The Cross and the Dragon (52 page)

This example of seeking divine favor is not unique. Before his invasion of Avaria in 791, Charles participated in three days of litanies.

To ignore the role that faith played would be a major disservice to the reader.

Questions for Discussion

1. During the Middle Ages, magic and religion existed side by side. By wearing an amulet along with her cross, Alda is following a common practice. Is this contradictory? Discuss the pagan and Christian symbols that abound throughout the novel and how magic and religion shape the characters’ lives.

2. The characters have varied concept of who God is, ranging from harsh judge to loving protector. How do these different visions of God affect and justify the characters’ actions?

3. How do the characters use the supernatural to explain their world and what happens to them?

4. In many marriages during the Middle Ages and Renaissance, one of a noblewoman’s most important duties was to bear her husband a healthy son and heir, and she was blamed if the couple could not conceive. Would Hruodland and Alda’s marriage have survived if the attack at the Pass of Roncevaux had not happened?

5. The political and the personal were intertwined during this period. How did King Charles’s decisions about his marriages affect his relations with his vassals and other rulers?

6. What do you think are the Muslim emirs’ motives for asking for Charles’s aid? Why did the Christian Gascons in Pamplona reject Charles as their ruler, despite their shared faith?

7. Charles’s reign was marked by frequent wars. How do they affect the mindset of the characters?

8. When Hruodland was in a coma, did Gerard and Alda’s uncles make the right decision to let her think he was dead, even in light of what they knew at the time? Is there ever a time when telling a lie or letting someone believe something that isn’t true is the right thing to do?

9. How do Alda’s and Gundrada’s reactions to their widowhood differ? Which loyalty should prevail, the husband’s memory or the family’s need for an alliance? Was Hruodland right to put his wife’s needs above everyone else’s?

10. When seeking justice and protection for Alda, did Hruodland have any alternative to a duel with Ganelon?

About the Author

Kim Rendfeld

A former journalist and current copy editor for a university public relations office, Kim Rendfeld has a lifelong fascination with fairy tales and legends, which set her on her quest to write
The Cross and the Dragon
. She lives in Indiana with her husband, Randy, and their spoiled cats. They have a daughter and two granddaughters.
 

For more about Kim, visit
www.kimrendfeld.com
.