A summary of Maria Semenova’s "Valkyrie"

This book is an academic historical novel by Maria Semenova, recreating the harsh life of ninth-century tribes and revealing the coming-of-age journey of a female warrior. The text was written in 1991. The plot is built around a detailed historical and ethnographic reconstruction of the beliefs, everyday customs, and military rituals of the ancient Slavs, Varangians, and Finno-Ugric peoples.

Life in a forest village

The Slavic girl Winter lives in a remote forested region near the Neva River. Her tall stature, phenomenal physical strength, and independent nature alienate her from her family. Her fellow tribesmen fear the thicket because of the ancient curse of the Evil Birch. Many years ago, an ancestor cut down the tree-wife and trampled the young shoots, after which the remaining tree-husband began to take revenge, killing the loggers. Winter is the only one unafraid of the forest; she walks barefoot and befriends the enormous wolfhound Molchan. Her mother and uncle Zhdan try to marry the twenty-year-old heroine off, but she refuses the local suitors. She secretly hopes to meet the perfect man, calling him "The one I always wait for."

The tranquility of life is interrupted by the arrival of Ladoga Varangians from Prince Rurik’s retinue. A black ship, led by Mstivoy the Broken, drops anchor offshore. Winter fires an arrow at the gate, calling his kinsmen to defense. The elder Zhdan is frightened and hands over his niece to the guests. The Varangian leader recognizes the girl’s courage and spares her life. During the feast, the heroine’s mother offers the voivode a ladle of fresh milk, and he drinks it, despite the obvious terror within him. The warriors stay in the village, collect tribute, and sail away to their sea fortress of Neta-dun.

Escape to Neta Dun

After some time, her uncle decides to forcibly marry his niece to the young Zvanko Sobolok. The heroine rebels, takes her grandfather’s juniper bow, and leaves home forever. In the forest, she is joined by the Ves hunter Yarun, who dreams of military glory. Together, they brave the winter cold and reach the Varangian town. The vengeful Broken One allows Winter to remain among the young warriors only after a brutal duel, where she skillfully hurls a battle axe straight at the chieftain.

In Neta-dun, the girl meets new people. The blind Saxon Hagen becomes her military mentor, and the meek sister of the chieftain, Veleta, becomes her close friend. Hagen explains that Mstivoy and Veleta come from the Galatian tribe, whose settlement was long ago destroyed by Danish pirates, who killed the commander’s wife and young sons. The boy’s life is filled with hard physical labor, ridicule from older warriors, and brutal training. The girl learns swordplay, enduring cold and bruises. A young warrior, Nezhata, unsuccessfully tries to woo her. Gradually, she gains the approval of sturdy men, including the fugitive Novgorodian Blud. Blud suffers from an unknown internal illness, but Hagen and Winter nurse him back to health with long fasts and herbal infusions.

Trial by Water and Initiation

In the spring, cattle begin to die in the neighboring village of Elder Tretyak. The locals blame the stranger Winter for the Cow Death and demand that the Varangians hand her over for execution. The Voivode refuses, but the elder insists on the ancient trial by water. Fragile Veleta voluntarily descends into the icy hole in her friend’s stead, proving her innocence before the stern gods. Mstivoy snatches his sister from the water and personally warms her in the bathhouse. Meanwhile, the beautiful Goluba, Tretyak’s daughter, tries in vain to seduce Mstivoy, but he remains indifferent.

The time for warrior initiation, known locally as the Initiation, arrives. The youths stand before nine battle spears one after the other, then enter the sanctuary of the thunder god. Winter successfully endures the blows and descends into a dim nemeton. There, she sees a powerful man who kisses her and marks her shoulder with the Falcon battle mark. The besotted girl recognizes him as her long-awaited betrothed, but cannot see his face. She receives a genuine forged sword and the right to wear a warrior’s belt.

The Expulsion of Yarun and the Naval Battle

Yarun enters into a secret affair with Veleta, and she is expecting a child. During the division of a boar they’ve hunted, Yarun gets into an argument and offers a piece of meat to Mstivoy. The Varangian has sacred prohibitions — geisa — that he must not drink milk, stand under a birch tree, or refuse food. Mstivoy is forced to refuse the meat from the young man, breaking yet another of his sacred vows. The enraged commander banishes Yarun from his squad forever, separating him from his beloved.

In summer, warships are launched. Before sailing, Winter throws a black rooster into the sea, appeasing the Sea Master. On the open sea, the Varangians encounter Danish Vikings. A merciless boarding battle ensues. The heroine kills a man with an axe for the first time, saving the life of the chieftain’s younger brother, Slavomir. However, an enemy spear still mortally wounds the young man. Dying in Winter’s arms, Slavomir laments that he never had the chance to marry her. The Varangians prevail, capture several survivors, and return home.

Hauk’s flute

On the shore of Mstivoy, Lomany kills the Danish leader Asgeir in a ritual duel. The leader prepares to execute the others, but the captive Viking Hauk takes out an old wooden flute and plays a piercing melody. The music touches the stern hearts, and the blind Hagen begs for the youth’s life. Mstivoy lowers his sword, sparing his enemies.

The girl nurses the wounded Hauk in a cage. Soon, Veleta goes into premature labor. Winter helps her friend give birth to twin sons. During the difficult labor, the warrior physically senses the presence of the spirit of Slavomir, who wards off evil spirits from the infants and takes the newborns under his protection. Hauk is later healed, gives his savior his flute, and sails away forever to his distant homeland.

The Last Battle

In late autumn, Mstivoy sets out on a scouting expedition into the forest with his faithful mayor, Miloneg. They are ambushed by the Novgorod chieftain, Oladya. Suspecting trouble, Winter dons chainmail and follows their trail into a raging snowstorm. In a forest clearing, she finds the mangled body of Miloneg, killed in an unequal battle. Mstivoy is not among the dead.

A trail of blood leads the girl to her old village. She sees the voivode tied to the trunk of the Evil Birch. Oladya tortures the captive, forcing him to stand under the tree and endure a douse of icy water. Mstivoy breaks his final vows, condemning himself to certain death according to ancient laws.

The exiled Yarun, who had been hiding nearby all this time, emerges from the dark undergrowth. He helps kill the guard and cut the bonds. Oladya gives chase, but the well-aimed arrows of his Varangian allies end his life. Yarun leads the remaining enemies after him, sacrificing himself to save the wounded chieftain.

Miraculous rescue

The girl picks up the wounded Mstivoy and drags him through the deep snow. Exhausted, she takes the last steps and reaches the cherished spruce tree under which she hid as a child. There, her loyal wolfhound, Molchan, joyfully greets her. The heroine covers the freezing man with her sheepskin coat and chainmail, warming him with her breath. She takes a knife, cuts off her heavy maiden braid, and gives it to Mstivoy as a token of her undying devotion.

The wounded Varangian regains consciousness and confesses his love to his savior. The warrior realizes that the stern Mstivoy Broken is the one she’s always been waiting for. The peasants who come to his aid transport the leader to a boat and set off for Netadun. The girl sits next to her beloved, knowing that her long journey is over and she has finally found her true home.