The novel “The Broken Sword” by Poul Anderson was published for the first time in 1954 and in a revised edition in 1971.
Orm kills a witch’s family to take over their lands. In revenge, the witch allies herself with the elf Imric and helps him kidnap Orm’s newborn son. The child is exchanged for Valgard and taken to the land of the elves, where he grows up under the name Skafloc.
The switch has significant consequences for the growth of the two children, whose destinies become part of events larger than their own. A war between trolls and elves and plans advanced by gods unfold, with a sword broken—for good reason—by Thor as a potential tipping point.
“The Broken Sword” represented Poul Anderson’s attempt to write fantasy after having written science fiction only during the first years of his career as a writer. The story is set in the Viking Age, with the foreword that starts mentioning 1018 as the year. Because of this setting, it draws heavily on Norse mythology, with its gods and creatures.
Actually, the novel is a mix of different elements: for example, Norse deities are mentioned and may appear, but it’s set at a time when Christianity was already widespread in the area. This, too, is part of a story that, for these reasons, was labeled as heroic fantasy and sword and sorcery, too.
The story unfolds with a strong sense of mythology, as if it were an addition to the classic Norse myths. In the original edition, Poul Anderson deliberately used an archaic style to emphasize this connection. The edition published in 1971 is different, especially stylistically, because the author eliminated many of those archaisms and included some minor changes to the plot.
From the beginning, it’s clear that the plot has tragic overtones due to the characters’ actions. Orm’s initial actions have profound consequences, with ramifications that unfold over the course of decades. Humans, other creatures, and even the gods generally display negative sides, and the consequences certainly can’t be good.
Two pieces of a sword, two newborns being switched, paganism and Christianity. Poul Anderson seems to want to use these dualities to construct a plot that certainly doesn’t shy away from clashes that sometimes lead to considerable bloodshed. The sword has its own symbolism, including its connection to the iron it’s made of, which is included in the story.
Poul Anderson uses strong mythological and other elements in a story that is told very quickly, even by the standards of the time when “The Broken Sword” was published for the first time. It’s often remembered that, in the same year, J. R. R. Tolkien published “The Fellowship of the Ring,” which is about twice as long and is only the first book of a trilogy.
Today, we’re even more accustomed to long novels that are part of an entire series in which battles and intrigues are developed in detail. For this reason, it may seem even stranger that a story spanning many years is told in a book that, in some editions, is less than 200 pages long. “The Broken Sword” has nevertheless become a classic that will appeal especially to readers who appreciate fantasy stories with a strong mythological influence. You can find it on Amazon USA, UK, and Canada.
