They Came on Viking Ships

A novel by Jackie French

A Study Guide

Sample Chapter Activities

Chapters 1-4

1. Describe the location of the events in chapter one. Is it the kind of place we would expect people would live in today?
2. How can we tell that people living in this time period are superstitious?
3. Why do you think the witch called the lazy puppy ‘Riki Snarfari’?
4. Describe the attitude the chief and his family have regarding the witch.
5. Chapter one is called ‘The Naming’ which suggests that naming the puppy ‘Riki Snarfari’ will be important. What do you predict might happen in the future because the puppy has been given this name?
6. Describe what kind of person Hekja is based on the opening paragraph in chapter two.
7. Why did the village folk decide not to eat seals? What does this suggest about the village folk?
8. What are your feelings towards Hekja and the Chief at the end of chapter two?
9. Describe the attitude of Hekja’s mother towards the puppy.
10. Compare Hekja’s discussion with the witch in chapter three with the exchange between the Chief, his family and the witch earlier in the novel. Do they have the same attitude towards the witch?
11. ‘magic is good to trick the foolish into doing what they should have done if they’d had sense in the first place’ –Why do you think she makes this statement to Hekja?
12. ‘‘for that too,’ said the witch cryptically’ – What does this imply?
13. Why does Bran come to visit Hekja in chapter four? Hoe does Hekja feel about Bran?
14. ‘sometimes Hekja felt the Chief’s eyes upon her’ – Why do you think he was watching Hekja?
15. The seasons change at the end of chapter four. What agreement had Hekja made with Tikka which she will now have to honour?

Vocabulary

wound, cluster, hobbled, snivelling, simmering, boastfully, jewels, horizon, shrieked, whimpering, yelped, accident, emerged, mighty, cackled, smouldering, generous, happiness, despairingly, precious, reluctantly, disturb, earnest

Activity

Hekja is a very caring young woman who would not allow the Chief to kill the puppy. What are five other words you would use to describe Hekja so far in the novel? Explain why you chose these words.