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A medieval Viking settlement in America is haunted by ghoulish bog creatures from a violent past that must be redeemed by the quest of a young Viking woman chosen by Odin. She travels far, confronts enemies, experiences passion and love, and with a new vision learns how to help her community find a creative path to the future.

The action of the novel takes place sometime after 1000 A.D. in a North American wilderness where the Vikings have created permanent settlements. When Skallgrim the poet is captured by outlaws he decides to save his skin by recounting the struggle between the Norse towns and the dark forces of the old and new worlds. He tells the story of Ingrid of Wayland, a girl chosen by the god Odin himself to bear an ancient cup into the wild country in order to help defeat the terrible incursions of the “gray folk”, the undead Norse who rise from the bogs nearby to plague the townspeople.

Skallgrim’s saga recounts Ingrid’s quest for the power that will save and renew her village and people. In the wild northlands she comes into contact with a transformed nature, with tricksters, shamans, evil powers and also the native tribes, whom the Vikings call the “Skraelings.” She undergoes many trials and initiations, and experiences two or three great loves. In the end she must achieve the maturity that allows her to deal with the enduring conflict between the feminine principle, represented by the Glimir, (a beautiful, suffering woman with witch-like powers), and the masculine warrior forces represented by the Wanderer, the earthly embodiment of the ancient Norse god, Odin.
Well-informed critics and reviewers have praised the story’s spirited action, historical vision, and contemporary relevance. “All the mythic and cultural allusions are accurate . . . Women, all strong positive characters, dominate the story. . . an entertaining journey into the twilight of the gods.” (Robert Fisher, Professor of Indo-European Studies). “Let me thank you for providing excitement such as I have not known since I read Rider Haggard back in my boyhood.” (Harald Naess, Professor of Norse, University of Wisconsin). “Henighan successfully incorporates diverse old world tales into this magnificent saga, while at the same time addressing a topic which can still hold the attention of the modern world: the quest of women for recognition . . .The male gods are dying and with their demise, a new world is about to blossom.” (Bruce Whiteman, poet, rare books librarian, and U.S. literary critic and scholar)