brings to storytelling. This is one of those rare craft books that truly delivers.
And, as always…
Buy my novels!
I just got back from Türkiye and I was able to see these runes in person. This was a very moving experience, for they were in the area what at the time would have been considered the Sultan's private area, there was also what looked like a Bind Rune next to line of runic script. It is noted that the Scandinavians were welcomed guests, and held a place of honor when they visited. We also found more runes carved into the floor in another part of the Hagia Sophia. It was amazing to see in person!