Tiel’s Saga
by Thom Simmons

A giant, tricked and humiliated by Thor, takes out his rage on Scotland. A sacred tree becomes the vehicle through which a Viking prince fulfills his destiny on the Isle of Skye. An illicit affair with a mysterious man who lives under the sea brings heartache and hope. A descendent of Odin becomes the unlikely hero of the Highland glens. An enchanted flag brings both victory – and certain death – to clans in battle.

For seven centuries, Vikings raided and settled the coast of Scotland and the Hebrides Islands. During that time, the Norsemen and Gaels formed a unique culture as they intermarried and shared belief systems, folklore, and traditions. In this groundbreaking work, the author looks at five pieces of Scottish folklore and illuminates the influence of Norse myths in each. In Tiel’s Saga and four additional tales, the book reveals the crossovers in mythology. Each tale is accompanied by end notes that go beyond mere citations, but which describe the sources and variations uncovered in author’s research. Historical commentary as well as academic support is provided in appendices.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Baby | Goodreads

What Readers Are Saying

“Tiel’s Saga pieces together fragmented stories about the mysterious Viking prince, the son of a Norwegian king, for whom Loch Pooltiel is named on the Isle of Skye. Through meticulous research of family dynasties, ancient manuscripts, historical narratives, folktale variants, interviews, and correspondence, the author has written the most complete tale to date of the mysterious Tiel Hakonsson.” BookBaby.com

“Myths and legends are some of the most intriguing stories ever told, and what we have here is a brilliant compilation of them that deeply touches the soul…This book was a good read, and I was highly impressed with the literary devices used by the author in telling the five stories…I recommend this book to lovers of history. If Roman, Greek, or Celtic myths interest you, this book is right for you. In particular, if you’re intrigued by the traditions of ancient Scotland, Norway, and Sweden, try to get a copy of this book.” OnlineBookClub.com

Myths and legends are some of the most intriguing stories ever told, and what we have here is a brilliant compilation of them that deeply touches the soul. Tiel’s Saga by Thom Simmons is a book that tells five Scottish and Gaelic tales in two literary styles: prose and poetry. Tiel, son of Hakon the Powerful, a descendant of Odin, is the subject of the first story, Tiel’s Saga. In this tale, Tiel is sent to establish authority over Glendale, a village on the Isle of Skye. Closely followed is a story written in the form of a poem, which tells of the King of giants, Thrym, who steals Thor’s hammer, Mjölnir, and asks for Freyja, Odin’s wife, as ransom. The next tale tells of Cam-Ruadh, also known as John Grant, who is said to possess the most repulsive appearance in history. One-eyed and stout, Cam is a fierce fighter who strikes out his enemies with a single stretch of the bow. The fourth tale, The Ballad of Lady Odivere, tells of a lady in great distress due to her marriage to a gentleman, Odivere. The last story is about a fairy flag that kills the bearer but gives good fortune to those for whom it is carried. These stories left me spellbound as they seemed both true and fictitious. However, I believe they’re all true because the author made sure to leave a note as to where the stories were adapted from. Sincerely speaking, it was all very delightful and entertaining. Great job, Simmons. OnlineBookClub.org

Lily:  Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview Thom, Tiel’s Saga is an interesting book, what inspired you to write this?

Thom:  I think when we grow up with childhood stories and fables – however we view them – we sometimes take them for granted. We know they’re “old” and passed down through generations, but we don’t stop and ask ourselves about their origins. The more I read Scottish folklore, the more I began to see some common threads, especially threads that had origins in older Norse and Gaelic lore…and that set me on a research project to “connect the dots.” I focused on Tiel, because while there are many snippets of folklore about this mysterious figure, no one had tried to pull them together and forge a complete picture.  That is what propelled me to start this work.

Lily:  That’s wonderful! Out of the five stories you examine, do you have a favorite one?

Thom:  Ha!  By the time I started writing, I had at least ten tales that weaved Norse and Gaelic folklore together. I decided to narrow that down for this book.  My favorite is the main story, Tiel’s Saga, which was just screaming to have all of its disparate parts woven together in a single narrative.

Lily:  I imagine it must have been hard to cut so many stories from the book. What made you choose the stories you did?

Thom:  The first and last were easy:  Tiel’s Saga and Am Bratach Sidhe (The Fairy Flag) involve some of the same characters and take place in the same location.  They are natural bookends for the book.  I chose the Cam Ruadh because the action takes place in my ancestral home town, and it is a story I have heard many times before. The two written in poetic form, The Ballad of Lady Odivere and Thrymsreider, were included because they emphasize the point of the book, which is the crossover of Norse and Gaelic lore.

Lily:  They all seem like wonderful stories. How hard was it to do the research for this?

Thom:  This was a labor of love.  I spent hours researching old documents, and then following rabbit trails to other manuscripts. It was hard work, but it was exciting work! Each time I would find a connection, I was absolutely elated! Imagine following a treasure map and actually uncovering a treasure chest at the end…that’s the best way I can describe it.

Lily:  It sounds like it was a lot of work, but a lot of fun too. Now we’d like to talk about you as a writer. What’s your favorite time of day to write?

Thom:  It’s not a matter of ‘time of day’ as much as it is the ability to throw myself into it without distraction. I can write any time of day, but I have to know ahead of time that I have several solid hours without interruption.  That can be after dinner, or it can be at 6:00 in the morning!

Lily:  It’s good that you have the flexibility as long as you know you have the time to write! What’s harder, researching, writing, or editing?

Thom: No contest here: editing is the worst part!   The research, for me, is 80% of the work. It’s fascinating! Once I feel I’ve completed it, I can’t wait to start writing. I am compelled to write. Once writing,  I don’t mind if I don’t have the phrasing perfect, because I know I will go back over the passage and expand and improve it.  But editing?!  UGH!  I am reading the same sentence for the tenth time, and it makes me crazy.  It really helps when my husband and son read it, because they will point out errors or unclear areas that I would never have seen on the eleventh reading.

Lily:  I’ve always hated editing too, I must admit. What does your writing space look like?

Thom:    I don’t want to be in an artificial space dedicated to writing – that’s too stilted and formal.  I need to be in my normal surroundings – and that means that almost all of my writing is done in my favorite chair, looking out to the left at my picture window with bird feeders and hundreds of songbirds, or to the right out to my homestead pond and my ducks and chickens, or straight ahead at the wood stove we heat our house with. I am connected with my land first and foremost, and my writing has to fit into that lifestyle and state of being.

Lily:  I’d say that’s a pretty ideal place to write. Let’s finish up with some fun questions and get inside your mind. What’s one piece of advice you’d give others, but struggle to follow yourself?

Thom:  There is no time like RIGHT NOW.  Don’t let others’ expectations dictate what you do, when you’ll do it, or how you’ll do it.  I’d rather regret (and learn from) what I’ve done, then regret what I didn’t do because of what other’s thought.  We have ONE life in this world to “get ‘er done” – don’t blow it!

Lily:  That’s excellent advice! When was the last time you went on vacation? Where did you go?

Thom:  My last vacation was “pre-COVID,” and it was a two-week tour of Scotland and Ireland with my husband, who had never been there.  It was absolutely magical, and one of the places we visited was the Spittal of Glenshee, where my family came from.  I can’t describe how deeply I connect with that place, and it was multiplied by the fact that my husband felt the same way. The third story in my book, the Cam Ruadh, takes place there.

Lily:  That must have been absolutely wonderful. How many is “too many” balloons?

Thom:  I hate to be a buzzkill here, but if they’re filled with helium, one is too many.  I have been involved in many beach clean-ups in my life, and in spite of the current focus on plastics, the number one piece of trash I have picked up on beaches, by volume, is clusters of deflated balloons. They are treacherous for marine life and just a blight.  Sorry for the serious downer here, but I simply have no love left for balloons.

Lily:  Oof, yeah, a lot of balloons end up released and then coming back down as litter. What’s your favorite dessert?

Thom:  Hands down, no question, Tiramisu!  I could eat that stuff by the truckload! LOL!

Lily:  Mmmm tiramisu. I haven’t had that in forever, but now I’m thinking about it…Would you rather live on the beach by the ocean, or on the shore of a lake?

Thom:  I have lived most of my life by the ocean: on the canals of Baldwin Harbor NY, as a working-class clamdigger; on the island of Martha’s Vineyard; and as a summer dweller on Fire Island (NY).  The ocean has a call that compels me.  Every Friday I wear a polished quahog on a chain as a reminder of my connection to Njord and Manannan Mac Lir (the Norse and Celtic gods of sailors.) It’s in my blood: as far back as 1642, my ancestors were sea captains working for the Dutch East India Company.  It’s who I am.  Did I mention I am still in the U.S. Coast Guard Auiliary?!

Lily:  That’s awesome! I love when I’m able to be near the water, there’s something soothing about it. Do you collect anything? What is it?

Thom:  I have always been fascinated by the natural world.  As a child, my room was full of cigar boxes filled with insects and butterflies I had mounted and preserved, and I had a four-drawer file cabinet filled with rock collections.  Now that I’m older, my collections do not involve ‘taking’ things, but in observing and preserving: we report regular bird-watching activities to conservation organizations, and preserve seeds of heritage varieties of pants and vegetables and share with our neighbors. 

Lily:  It sounds like your love of nature evolved in a wonderful way as you grew. Is there anything else you would like to add that I haven’t included?

Thom:  I am a man with each foot in a different world:  I have lived in Manhattan, and can sing any song from any Broadway musical on command.  I am also a farmer in Vermont, and my neighbors have called on me to help deliver their lambs.  I love the pulse and energy of a gay nightclub in Montreal, and I have sat and waited hours in silence in the forest while hunting. I can party until sunrise in New Orleans, and can get an equal amount of enjoyment watching shooting stars and hearing owl hoots from my homestead in the Green Mountains of Vermont. All of life can be enjoyed to the fullest if one is committed to the goodness of life.

Lily:  That all sounds like a lot of fun. How can readers discover more about you and your work?

Thom:  They can follow my more academic posts on my Reddit board at r/Paganachd, or they can follow my personal silliness on my Facebook page.  Or, they can come over to our farm in Chester, Vermont, unannounced, and enjoy our home-made mead and a bonfire. We have an open-door policy and believe in communal living.

Professor Thom Simmons speaks five languages, including Scottish Gaelic, and is a qualified translator for the Interpreter Corps of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary. A graduate of Hofstra University and Hofstra Law School, he has also studied at the Colaisde na Gàidhlig in Nova Scotia and the Invermark School of Piping. A professor for over 25 years, he has spent much of his life researching his family’s history and the folklore of Glenshee, Scotland, and is an active member of the Clan MacThomas Society. Though an American by birth, his summers were spent in a communal-style camp compound founded and operated by his Danish forebears for five generations, where storytelling, folk dancing, song, and impromptu plays filled the evenings. It was here that he learned the storyteller’s art, and as an adult went on to thrill visitors at the Boston Harbor Islands National Park, serving as an interpretive guide recounting tales of pirates, shipwrecks, and ghostly apparitions at the Boston Lighthouse. He lives with his husband Dan in Chester, Vermont, where they operate Dungeon Dragon Farm, an organic homestead raising chickens, cayuga ducks, and honeybees, and producing walnut wood stain, honey, maple syrup, and dozens of varieties of vegetables, fruits, and berries. When not sampling single-malt Scotch whisky varieties, they enjoy their home-brewed mead, ales, and hard ciders. He is a practicing reconstructionist heathen, embracing both Norse and Gaelic polytheism.

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Reddit | LinkedIn | Amazon | Goodreads