KAREN MAITLAND
Welcome to the official web site of Karen Maitland, author of medieval mysteries Company of Liars and the forthcoming The Owl-Killers.
The Middle Ages was an amazing time of discovery and invention, but one in which monsters and magic, angels and demons, were as much part of everyday life as salt-fish and dung heaps. Life was a constant battle between light and darkness. Yet it was also an age very like our own, a time of drastic climate change, war and social revolution. The medieval period was an age of power and passion, mischief and murder. And I am so excited to be able to share some of its dark and wonderful secrets with you.
On this site you will find information about my books. I will also tell you how I came to write them, and some of the things I learned in the process. I am fascinated by medieval myths and legends, as well as the details of daily life. I will share some of that background with you here on my web site, with a new snippet of information appearing on this page each week, gradually building up a glossary with its own section of the site. Some of these items have already appeared in the Glossary of Company of Liars, some will contribute to The Owl-Killers and some have not (yet!) found a place in a book. This week, a medieval con-trick:
- Avering
- - A medieval con-trick performed by beggars to obtain money. Some beggars would strip themselves, hide their clothes and pretend to have been robbed. Others would fake illnesses by sticking on fake boils made of wax, or tumours made from raw offal, to get alms from townspeople or the church.
Previously: wichcraft for Hallowe'en
"Karen Maitland has dug into some obscure corners of medieval history to produce an almost parallel universe; a place where myth, magic and superstition take over as the established order breaks down, but a world that nevertheless rings true. On top of that, she has fashioned a compelling mystery story that should appeal to a much wider readership than historical fiction fans; indeed, anyone looking for an engrossing, bulky fireside read."
John Harding, Daily Mail
Contact details:
You can contact me via my agent, Victoria Hobbs of A.M. Heath & Company Ltd. (web site).
Photograph © John C. Gibson, Lincoln, UK.
Web site designed and maintained by Cornwell Internet
With thanks to John Gray for permission to use elements of his cover designs.
Last update: 12th November 2008
