The Legend of Ivar Gunnarsson

This tale, set on the Isle of Man, tells of a cataclysmic battle lasting a thousand years, between Man, who has the power of thought and reason, and Loki, who exists in superstition and who believes that thought and reason will doom him to annihilation. Does thought and reason trump superstition, or does superstition arise out of thought and reason? It isn't what it seems on the surface. Ivar, a Viking from the late 11th century, battles Loki for his own life and the life of his wife and unborn child. Loki's weapon of choice is a lethal storm brought forth from the depths of the Irish Sea. Ivar's weapon is all he has: the power of man, the power of thought and reason. In the first battle, which forms the first story of the oral Legend of Ivar Gunnarsson, Ivar prevails, but Loki is not defeated. For a thousand years Ivar's descendants fight Loki, over and over, in a conflict between thought and reason and superstition from whence Loki originates. This is a battle between mortals and a God, between differing belief systems, between knowledge and understanding and the lack thereof, between good and evil. This battle first arises on the Sr. Patrick's Isle, a small islet just of the coast of the Isle of Man, a speck of land in the middle of the Irish Sea, over the years the battle stretches from the Lofoten Islands of Northern Norway, to Oslo, and to Lancashire in the western part of the United Kingdom. William Iverson, of the Isle of Man, and his wife, Bergit Dyrdal, of the Lofotens, find themselves pitted against Loki and a variety of his henchmen. Strange forces seem to guide Will, the last living descendant of Ivar, and Bergit, as they try to unravel the mysteries of the Legend, thousand years after that first battle. They are confronted by, and protected by, forces they don't understand as they battle Loki and his allies. This is also a love story, and a story of warmth, deep devotion and dedication. It touches on early Christianity and its influence on the Viking culture a thousand years ago. It also touches on the extraordinary place that is the Isle of Man, both as it perhaps existed in the 11th century and as it exists today.
About the Author: Daniel Schorsch is a retired Naval Architect and Marine Engineer, Reactor Engineer, and Attorney. He lives with his wife, Ellen, a pianist, and music teacher, in Waynesboro, Virginia. He is the father of two adult children and has two grandsons. In his first career he was involved in the design and construction of the Navy's first two nuclear surface vessels; the guided missile cruiser, USS Long Beach, CGN-9, and the guided missile frigate, USS Bainbridge, DLG(N)25, CLG(N)25. His second career, as an attorney started at the age of 45. He later became a senior partner in his own firm before retiring