A slightly different post this week, as Marie Laval talks about some of the research she undertook for her new novel CAPTURED BY A SCOTTISH LORD published by Choc Lit. Over to Marie …
I really enjoyed reading tales and legends from Scotland whilst researching my historical romance CAPTURED BY A SCOTTISH LORD, which was recently published by Choc Lit UK. The story is mostly set in the far north of the Highlands and my heroine Rose Saintclair’s first experience of Scotland is a terrible storm as her ship sails through the Minch – the body of water stretching between the north-west Highlands, the northern Inner Hebrides and the Outer Hebrides. Rose is terrified of being captured by one of the mythical creatures the captain of the ship called the Blue Men of the Minch.
According to Scottish folklore, they were supernatural sea creatures who inhabited these waters. Partly human and partly mermen, they had blue skin and used to swim alongside ships and try to lure sailors into the water. They also had the ability to conjure storms and wreck ships, but interestingly they spared sailors who had a talent for poetry!
Indeed, when a ship sailed through the Minch the Blue Men’s chief would rise high in the water and shout to the skipper two lines of poetry. If the skipper was unable to respond immediately by adding two lines to complete the verse, the Blue Men would drag the ship down to the bottom of the sea. However, if the skipper could complete the verse, his ship would be allowed to carry on safely.
But where does the legend of the Blue Men of the Minch come from?
The obvious explanation is of course that the Blue Men are in fact not magical creatures at all, but porpoises which are often seen in the seas around Scotland.
Historians also suggest two other possibilities. Firstly, the tales of Blue Men may refer to the ancient Picts who used to paint their body and may have used kayak-like boats to cross the waters of the Minch, therefore giving the impression that they were only half human.
Another explanation links the Blue Men to the time of the Vikings who around the 9th century took Moors captured in North Africa to Ireland to be slaves. The Vikings spent winter months near the Shiant Isles in the Minch, and some historians believe the blue men are in fact “marooned foreign slaves” (Mackenzie (2013), loc. 1391). More specifically, these Moors may be Tuaregs, who were always called the ‘Blue Men of the Desert’ owing to their indigo clothing and headscarves.
Then again, they might just be magical merfolk… What do you think?
About Marie Laval
Originally from Lyon in France, Marie now lives in Lancashire and writes historical and contemporary romance. Best-selling LITTLE PINKTAXI was her debut romantic comedy novel with Choc Lit. A PARIS FAIRY TALE was published in July 2019, followed by BLUEBELL’S CHRISTMAS MAGIC in November 2019 and bestselling romantic suspense ESCAPE TO THE LITTLE CHATEAU which was shortlisted for the 2021 RNA Jackie Collins Romantic Suspense Award. Marie’s historical romances, ANGEL OF THE LOST TREASURE, QUEEN OF THE DESERT and CAPTURED BY A SCOTTISH LORD, all feature members of the Saintclair family and her short stories are published in the bestselling Miss Moonshine anthologies. Marie is a member of the Romantic Novelists Association and the Society of Authors, and her novels are available as paperbacks, ebooks and audiobooks on Amazon and various other platforms.
You can get in touch with Marie on Facebook or Twitter
About CAPTURED BY A SCOTTISH LORD
Can a Desert Rose survive a Scottish winter?
The wild Scottish landscape is a far cry from Rose Saintclair’s Saharan oasis, although she’ll endure it for Lord Cameron McRae, the man she married after a whirlwind romance in Algiers. But when stormy weather leads to Rose’s Scotland-bound ship docking on Cape Wrath – the land of Cameron’s enemy, Bruce McGunn – could her new life already be in jeopardy?
Lord McGunn was a fearless soldier, but his experiences have made him as unforgiving as the land he presides over. He knows McRae won’t rest until he owns Wrath, and the man is willing to use brutal tactics. Bruce decides that he’ll play McRae at his own game, take the ship and its precious occupant, and hold them hostage.
Rose is determined to escape, but whilst captured she learns that there’s another side to her new husband – and could her supposedly cold and ruthless kidnapper also be concealing hidden depths?
CAPTURED BY A SCOTTISH LORD is available on Amazon and Kobo and other platforms.
Thank you, Marie. That research sounds fascinating. Mx
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