“As for me, I have had enough of these troubled times and I’ll soon retire to the nunnery at Wilton, where my friend Godgifu is the abbess. I retain, and will retain, the lands that were my dower for my marriage. How I will leave them in my Will I do not yet know. I’ll tell my thegn at Wix, Adamnan, to follow your lead in all things in Tendring Hundred.”
Alan was thoughtful about how personalities and the effects of history influence the present.
After a moment Swanhild asked Alan, “What kind of man is William? I hear that you have met him and had dealings with him.”
After a moment’s pause Alan replied, “He’s hard- as hard as iron and quite ruthless. Meticulous; he plans and considers everything in detail. Autocratic and unable to accept any criticism or lack of loyalty once sworn. His will is law. Suspicious- remember his past. There were many attempts to murder him as a child and his guardians had to keep moving him to ensure his safety. One was killed in William’s own chamber as he sought to protect him.
“From the age of 19 he’s dealt with rebellion within Normandy and invasion by France, both of which he overcame. His father Robert died when William was seven. He was a bastard son and that is something about which, while he acknowledges, he is sensitive of and will not allow others to mention in a derisory manner. Not because he is ashamed of that fact, but because he sees such comments as showing contempt for his current position and what he has achieved. He has great pride in what he has achieved, both in Normandy and England, and rightly so. He’s a superb general and a good administrator. He’s very intelligent. Although not well-lettered, he can read and write both Latin and Norman French, but is no scholar. He’ll listen to advice before he makes a decision, but not afterwards.
“He’s personally pious and I believe he intends to keep the oaths he swore at his coronation- if the English keep their oaths. He rules with an iron hand, rewards loyalty even when those receiving the rewards may not be worthy. That means that much of the land has, and will be, parcelled out and given to his friends and supporters.
“As I’m amongst friends tonight, I can instance his half-brother Odo of Bayeux who was appointed as a bishop at the age of 14. That’s not usually an age by which you can have shown sufficient devotion to God and sufficient learning to be elevated to such office. Another is Geoffrey Bishop of Coutances. Both are more used to leading troops into battle than leading a religious service. Odo is using his position as co-regent in William’s absence to enrich himself.
“William punishes disloyalty severely. He’s a complex man, but one who possesses the three most important characteristics of a king. Strength; intelligence; heirs. He has three sons.”
Edith nodded her agreement of this assessment.
“Perhaps the ending of the war of the Angevin succession and being confronted by Fulk, the new Count of Anjou, will give William something else to occupy his time. I believe that Fulk intends to contest William’s claim and power in Maine,” commented Eadnoth. “How would William react to an uprising amongst the English?” he continued.
“I believe that Edward had a deathbed dream that a year and a day after his death devils would come through the land with fire and sword and war?” said Alan. Queen Edith nodded. “Many see that as already happening, with the Normans being the devils. If there was a revolt, or serious opposition to William, that dream will come true and the devils of war will lay waste any part of England that opposes William’s will. I pray to God that the Aetheling’s party do nothing stupid and maintain their sworn loyalty, or there will be a blood-bath like nothing England has seen before.”
On that sombre note Queen Edith rose and announced that the highlight of the evening, a recitation of the saga of ‘The Battle of Maldon’ as a remembrance of the days of English greatness, would now be given.
An old bard, well dressed and with long white hair, moustache and beard entered accompanied by a younger man carrying a harp. The guests took seats around the room and, with a strum of the harp, the old man began the story, reciting from memory.
Byrhtnoth was an ealdorman of Essex who in 991 intercepted a Viking raiding force led by Olaf Tryggvason just outside Maldon. The Vikings had landed on an island which at ebb tide was joined to the mainland only by a narrow land bridge of sand and mud. The bard described Byrhtnoth’s great height, his strength despite his age of nearly sixty. Byrhtnoth’s forces were outnumbered and the levy comprised mainly of farmers, with the bard describing how Byrhtnoth had to teach them to hold weapons and stand in line of battle.
The hero’s speeches of patriotism and honour were quoted at length. The might of the Viking raiding force at over 2,000, and their prowess as warriors, were also recited at length. The Viking Olaf addressed the Saxons, promising to sail away if he was paid with gold and armour from the lord. Byrhtnoth eloquently refused. As Olaf’s men could not force their way across the narrow land-bridge guarded by the Saxons he sent word asking Byrhtnoth to allow his warriors onto the shore. Byrhtnoth, out of pride or recklessness, agreed. The subsequent battle was described virtually blow by blow, with the Vikings overwhelming the Saxons and Byrhtnoth himself being killed, apparently cut down while being attacked by three Vikings at once. The saga drew to a close with a flourish of patriotic bravery and self-sacrifice.
There was great applause and a crowd gathered around the bard to express their appreciation. Alan and Anne rose from their seats and were standing quite close to Queen Edith and Eadnoth. “I noticed that you were squirming around and being uncomfortable during the recitation,” commented Anne.
At that moment Regenbald’s son Cynebeald and another Englishman of about Alan’s own age, who had previously been introduced to Alan as being named Wigstan came up. Wigstan clapped Alan on the shoulder and asked, “What did you think of that performance?”
Alan paused for a moment’s reflection before saying, “As a theatrical performance, I must say that the bard is a master of his craft. He told the story for over an hour without a pause other than to sip ale, which he also built into the presentation. As I mentioned before to Queen Edith, I’m personally not overly fond of the alliterative style. I find the emphasis in each part of each line distracting from the story, and the use of metaphors or kennings for the sake of maintaining form a sign of poor composition. My preference is for the classical style of the Greeks and Romans.
“If your reference was to the content of the ballad, I would have to say that this is one of very few heroic English poems or sagas. What I say next will probably be offensive to you, but is the truth.” Alan was aware that Queen Edith and her small group of hangers-on had turned to listen to the conversation. “Most of the sagas recited here in England are of Norse origin. ‘Beowulf’; ‘The Fight at Finnburgh’; several others.
“The Battle of Maldon is an interesting story and one of the few English sagas. But it is a story of a lost battle. Byrhtnoth threw away his one advantage that could keep his village or town secure. His duty was to protect Maldon. When he lost, although not mentioned in the saga, the town would have been pillaged and burned. The old and the young children would have been slaughtered. The women raped and ravished, and together the surviving young men and women would have been carried away to slavery in Norway.