tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57751987941852513782024-03-13T15:28:56.236-07:00Sons of the WolfPaula Loftinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138899684247746388noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5775198794185251378.post-33094817583226156432015-05-31T15:20:00.000-07:002015-06-03T02:27:59.302-07:00Meet My Character: Wulfhere<h2>
I am pleased to have been tagged in the Meet My character Blog Hop by the lovely <a href="https://annabelfrage.wordpress.com/2015/05/25/meet-my-main-character/" target="_blank">Anna Belfrage</a> and if you click the link you will be transported back to her blog to view her character post and a jolly good one it is at that. </h2>
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My post entails the exciting background to my novels Sons of the Wolf and The Wolf Banner in which world of my imagination, Wulfhere resides. Please do read on and learn about this fascinating, 3 dimensional character that I love to love, torment, and hate. </h3>
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Wulfhere is an English thegn, a Saxon who lives in the shire of Sussex, called the <i>Suth Seaxa </i>in<i> </i>old English. It is the area that used to be known as the Kingdom of the South Saxons. He was a real person, documented in the <em>Domesday</em> book as having owned land in the village of <em>Horstede</em> and his property is recorded in that great survey of William the Conqueror. Other than this information nothing else exists in the records of this man; we only know that he must have been a <em>thegn*</em> owing to the amount of land he owned. And because I wanted to set this book in an area close to me, I chose him as the main character.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCqeM6Xy9k4VKCPk30ihX0yTyuw8B_eZ7zyasXza69cvZEkA3pnjcnYJuCMUEPnZirki5Umauq8-6M5urkk9Z9odEXheB22znRwtCQ2b-eazHrz4v9YcPnE4Bo9jnOoydXE4RB0qClO1mi/s1600/041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCqeM6Xy9k4VKCPk30ihX0yTyuw8B_eZ7zyasXza69cvZEkA3pnjcnYJuCMUEPnZirki5Umauq8-6M5urkk9Z9odEXheB22znRwtCQ2b-eazHrz4v9YcPnE4Bo9jnOoydXE4RB0qClO1mi/s1600/041.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The story, as I have said above is set in a village called Horstede, which is now called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Horsted" target="_blank">Little Horsted</a> and lies near the town of Uckfield in East Sussex. In the 11thc, a blanket of thick forest covered the land for 40 miles south of London and Horstede was set in a clearing of five hides, a hide being an ancient unit of land said to be the amount a family would need to live on. It was listed in the Domesday Book as land held from the king by Wulfhere before 1066. In turn 9 villeins and 6 cottars held their land from Wulfhere. Between them they owned 7 and a half ploughs with a team of 8 oxen each and 1 with a half team of 4. Now-a-days, it is little more than a hamlet. Aside from a single row of houses, a parish church and a school, there is also a Golf club and a hotel. Surrounding it there are farms and fields. There is even a roundabout called the Little Horsted roundabout. According to David Howarth, <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/1066-Conquest-David-Armine-Howarth/dp/0140058508" target="_blank">1066:The Year of the Conquest</a>, it is little changed from a thousand years ago. Mr Howarth's book is what inspired me to use Wulfhere as my main character. His wonderful description of life seen through the eyes of the ordinary people of England was what gave me the idea to write this story. </div>
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<span style="color: #e06666;"><br /></span> Wulfhere may have been a real historical character, but as I have said, I had little or nothing to go on to determine his character. What we can guess is that he was a thegn of middling nobility, owning the minimum 5 hides of land that a thegn could hold. In my story, Wulfhere, being a king's thegn, works as a court official on a rota basis. The rest of his time is spent at home in Horstede carrying out maintenance works on fencing and bridges in the forest royal hunting grounds for the king and training the local militia. His longhall in Horstede is host to his family whom he loves dearly, and his tenants to whom he is responsible as their lord. He is a man of great integrity, he would rather die in battle than run like a coward as he proves in the first novel, Sons of the Wolf, at the Battle of Hereford. He strives to be a good man, to love his wife and family, but he is also a flawed creature, whose own needs he sometimes puts before those he loves.<br />
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Wulfhere's personal goal is to keep everyone happy. He often feels pulled in different directions as the various people in his life make demands upon him. He prides himself on loyalty to his lord, Harold Godwinson, but even the great earl's demands on him test his loyalty to the limit.<br />
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Wulfhere is embroiled in a bloodfeud with his neighbour, Helghi. Helghi is not a thegn, but holds a substantial amount of land for a ceorl and has always been envious of Wulfhere. The feud first started many years before, over a horse that Helghi insisted on buying from Wulfhere for his young son Edgar. The horse was too wild and not properly broken in it and despite Wulfhere's protestations, Helghi insists on having it for his son. Subsequently, the horse throws seven year old Edgar and cripples him. Helghi stupidly blames Wulfhere and so the feud starts. Although the story of their hatred is well known, some say that it hearkens back to past generations, but no one can be sure of the origin. It seems that only Wulfhere and Helghi are privy to that secret. Unfortunately, the fragility of an already souring relationship between the two men is increased when Helghi sets his eyes on Wulfhere's wife's friend and she turns to Wulfhere for help. Wulfhere rescues the woman from Helghi's clutches and this brings on an extra helping of trouble for Wulfhere, other than that he gets from Helghi. </div>
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Wulfhere's latest story that I am currently working on is The Wolf Banner, this is the sequel to Sons of the Wolf, which has already been published but will be getting a new look cover and a revised edit soon after The Wolf Banner which will soon be published. You can read more about it on our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/wolfsbanner?fref=ts" target="_blank">Facebook page</a><br />
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I am hoping that the books will be launched before the end of the year, but it all depends on life, anything can happen. I am a busy mum and grandmother, fulltime nurse and help run <a href="http://www.thereviewgroup.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Review</a> blog so life can be very unpredictable. Firstly though, it would be wise to read <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sons-Wolf-Paula-Lofting-ebook/dp/B008OK4HF2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397138360&sr=8-1&keywords=Sons+of+the+Wolf" target="_blank">Sons of the Wolf</a> then you will be up to speed to read The Wolf Banner.</div>
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<span style="color: #e06666;"><br /></span><span style="color: black;">* A landholder owing military and administrative services to the king</span></div>
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Thanks for visiting this post, I have tagged 6 other authors and they will be posting about their main character.</h2>
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Louise E Rule <a href="http://louiseeruleauthor.blogspot.co.uk/">http://louiseeruleauthor.blogspot.co.uk</a> , Rob Bayliss <a href="http://sunshard.blogspot.co.uk/">http://sunshard.blogspot.co.uk/</a>, Maria Gibbs <a href="https://gibbsdream.wordpress.com/">https://gibbsdream.wordpress.com/</a> , Cora Lee <a href="https://coraleeauthor.wordpress.com/">https://coraleeauthor.wordpress.com/</a> Dawn Singh <a href="http://authordmsingh.weebly.com/meet-my-character-blog-hop/meet-regina">http://authordmsingh.weebly.com/meet-my-character-blog-hop/meet-regina</a>, Sue Harrison <a href="http://suwritesstuff.blogspot.co.uk/">http://suwritesstuff.blogspot.co.uk/</a>, Lisl Zlitni <a href="http://beforethesecondsleep.blogspot.com/">http://beforethesecondsleep.blogspot.com/</a></h2>
Paula Loftinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138899684247746388noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5775198794185251378.post-4175384251838943972014-06-17T14:29:00.001-07:002014-06-17T14:37:26.192-07:00Game of Sevens<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">I've been tagged in the writers Game of Sevens by <a href="http://bernicia-chronicles.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/luckyseven-book-excerpt-serpent-sword.html" target="_blank">Matthew Harffy</a>, another Anglo Saxon writer. The rules are simple: Go to page 7 or 77 in your current manuscript and go to line 7, post the next 7 or so sentences - as they are and tag 7 people to do the same. Click on the link with Matthew's name to see his post. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Here are the 7 lines from page 77 from <a href="https://www.facebook.com/wolfsbanner?fref=ts" target="_blank">The Wolf Banner</a>. This piece is from the part of the book where Tovi anxiously waits up late instead of going to bed, worried about his mother's apparent wanton behaviour when entertaining some guests from Normandy. The Wolf Banner is the sequel to Sons of the Wolf. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">As he moved the pieces
absentmindedly on the board, he thought of his seax, the gift that the Earl of
Wessex had given to him when he had saved his daughter from drowning. He was
allowed to wear it now that he was in his twelfth year and it was a comfort to
know that it was with him, just in case he should have need of it. His mother,
it appeared, had imbibed far too much of the potent mead that she had provided
for their table and was behaving childishly, like a young girl, basking in male
flattery for the first time. She had been taught some of the Frankish language by
the nuns who had educated her as a girl growing up in a convent and the men
were light-heartedly correcting her efforts. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Now I would like to tag <a href="http://louiseeruleauthor.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Louise Rule</a> , <a href="http://www.annabelfrage.com/My-Blog/" target="_blank">Anna Belfrage,</a> <a href="http://simonandrewstirling.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Simon Stirling</a>, <a href="http://englishepochs.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Debra Brown</a>, <a href="http://stevenamckay.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Steven A McKay,</a> <a href="http://www.davidpillingauthor.com/" target="_blank">David Pilling,</a> <a href="http://lindaroot.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Linda Root</a>. Good Luck guys!</span></div>
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Paula Loftinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138899684247746388noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5775198794185251378.post-50021709230393175552014-04-11T15:30:00.000-07:002014-04-12T13:54:31.469-07:00The Latest Blog Hop: Meet My Character<h3>
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Welcome all back to my Sons of the Wolf blog. I know we <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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haven't been around much as Wulfhere and I have been working on other projects but as I have been tagged by <a href="http://rosannelortz.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Rosanne E Lortz</a> in this latest blog hop, I have the opportunity to revive this sleeping site and remind my followers and readers that we are still alive and kicking!</h2>
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So Let us start the hop with the questions that one has been asked. So first, number one:</h3>
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<span style="color: #e06666;">1) What is the name of your main character, his he/she fictional or a historical character</span></div>
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Wulfhere is an English thegn, a Saxon who lives in the shire of Sussex, called the <i>Suth Seaxa </i>in<i> </i>old English. It is the area that used to be known as the Kingdom of the South Saxons. He owns the land that belongs to Horstede village and his property is documented in the Domesday book. He was a real person, but I have made in fictional because nothing is known about this man apart from what land he owned. And because I wanted to set this book in an area close to me, I chose him as the main character. </div>
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<span style="color: #e06666;">2) Where and When is the story set?</span></div>
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The story, as I have said above is set in a village called Horstede, which is now called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Horsted" target="_blank">Little Horsted</a> and lies near the town of Uckfield in East Sussex. In those days, the 11thc, a blanket of thick forest covered the land for 40 miles south of London and Horstede was set in a clearing of five hides, a hide being an ancient unit of land said to be the amount a family would need to live on. It was listed in the Domesday Book as being land held from the king by Wulfhere before 1066. Holding their lands from Wulfhere, were 9 villeins and 6 cottars. Between them they owned 7 and a half ploughs with a team of 8 oxen each and 1 with a half team of 4. Now-a-days, it is little more than a hamlet. Aside from a single row of houses, a parish church and a school, there is also a Golf club and a hotel. Surrounding it there are farms and fields. There is even a roundabout called the Little Horsted roundabout. According to David Howarth, whose book <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/1066-Conquest-David-Armine-Howarth/dp/0140058508" target="_blank">1066:The Year of the Conquest</a>, it is little changed from a thousand years ago. Mr Howarth's book is what inspired me to use Wulfhere as my main character. His wonderful description of life seen through the eyes of the ordinary people of England was what gave me the inspiration to write this story. </div>
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<span style="color: #e06666;">3) What should we know about him or her?</span></div>
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Wulfhere might be a real historical character, but there is no documented record about his deeds or what he was like. What we can guess is that he was a thegn of middling nobility, owning the minimum 5 hides of land that a thegn could hold. In my story, Wulfhere, being a king's thegn, works as a court official on a rota basis. The rest of his time is spent at home in Horsted carrying out maintenance works for the king and assisting with training the local militia. His longhall in Horsted is host to his family whom he loves dearly, and his tenants to whom he is responsible as their lord. He is a man of great integrity, he would rather die in battle than run like a coward as he proves in the first novel Sons of the Wolf at the Battle of Hereford. He strives to be a good man, to love his wife and family, but he is also a flawed creature, whose own needs he sometimes puts before those he loves.<br />
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<span style="color: #e06666;">4) What is the personal goal of the character?</span><br />
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Wulfhere's personal goal is to keep everyone happy. He often feels pulled in different directions as the various people in his life make demands upon him. He prides himself on loyalty to his lord, Harold Godwinson, but even the great Earl's demands on him test his loyalty to the limit.<br />
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<span style="color: #e06666;">5) What is the main conflict, what messes up his or her's life?</span><br />
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Wulfhere is embroiled in a bloodfeud with his neighbour, Helghi. Helghi is not a thegn, but holds a substantial amount of land for a ceorl and has always been envious of Wulfhere. The feud first started many years before, over a horse that Helghi insisted on buying from Wulfhere for his young son Edgar. The horse is too wild and not properly broken in it and despite Wulfhere's protestations, Helghi insists on having it for his son. Subsequently, the horse throws seven year old Edgar and cripples him. Helghi stupidly blames Wulfhere and so the feud starts. Although this story is well known, some say that the feud harks back some generations, but no one can be sure of the origin. Unfortunately, the fragility of an already souring relationship between the two men is increased when Helghi sets his eyes on Wulfhere's wife's friend and she turns to Wulfhere for help. Wulfhere rescues the woman from Helghi's clutches and this causes more trouble for Wulfhere other than that he gets from Helghi. I shall not say too much more for fear of spoiling the story.</div>
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<span style="color: #e06666;">6) Is there a working title of this story and can we read more about it?</span><br />
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Wulfhere's current story that I am working on is The Wolf Banner, this is the sequel to Sons of the Wolf. ?You can read more about it on our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/wolfsbanner?fref=ts" target="_blank">Facebook page</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH65VUYoEbslH4f0FOLyh3iPZAeQ-xbWiRqwyJE8W7lRjaVWmFSi7_5mUt9RXagjpjjdkASbRRk0XjWtCwz5C4-62U4vlwnoayKQ1JxGh5NQJONqyguEZW91-xfXyZTudCcnPAkKSLm0IY/s1600/Wolf-Banner-AMAZON.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH65VUYoEbslH4f0FOLyh3iPZAeQ-xbWiRqwyJE8W7lRjaVWmFSi7_5mUt9RXagjpjjdkASbRRk0XjWtCwz5C4-62U4vlwnoayKQ1JxGh5NQJONqyguEZW91-xfXyZTudCcnPAkKSLm0IY/s1600/Wolf-Banner-AMAZON.jpg" height="320" width="205" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #e06666;">7) When can we expect the book to be published?</span><br />
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Soon, I am hoping, but like Rosanne, it all depends on life, anything can happen. I am a busy mum and grandmother, fulltime nurse and help run <a href="http://www.thereviewgroup.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Review</a> blog so life can be very unpredictable. Firstly though, it would be wise to read <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sons-Wolf-Paula-Lofting-ebook/dp/B008OK4HF2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1397138360&sr=8-1&keywords=Sons+of+the+Wolf" target="_blank">Sons of the Wolf</a> then you will be up to speed to read The Wolf Banner.</div>
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Thanks for visiting this post, I have tagged 5 other authors and they will be posting about their main character on the 15th April<span style="color: #e06666;">. </span>Well actually 6, I accidentally asked too many but didn't have the heart to turn one a way because they are all so awesome!</div>
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1) <a href="http://margaretskea.com/" target="_blank"> Margaret Skea</a><br />
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2) <a href="http://louiseeruleauthor.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Louise Rule</a><br />
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3) <a href="http://stuartslaing.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Stuart S Laing</a><br />
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4) <a href="http://juditharnoppnovelist.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Judith Arnopp</a><br />
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5) <a href="http://www.katequinnauthor.com/blog.htm" target="_blank">Kate Quinn</a><br />
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6) <a href="http://rebelpuritan.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Jo Ann Butler</a></div>
Paula Loftinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138899684247746388noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5775198794185251378.post-6763256712746280852013-06-09T13:49:00.001-07:002013-06-11T13:36:53.741-07:00Sonsof the Wolf on indieBRAG Blog Tour<h2>
Starts Monday 10th June right through to the 19th!</h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVXwuEtKBPnBi5w7iK77k14RTZv34flB8FfBPox5-Rxdg_kacKE-4RiZcahkMtwlaDoJKWstOdNw3Xk6N2h8Q85BiaQDOB6uDpRSUHeG22SUTeWa1aVD5ZvLHHDl0BMA7cB-kFWoedXNP1/s1600/Sons+of+the+Wolf+Book+Tour+Banner+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVXwuEtKBPnBi5w7iK77k14RTZv34flB8FfBPox5-Rxdg_kacKE-4RiZcahkMtwlaDoJKWstOdNw3Xk6N2h8Q85BiaQDOB6uDpRSUHeG22SUTeWa1aVD5ZvLHHDl0BMA7cB-kFWoedXNP1/s400/Sons+of+the+Wolf+Book+Tour+Banner+(1).jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Please join me on my first Blog Tour with IndieBrag on their first book blog tour! </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>I am so honoured and excited to be visiting all those fabulous authors and reviewers blogs and so grateful to Geri Dunlap Clouston and Stephanie Moore Hopkins for their support!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>If you would like to win an e-copy of Sons of the Wolf then email me at sonsofthewolf1066@googlemail.com There will also be an opportunity to win a paperback copy too!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Here are the links to the blogs</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>June 10th <a href="http://suwritesstuff.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Su Harrison</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>June 11th <a href="http://www.gingermyrick.com/" target="_blank">Ginger Myrick</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>June 12th <a href="http://www.juditharnoppnovelist.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Judith Arnopp</a> </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>June 13thl<a href="http://www.patriciabracewell.com/blog" target="_blank">Patricia Bracewell</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>June 14th <a href="http://englishepochs.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Debra Brown</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>June 15th <a href="http://www.otsbp.com/" target="_blank">Debbie Young</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>June 16th <a href="http://www.authormariagrace.com/" target="_blank">Maria Grace</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>June 17th <a href="http://beforethesecondsleep.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Lisl Zlitini</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>June 18th <a href="http://suemillard.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Sue Millard</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>june 19th <a href="http://www.layeredpages.com/" target="_blank">Stephanie Moore Hopkins</a> </b></span></div>
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Paula Loftinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138899684247746388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5775198794185251378.post-46837322697397555492013-05-02T13:39:00.000-07:002013-05-04T05:42:18.343-07:00<img src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/306058_10152246040880476_703387183_n.jpg" /><br />
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Welcome to the Great Heroes & Villains Blog Hop! This is an exciting event where you book mad fans get the chance to win some prizes on every blog you visit. On mine I have 5 e-book copies of my novel to be won, not just one copy but 5! that means you have plenty of chance to win. All you have to do is read my blog post and then follow the easy instructions at the end of the post. Its so easy! Then hop over and take a look at everyone else's blog posts for the chance to win more prizes! there are 21 blogs to visit so that's 21 chances to win a prize! The winners of the blog hop prize will be posted here on my blog for all to see and then all you have to do is message me either on FB or twitter and I will send you your prize.</h3>
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To contribute to this fun blog hop, I wanted to explore the character of my protagonist in my novel, Sons of the Wolf. Wulfhere is more hero than villain, but he is extremely flawed and although he could neither be considered evil or bad, he struggles with the side of him that is selfish and immoral. In some ways, he is both hero and villain. To get some idea of the overview of Wulfhere's story read a synopsis of the novel.</h4>
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At first glance, Wulfhere is everything a stereo-typical hero should be, steadfast, loyal, loving and protective of those close to him, putting others before himself. He perhaps models himself on his Lord, Harold, who is all of these things and generally unwavering in those qualities unless he has to be. But Wulfhere has weaknesses. Women. These come in all sorts of forms, one is his wife, one is his mistress and the other is his daughter Freyda. Imagine a huge lion lying patiently in the cool of the outstretched branches of a tree in the hot African plains, while his cubs play around him, climbing over him, swatting him with their little claws and annoying him like flies. The females hunt for him, provide him with his lunch and look after his offspring, but they nag him too, because he is lazy and he doesn't do anything they want him to. When lunch is served, the little ones continue to annoy him and no one badgers the head of the family when he is at table! Suddenly, the lion roars and everyone scatters in fear. This is how it is with Wulfhere. He will patiently endure his wife, Ealdgytha's efforts to chastise him and punish him for his discretions or his lack of motivation or advancement; he will allow his mistress, the beautiful and enigmatic Alfgyva to pressure him and make him feel guilty; as for Freyda, his vivacious young daughter, she gets away with murder because she is his favourite child and he can deny her nothing until one day they over step the mark and his anger, slowly brought to boil, suddenly reaches its maximum heat and he explodes in rage, roars like the lion and everyone is sent running, just as the lion cubs have done, in the tornado of hot wind that emanates from his great jaws. It is then that Wulfhere becomes the villain, he lashes out, either on some poor human or on some inanimate but necessary object. If only he could have asserted himself more carefully and not allowed these women to cudgel him into action. He might then have remained on the moral high-ground and stayed even-tempered like the Earl, whom he looks up to.<br />
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It is during the Battle of Hereford that we see this other side of this man. Wulfhere morphs into Hero Mode when he is forced out of necessity to fall into that role, taking command not only of his own unit but of all the men when the English cavalry flank he is part of is thrown into chaos, betrayed and deserted by their commander-in-chief, Earl Ralph. The King's nephew had left the field with his own mounted men before the battle had even started, leaving the already overwhelmed English army, even more depleted. Wulfhere takes charge, he is an experienced horseman, but not experienced in fighting on horseback with organised cavalry. As a thegn, he is used to being a leader among men and he knows that his forces will look to him as he rallies them to him, shouting orders in the mayhem, bringing some order to the pandemonium that has ensued the Earl's desertion. The men rally to him and he manages to instil some inspiration in them, calling upon them not to be cowards and flee the field as the yellow-livered Franko/Normans had done. He knew that either way they would die, but at least if they stood their ground and fought, they would have a chance and if that chance did not come, he for one would die like a warrior with his sword in his hand till the end and not be taken down with a spear in his back. <br />
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And so here we have the many facets of our Wulfhere. He is neither the ultimate saintly hero who will fight against all evil and maintain that saintly, chivalric characteristic as he goes about the business of life, forging a road through to Heaven that is as unobstructed by rocks and boulders as his copy book is unblotted. Nor is he the villain of the piece, without conscience or a sense of guilt at his shortcomings; never trying to put the wrongs he has committed, aright. He is proud, often to his detriment. He cannot always see the full extent of what his actions have done to those he cares for, but he truly does try to make amends when he does. He is the lion, majestic and proud, considerate and protective, loyal and steadfast, expecting love and affection in return for his love and regard. He is the roar of the beast when pushed too far and his pride explodes in a tornado of wrath that everyone should do well to fear. He is neither devilish, roguish or villainous, saintly, patient or subservient. He is human and that is what I believe are the qualities that make my readers feel empathy for him.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIYWSTBFnN03Yj31hTIdZ9vAr8cCtEetrHE4InkYfZyhjVe37tHRuiGJMme44hIgRR7n82rMjwwhnY1Pk8eEfr-PPHj3L9a5mM7ZrOJvtWRxIwepmUMrV1zOYU1HPeZGKHA5o3ISb3JN1T/s1600/Al+Camacho.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIYWSTBFnN03Yj31hTIdZ9vAr8cCtEetrHE4InkYfZyhjVe37tHRuiGJMme44hIgRR7n82rMjwwhnY1Pk8eEfr-PPHj3L9a5mM7ZrOJvtWRxIwepmUMrV1zOYU1HPeZGKHA5o3ISb3JN1T/s320/Al+Camacho.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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Who do you love? Is your favourite character a hero, villain or a flawed human being like Wulfhere?<br />
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To enter for a chance to win an e-copy of my novel Sons of the Wolf, tell me who your favourite character is and why and you will be entered into the draw. there are five copies to win! Please leave your answers in the comment boxes below the boxes and click on the links to the other bloghoppers for more chances to win prizes! Thanks so much for visiting us here at Sons of the Wolf!<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Don't forget to hop on over to the others!!! We're here for the longweekend! </span></strong><br />
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List of Links</div>
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<a href="http://nyki-blatchley.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Nyki Blatchley</a></div>
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<a href="http://boltonthewriter.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Martin Bolton</a><br />
<a href="http://www.archivesofpain.com/contents.html" target="_blank">Adrian Chamberlin</a></div>
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<a href="http://mikecooleyfiction.com/" target="_blank">Mike Cooley</a></div>
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<a href="http://karincox.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Karin Cox</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.rhiannondouglas.com/" target="_blank">Rhiannon Douglas</a></div>
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<a href="http://hierath.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Joanne Hall</a></div>
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<a href="http://jm-harrison.com/" target="_blank">Jolea M Harrison</a><a href="http://jm-harrison.com/">/</a></div>
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<a href="http://historicalfictionresearch.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Tinney S Heath</a></div>
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<a href="http://eleni-konstantine.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Eleni Konstantine</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.innerworldsfiction.com/" target="_blank">K.Scott Lewis</a></div>
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<a href="http://lizclong.com/" target="_blank">Liz Long</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.peterlukes.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Peter Lukes</a><a href="http://www.peterlukes.blogspot.co.uk/">/</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.uploadthenovel.com/" target="_blank">Mark McClelland</a></div>
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<a href="http://sablecity.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Edward M McNally</a></div>
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<a href="http://suemillard.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Su Millard</a></div>
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<a href="http://gingermyrick.com/" target="_blank">Ginger Myrick</a><a href="http://gingermyrick.com/">/</a></div>
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<a href="http://pillingswritingcorner.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">David Pilling</a></div>
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<a href="http://kimrendfeld.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Kim Rendfeld</a></div>
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<a href="http://tlsmith-sfauthor.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Terry L Smith</a></div>
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<a href="http://tarawestauthor.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Tara West</a></div>
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<a href="http://kmyatsuhashi.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Keith Yatsuhashi</a></div>
<strong></strong><br />Paula Loftinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138899684247746388noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5775198794185251378.post-14607664807590768622013-05-01T08:37:00.000-07:002013-05-02T05:49:21.412-07:00A preview of an Excerpt from The Wolf Banner <br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You are very pensive today, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">min deore</i>,” Harold said when he and
Eadgyth, having broken their fast that Sunday morn, attended mass with everyone
in Waltham present to welcome their lord home. He was surveying the work in
progress, the new Church of the Holy Rood. Harold had commissioned the new
church to replace the old ramshackle building in thanksgiving for surviving a
serious illness when he had been younger. His mother had prayed for him at the
altar in the old church for his recovery and it was where he had first met
Eadgyth and fallen in love with her as she had tended him when he was sick. He
had made the oath to rebuild the old church in new finery some years ago,
inspired by King Edward’s work on his own project, the great church of St Peter
in Westminster. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The children skipped around them
with Ranulf acting as their guardian and although the day which had started
bright with sunshine and blue sky was now cloudy with a chill in the air, there
was nothing but warmth between them as Eadgyth held on to her husband as if he
were nothing more than a vision that would soon vaporise into thin air if she
didn’t. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Eadgyth<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>had been preoccupied, vague and hardly participating in her usual
effervescent manner. Harold’s head canon, Adelard and the chief stonemason, a
Frenchman called Robert Deschamps showed them around the half built church,
explaining in his captivating style the machinations of the work. But Eadgyth seemed
lost in a world of her own and although she was educated, knew how to converse
very well in the French language that they were all speaking, she maintained a
low profile throughout. As the party had paused to admire the building, the
laughter of the children echoing as they skipped around the stone foundations
and the half built walls, Harold stopped and leaned in closely to her and
repeated what he had said to her earlier which had gone ignored. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Min Deore, </i>you are lost in a world
beyond here, what ails <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">you </i>this
morning?” He emphasised ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">you’ </i>as if
he were referencing his own brooding manner from the previous night. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>She turned dreamy eyes toward him
and they were moist, as if ready to break into tears. “’Tis nothing, Harold...”
She hesitated as if there were more. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Harold lowered his chin and raised
thick brown eyebrows that contrasted to the lightness of his hair. So attuned
to each other’s nature were they, that each one could read the other’s mood
like a missive. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Nothing is ever nothing when it is
nothing,” Harold said, his voice low and encouraging. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“There is something that I wish to
say to you, but I do not know where to begin,” she stated. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Then say it, Sweeting. What is it?”
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Nay, I cannot here. Not with
company around us.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Then let us walk,” he suggested.
And he indicated to Skalpi that he wanted to be alone with his wife to walk
back to their manor, knowing that the children would be safe with their nurse
and Ranulf and the rest of his companions. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>They walked on ahead and Eadgyth
diverted to a peaceful place where she thought they could be in private for a while
to talk. She had thought of nothing else all morning, all through the mass and
then as they walked around their new church. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“I want you to marry,” she said
after a few moments of silence. Her voice was confident. They sat by the mill
pond on the wooden seating that Harold himself had made so that she could go
there with the children when the weather was good. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>For a moment, sitting beside her, it
was as if he hadn’t heard her, for he didn’t move or make any acknowledgement.
She heard him breathe and wondered if he was ever going to answer her. “It is
the only way,” she said. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>He looked at her, bemused. “My
love,” he said and he gave a little laugh that sounded fake. “What on earth has
gotten into you? Have you tired of me already?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>She shook her head and put her hand
in his. “Never, never, never ever would I tire of you, my Lord. It is not for
me that I ask this, for I could never imagine being without you... and you
have, not ever in our time together, given me cause to be displeased with you, or
want to be away from you. It is for Wulfnoth and Hakon that I ask this.” She
paused and showed him intensity of her pale blue eyes that betrayed the
self-assurance of her voice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was looking at her with sudden
understanding of the sacrifice she was attempting. “Eadgyth, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">lufestre,</i> there is no point in asking
this of me for I will not marry, not while I have you.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“Even if it would get Hakon and
Wulfhnoth back?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“How would my marrying someone
else help?” he asked. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“If you were to marry one of
those women your sister is always urging you to marry, someone whose family
could get you the influence you need at the court of the Duke – perhaps even
the Duke’s niece, Judith. I have heard her name mentioned at court, or perhaps
one of the Duke’s daughters, Agatha or something. Then the boys would be bound
to come home.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">He looked at her with an amused
smile and taking her hand to his lips, said: “You are such a clever little bee.
I would never have thought of this idea myself.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“Oh you!” she cried, smiling at
his gentle teasing. “So why not do it then?” She gave him a playful slap on his
upper arm and he winced, clasping the spot, pretending it had hurt. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“You want me to do this?” he
asked. He was looking at her seriously.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“One day I will lose you Harold,
we have always known that. If I have to lose you to another woman, then I would
rather you did it for the boys.” She looked away and wiped the corner of her
eye where a tear had formed. “It would make it easier...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">For a moment, Harold set his lips
together and sighed. She did not look at him, but sensed that he was frowning.
“You say this to me?” he asked suddenly, but it was not a question, more of a
statement. “After all that we have meant to each other – I thought you knew me,
Eadgyth. I thought you knew me better than myself! But I must have been wrong
to think that, for if it were true, then you know I would never leave you for
anyone else.” He stood and took a few steps away from her. Her words had made
him angry. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">She and Harold rarely exchanged
heated words. When they had first met, she had thought him conceited and brash
and mistook his outward show of self-confidence as arrogance. The second time
she was to meet him, he was lying close death, grateful that she had taken the
time to bathe him, change his soiled sheets and spoon feed him like a child.
She had grown to love him in the months that followed and although she fought
against it, he had won her heart. She came to know that she had loved him from
the moment he brazenly kissed her hand with those mocking blue eyes of his
gazing at her like some lecherous rogue. She just hadn’t realised it. Since she
had agreed to become his handfastned wife, there had been very few times like
this, where either one had hurt the other. Now it made her feel uncomfortable.
She went to him and from behind, put her arms around him. He tautened, but did
not pull away. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“If I have hurt you, my Lord,
then please forgive me. It was not my intention,” she whispered as a lone tear
rolled down her cheek. “I was trying to make it easier for us...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“Easier?” he swung around and
faced her, his face creased in a frown. “First you tell me to marry, then you
tell me you could bear it if it was for Wulfnoth and Hakon. Do you think that
when I said to you I would never marry anyone as long as I have you, that I did
not mean it?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“Harold, please, do not be angry
with me. You said when you told me you wanted me to be your handfastned wife,
that as the son of an earl, you may one day need to make an official alliance
at the behest of the King for the sake of the kingdom. I have known all these
years that we are together on borrowed time.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“That was then, before I knew
that our hearts and souls would always be as one. I couldn’t have known then
that I would not want to put you aside, as I do not now.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“But it will happen one day
Harold –”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“And have I not resisted any
attempts the King or my sister has made to wed me to some foreign princess?”
She made to protest again, but he caught her shoulders. “I wish I could shake
some sense into you, my beautiful, selfless <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Swannehaels</i>!”
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“Please, my love, do not be angry
with me,” she cried, throwing herself into his arms. “I only thought of it
because I saw how unhappy you were for Wulfnoth and Hakon.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">He stroked her hair. “My lady has
been told that she need never worry, for she will never lose her lord, no
matter what happens. You and the children are all I could ever need, Eadgyth.
You are the one most constant in my life and will always be.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">As they stood there, in the strengthening
wind, locked within each other’s arms, his words comforted her. She felt a
sense of relief that although she would have been prepared for it, she didn’t
have to lose him. Not right then, anyhow. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The Wolf Banner is the sequel to Sons <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1781320276" target="_blank">Sons of the Wolf</a> which you can purchase on Amazon UK/Com and Waterstones, The World Book Depository and Barnes and Noble. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Photograph care of Rich Price<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Paula Loftinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138899684247746388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5775198794185251378.post-37007513519091013472013-04-29T03:25:00.000-07:002013-05-02T05:16:29.253-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<img alt="Oh and here is the banner!" class="img" height="105" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s480x480/306058_10152246040880476_703387183_n.jpg" width="320" /></div>
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This weekend I am taking part in an exciting Bank Holiday Blog Hop which involves lots of other really good bloggers, each of whom are giving a prize to those who enter their contests. It wont be difficult to enter, just follow the links to each blog and do what's asked. The theme of the blog hop is Heroes and Villains and everyone will be writing up a great blog post about their ideas about what this subject means to them so not only will you have the chance to win books and other prizes, but you'll be able to read all the great stuff people have written about their hero or their villain. Mine is basically about my character Wulfhere from Sons of the Wolf. but I won't say any more because I don't want to spoil it for you. See you next week peeps. Below is a list of people participating!<br />
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</ol>
Niki Blatchley, Martin Bolton, Debra Brown, Adran Chamberlain, Mike Cooley, Karin Cox, Joanna Fay, Peter B Forster, Ron Fritsch, Mai Griffin, Joanne Hall, Jolea M Harrison, Sue Tinney Heath, Eleni Konstantine, Kyle Lewis, Liz Long, Peter Lukes, Mark McClelland, Edward M McNally, Sue Millard, Leilani Miller, Ginger Myrick, David Pilling, E M Powell, Kim Rendfeld, Terry L Smith, Tara West, Keith Yatsuhashi <br />
<ol>
</ol>
Paula Loftinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138899684247746388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5775198794185251378.post-57963985749099131292013-04-11T15:01:00.000-07:002013-04-11T15:01:21.634-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BRAG medallionwinner</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 16pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Welcome to my Blog post for
the Historical Book Fair kindly hosted by<a href="http://tgunwriter.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/on-line-spring-book-fair-historical.html#comment-form" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue;"> Francine Howarth</span></a>. This is a great
opportunity for us authors to allow readers a snippet of our work. I thought I
would let some of my characters tell their story themselves. First though,
please read a blurb from the back of the jacket.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 16pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 16pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 12pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="color: white;">1054, pious King Edward sits on the throne, spending his days hunting,
sleeping and praying, leaving the security and administration of his kingdom to
his much more capable brother-in-law Harold Godwinson, the powerful Earl of
Wessex. Against this backdrop we meet Wulfhere, a Sussex thegn who, as the sun
sets over the wild forest of Andredesweald, is returning home victoriously from
a great battle in the north. Holding his lands directly from the King, his
position demands loyalty to Edward himself, but Wulfhere is duty-bound to also
serve Harold, a bond forged within Wulfhere’s family heritage and borne of the
ancient Teutonic ideology of honour and loyalty.</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="color: white;"> <br />
<br />
Wulfhere is a man with the strength and courage of a bear, a warrior whose
loyalty to his lord and king is unquestionable. He is also a man who holds his
family dear and would do anything to protect them. So when Harold demands that
he wed his daughter to the son of Helghi, his sworn enemy, Wulfhere has to find
a way to save his daughter from a life of certain misery as the daughter-in-law
of the cruel and resentful Helghi, without comprising his honour and loyalty to
his lord, Harold.<br />
<br />
On Battle fields he fights for his life, but the enemy is to be found closer to
home, a far sinister and shadowy enemy than he can ever know.....<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-themecolor: text1;"><o:p><span style="color: white;"> </span></o:p></span></b></div>
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</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm -14.2pt 0pt 0cm; text-align: left;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="color: white;">Sons of the Wolf is a snap shot of medieval
life and politics as the events that lead to the downfall of Anglo-Saxon
England play out, immersing the reader in the tapestry of life as it was before
the Domesday Book. With depictions of everyday life experienced through the
minds of the people of the times; of feasts in the Great Halls to battles
fought in the countryside, it cannot help but enlighten, educate and entertain.</span></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="color: white;"></span></span></b> </div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="color: white;"></span></span></b> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm -14.2pt 0pt 0cm; text-align: left;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-themecolor: text1;"><span style="color: white;">Now Please welcome the children of Horstede, here to tell you their stories.</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "AR BERKLEY"; font-size: 18pt;">Freyda<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5G7hScVSvQV2tyCcRC3pe2Ul1sggV506ZxGzGgHOlaOZephbCZzHOcT_H8TMDl5z3plt1aOPCoEoxnaPUC0gtEddNvnDC0S-nnn_VJFCwFqkZt6S8XdiBdtoNoVVcXFs48f5cMIeYHhhT/s1600/freyda.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5G7hScVSvQV2tyCcRC3pe2Ul1sggV506ZxGzGgHOlaOZephbCZzHOcT_H8TMDl5z3plt1aOPCoEoxnaPUC0gtEddNvnDC0S-nnn_VJFCwFqkZt6S8XdiBdtoNoVVcXFs48f5cMIeYHhhT/s320/freyda.bmp" width="157" /></a><span style="font-family: "AR BERKLEY"; font-size: 18pt;">"I
am the daughter of Wulfhere and I was fourteen when his story started. My
father was the thegn of our village znd I loved him dearly and he loved me as
his favourite. I had always known I was his favourite child. He could deny me
nothing. But it all went wrong for me and him when he came back from warring in
the Northern lands where he had fought a terrible battle against the Scots. You
see, I had fallen in love with the son of our neighbour, Helghi of Gorde. All
that summer whilst Father was away, I sneaked away to meet him in the forest. I
knew it was forbidden for any of us to talk to any of the people from Gorde, but
I had no idea why. I had no idea of the depth of animosity that ran between our
fathers. Edgar was a handsome lad, but he had a crippled leg. His father blamed
my father for it, something to do with a horse that my father had sold his
father, although he had warned Helghi that the horse was not suitable for a
boy; Edgar had only been a child at the time and the horse had thrown him and
broken his leg. Neither Edgar nor I could see that this was a problem. But soon
we were to find out that we were two young lovers stuck in the middle of a
blood feud that we knew nothing about. We were soon to learn that the rivers of
hatred ran deeper than any of us could ever have known. A hatred that would tear
us apart and never die until one of our fathers was dead.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "AR BERKLEY"; font-size: 18pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "AR BERKLEY"; font-size: 18pt;">Winflaed<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4TQzwsEKAmywMA8_Kp9ds78E8TJLEDJ4FTULdYw1xG8BLRHelYuv0Zhroml-9vH4P8HKmVMqj3YG1rLzYSy3EUVGLmDOdVbZaPJRQQJuKOFsJ19Rf5uCT1wp1-ZzAfdqaLr_41W8-EUPo/s1600/saxonw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4TQzwsEKAmywMA8_Kp9ds78E8TJLEDJ4FTULdYw1xG8BLRHelYuv0Zhroml-9vH4P8HKmVMqj3YG1rLzYSy3EUVGLmDOdVbZaPJRQQJuKOFsJ19Rf5uCT1wp1-ZzAfdqaLr_41W8-EUPo/s320/saxonw.jpg" width="198" /></a><span style="font-family: "AR BERKLEY"; font-size: 18pt;">“I
was only 8 years old when our saga began; and two years younger than my brother
Tovi, my closest companion in my short childhood. Life was wonderful for us
until the day my father was sent a package from the Lady of Waldron. That day
was the day that would change our lives forever. Tovi and I used to spend our summer
days running through the forest, playing amongst the woods and the stream and
the pond where we used to swim. Once we caught our sister Freyda, swimming with
her paramour, Edgar Helghison. We knew it was forbidden for any of us to speak
to the Helghisons, but we didn’t really know why. Of course seeing our big
sister with Edgar was a great source of amusement and we used it to our advantage.
Freyda was not very happy that she had to pay for our silence by handing over
the brooch and copper plated mirror I was very fond of. But soon all was blown
and Freyda and Edgar were found out and I had to return the items very
reluctantly and much to my displeasure. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "AR BERKLEY"; font-size: 18pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The day that father received the package, Tovi
and I had been hunting with some of the village children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were running like foxes through the
woodland path when we met the man from Waldron, scaring his horse into throwing
him off. Unfortunately he was hurt and <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>his horse had run away, so he was unable to
continue on to Horstede to finish his mission which was to give my father this
little mysterious package from the Lady Alfgyva who lived in Waldron. With the
innocence of children, we offered to take it to my father. If only we had not,
for some reason, Tovi and I would always blame ourselves for that mysterious
package contained something that would drive a wedge between our mother and father
forever. If I could turn back the time, from that day, I would, for life was to
change dramatically for us all.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "AR BERKLEY"; font-size: 18pt;">Tovi<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "AR BERKLEY"; font-size: 18pt;">“My
father, Wulfhere, thegn of Horstede was bred for war. He learned from a young
age to fight with a spear first and then sword and axe. And it was also from a
young age that he taught me and my twin brothers Wulfhere to fight too. I loved
my father, but one day I was to catch him out and that was the day that my life
changed. I began to see my father for the flawed human he truly was. But he
always tried to be good to me and to my brothers and sisters and for that I
would always respect him. Life was not always good for me in our household. My
older brothers hated me, I never knew why. I think it was just their way. They
loved to torment me and once they hung me from a tree to stop me from going
hunting with the Earl. I was so excited that Father had said I could go and
they stopped it from happening. Then another time they hung me down a well and
almost drowned me because I stopped them from using my younger sister Winflaed
as target practice. Luckily Father caught them and pulled me out. They were
punished, but I never found out how. But you could be sure that they were not
beaten. Father was not one for punishing us in that way. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "AR BERKLEY"; font-size: 18pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One happy thing in my life was my little
sister Winflaed. She and I were allies against the tormenting twins. I wasn’t
always very nice to her, but she always took my side, no matter what. But the
worst thing in our lives was yet to come in the shape of a blood feud. No one
could ever know what it was like to have your life blighted by one until you
have experienced it yourself. <span style="font-family: "AR BERKLEY"; font-size: 22pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><strong>My Father was to fight on many a bloody field,
but sometimes the enemy was closer to home, far more sinister and deadly than
any battle.”</strong></span><span style="font-family: "AR BERKLEY"; font-size: 18pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Paula Loftinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138899684247746388noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5775198794185251378.post-36959388774361786472013-03-11T05:46:00.000-07:002013-03-12T13:01:41.791-07:00An update on the new Novel and some Quick facts about women in Anglo Saxon England<h3>
<span style="font-size: large;">Its been a long time since I updated this blog, I am currently working on the sequel to <a href="http://paulalofting-sonsofthewolf.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/synopsis-to-sons-of-wolf.html" target="_blank">Sons of the Wolf</a> which is called <a href="http://paulalofting-sonsofthewolf.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/the-wolf-banner-is-rising.html" target="_blank">The Wolf Banner</a>. I am going through the first re-write and the first edit with my new editor <a href="http://www.gingernutbooks.co.uk/d-michelle-gent.html" target="_blank">Michelle Gent</a> of Gingernut Books and immensely enjoying this new partnership. Exciting times for Wulfhere and his family. </span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: large;">In the meantime, I will leave you with some interesting discoveries I have made in my research about women in this exciting era in history. If you would like to buy a copy of Sons of the Wolf, here are the links to it: </span><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sons-Wolf-Paula-Lofting/dp/1781320276" target="_blank">Amazon UK</a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sons-of-the-Wolf-ebook/dp/B008OK4HF2" target="_blank">Amazon.com</a> <a href="http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/products/paula+lofting/sons+of+the+wolf/9306725/" target="_blank">Waterstones </a></h3>
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<strong>THE IMPORTANCE OF WOMEN IN HIGH STATUS ROLES</strong><br />
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Much has been said about women being mere pawns in medieval society and that they had little say in the affairs of men but in her very insightful look at <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Women-Anglo-Saxon-England-Christine-Fell/dp/0631149244" target="_blank"><em>Women in Anglo Saxon England</em></a> Christine Fell has presented evidence that shows that women were far more intelligent, educated and efficient than previously given credit for. We are talking about high status women here of course, the average peasant lady, though most likely just as efficient and intelligent, would not have played much more of an important role beyond her scope, however, she too had laws to protect her and could own her own property aside from her husband. <br />
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Edith, Queen of Edward the Confessor, was known to have controlled the Royal Treasury and saw to it that Edward was arrayed in the splendour that befitted his office as King of the English Kingdoms. She was a highly intellectual woman, having been educated by one of the most popular high achieving academic nunneries in England, <a href="http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=36533" target="_blank">Wilton Abbey</a>. According to Pauline Stafford in <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Queen-Emma-Edith-Queenship-Eleventh-Century/dp/0631227385/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1363118428&sr=1-1&keywords=Pauline+Stafford" target="_blank">Queen Emma and Queen Edith</a> </em>Edward's queen had 5 goldsmiths to help design and make these trappings for the Royal Couple. As she held the keys to the Treasury, Edith was in control of Winchester. Edith's remit appears to have been the ceremonial organisation of the court and she was a great landowner in her own right as is shown in the Domesday Book.<br />
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In the Domesday Book, a Lady called 'Eddiva' by the Norman scribes, whom we may believe to be Edith Swanneck, Harold Godwinson's handfastened wife. Handfastened meant that their union was not sanctified by a Church ceremony. To the Secular community, this did not mean that she was a mistress or a concubine. She was just as legally recognised as a wife as any other. however, because the union was <em>more danico, </em>this meant that Harold could be free to make a more political marriage if he needed to. So her union to Harold, we can assume was a 'love match', although we can also conjecture that there may have been some other motive for the union because a great deal of her lands fell within his first Earldom of East Anglia. This other Edith was no pawn either. She held land in Buckinghamshire, Hertfordhire, Cambridgeshire, Essex and Suffolk and perhaps Lincolnshire and Yorkshire. This is estimated to around 27,000 acres. She also had many free men commended to her service and would have brought a great deal of support to Harold as his wife. Unfortunately after the invasion of the Normans, her lands were confiscated and we do not hear of her beyond this. She was said to have identified the body of her husband Harold after the slaughter of Hastings in 1066. It seems as Harold's lady, she may have kept a low profile as far as court was concerned as we do not see her name recorded in official duties as such, however her obvious wealth and landholdings made her a potentially powerful woman. <br />
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According to a statement in the <em>Liber Eliensis, </em>a chronicle written on the history of Ely Abbey and the lives of the saints, some women were able to maintain their independence by rejecting marriage and running their own household. It mentions Aelswith, who in the 11thc did just that and retired to her manor at Coveney with her women and spent her time embroidering and weaving such splendid vestments at her won expense, four of which were singled out for special comment, made of gold thread. These were gifted to the church of Ely. Aeslwith must have been a woman of strong character to have sustained herself and avoided marriage without having to become a nun.<br />
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<strong>WOMEN'S RIGHTS IN MARRIAGE</strong><br />
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The laws governing women's rights were improved upon as time went by. Aethelbert's original law codes were improved on by Aelfred and then the laws of Aethelred improved upon them even more. Christine Fell believes that this may not have been due to a particular movement to create better conditions for women but more so that the tradtions of the Viking incursions and the influence the church was having on the law codes had changed by the time the 11thc came about. In any case, women were protected by these laws. There were laws to protect women from seduction, sexual assault and forced marriages. Aethelred's 1008 code states that a widow should remain unmarried for at least a year then she can choose as she wishes whether or not she can remarry. One wonders if a council of noble women were consulted on these laws or if they were wholly constructed by the men of the Witan. <br />
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<strong>SUMMARY</strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
Doris Stenton had access to primary sources as a medieval specialist. She also could, as Christine Fell states in her book <em>Women in Anglo Saxon England </em>also have access to all of her husband Frank Stenton's work on the Anglo Saxons so we can in truth, precisely rely on her summary.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3e4aIIlDfGbWr3SbMWWA4VlA-n1fZ2bw3is8lHg9tiD6MAtvnmErOMTV25DmkG86UiLefNUYw2vkeEJeHzlzE_xSWNf5f4YGLNWdv8LllkeLqEFpNRDGqsNF5V2N-a_HYx49rduoWehAS/s1600/Geacew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3e4aIIlDfGbWr3SbMWWA4VlA-n1fZ2bw3is8lHg9tiD6MAtvnmErOMTV25DmkG86UiLefNUYw2vkeEJeHzlzE_xSWNf5f4YGLNWdv8LllkeLqEFpNRDGqsNF5V2N-a_HYx49rduoWehAS/s320/Geacew.jpg" width="233" /></a>To paraphrase from Doris Stenton's <em>The English Woman in History, </em>published in 1956, one can believe that all the surviving evidence points to the fact that women were in law the equal to their husbands and brothers in pre-conquest time. Furhtermore, she even goes on to state that she believed that this was more so in Anglo Saxon England than any other era up until the modern age. <br />
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These are just some of the things about women from this era. I hope you enjoyed reading!<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Links to my other blogs <a href="http://www.threadstothepast.blogspot%20co.uk/" target="_blank">Threads to the Past</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> <a href="http://www.paulaperuses.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Paula Peruses</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">picture care of Rich Price</span>Paula Loftinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138899684247746388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5775198794185251378.post-31419569423695343732013-01-10T14:02:00.000-08:002014-02-04T13:55:17.761-08:00THE WOLF BANNER IS RISING!<div style="text-align: right;">
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<h3>
So it has been sometime since I updated my blog, I have been busy with Christmas and other things. However I have some exciting news about my new project, the second book in the Sons of the Wolf series, The Wolf Banner is coming! </h3>
<br />
For those that aren't familiar with my novel Sons of the Wolf, it is a historical novel set in 11thc England and you can read a brief synopsis <a href="http://paulalofting-sonsofthewolf.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/synopsis-to-sons-of-wolf.html" target="_blank">here</a> and an excerpt <a href="http://paulalofting-sonsofthewolf.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/excerpt-from-chapter-one-home-coming.html" target="_blank">here.</a> It follows the fortunes of an English warrior, Wulfhere and his Lord, Harold Godwinson. The theme which runs through the book is centred around a blood feud between Wulfhere and his Neighbour Helghi. Both characters have been brought to life from the Domesday Book, William the Conqueror's survey of England in 1086. They are the names of the men who owned the land around Little Horsted, near Uckfield in Sussex. In the Domesday book you can find information about their landholding and their property, but not their characters; their lives in my novel is my creation. <br />
<br />
.The Wolf Banner continues on from where Sons of the Wolf left off. For those who have read the first novel, you will know how it ends but for those who haven't I shall not spoil it by saying anymore, however, The Wolf Banner covers more of both Wulfhere's and Harold's lives and the feud between Wulfhere and his nemesis Helghi, deepens. Helghi's threat to destroy Wulfhere takes on a more ominous t<span class="text_exposed_hide">...</span><span class="text_exposed_show">hread and threatens to spill further into the lives of the two communities in which they live, Horstede and Gorde. <br /> The storyline also broadens and will take the reader into Wales where we meet again the characters only touched on in the first book, Gruffydd, the Welsh King, Alfgar, his daughter Aldtih, whom he has married off to Gruffydd and Burghred, his son, desperately caught between his loyalty to his father and his English King. They flesh out the plot and will (I hope) serve to make the story more exciting. <br /> The Wolf is an emblem of Wulfhere's ancestry when his forebears came to the land south of the Thames and created the Kingdom of the South Saxons, Sussex. The wolf was a feared animal, a representative of the carnage caused by battle-the corpse eaters, they would appear when ever doom was about to befall men. Wulfhere's ancestors wore the skins in battle, to make them appear more fearsome in battle. To the enemy, they were bringing death to them.<br /> Wulfhere's daughter Winflaed finds and repairs an old banner that belonged to her grandfather and his fathers before him and just as Wulfhere is readying to ride off to fight the Vikings again, she presents it to him. He takes it with him, proudly displaying for all to see as he goes to into battle to defend the homeland that his forefathers, the Sea Wolves, created for him.</span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show"></span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show">Wolf Banner drawing by Gayle Copper of Steelpoint Tattoos</span><br />
<span class="text_exposed_show"><br /> </span>Paula Loftinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138899684247746388noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5775198794185251378.post-3236762557124300992012-10-30T09:34:00.002-07:002016-09-24T09:32:23.065-07:00Stamford Bridge: The battle that ended an era: The Conclusion <h3>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2iW8bbPbawBNs1jPky2L_VguPJBsSTET6sXdKxrwtXZpDXGOOuqaXMikZe4zvQePOTquA2eYLyG-snnwqxBXl4-oDkZKLWTcJliELRLwkIeh55oLwRqg_5ojzKMn-7ta6OO9HNMxkP6iF/s1600/Viking+Ships+on+the+web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2iW8bbPbawBNs1jPky2L_VguPJBsSTET6sXdKxrwtXZpDXGOOuqaXMikZe4zvQePOTquA2eYLyG-snnwqxBXl4-oDkZKLWTcJliELRLwkIeh55oLwRqg_5ojzKMn-7ta6OO9HNMxkP6iF/s320/Viking+Ships+on+the+web.jpg" width="320" /></a>
</h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
The Norwegians have landed and have defeated the northern earls, brothers Morcar and Edwin, at <a href="http://paulalofting-sonsofthewolf.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/battle-of-gate-fulford-part-two.html" target="_blank">Gate Fulford</a>. Harold has marched north, gathering an army as he goes, to face his brother Tostig and King Harald of Norway as they unwittingly waited at <a href="http://paulalofting-sonsofthewolf.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/stamford-bridge-battle-that-ended-era_18.html" target="_blank">Stamford Bridge</a> for hostages and supplies to arrive from York. </h3>
Stamford Bridge crossed the River Derwent a few miles south of York and was far enough away from York to be of little further threat to the city and half way between York and where the Norwegians had left their ships at Riccall. Harald, the King of Norway, commonly known later as Hardraada, with the somewhat inimitable reputation and King Harold of England's implacable brother, Tostig, had brokered a deal with the defeated leaders of York that they would meet them here at this little settlement with the agreed 150 hostages and provisions that were promised. On Monday, September the 25th, their men were camped on both sides of the river Derwent. It was a warm sunny day and they were enjoying the warm weather. Then came the storm in a form of a dust cloud. The marching feet of thousands of infantry and horsemen could be seen, their glittering weapons and steel tipped spears sparkling like shards of broken ice. Harold Godwinson and his army were about to fall upon them in a surprise assault. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The battle as drawn by <br />
Tony Wait</td></tr>
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There are a variety of versions of the prelude to the battle, having done my best to piece the known evidence together, I have consolidated them into what seems the most feasible interpretation. What seems to be pretty conclusive is that unfortunately for the Norsemen, they had gone to Stamford Bridge to meet the English hostages without their maille, the very thing necessary for survival in a battle. They did however, carrry their helmets, shields and weapons. The chronicles all agree that this was due to the warm and sunny weather and having defeated the Northern armies quite decisively at Gate Fulford, they were certainly not expecting to have to use them so soon after their victory in York. Half of Hardrada's forces were back at Riccall with the fleet, led by his son Olaf and the Earl of Orkney. Some of his men had been out rounding up cattle (Rex 2011) and were on the open ground on the west bank of the river when the scouts spotted Harold's army approaching them. Marren (2004), in his book about the battles of 1066, describes the bridge by 11thc reckoning as being wide enough for the roads which reached the bridge, to go through it. This seems a reasonable reckoning seeing as the roads continue out to the battle flats and beyond.<br />
<br />
According to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snorri_Sturluson" target="_blank">Snorri Sturluson</a>, Harold wanted to parley first, offering his brother peace and his former earldom back, plus more. Other sources state that Harold came upon them on horseback and swooped down on the Vikings on the open ground of the west bank, catching them unawares. They cut them down, slashing and spearing them. The Norwegians fought to create a circular shieldwall as the horses ride round them. In the meantime, Hardrada rallies his men over from the east bank to cross the bridge in a boar-snout, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svinfylking" target="_blank">Svinfylking</a>, to come to their aid as he sees the English ride them down. Despite losing many men, Harald of Norway manages to form a circular shieldwall and with his famous Landwaster banner flapping in the wind, get his men back to the bridge and across the otherside as the English are recoiling from this ferocious attack. <br />
<br />
Many of the sagas report the English use of cavalry, although there is some discrepency from historians as to the validity of it. The English were generally thought to favour fighting on foot as infantry, however this battle would not have been the first that had seen the English fight on horseback as they did at <a href="http://paulalofting-sonsofthewolf.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/the-battle-of-hereford.html" target="_blank">The Battle of Hereford</a>. It seems reasonable enough to believe that if Harold and his huscarles had journeyed on horse along that road from York, seeing the Norwegians camped by the river, Harold may have felt that to stage a mounted surprise attack would have given them the edge, rather than wasting time dismounting.<br />
<br />
Once over the bridge, Hardrada was able to take in the gravity of the situation. There he was with just half his of his lightly armed warriors, facing the hordes of English soldiers with only the bridge and the river between them. Both sides would have paused to regroup and marshall their troops ready for the next clash. At some point King Harald was said to have sent 3 riders to summon the rest of his forces back at Riccall to re-inforce his outnumbered army. <br />
<br />
This would have been a good time to parley and if Snorri's version is to be believed, it was Harold who wanted to parley. Both kings are said to have ridden up to their respective riverbanks on their horses. Tostig was with Hardrada, perhaps to translate. Harold adressed his brother and offered him terms, saying that he would give him a third of his kingdom in return for abandoning the invasion.<br />
<br />
Tostig is said to have answered with this: "<em>This is very different to the hostility and humiliation offered to me last winter.If this offer had been made then, many a man who is dead now would still be alive and England would be in a better state. But if I accept this offer now, what will you offer </em><br />
<em>King Harald Siggurdsson for all his effort?"</em><br />
Harold was alleged to have replied, <em>"7ft of ground as he is much taller than other men."</em> <br />
Tostig rejects his offer and tells Harold to make ready for battle. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlrBsIQov9WltHzGiAjHS5lgM1jBGzIxl2p1VJPg2rMnPAItMBTMNERExxu_NG8Cnnq4pngWj9YibIBhnjzua8Cr5vq6QyM7DRLhdSGgGIo-Gs6njTJh6i0Tnky6C-e0Megaes29eGzYt0/s1600/Hastings+melee+LH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlrBsIQov9WltHzGiAjHS5lgM1jBGzIxl2p1VJPg2rMnPAItMBTMNERExxu_NG8Cnnq4pngWj9YibIBhnjzua8Cr5vq6QyM7DRLhdSGgGIo-Gs6njTJh6i0Tnky6C-e0Megaes29eGzYt0/s320/Hastings+melee+LH.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
As said before, Snorri is not a reliable source so we dont know if this particular conversation happened. However, although these were violent times, men would have wanted to avoid dying in battle of they could without compromising their honour. It is doubtful however that Harold would have agreed to give Tostig his earldom back and more, without incurring the wrath of the northerners who had fought hard to get rid of Harold's brother. They may have been disillusioned by the brothers Morcar and Edwin who failed to avert the disaster at <a href="http://paulalofting-sonsofthewolf.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/battle-of-gate-fulford-part-two.html" target="_blank">Gate Fulford</a> but I doubt they would have been happy to have Tostig back in the seat of his earldom. Additionally, Harold would have wanted to keep the young earls on side as they were his brother-in-laws. English sources state nothing of the initial parley and terms offered by Harold and rejected by Tostig and Hardrada. The version they offer state that Harold surprised them unawares beyond the bridge and they 'fought sternly' into the afternoon, whatever their idea of 'sternly' was. <br />
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The warrior on the bridge <br />
drawn by Gayle Copper</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The most singular feature of this battle is the story that the bridge was held for sometime against the English by a somewhat fearsome Viking with an axe who prevented them from crossing, killing any man who attempted to attack him. He was wearing a maille shirt, obviously one of the few who had decided to bring his. Aforethought is forewarned perhaps; it's a shame that none of the others did. However though, after holding them back for sometime, a quickthinking Englishman waded under the bridge and spears him up through his under carriage and the English are free to cross the bridge.This story is the stuff of legend and is added to Chronicle C in the 12thc and it is also repeated by several other writers so there maybe some credence to it. <br />
<br />
Once the great warrior is out of the way, the English storm across the bridge and the Norwegians form their shieldwall. According to the sagas, the English repeatedly charge on horse at them. This was probably not an pre-meditated attempt at an organised cavalry charge, more likely it was intended to catch men who had been caught out in the open on foot. The fighting was hard and went on into the late afternoon. Hardrada ordered for his banner, the black raven, <em>'Landwaster</em>' to be brought forward and he ran out ahead of his men in a mad charge like the one he had led at Fulford, hoping to repeat his victory as he had done then. But his huge torso was unprotected and he was hit by an arrow in the throat, though not before he had hewn and sliced many men with his terrible two handed Dane Axe. Those that had followed his charge died with him and there came a pause in the fighting. The great Norwegian King had choked on his blood and died. As everyone took time to take it all in and perhaps remove Harald's body to a place of safety, the English Harold offered quarter to his brother and the beleaguered Norwegian troops. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik5vyT3T-qVYjWb1kf4ZaJms-_cFaDLsP20NWGdoICzRQfdZJ2YyqL2Lel80oKpkys8HnNYklBAvTZ5plvSmvHpPzwHAje-xN3RdCTLJRX1XqCXIU1UTGpdAjpc23x86pSgGMIbTaTZ59F/s1600/viking_raiding_party_landing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik5vyT3T-qVYjWb1kf4ZaJms-_cFaDLsP20NWGdoICzRQfdZJ2YyqL2Lel80oKpkys8HnNYklBAvTZ5plvSmvHpPzwHAje-xN3RdCTLJRX1XqCXIU1UTGpdAjpc23x86pSgGMIbTaTZ59F/s320/viking_raiding_party_landing.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vikings hurrying to the battle from Riccall</td></tr>
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<br />
Tostig now was in charge, however the death of Harald Hardrada must have had a devastating effect on morale. It was he they had come to fight for, not Tostig, but the younger Godwinson was all that they had left. Suddenly though, at this point, they were soon to have another commander, Eystein Orri, as the re-inforcements came pouring in from Riccall, exhausted from running several miles and dusty and sweating from the heat and their heavy mail. This last phase of the battle was to become known as <em>'Orri's storm'</em>. Thus the Norwegians spurned the offer of quarter and they made one final devastaing charge at the English, many of whom were been killed in the fresh enslaught. Such was the rage that the Norwegians felt at having ran for miles to find that their leader was dead. Such was their desire for revenge that they fought valiantly, some having to throw off their maille because they were so exhausted. But the Vikings were unable to maintain the momentum. Orri fought to the death as did Tostig. Some collapsed, fatigued by the stress of the battle and the harrowing journey on foot from Riccall. <br />
<br />
The Norse poet Arnor later tells us:<br />
<br />
<em>It was an evil moment</em><br />
<em>When norway's king lay fallen;</em><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<em>Gold inlaid weapons </em><br />
<em>Brought death to Norway's leader.</em><br />
<br />
<em>All King Harald's warriors</em><br />
<em>Preferred to die beside him,</em><br />
<em>Sharing their brave king's fate,</em><br />
<em>Rather than beg for mercy.</em> <br />
<br />
Some of the enemy survivors made their escape and were pursued by the English and given no quarter when it had been already twice refused. No prisoners were taken. The fleeing Norwegians, and we must not forget the Flemmings that had come with Tostig, were chased back to the fleet where, as darkness fell the English<em> 'fiercely attack them from behind until some of them came to ship, some drowned, and also some burnt, and thus variously perished, so that there were few survivors, and the English had possession of the place of slaughter'</em> (Anglo Saxon<em> </em>Chronicle D). The author of the chronicle then went on to say that Harold rounded up the survivors and offered them safe conduct if they would swear oaths before him to leave this land and keep the peace of these islands. Amongst these was King Harald's son, Olaf, who did as he was bid, promising never to return with hostility to these lands. He and their Bishop and Earl Paul of Orkney were sent home with only 24 of the 300 odd ships they had sailed with. Such was their loss of men that only 24 were needed to carry them home. It must have been a traumatic turn around of events for the survivors that they should come so far for a great victory at Fulford, only to have their hopes of invading dashed within a few days.The great God of War, Hardrada, had proved himself to be destructable after all. The big man's luck had run out at last. <br />
<br />
<strong><em>This was the last time that Scandinavian forces would attempt an invasion on such a massive scale. This was the end of the Viking threat to England, but their bones would lay scattered over fields in Yorkshire, visible to the travellers eye, for some years to come after this year of 1066.</em></strong><br />
<strong><em></em></strong><br />
<strong>References</strong><br />
Marren P (2004) <em>1066 The Battles of York, Stamford Bridge & Hastings
</em>Pen and Sword books Ltd, Yorkshire.<br />
Morris M (2012) <em>The Norman Conquest </em>Hutchinson, London.<br />
Rex P (2011) <em>1066 A New History of the Norman Conquest </em>Amberley Publishing, Gloucestershire.<br />
Swanton M (200) <em>The Anglo-Saxon Chronichles </em>(rev. ed) Phoenix Press,
London.<br />
<br />
To read the first episodes in the series click <a href="http://paulalofting-sonsofthewolf.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/stamford-bridge-battle-that-ended-era.html" target="_blank">here</a> for part one and <a href="http://paulalofting-sonsofthewolf.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/stamford-bridge-battle-that-ended-era_18.html" target="_blank">here</a> and to read more about these times check out <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sons-Wolf-Paula-Lofting/dp/178132027" target="_blank">Sons of the Wolf</a> Paula Loftinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138899684247746388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5775198794185251378.post-49917807130984879722012-10-24T04:24:00.003-07:002013-01-09T02:58:11.445-08:00Excerpt Three of Sons of the Wolf<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Ralph’s
forces had ridden out two miles north of Hereford when they came across the
amassing forces of Gruffydd and Alfgar. The Earl sensed the unease that was
spreading throughout his men as the realisation that they were facing a far
greater force than they had expected began to unsettle them. The horses felt it
too; their ears were splayed back and they were baring their yellowed teeth.
Their riders’ anxiety fizzled down through their trunks and their legs so that
it seeped into the horse’s spine and nervous system. Fear filled the air with
its unmistakeable tension and aroma.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“My
Lord,” William said to Ralph apprehensively. “There must be four thousand of
them.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“But the
scout said that there was half that number,” Ralph replied incredulously. “How
can he have got it so wrong?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“The sly
vipers split up so that we would not know there was so many of them,” Malet
replied. “Who would have thought that Alfgar could be so cunning?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“Not Alfgar;
Gruffydd more like. Alfgar would not be so clever. Gruffydd is the brains
behind this.” Ralph shifted uneasily in his saddle. The enemy army was fast
approaching. “We must send for reinforcements!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">William
looked at him aghast. It was an absurd comment. “How can we? There’s no time.
They’re bloody well upon us!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Fitzscrob,
captain of the middle-guard, rode over to them. “My Lord, the enemy are
advancing. What should we do? We are overwhelmingly outnumbered!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“What of
it? We have the advantage. We have more cavalry than they. A man on a horse is
worth two on foot. We can cut them down if we use the double circular formation
and feigned retreat to break their lines,” Ralph replied. He knew that he was
asking a lot from his inexperienced troops who were used to fighting in a
shieldwall, but he had to save face...somehow. He looked out across the plain
and saw the enemy vanguard advancing toward them, their pace quickening now as
they got closer. The noise was thunderous. Trumpets were blaring and men were
screaming obscenities at the “<i>Saes</i> bastards!” as they loomed toward
them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“My Lord,
we will be cut to pieces! The men are untried and full of fear!” Fitzscrob shouted.
“We must retreat and defend the town. It’s our only hope!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Defend
Hereford? This mob would overrun it in seconds</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">, Ralph thought, his bravado
beginning to wane. The enemy were thundering toward them now. Ralph’s fear
began to overwhelm him. He lost all control of his bladder and his bowels as he
sat quaking in his saddle. The ‘great’ army he had raised did not seem so great
now.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Paula Loftinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138899684247746388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5775198794185251378.post-25845197002637595502012-10-24T03:34:00.004-07:002012-10-24T03:39:37.115-07:00Excerpt Two From Sons of the Wolf<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Now, at
the head of his unit, Wulfhere was staring at the large volume of men as they
spewed over the crest of the hill, gradually making their way down into the
valley below. They were a formidable sight, Gruffydd’s army, as they formed
their lines, some two thousand and more warriors ten or so men deep. Hwitegaast
snorted and slammed his right hoof into the ground, scuffing the dirt to show
his discontent. Wulfhere gave him a reassuring pat on his withers and sighed
deeply.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“<i>Scitte</i>!”
cried Esegar, mounted next to him. “There are so many of them.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Wulfhere
puffed out his cheeks and wondered how six hundred mounted men supported by one
hundred or so bowmen and no more than three hundred and fifty infantry men were
going to triumph over Gruffydd’s vastly larger host.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“Aye,
there are indeed,” he agreed with a shudder, hoping that their cavalry would
compensate for their lack of numbers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“Lord,
look to the left flank.” Esegar’s voice was shaking.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Wulfhere
looked to where Esegar had indicated. “Hell has arrived,” he muttered under his
breath.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">There
were at least eighteen hundred more men, Wykinga, coming round the side of the
mound in the valley pass to join the main army as they marched toward them.
Their steel helmets flashed as the mist cleared. Sharpened speartips bristled
as they augmented the lines of Gruffydd’s men, shouting “Odin! Odin!” The noise
was thunderous as they invoked their deity to make them triumphant, whilst the
Welsh called out “<i>Llaith at y Saeson</i>!” “Death to the Englisc!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Wulfhere
felt his stomach bubbling. He heard Esegar’s sharp intake of breath.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“Lord, we
<i>were</i> greatly outnumbered. Now we are <i>severely</i> outnumbered,” his
fyrdsman said with a sardonic grimace. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">As
Wulfhere’s eyes squinted out over the daunting scene of so many armoured men
stamping their way across the green fields toward them, he felt his face
prickle with fear and, despite the cold, started to sweat. He breathed deeply,
trying not to remember the horrors of Dunsinane.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Gruffydd
himself had a smaller mounted force, his <i>teulu, </i>but the amount of
heavily armoured Norse foot soldiers alone far outnumbered the entirety of
Ralph’s force. He gulped his nausea down into his gullet. They needed to charge
soon, for if they didn’t the whole purpose of them as a mounted force would be
pointless. Horses are rendered useless in a defensive stance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Oh my
God, </span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">he thought
to himself,<i> there is going to be slaughter unless we charge now!</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Paula Loftinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138899684247746388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5775198794185251378.post-50723761818785140642012-10-24T01:43:00.003-07:002012-10-24T01:49:20.241-07:00Excerpt One from Sons of the Wolf<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-outline-level: 1; text-align: left;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Chapter
Nineteen <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-outline-level: 1; text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">The
Battle of Hereford</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left;">
<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Hereford, October 24th 1055<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Ralph walked along the rampart of
his palisaded defences as the chilled late autumn morning swathed the burgh in
a cloak of mist. He was proud of his strong timber and earth castle that he had
built inside the burgh of Hereford not long after his uncle King Edward had
invested him with the office of earl four years ago. If he looked out over the
parapet on a clear day, to the north of the burgh, he would be sure to see any
sign of the enemy coming.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">This
morning would be like any of the other mornings that had passed since, upon
hearing Burghred’s news, he had wasted no time in gathering his huscarles and
racing across the ancient tracks to the West Country, sending out summonses to
all the mounted men that Edward had commended to him. Looking out over the
fog-laden hills, he contemplated another morning of watching and waiting. Down
in the courtyard, his men would be on standby. He was proud of his
accomplishments in Hereford and fiercely proud of the mounted cavalry he had
trained. Some of the Englisc looked upon his ideas with derision, but he would
show them just what his mounted army could achieve. He had stubbornly refused
Harold’s offer to rally the Wessex fyrd to aid him, convincing everyone, except
for Harold, that he had no need of them. This was not, he had said, a matter of
national emergency. His mounted soldiers would be match enough for Alfgar and
Gruffydd, he had guaranteed them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“Another
morning and still they do not come,” muttered William Malet, joining him in
leaning against the wooden barrier. Dressed and ready for battle, the men wore
their armour of little metal links skilfully chained together to form the <i>hauberk,
</i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">the tunic of maille that protected
the length of their torso, arms and upper legs.</span> Under them they wore a
padded jerkin which would stop the metal from chafing them, adding to the
protection that their maille already afforded them. “I am beginning to think
that they never will.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“Oh, they
will come alright; your cousin Burghred was sure of it. It seems your uncle has
been collecting his forces all summer.” Ralph looked sideways at Malet. “And
when they do, Will, we shall be ready for them. Ha, we will soon have our
chance to prove to Godwinson that we are quite capable of sorting out our own
defences!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“In
hindsight, do you think it was wise not to accept his offer to call out the
Wessex fyrd?” Malet asked retrospectively.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“What?
And have nice, golden, shiny Harold take all the glory? No, my friend, this one
is for us. Besides, it would be a great waste of manpower. Costly too. Our
combination of cavalry, light infantry and bowmen is the right formula needed
to win the battle against the Wéalas.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Malet
looked a little sceptical and Ralph looked at him scornfully. “You do not doubt
that the victory will be ours, William?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-outline-level: 1; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“No,
Ralph, I do not. It is just that—”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“I know
that perhaps it is hard for you to go to war against your uncle,” Ralph suggested
sympathetically.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Will
shook his head and replied firmly, “You know how I feel about that brainless
idiot! He has the intellect of a newt, uncle or not.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“Then why
do you have that doubtful expression on your face?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“I just
thought that perhaps it would have been advantageous to have the Wessex fyrd
here, just in case. After all, Harold is—”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“Harold
is not here!” Ralph responded angrily. “And what’s more, we do not need him!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“But the
men are untried and inexperienced, Lord,” Malet gently argued.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“Are you
doubting me, Will?” Ralph thrust a disturbed look in his friend’s direction.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-outline-level: 1; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“No,
Lord. No…”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“You know
how I have been waiting for this chance to ingratiate the Witan, Will? And why
should I not? I have royal blood coursing through my veins. I am throneworthy!
An <i>atheling!”</i> He thumped the edge of the wooden strakes in earnest. “Why
should I work so hard all these years only to have Harold Godwinson come along
at the last minute and interfere in my command? This victory will gain me the
accolade that I deserve <i>and</i> put an end to the threat that comes swamping
over the marcher borders!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“My Lord,
you are indeed throneworthy!” Malet said supportively. He frowned slightly, changing
his cynical expression to one of fervent loyalty.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“If only
the Witan would recognise me as so,” Ralph said regretfully. “<i>Mon Dieu! </i>They
send out to lands afar, searching for long-lost Englisc princes, doing deals
with that bastard in Normandy, dropping hints at Swein of Denmark <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and, all the time, here I am, a prince with
the blood of Alfred, right under their snotty noses! So what if I was born on
the distaff side of the royal line? I am just as much a contender, if not more.
The King, my uncle, loves me, does he not? And yet still I have to prove myself...and
prove myself I will!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“My Lord,
we will win this. If they come today, I swear we will win this!” Malet replied
with genuine sincerity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">He was
standing in front of Ralph as the earl leaned with his back against the
parapet, the wind blowing his short dark hair forward. The Earl put a grateful
hand on Malet’s shoulder. “Thank you, Will. When I finally sit on the throne of
this damned kingdom, I will see that you are rewarded for your loyal service.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“Good
God!” Malet interrupted. “Look, my Lord!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“What?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Ralph saw
that Malet was surveying the valley behind him intently. He swung round and
faced the view over the hills. He felt his stomach tighten as he realised what
his friend had been staring at: the fast moving shadow of a lone horseman,
galloping amidst the thick morning haze that drifted toward them across the
plain.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“It’s one
of your scouts, my Lord. Look, he holds your banner aloft. That means they are
coming…At last they are coming...”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Then we must see that the men are ready. Fitzscrob!”
Ralph yelled loudly for his captain. He grabbed his helmet and shoved it onto
his head.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“Yes, my
Lord?” A small, lithe Norman dressed in maille came running up the wooden rungs
of the rampart to join them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“See that
the men are armoured and the horses ready,” Ralph ordered. “Alfgar and Gruffydd
are on their way. We will ride out to engage them.” He felt a ripple of
excitement in his veins and a fluttering in his stomach. “<i>Maintenant! </i>Now,
Fitzscrob! <i>Que vous attendez? </i>What are you waiting for?<i> Allez, allez!</i>”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“Yes, my Lord,”
replied the little man dutifully as he turned and ran quickly down from<span style="color: red;"> </span>the parapet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: left; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Ralph
breathed in deeply as he secured the chinstrap of his helm. He had been waiting
for this moment and now it had arrived. At last he could show the world his
worth and that Edward and his Englisc subjects need not look to that far-off
place, Hungary, for their next king. He pictured himself sitting on the throne
in Edward’s Palace of Westminster with his wife Gytha by his side. <i>Yes, now
his chance had come…<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
Paula Loftinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138899684247746388noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5775198794185251378.post-30896169180544297762012-10-18T03:49:00.000-07:002012-10-18T04:12:08.377-07:00Stamford Bridge- The battle that ended an era. Part Two<h2 class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlg_P31rA-gt1WN8PRmiVSvECm13fbX0b9KGfGkeGdAZzZ4gzYJG-us1A_41uWHBrj7lu3SbYdszwcZoufEpZJJcg0K8fQnDk3SCTi9qV_VvIuUzXfvjYoQuwFaqyu0vNmx1i8dDFdpwGP/s1600/roman+rd+map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlg_P31rA-gt1WN8PRmiVSvECm13fbX0b9KGfGkeGdAZzZ4gzYJG-us1A_41uWHBrj7lu3SbYdszwcZoufEpZJJcg0K8fQnDk3SCTi9qV_VvIuUzXfvjYoQuwFaqyu0vNmx1i8dDFdpwGP/s1600/roman+rd+map.jpg" /></a>Part Two: The 3 Main Protagonists</h2>
<h3>
In the first part of this series, we talked about the background to this famous 1066 <a href="http://paulalofting-sonsofthewolf.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/stamford-bridge-battle-that-ended-era.html" target="_blank">battle</a>. In this episode, King Harold has recieved word of Hardrada's landing in Yorkshire in mid September, King Harold assembles his men and begins the march northwards. We see the events leading up to the battle through the eyes of each main player. </h3>
How the King manages to gather a large enough force in such a short time has been speculated by many historians, but it seems that he most likely starts out with the core of his army, his body guard and perhaps his brother Gyrth and his huscarles, sending messengers to call out the southern fyrds to meet him along the road. As they travel, riding on horseback along the old Roman road, Ermine Street, they raise the fyrd of each shire they travel through, picking them up at arranged meeting points. These are the men of Herts, Cambridgeshire, Buckinghamshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire It's hard to say how many of them would have been mounted but in looking at the heriot of a <a href="http://paulalofting-sonsofthewolf.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/quick-facts-about-thegns.html" target="_blank">thegn</a>, it involved between 2-4 horses depending on their status. Thegns may have brought a servant or two with them and that is why perhaps they had to provide 3 or 4 horses. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
At some point along the way, Harold learns of the Gate Fulford disaster by an exhausted messenger who has ridden without stopping to meet the King on his journey north so he might urge him to march more earnestly. Harold wonders momentarily why the young brothers, Earls Edwin and Morcar have not waited for him to arrive, but he probably didnt ponder for long, for their was a job to do and he knows the Earls had their reasons, good or bad. So he ploughs on with his men, determined to reach Yorkshire in time to surprise Hardrada and his own brother Tostig, to deal with them before they can strenghthen their hold in Yorkshire. He marshalls his forces at Tadcaster, we are told, also being joined there by some of the survivors of Fulford who would have informed him of the whereabouts of the Norsemen. At dawn, on Monday 25th September, Harold and his army crosses the River Wharfe and reaches York via the Ebor Way within a few hours. York welcomes him, perhaps surprised that he had come so quickly. He stops for ashort while to refresh his army and hears about the deals that have been done with the Norse. He sympathises with the people of York and their young leaders Morcar and Edwin, who are most likely still teenagers at this stage. They had to come to terms with the Norse or their city would have been over run, knowing that if they can convince Hardrada of complete compliance, they would withdraw from the city and hopefully this would stall them long enough for Harold to get there with his army. Of course they might have been hedging their bets but Harold most likely doesn't want to get into that right now. The young Earls are his new brother-in-laws and he likes to think they are loyal. <br />
<br />
So he studies at a map of the area, the lie of the land and its geographical significance and plans his next move with his generals, Gyrth and Marleswein the Shire-reeve. They set out again on the last leg of their journey. Stamford Bridge. As the men march toward their next destination, none of them, least of all Harold would have known that they were about to participate in one of the most decisive battles of the era. The Viking Age was about to go down pretty definitively.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roman road near Manchester </td></tr>
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<strong>Harald Hardrada is a man with, as his name suggests, a tough</strong> <strong>reputation</strong>. He is a man whose whole attitude to life seems to be little about planning and thought, and more about getting whatever he wants at any cost. He learned as a younger man than in 1066, that to get what he desires, he needs to have power and to have power, he needs gold. And to get gold he needs followers to help him get it. And to get followers, he needs to have the gift of the gab and personal strength. Eventually, he manages to acquire all those things, mostly because he has the last two qualities in the first place. </div>
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<img alt="Great Danish War Axe" class="media" galleryimg="no" id="fullSizedImage" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v347/Aryndil/Dane-ax.jpg" style="height: 356px; width: 200px;" /></div>
Born in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ringerike" target="_blank">Ringerike</a> in the Upplands of Norway, he was the son of a petty chieftain, Sigurd. He becomes King of Norway from 1046 until his death in 1066 and after unsuccessfully claiming Denmark, he turns his attentions to England after a proposition from the exiled Tostig Godwinson. Harald's birth year is probably somewhere between 1014-16 so he is aged around 50 at this time. Harald's claim is pretty weak, but he doesn't really care. Always on the lookout for more power, he doesn't need an excuse to claim anything for himself. He is used to violence and has led a colourful and brutal life. He spent some of his youth in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varangian_Guard" target="_blank">Varangian Guard</a>. His reputation goes before him and he relies on it to intimidate his opponents. He certainly isn't coming to England on a jolly day trip. After his glorious victory over Edwin and Morcar's forces at Fulford, he and his comrade in arms, Tostig Godwinson, withdraw to the assigned meeting place by the Bridge at Stamford, where they are due to collect the hostages promised them in the treaty.<br />
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<strong>Tostig Godwinson had been Earl of Northumbria for around 10 years. </strong>It is quite surprising that he lasted that long, for he had been unpopular throughout. He is the third born son of Godwin and his Danish wife Gytha. Interestingly he is related to William of Normandy through marriage. His wife <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judith_of_Flanders,_Countess_of_Northumbria" target="_blank">Judith</a> is half sister to the Duke's wife, Matilda's father. Tostig's rule of Northumbria is with a heavy hand and this, coupled by the fact that he is a southerner and a Godwin, makes him unpopular with the Northumbrian ruling families. The Godwins have always been seen as a threat to the balance of power in the 11thc as there are so many of them. When Alfgar of Mercia is sidelined to give Northumbria to Tostig, the rest of the noblemen see a takeover happening, with two more brothers waiting for offices. </div>
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Finally things come to a head after some internal political disasters, the Northerners want him out and so they rebel, killing a large number of his officials. Then they march down south to protest their case with the King. Harold persuades Edward, whom it is said is against Tostig's dethronement, to avoid a civil war and give into the North's demands to have Morcar, brother of Edwin of Mercia as their Earl. </div>
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Betrayed by his own brother, Tostig flees abroad in exile. He finally winds up with Hardrada on this date, 25th September 1066, on a warm sunny midday, basking a field of sunshine with the Norwegian forces, minus their armour and lightly armed. Relaxing and recooperating after their hard won victory, dining on the provisions given to them by the people of York as required and probably getting drunk on the finest supplies of mead, they were waiting for the hostages to arrive. The Norwegians are camped on both east and west sides of the river and their laughter and merry making could be heard in the little settlement of Stamford as they enjoy their day of leisure. Suddenly a scout rides into camp and tells Hardrada that he has seen a cloud of dust coming southwards along the road from York. They believe it must be the hostages and their escort coming as promised. </div>
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As they wait, the cloud gets closer and they begin to glimpse the 'glittering of weapons that sparkle like a field of broken ice'. At first Harald suspects that some of the northern fyrd have come to join them but when they see the Golden man standard flowing in the breeze whipped up by the storm of marching feet, they know what it is that is upon them. Tostig cannot believe his brother has got here so quick. He groans in dismay. Hardrada throws him an accusing look that says <em>you told me it would take him weeks to get here not days! </em>but he brushes him aside for there is no time to argue with the English idiot. He has only some of his force here the rest are back with the fleet at Riccall....and their maille. He needs to get his men that are camped on the otherside of the river back across to the safer eastern side before the English armny get there. He calls for his strongest riders to hasten back to Riccall for his boatmen to come to reinforce their numbers. </div>
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So here he is, the famous Hardrada, wearing only a blue tunic, a helmet and with only his weapon to protect him. Without maille, the men would be vulnerable. But he was Hardrada and Odin and Thor would not let him down. <em><strong>I am Hardrada the Invincible and victory will be mine!</strong></em></div>
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<strong>Next see what happens in the battle of Stamford Bridge. </strong></div>
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<strong>References</strong></div>
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Walker I.W. (2004) <em>The Last Anglo-Saxon King </em>(Pb ed) Sutton Publishing Ltd, Great Britain.<br />
Swanton M (200) <em>The Anglo-Saxon Chronichles </em>(rev. ed) Phoenix Press, London. Marren P (2004) <br />
Marren P (2004) <em>1066 The Battles of York, Stamford Bridge & Hastings </em>Pen and Sword books Ltd, Yorkshire.</div>
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<br />Paula Loftinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138899684247746388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5775198794185251378.post-45874823159822836272012-10-09T02:29:00.000-07:002016-09-23T05:33:14.779-07:00Stamford Bridge - The battle that ended an era. Part One<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Following on from the <a href="http://paulalofting-sonsofthewolf.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/the-battle-of-fulford-gate-part-one.html" target="_blank">Battle of Gate Fulford</a> on the 20th September, Harald Hardrada's victory just outside of York saw him and 'as great a force as seemed necessary' (AS chronicle C) march into the city and the people surrendered to him, most likely to prevent a full scale sacking of the city. Whether or not the defeated brothers Edwin and Morcar were part of this process, it is not known but they had certainly survived the battle and may have holed themselves up inside the walls, perhaps wounded, with their remaining men, ready to negotiate peace with the Norwegian king. Harald Hardrada's saga believed that Morcar had been killed, but Morcar lived through the battle but may have been severely wounded and that was why they thought he had been killed in battle. It is quite possible that the brothers were injured so as not to be able to attend the Battle of Hastings.<br />
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The exiled brother of King Harold Godwinson,Tostig, was also amongst the victors at Gate Fulford. He had arrived with Harald to fight for his old Earldom, Northumbria and would have known many of the men of Yorkshire personally. He would have been able to vouch that the hostages offered were sons of leading men. These hostages were to be handed over at Stamford Bridge, 8 miles or so north of York which was roughly halfway between York and where Hardrada had left his fleet at Riccall. According to the chronicler Florence, 150 hostages were given on both sides and part of the treaty with the men of York included the supply of provisions. Additionally, they were to march south with him and join his attempt at the conquest of all England.<br />
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King Harold Godwinson heard the news of Harald Hardrada's landing probably soon after or before Hardrada and the northern Earls gave battle at Gate Fulford. Hardrada's maneuvers around the coast probably gave Edwin and Morcar time to gather their armies and send messengers south to Harold. The young earls, sons of the deceased recalcitrant Alfgar of Mercia, could have holed themselves up in the city of York and waited for Harold to come with re-inforcements, however for whatever reason, they decided they had sufficient men to meet them outside the the walls at Gate Fulford.The AS Chronicle C states that Gate Fulford battle happened on Wednesday the 20th of September. Harold had been in the south with his southern fyrd watching for William to come and had disbanded his men on the 8th when there seemed no sign of the Duke appearing from Normandy at any time soon. As soon as he heard of the landing, he marched up north with his army and the local levies were called out as he passed through the shires on his way up the old Roman road of Watling Street. This was not the first time he had performed a lightning raid on an enemy. The first was in Wales sometime in December '62 or January '63 when he stormed into Wales with a mounted force and destroyed Rhuddlan, Gruffydd's fortress. Fortunately for Gruffydd he was warned at the last minute with time to escape by sea,leaving the rest of his fleet to be burned by Harold's men. This was a man determined to deal with a problem once and for all. And that is exactly what he does<br />
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<strong>This was to be the battle that would see the end of any significant Scandinavian attempt at conquest</strong>. <strong>Read about the battle itself in the next Part of this post.</strong><br />
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<strong>References</strong><br />
Walker I.W. (2004) <em>The Last Anglo-Saxon King </em>(Pb ed) Sutton Publishing Ltd, Great Britain.<br />
Swanton M (200) <em>The Anglo-Saxon Chronichles </em>(rev. ed) Phoenix Press, London. Marren P (2004) <br />
Marren P (2004) <em>1066 The Battles of York, Stamford Bridge & Hastings
</em>Pen and Sword books Ltd, Yorkshire.Paula Loftinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138899684247746388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5775198794185251378.post-28758471410688299512012-09-26T12:56:00.003-07:002016-09-19T07:23:51.940-07:00Battle of Gate Fulford Part Two<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In Part One, we saw that Harald Hardrada beat Edwin of Mercia's right flank with a lightening charge accompanied by warhorns that heralded his victory. Edwin's huscarles broke and died where they stood and the levies panicked and fled back toward York. Having overwhelmed Edwin's men, Hardrada now closed in to support Tostig on his right flank and Morcar's men were trapped in the swamp. Many met their deaths there in those murky muddy waters, sucking their bodies into its ravenous depths. Florence of Worcester claims that there were less men killed on the battlefield that drowned than in the river. <br />
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According to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle the day saw great slaughter on both sides but the Norsemen took possession of the field and the glory was theirs. Many corpses were bogged down in the river and the 'causeway of corpses' was to be remembered long after the battle. Those that managed to flee, escaped to the relative safety of York with both the Earls and their surviving men. The young brothers were inexperienced and could have only have been aged between 17-19 at the time. They were the sons of Alfgar of Mercia, the rogue Earl who had allied himself on more than one occasion with the Welsh to oppose Harold Godwinson and King Edward. Alfgar had died around 1062 and Mercia had passed into his son Edwin's hands. Later, younger brother Morcar had been elected Earl by the Northumbrians in a unprecedented move to oust Tostig Godwinson as their earl. Tostig had been Earl of Northumbria since 1055 but his harsh rule had made him unpopular and the men of the North revolted in 1065, demanding that they would have none other than Morcar as their leader, threatening to blaze a trail through the country if their demands were not met. <br />
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The devastating defeat must have been harrowing for the brothers in their first real engagement. They appear to have fought bravely and the battle may have gone either way. The Battle of Fulford Trust believe that the Vikings outnumbered the English and this may have contributed to Hardrada's forces being able to roll up round them and crush them as re-inforcements arrived. Peter Marren (2004) states in his book 1066 The Battles of York, Stamford Bridge and Hastings that he does not necessary agree with this theory that the English were out numbered and that the armies were comparable in size. <br />
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The lie of the land meant that Edwin and Morcar's troops would have had difficulty in keeping track of each other. According to the Battle of Fulford Trust, if either of the English flanks gave way, the other side would not have known and this would have made them extremely vulnerable as they were to find out when Hardrada made his charge. Hardrada also had a much better view of the battle from some higher ground on the approach. From a higher vantage point, he would have been able to command his troops more effectively. <br />
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Considering the lack of experience and their youth, the young English brothers made a brave attempt to hold off the invaders and defend their city. They had obviously picked their spot with great care and thought, but their rawness in the field may have led to them disregarding such an important point as the lay of the land. Once their lines were broken, the Norwegians were able to break through and push them sideways without their respective flanks being able to pull backround together. Those that fled the onslaught made their way back to York, those that didn't were slaughtered where they fought.<br />
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During the 1990's excavations of bones thought to be those of Edwin's and Morcar's men were found with unhealed sword cuts to legs and arms, cracked or decapitated skulls and the typical injuries that are caused by arrows and other sharply tipped weapons such as spears. Many injuries were in the back and at least one had multiple deep cuts. <br />
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As violent and brutal as this battle was, it was just the first that the warriors of England were to endure that year. Edwin and Morcar and his surviving troops didn't make it to Hastings. But there was another northern battle yet to come before Hastings took place. The Battle of Stamford Bridge takes place 5 days later. In that battle, the victorious Vikings were to meet a new enemy, the army of Harold, the King of England.<br />
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References and further reading<br />
<a href="http://www.battleoffulford.org.uk/a_battle.htm">http://www.battleoffulford.org.uk/a_battle.htm</a><br />
Marren P (2004) <em>1066 The Battles of York, Stamford Bridge & Hastings </em>Pen and Sword books Ltd, Yorkshire.<br />
<em>Swanton M (1996) The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles </em>The Orion Publishing Group Ltd, London.<br />
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If you enjoy reading about the events of this period you may enjoy my novel Sons of the Wolf <a href="http://www.silverwoodbooks.co.uk/sonsofthewolf">www.silverwoodbooks.co.uk/sonsofthewolf</a> available also on Amazon and all good leading bookstores. Visit my website for more about the author <a href="http://www.paulaloftingauthor.com/">www.paulaloftingauthor.com</a> <br />
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<strong><em><span style="font-size: large;">Coming up soon the Battle of Stamford Bridge</span></em></strong>Paula Loftinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138899684247746388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5775198794185251378.post-63784768696052889152012-09-25T04:19:00.004-07:002016-09-19T06:52:26.366-07:00The Battle of Fulford Gate Part OneThe year of 1066 saw three major battles focusing on the struggle between the major contenders for the throne of England, recently vacated by Edward the Confessor who died in early January of that year. These men were Harold Godwinson, Harald Sigurdsson and Willliam of Normandy. The first and often forgotten battle was Gate Fulford, where brothers Morcar and Edwin, Earls of Northumbria and Mercia respectively, failed to hold off an invasion by the Norwegian Harald Hardrada and the disaffected Tostig Godwinson. Harald's fleet set sail during the summer and first arrived in Orkney to gather the local Viking forces of Jarls Paul and Erland. They then travelled southwards to meet with Tostig and his smaller fleet and ravaged the Yorkshire coast, destroying the town of Scarborough by throwing burning embers from a bonfire onto the thatched roofs of the houses. The next town to be met by their not so welcome arrival was Holderness whose citizens attempted to put up a resistance but were pretty much swatted like flies and from there sailed into the Humber. Harald moored his ships in the Ouse at Riccall and marched on to York because it was a major strategic stronghold and if Harald could take it, he would be in a strong position to conquer the north, piecemeal, using York as his base. Tostig would have been looking for revenge for the killing of his men and the stealing of his treasury and for York's support in ousting him from the earldom.<br />
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There is only one detailed source for this battle, <em>Snorri Sturluson's Saga of King Harald. </em>It is full of incorrect facts but it is also the only one available. What we can be certain of is that leaving their ships in Riccall, they marched on York. Meanwhile, Edwin and Morcar assembled their troops at Gate Fulford by the bank of the River Ouse. This was 2 miles from the city walls. They would have had plenty of time to gather intelligence about the movements of the Norse and send messages south to the King to ask for assistance. The Norwegians were a vast army and this was going to be no minor skirmish. This was obviously a serious attempt to invade and conquer. <br />
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Why didn't The young brothers Edwin and Morcar wait for Harold's army to march from the south to augment their forces before they engaged the invaders? There may have been many reasons. Perhaps time, or maybe they felt a battle would be better fought on the offensive. They may have wanted to assert their independence and strength, feeling that they were equipped to handle such an invasion. There was a possibility also that they may have been paranoid that Harold wanted to strike a bargain with his brother Tostig and restore him to his former Earldom which was now Morcar's. There may have been many reasons, but whatever, they lost and much of the northern army was depleted, perhaps why they most likely did not fight at Hastings. <br />
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The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle tells us that the Earls' army was as large a force as they could muster. Sturluson insists it was an 'immense' army. Most likely it was at least 5,000 men plus York itself could muster 1,000. Then there would have been the armies of the surrounding shires from Cheshire to the Scottish borders. The Earls would have had their own huscarles, personal body guards numbering around 300 men or so each. This would have taken some mobilising and it shows the relaxed attitude of the Vikings that allowed them the time to do it, that was eventually to be their downfall. As they approached Fulford, Harald's scouts saw the formidable army lining up against them. 'Gate' is actually meant to mean a road through a 'foul' (muddy/swampy) ford. <br />
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<em>King Harald's Saga</em> informs us that the Norse King's standard was placed near the river at the back of his army which then stretched all the way up 'where there was a deep and wide swamp, full of water' no doubt the foul or full ford.Moving toward the Norse army and using the stream that ran across the approaching road to strengthen their front, they manoevered in close formation as a shieldwall. Morcar led the vanguard and faced Tostig's troops on the opposite side of the stream and Edwin's men faced Hardrada nearer the Ouse.<br />
According to the Worcester Chronicle the English fought bravely at the onset that Tostig's Norwegians were pushed back. Unfortunately after a long struggle, with Tostig's troops heavily engaged by Morcar's and being hardpressed, Hardrada leads a devastating charge to cut them down with a blast of horns and war trumpets. Edwin's huscarles are slaughtered and the English begin to break up. Seeing that defeat was imminent, the levies broke up and fled back to York. Snorri attributes the victory to Harald's great warrior skills and courage but it was a hard fought battle on both sides. <br />
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You can follow the formation and the battle lines <a href="http://www.battleoffulford.org.uk/battle_1.htm" target="_blank">here</a> <br />
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If you enjoy this blog you may want to read my novel <br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sons-Wolf-Paula-Lofting/dp/1781320276/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1348571736&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Sons of the Wolf</a> set against the back drop of these events.<br />
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Paula Loftinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138899684247746388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5775198794185251378.post-54776732340403097062012-09-11T03:33:00.000-07:002019-10-22T02:21:47.801-07:00The Battle of Hereford <h3>
October 24th 1055 was a date I am sure would stick in the minds of many of
the people who lived in the Earldom of Herefordshire and in those of the people
of Wales, for many years to come. For the poor, unfortunate survivors of
Hereford, the names of Gruffydd and Alfgar would most likely invoke
terrible memories of burning buildings and blood strewn streets. As for the
Welsh people, the Cymry, they would remember it as one of their great
successes, a victory over the Saes invaders
who had stolen their land. These days, the ravaging of Hereford is a little
known battle and mostly, only those who have an interest in this period of
history, would be able to admit that they knew of it. It certainly wasn’t a
fight on the scale that the Battle of Hastings was and it wasn’t a hard won
victory for the vanquishers; but it was a devastating blow to the Franko-Norman
Earl of Hereford, who, in his effort to pre-empt the Welsh King Gruffydd and
the outlawed English Earl Alfgar from sacking his burgh, lost both his
reputation and his standing in English affairs, when he and his guard, left the field of battle
leaving many of his mounted army to die. </h3>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Attributed to Len Howell</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> Gruffydd, self-proclaimed King of
Wales, became so after he had won his bid to become supreme leader over the
other Celtic kingdoms of Wales. He had been King of Gwynedd and Powys and had fought
successfully against a Mercian army c 1040, killing Edwin, Alfgar’s paternal
uncle. He soon began to harbour ambitions of uniting Wales against her
enemies and so set about ridding himself of any impediments to realising his
goal: Gruffydd ap Rhydderch, ruler of the South was one of them. This he did,
probably with the aid of the exiled Alfgar of Mercia.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Alfgar had washed up on the shore of the River
Conwy at Gruffydd’s palace at Rhuddlan, Northern Wales after being found
guilty of uttering treasonable offences toward his King, Edward the Confessor.
With him he brought a fleet of mercenaries from Dublin. It would be the second
time that Gruffydd had used a renegade outlaw exiled from England to assist
him. The first was Swegn Godwinson, the scandalous older son of Godwin,
outlawed for bad behaviour. This shows that Gruffydd was not above taking
advantage of the discord that often went on at the English court. He was
an astute and ruthless ruler, and to the Welsh, he was the <em>Shield of the
Britons</em>. Unfortunately for him, he was to be betrayed by his own people some
years later when </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> murdered, they sent his head to Harold, Earl of
Wessex. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Alfgar, son of Leofric, Earl of Mercia
and the legendary Godiva of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">naked horse
ride</i> fame, appears to have been an unruly, truculent man, envious of the
success the Godwins were having. The Anglo Saxon Chronicles don’t go into
a lot of detail but he was banished from England after some angry
outburst which could have been treasonous. He was stripped of all his wealth
and lands. Like the Godwinsons before him, he was determined to return and
first went to Ireland to gather a force before approaching Gruffydd, his
family’s natural enemy. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> The King’s nephew Ralph was made Earl
of Hereford around 1052. Ralph was the son of Edward’s sister Goda and her
deceased husband Drogo de Mantes who had been the Count of Valois, the Vexin
and Amiens. His older brother Walter, became the Count after Drogo and appears
to have died along with his wife in tragic circumstances. Ralph may have been
raised at the court of Normandy and travelled to England either with Edward or
perhaps arriving shortly afterwards. He was most likely to have been in his mid
to late twenties at the time of the battle. Ralph wanted to introduce Norman
style tactics into English warfare and although it was probably not unheard of
for English troops to fight on horseback, it was not the usual preferred
method. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The mounted warrior would have looked
very different to previous warriors who fought on foot. The maille that was
being worn by this time was becoming longer than the usual byrnie that had
formerly graced the bodies of 11thc warriors. The byrnie (or haubergeon) was more of a maille
‘shirt’ where as the hauberk generally well covered the thighs and groin areas.
Kite shields were also becoming popular as we see in the Bayeux Tapestry and
they were more practical for using on horseback as the kite shield gave greater
coverage to the unprotected side of the warrior’s body. He could hack or spear
with his weapon-hand which would defend his other side from his shoulder down
to his foot whilst he was horsed. He would also wear a conical shaped helmet
like these spangenhelm wearing warriors. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Most
likely he would go into battle with a few javelins to project at the enemy, or
a spear to skewer them with. His sword or hand axe would be for closer hand to
hand fighting when proximity to his opponent made the longer arms too difficult
to use. If he was able to afford them, he would no doubt be wearing some maille chausses
on his legs to protect them whilst he was in the saddle. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> Ralph had been working on his Norman
style defences too, building wooden structures with palisades, the pre-runner
to castles. These would have consisted of a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">motte,
</i>a mound of earth with a towered structure within an inner bailey. The
wooden fencing would have contained ramparts and lookouts. These were posted
around the marcher borders and in Hereford itself. Ralph was obviously out to
impress his uncle the King and may have considered himself worthy of being his
successor, although there is no evidence to believe that he ever did, apart
from the fact he was of the Royal bloodline through his mother. This might have
been one reason why he was never declared an atheling, because he came from the distaff side of the House of Wessex. A great resounding
defeat against the Welsh might have brought him the adulation and respect that
he desired. Perhaps it would have gained him the title <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">atheling</i>. Unfortunately for Ralph, it
was not to be. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">On
October the 24<sup>th</sup>, the two armies faced each other across the plain.
Here is what the D version of the AS Chronicle said about it <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm -14.2pt 0pt 36pt;">
<em><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">".....And
soon after that, Earl Alfgar, son of Earl Leofric, </span></em><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span><em><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">was outlawed well-nigh without fault; but he turned
to</span></em><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span><em><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Ireland and Wales and there got himself a great
band , </span></em><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span><em><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">and travelled thus to Hereford; but there Earl
Ralph came</span></em><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span><em><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">against him with a great raiding party, and with a
little </span></em><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span><em><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">struggle they were brought to flight, and many
people</span></em><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span><em><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">killed in that flight, and then turned into
Hereford market</span></em><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span><em><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">town and raided it, burned down the famous minster
which </span></em><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span><em><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Bishop Athelstan built, and killed the priests
inside the min-</span></em><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span><em><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">-ster, and many others as well, seized all the
treasures in </span></em><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span><em><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">there and led them away with them. And then when
they had </span></em><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span><em><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">done most harm, it was decided to reinstate Earl
Alfgar, and </span></em><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span><em><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">give him back his earldom and all that was taken
away from </span></em><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
</span><em><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">him. This raid was made on October the
24th....."<o:p></o:p></span></em></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm -14.2pt 0pt 36pt;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> The Abingon Manuscript elaborates a
little more and states that after Alfgar was outlawed, he went to Ireland and
raised an army and then sought asylum with King Gruffydd of Wales. The allied
forces then go into Hereford and Earl Ralph comes against him with a 'great
army'. "But before a spear could be thrown, the English people fled
because they were on horse; and great slaughter was made". The Manuscript
also states about 400-500 English were slaughtered and the enemy lost none. It
has also been suggested that Ralph and his men left the field leaving the English to
die. Hence he is later known as Ralph the Timid. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">As there is little evidence of a full eyewitness
account of what happened that day, one has to imagine how this might have
occurred. Whatever happened, the day belonged to a victorious Gruffydd and Alfgar.
Alfgar, we see was reinstated and Gruffydd most likely given Lordship over the
lands around Archenfield. Harold Godwinson had come with a great army to chase
the Welsh and their allies back into the mountains but there was no return
match and Gruffydd’s Welshmen and Alfgar’s Hiberno-Norse made away with slaves,
livestock and treasures from the church they had sacked. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The people of Hereford were left to lick
their wounds and Harold rebuilt the defences that seemed to have been neglected
by Ralph. The fact that Alfgar was never called to account for this outrage
shows how brutal and non-consequential life could be in these days. The fact
that he got away with it shows how little regard there was for the ordinary
people concerned. The razing and ravaging of lands was often a punishment
levelled at the nobility but although it is an absurd notion for us to protest
the irony of it with our 21<sup>st</sup> century outlook, the lower echelons of
life in medieval times mattered only to their immediate lords for what they
were worth in economical terms. A simple local thegn may have been devastated
at the loss of his ‘people’ but for the major nobility it was more of a
financial disaster than an emotional one. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">As for Ralph, it seemed he may not have
ever got over the disgrace and he disappears from the pages of history until he
dies in 1057. The Earldom of Hereford later passed to his son Harold, after the
Conquest. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p>
</o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm -14.2pt 0pt -1cm; text-indent: 1cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">References<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm -14.2pt 0pt -1cm; text-indent: 1cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Barlow F (1997) <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Edward the Confessor </i>(2<sup>nd</sup> ed) Yale University Press, US.<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Stenton F (1971) <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Anglo Saxon England</i> (3<sup>rd </sup>Ed) Oxford University Press,
Oxford.</span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm -14.2pt 0pt -1cm; text-indent: 1cm;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Swanton M (2000) <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Anglo Saxon Chronicles </i>(2<sup>nd</sup> ed) Phoenix Press, London.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"><em><strong><span style="color: red;">This Battle features in my novel </span></strong></em><a href="http://www.silverwoodbooks.co.uk/product/9781781320273/sons-of-the-wolf" target="_blank"><em><strong><span style="color: red;">Sons of the Wolf</span></strong></em></a><em><strong><span style="color: red;"> and was part of the research I did for it.</span></strong></em> </span></div>
</span>Paula Loftinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138899684247746388noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5775198794185251378.post-29961882785449591122012-07-19T14:49:00.001-07:002012-07-19T14:49:57.651-07:00Published at lastHello Everyone!<br />
<br />
Sons of the Wolf is at last published and is now available to purchase through the publishers, SilverWoods books <a href="http://www.silverwoodbooks.co.uk/">www.silverwoodbooks.co.uk</a>, Amazon or Waterstones and the Book Depository.<br />
<br />
I am so happy that at last the story of how the Norman Conquest of England affected the ordinary people of the land. <br />
<br />
Yours,<br />
<br />
Paula<br />
<br />
follow me at <a href="https://twitter.com/Paulalofting">https://twitter.com/Paulalofting</a><br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/#!/paula.lofting">https://www.facebook.com/#!/paula.lofting</a>Paula Loftinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138899684247746388noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5775198794185251378.post-27821067018253963622012-07-19T14:02:00.000-07:002012-07-19T14:02:09.864-07:00The Battle of Hereford: Alfgar of Mercia<h2>
The Battle of Hereford: Alfgar of Mercia </h2>
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<h3>
Treasonable Earl, unruly son and vengeful protagonist? Or a wronged man fighting for his rights?</h3>
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Earl Alfgar was the son of Leofric, Earl of Mercia. Leofric was the Earl who is mentioned in the mythical tale of Lady Godiva, the woman who rode naked on a horse to force her husband to lower taxes. As mythical as that tale may have been, there was nothing mythical about the couple and their son. In the past, Leofric has been thought to have been the father of Hereward the Wake, but research from Peter Rex has proved substantially in my view, to be wrong. <a href="http://paulalofting-sonsofthewolf.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/investigation-into-true-lineage-of.html">http://paulalofting-sonsofthewolf.blogspot.co.uk/2011/04/investigation-into-true-lineage-of.html</a><br />
Hereward as documents show, had very similar characteristics to Alfgar and had also suffered exile for misconduct, so one can see where the confusion may have arisen. However, I am pleased to say quite clearly that there is no connection between Alfgar and Hereward. <br />
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We first see Alfgar in the Anglo Saxon Chronicle in the year 1051when he was invested with the earldom of East Anglia when its previous earl, Harold Godwinson, had fled into exile with his brother Leofwine after the Dover incident. Alfgar had been sidelined for sometime whilst the two eldest Godwinson brothers and their Danish cousin Beorn had been given earldoms in Hereford and East Anglia and other areas in England. If as his later actions imply, he was hot-headed, easily roused man, this must have irritated him immensley and perhaps the other Northern earls who were somewhat concerned about the Godwins' 'take-over' from the South.<br />
When the Godwinsons were reconciled with King Edward, they were restored to their former wealth and positions, therefore Alfgar was compelled to relinquish his earldom and Harold Godwinson was returned to his earldom. One can imagine that Alfgar did not feel gracious about having his office taken away after waiting for so long to recieve an earldom. The chronicles of the time do not bestow upon us great insight into the minds and emotions of the people they report on, however it should not be hard to conjure up images of the crest-fallen Alfgar, informed of his demotion, forming bitter and resentful thoughts within his mind. <br />
But it was not to be too long before Alfgar was handed the Earldom of East Anglia back to him. Harold's father, the mighty Earl Godwin of Wessex, who had seen service with 6 kings throughout his life, finally met his demise after suffering a seizure, possibly a stroke at Easter time in 1053. This meant that Harold was able to step into his shoes thus creating a vacancy for Alfgar to be back in the seat of East Anglia.This meant that with Swegn and his father Godwin dead, the balance was tipping back against the Godwinsons, with Siward still in charge in Northumbria, Leofric in Mercia, the king's nephew, Ralph de Mantes was Earl of Hereford and now Alfgar of Mercia was to become earl again in East Anglia, leaving Harold the only Godwinson with an Earldom, albeit a large one. But the scales were soon to change when when during the Easter <em>Witanemegot </em>in 1055, Alfgar managed to get himself outlawed. According to the Abingdon (C) version of the Anglo Saxon Chronicle, he was said to have been innocent of the crime and the northern (D) chronicle states that he'd hardly committed any crime. The (E) version states that Alfgar was a traitor to his king and his people. Whatever his innocence or guilt, we cannot be sure of the real reasons, he fled to Ireland, gathered up an army of Irish and probably Norse mercenaries, brought them in ships to Gruffydd in Wales, knowing that Gruffydd would have his own beef with the English along the Welsh borders, and together they formed an alliance. Alfgar most likely assisted Gruffydd in killing the King of the Deheubarth, another Gruffydd, and subjugated the people under his own yoke. Then in late Autumn 1055, the alliance invaded the English lands around Hereford, slaughtering Earl Ralph's mounted cavalry and burned and ravaged the burgh of Hereford. He was eventually restored to his Earldom after coming to terms with the King. Gruffydd too escaped punishment for the time being and it is thought that he was given lands around Archenfield.<br />
<br />
<br />
Alfgar's career after that was very turbulent. He married his daughter to Gruffydd which could not have pleased his father. Gruffydd had been the cause of Leofric's brother some years earlier. This alliance would not have pleased the Godwinsons or the people of Hereford who ahd suffered greatly in the last raid on their burgh. He was in trouble again around 1058 when he and Gruffydd, along with a force of Norsemen, threatened another invasion. <br />
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<em><strong>Eventually, Alfgar seems to have disappeared from the chronicles after 1062 and it could be assumed that he died around this time. Without him, Gruffydd's power seems to have weakened as we shall see in the next part where we discuss the life and achievement of Gruffydd ap Llewellyn, Alfgar's partner in crime.</strong></em>Paula Loftinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138899684247746388noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5775198794185251378.post-67208947599524943112012-07-03T05:09:00.002-07:002013-05-08T02:45:43.697-07:00The House of Godwin: Origins, Wulfnoth the Pirate<br />
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<h3>
The Godwins were the most prolificly famous family of the first half of the 11thc. But just who were they? We all know who Harold Godwinson was and to some extent who his father Godwin was. But just where did they spring from? The following is a short introduction to who the father of Godwin was, Wulfnoth, son of an ealdorman Athlmaer whose lineage can be traced back through the old dynastic line of the Wessex Kings. Yes, Harold was a noble with royal blood. Far more throneworthy than William the Duke of Normandy, who did not have an ounce of Wessex blood in him. </h3>
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In 1008, King Aethelred ordered that a large fleet of warships from all over the country should be built equating to one from three hundred and ten hides, so 310 ships. Wulfnoth Cild, father of Godwin, was Captain of a fleet that was brought to Sandwich with the rest of the ships from the other parts of England to lie in wait in the defence of this country against the Viking raiders. This time was a great period of intrigue and Eadric Streona was one of the most prominent men at court. He seems to have been a cunning and sly man who took it upon himself to rid the court of any rivals he thought might be in the way of his advancement. Well his brother Beortric might not have been any better for as the Anglo Saxon Chronicle says he accused Wulfnoth of some unknown charges which John of Worcester stated was unjust. These charges, whether unjust or not, may have had something to do with betrayal perhaps and could have been along the lines of Wulfnoth going over to the Danes, though there is no evidence of this, nor is there any evidence that it was Beortric's charge against him. Incensed, Wulfnoth was said to have 'turned away with 20 ships and raided everywhere along the south coast and wrought every kind of harm.'<br />
Beortic chased after him with 80 ships, vowing to get him and bring him back to meet the King's justice but unfortunately for Beortric, his ships were met with a great storm and they were cast ashore only to be burnt by Wulfnoth who meted his own justice out to his enemy.<br />
Hearing of his fleet's misfortune, the King fled back to London and appears to have left the rest of the fleet at Sandwich in confusion as to what they should do. The crews brought the ships back to London and thus the great deterrent against the Danes ended its purpose.<br />
So with the ships gone from Sandwich, the Vikings were able to invade at Harvest time and made their way from Sandwich into Kent and to Canterbury. Wulfnoth was cast out as an outlaw and his property was confiscated.<br />
Later Wulfnoth's father, an Ealderman called Aethelmaer, defected to the Danish King Swein, most likely followed by his son Wulfnoth. Both of these men died around 1014.Paula Loftinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138899684247746388noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5775198794185251378.post-8278456109050764282012-05-24T06:52:00.000-07:002013-02-16T14:52:26.100-08:00Scene from Sons of the Wolf: Wulfhere's nightmare <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Wulfhere stands on the crest of the hill and stares in horror at the
terrible carnage surrounding him. He surveys the scene with blurred vision. Body
parts are scattered indiscriminately. As his eyes clear, he sees that they are
set about the bloody slope in congealed masses. His byrnie feels unbearably
heavy. Sweat trickles down his skin in rivulets. Instinctively, he clasps his
sword, </span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman Italic"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman Italic";">Hildbana, </span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">as the perspiration runs from under his sleeve and into his palm. But
his hand is soaked and he cannot hold on to it, and the weapon slips down the slope.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-size: large;">The sky is dense with dark clouds.
The mist-ridden air is dank with the stench of death and blood. He feels dizzy
and wants to gag. Instead he forces himself to breathe, breathe hard, to avoid
expelling the bile that rises in his throat.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<div class="FreeForm" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 1cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1cm;">
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-size: large;">“Pick up your sword, Lord Wulfhere!”
urges a familiar voice.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
<div class="FreeForm" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 1cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1cm;">
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-size: large;">A terrible throbbing pounds at his
temple and he fights his desire to lose consciousness. “I cannot find it…”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
<div class="FreeForm" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 1cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1cm;">
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-size: large;">“You must!” the voice shouts at him
in earnest.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
<div class="FreeForm" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 1cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1cm;">
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-size: large;">Wulfhere staggers down the hill,
recognising the faces of his fallen comrades on the severed heads that he passes
by. They speak to him through lips that do not move; words he cannot discern. His
feet are slipping in the oozing blood and he feels his heart racing. The voice
continues to order him to find his sword. Below him, at the foot of the hill,
he sees a morass of jumbled men and spears. His head throbs as he moves toward
them, fearing that his sword is lost somewhere amongst the chaos.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
<div class="FreeForm" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 1cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1cm;">
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-size: large;">Suddenly, he is in the midst of the
growling shield wall. The sound of battle deafens him as he is heaved, pushed
and stabbed at with spears or axes. The enemy are in front. Snarling wolf-like
faces. The points of their spears jab at him. Wooden shields slam into the
phalanx, trying to break their way in. Wulfhere is jostled this way and that,
as if he is a coracle tossed in a stormy sea. He wants his sword. How can he
fight without his sword? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">“Where is my sword? Where is </span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman Italic"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman Italic";">Hildbana</span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">?”he hears himself shout and, though he knows it is his voice, it feels
as if it has come from another.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
<div class="FreeForm" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 1cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1cm;">
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-size: large;">His head spins. He stares down in an
attempt to avoid passing out and sees that his feet are bare and the air is
freezing against his naked body. Where is his armour? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-size: large;">Terror grasps at his insides and fear
tears through his veins. He is naked. No spear, no sword, no armour to protect
him…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
<div class="FreeForm" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 1cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1cm;">
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-size: large;">“My lord, your sword!” he hears the
voice shout again. “Where is your sword?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-size: large;">He looks up from the ground and
stares into faces that are no longer fleshy. Faces of bone. Skeletons wearing
dark hoods. He screams...a long, agonising cry that is eventually broken by the
familiar voice calling him again.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
<div class="FreeForm" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 1cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1cm;">
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-size: large;">“My lord! Open your eyes! Can you
hear me?” </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman Italic"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman Italic";">"I know that
voice. Esegar!"</span></span></div>
<div class="FreeForm" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 1cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1cm;">
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-size: large;">He is pulled by his ankles out of the
scrum of the shield wall.</span></span></div>
<div class="FreeForm" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 1cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1cm;">
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-size: large;">“My lord! ’Tis I, Esegar! Can you
hear me?”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
<div class="FreeForm" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 1cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1cm;">
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-size: large;">Wulfhere lies on the grass, dazed,
tries to sit up. His helmet is gone and his head pounds. Around him he hears
the screams and roars of the men in the shield wall; the agonising sound of men
dying.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
<div class="FreeForm" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 1cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1cm;">
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-size: large;">“Here, take your sword!”</span></span></div>
<div class="FreeForm" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 1cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1cm;">
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-size: large;">“You have it?” Wulfhere asks. Relief
overwhelms him. He is alive and Esegar has found his sword. He must have passed
out. </span></span></div>
<div class="FreeForm" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 1cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1cm;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Esegar’s face flashes above him and
Wulfhere feels reassured. Then, almost as quickly as it has appeared, the flesh
begins to deteriorate, leaving a mass of hideously rotting flesh, until it is no
longer Esegar hovering above him, but the hooded figure of </span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman Italic"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman Italic";">death </span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">surrounded
by darkness.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
<div class="FreeForm" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 1cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1cm;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman Italic"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman Italic";">Death </span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">smiles; a repugnant grim contortion of the jawbone drops open to spill
forth evil laughter and, with it, disgusting creatures, bugs, worms and all
kinds of ghastly things from hell.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
<div class="FreeForm" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 1cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1cm;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">“Your sword is broken, my lord,” the
face of </span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman Italic"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman Italic";">death </span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">says, rasping and mocking like the voice of an old harridan. A pair of
bony hands hold forth his beloved </span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman Italic"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman Italic";">Hildbana, </span><span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Battle Slayer, the sword that has
been handed down to him from his father…it is broken in two.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
<div class="FreeForm" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 1cm; text-align: justify; text-indent: 1cm;">
<span style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-size: large;">Wulfhere is lifted to his feet, as if
by unseen hands. A scream is rising within him as the world around him spins.
The scream pierces through his brain as if his head will break open and scatter
its contents in an explosion of agony. Unable to breathe or move, his whole
body is paralysed. The noise inside his head grows louder until it reaches a
crescendo and, suddenly, he forces his eyes open and breathes in a heavy gasp.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Paula Loftinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138899684247746388noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5775198794185251378.post-60371133895249666232012-04-25T14:32:00.000-07:002012-04-25T14:32:01.013-07:00Quick Facts About Thegns<div class="mbl notesBlogText clearfix">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDDb90jfac4dpmLlDLrrFGyROCp57d5joOmhfNorzGJr_ysB4YYthtyyZ1VM49BNySY9ckLCuZxIxC5Fs4hWg-w80vGMxKo9rcxOdJcTnJ2U0qNsMGH6ABwGZpfOHTmo2ZhEGmGwv4TRMN/s1600/Ralph+de+Mantes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDDb90jfac4dpmLlDLrrFGyROCp57d5joOmhfNorzGJr_ysB4YYthtyyZ1VM49BNySY9ckLCuZxIxC5Fs4hWg-w80vGMxKo9rcxOdJcTnJ2U0qNsMGH6ABwGZpfOHTmo2ZhEGmGwv4TRMN/s1600/Ralph+de+Mantes.jpg" /></a></div>
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Thegns in Anglo Saxon times were important nobles of different ranking.They were well equipped for war and would owe military service as part of their role. A law of Cnut's that shows the heriot of thegns of different status is as follows.<br />
<strong>Cnut’s Secular Ordinance [II Cnut]</strong> (Liebermann 1903, 356-8)<br />
<em>clause 70:</em> If a man departs from this life intestate, be it through his carelessness or be it through sudden death (<em>ðurh færlicne deaþ</em>), then the lord is not to take any more from his [movable] property (<em>æhte</em>) than his due heriot (<em>butan his rihtan heregeate</em>). But the property is to be shared most correctly according to his deliberation (<em>be his dihte</em>) by the wife, the children and near kinsmen – each in accord with the measure (<em>mæðe</em>) that belongs to them.<br />
<em>clause 71:</em> And the heriots are to be determined (<em>beo... gefundene</em>) exactly as is appropriate (<em>mæðlic</em>):<br />
- an earl’s as befits him: that is 8 horses (4 saddled and 4 unsaddled); and 4 helmets (<em>helmas</em>) and 4 bynies (<em>byrnan</em>); and 8 spears and as many shields; and 4 swords (<em>swyrd</em>); and 200 mancuses of gold.<br />
- and then the heriots of the king’s thegns, who are nearest (<em>nyxte</em>) to him: 4 horses (2 saddled and 2 unsaddled); and 2 swords; and 4 spears and as many shields; and a helmet and a byrnie; and 50 mancuses of gold.<br />
- and of the more ordinary thegn (<em>medemra ðegen</em>): a horse and its tack (<em>gerædan</em>); and his weapons or his <em>healsfang</em> in Wessex; and in Mercia £2; and in East Anglia £2.<br />
- and the heriot of a king’s thegn among the Danes, who has his soke (<em>socne</em>): £4<br />
- and if he has a closer relationship (<em>furðor cyððe</em>) to the king: 2 horses (1 saddled, 1 unsaddled); and 1 sword; and 2 spears and 2 shields; and 50 mancuses of gold.<br />
- and for him who has less and is less close: £2.<br />
<em>clause 78:</em> And the man who on a campaign (<em>fyrdunge</em>) falls in front of his lord, whether within the country (<em>lande</em>) or outside it, is to be forgiven his heriot and the heirs are to succeed (<em>fon</em>) to his land and movable property (<em>æhte</em>) and are to divide it very justly (<em>swiðe rihte</em>).<br />
Thanks to Nicholas Brooks of the University of Birmingham: The Staffordshire Hoard and the Mercian Royal Court http://finds.org.uk/staffshoardsymposium/papers/nicholasbrooks<br />
The heriot would most likely have been presented to the king in a ceremonial style manner and after he had declared his loyatly to his sovereign or Lord, it was gifted back to him.<br />
Even some more wealthy or important thegns who had service in the court of the King, could also have under him his own thegns who would have been quite distinguishable for the higher ranking peasantry. The minimum land holding for a thegn would have been 5 hides. One hide was the amount of land that a family would need to live on and was roughly around 120 acres. Essentially by the mid 11thc, many lesser thegns were also farmers, such as Wulfhere, the main character of the Sons of the wolf, who attends court with others on a rota basis. Wulfhere is a man of the Domesday book so was very real. Nothing is known of his true character or his doings in life, his story is my invention. It is an interpretation of how his life might have been.</div>
</div>Paula Loftinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138899684247746388noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5775198794185251378.post-88952966120700168572012-04-19T03:04:00.001-07:002017-06-20T03:36:54.642-07:00The Mystery Woman of the Bayeux Tapestry: Part Six<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2WVX-0vgted7OZ0QdByEUntGSClosQx97Z1qQoPN-TRf1mvwoiKvdkSgN2x8X15_VhBusRHVMmfNo5Wzm14MvDNiNMxE9S2Tp39Hl78qS6NTVCq3pv68uEkc8VH1-c0mbcfgwWQNHyuSy/s1600/Bayeux+the+beginning.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="110" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2WVX-0vgted7OZ0QdByEUntGSClosQx97Z1qQoPN-TRf1mvwoiKvdkSgN2x8X15_VhBusRHVMmfNo5Wzm14MvDNiNMxE9S2Tp39Hl78qS6NTVCq3pv68uEkc8VH1-c0mbcfgwWQNHyuSy/s400/Bayeux+the+beginning.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">In this final examination of this mystery, I do not aim
to prove, necessarily, what the image of Alfgyva and the priest represents, but
to explain my theory, why I believe it is possible and how I came to that conclusion.
We will never know the full truth behind the image and what the artist was
trying to convey, the real message has been lost down the tunnel of time and
has died with those who have long since lived. I imagine that in the same way
one might glance at the front page of a modern newspaper, read the first line
of a headline story and know exactly what the author was referring to, so the
reviewers of the Tapestry would also know about the well-known scandal of the
time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the people of the 11thc, it
may not have needed any more explanation than the image of Alfgyva and the
priest or - it might be that there was some secret underlying message contained
within the borders of the tapestry that reports something else only known to
certain people. No one can be sure. <span style="color: #c0504d;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: white; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">So we have
discovered who the lady in question is and to my mind this is indisputable. She
was Aelfgifu of Northampton, handfastened wife of King Cnut of England and it was
J Bard McNulty (1980) who first identified her. She was sent by Cnut to Norway
to govern there with their oldest son Swein, however her heavy handed taxation
and policing did not endear her to the Norwegians and they were ousted after
some years. Poor Swein died in Denmark where they had both escaped to after the
debacle in Norway. Nothing was heard about her after 1040. She became the
subject of a scandal when she was accused of presenting Cnut with two sons that
were actually neither hers nor his. One was </span><span style="color: white; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">rumoured</span><span lang="EN" style="color: white; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"> to be the son of a priest </span><span style="color: white; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">and a serving maid and the other was the son of a
workman and perhaps herself or the same servant maid. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Now, regards her connection to the
Bayeux Tapestry, we have established her identity, but what could she possibly
have had to do with the story of Harold’s sojourn in Normandy. As I explained
previously in <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>part 5, J.McNulty Bard (1980)
states in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Lady Aelfgyva in the Bayeux
Tapestry</i> that the scene depicting Aelfgyva and the priest is not what
happens next at William’s court, but what Harold and William are <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>discussing in the previous scene. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">In order to reach the point where we can
consider their conversation about the lady in question, we need to discuss the
scene with William and Harold in detail. This is the one before the Aelfgyva
one. William and Harold have just arrived at William’s court from having ridden
from Ponthieu where Harold had been kept, probably for ransom, by the young
Count after washing up on his shore. Somehow, an Englishman, a huscarle of
Harold’s, had escaped and called upon William for his help in releasing his lord
from the clutches of Count Guy. William was the Count’s overlord and demanded
that Guy hand Harold over immediately. Now, William sits on his throne in his
hall with a Norman guard standing behind him with a spear. This man appears to
be pointing at Harold. The viewer can differentiate between the Normans and the
English by their hairstyles. There is no or little disparity with the English
and Norman clothing of the day, but their hair styles are very different with
most Normans wearing their hair short and shaved at the back to just above the
ears. The artist has obviously marked these out to give the viewer a clear idea
between the two races. The Image of Harold is shown with his hair covering his
ears and just above collar length. Curiously, the guard standing directly
behind him as he converses with William, is not shown as a Norman. This man is
also sporting an English style hair cut and a beard. The Normans are generally
shown as being clean shaven. The English either have beards or moustaches. As
we can see, the rest of William’s household guards are looking very Norman-like
in contrast to the one that Harold appears to be indicating to. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="color: white; font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt;">
</span></span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Harold had travelled to Normandy with the intention of negotiating the
release of his brother Wulfnoth and his nephew Hakon as stated by Eadmer in his History of Recent Events in England. These two particular
Godwinsons had been taken into Edward’s care as hostages to ensure the good behaviour
of their father Godwin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 1051, Godwin
found himself in trouble with Edward for his refusal to punish the people of
Dover for their ‘maltreatment’ of the King’s brother-in-law Count Eustace of
Bologne and his men (Barlow 2002) Godwin had rallied his supporters to him to
side with him against the King. At that time, the great nobles of the day were
reluctant to support a civil war and so Godwin had no choice but flee, leaving
his son Wulfnoth and grandson Hakon behind, most likely in the household of his
daughter Queen Edith. It is not exactly clear how Wulfnoth and Hakon, both
young boys at the time, came to find themsleves in Normandy, but it was quite
possible that the Archbishop, Robert Champart took them with him when Godwin
forced his way back to England from exile a year later. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Champart had helped to engineer Godwin’s fall
from grace and so he feared for his life and fled back to Normandy where he had
come from. It is believed that he may have brought the boys with him to present
to William as surety for the promise of the crown and perhaps to ensure him a
safe departure from England.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">So we have two versions of the
tale of Harold’s journey to Normandy, the English, as told by Eadmer and the
Normans. Eadmer’s version somewhat
different to that of the Norman sources. According to Bridgeford (2004), Eadmer
has Harold travelling to Normandy on a mission to secure the release of his kin
with a stark warning form Edward that this may not be a good idea and that he
will be inviting trouble for himself and ‘the whole kingdom’ if he does indeed
embark on this journey. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eadmer states that
he warns Harold that the Duke is ‘not so simple’ as to give the hostages up. Edward
apparently also states that he wanted no part in this. And yet Harold still went,
frivolously, one might think, considering Edward’s warning about the nature of his
second cousin. This also shows the strength of Harold that the King was unable
to persuade or force him not to go. But frivolous an act it might have been, Harold
must have been disturbed by the plight of his brother and nephew, languishing in
Normandy long after the need for them to be hostages had gone. The original purpose
for their detention had been to ensure Godwin’s good behaviour and he had long been
dead. Harold I am sure wanted only to bring them home.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Norman sources insist that Harold had been
sent by Edward to confirm the succession upon him (Harriet Harvey Wood 2008). I
prefer Eadmer’s version. He was said to have had access to people who might
have had first hand information about Harold’s intentions when he went to
Normandy. It is a plausible suggestion and upon studying the images of the
tapestry, I have not seen anything that might not support this idea.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">So now, what are my
conclusions? I shall keep you no longer in suspense! :</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKkmL7W1pf8A5OECTbAyMN1lRHjzCQ0anpFh9I0N-HYf4JPZpWhLn1xiwxp1QNZPD_gmHIAItekNaxUMDru3Urqwp15a1_YMyhSnXAJtV42nxKALzD3AmTnlSeZFezhzjPTatEE9qk9lgz/s1600/Alfgyva+and+Monk+on+BT+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKkmL7W1pf8A5OECTbAyMN1lRHjzCQ0anpFh9I0N-HYf4JPZpWhLn1xiwxp1QNZPD_gmHIAItekNaxUMDru3Urqwp15a1_YMyhSnXAJtV42nxKALzD3AmTnlSeZFezhzjPTatEE9qk9lgz/s320/Alfgyva+and+Monk+on+BT+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Imagine someone wants to tell you some gossip about your neighbour Joe
Bloggs, something quite scandalous and outrageous. Imagine that person has
already heard it from someone else and perhaps that person has heard it from
some other person. Imagine that somewhere along the line, facts have become
distorted or left out. Perhaps someone has mistaken Joe for a different Joe or
for a John, who looked a lot like Joe? Imagine that by the time the rumour
reaches </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">you,
the whole episode </span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">has been mixed
up? Well, this is what I believe has happened in the Bayeux Tapestry with the
Aelfgyva tale. After studying the tapestry, the possible candidates and the possible
links to the story quite thoroughly, I can come up with no other explanation
other than it is a case of mistaken identity where a certain lady’s story has
been wrongly attributed to another. One can imagine it would not have been that
difficult to mistake one person for another when there were so many women with
the same name around at the same time. Especially if you were a Norman, hearing
scandalous tales passed from one person to another like a Chinese whisper. It
was said that the Normans found English names difficult and laughable which may
have compounded the confusion. </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">So what are the
implications of such a suggestion? This is what I believe <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">could</i> have been what the Bayeux Tapestry was trying to convey. It
is not a hypothesis that can be proven, but merely a suggestion and an
interpretation of what this scene might signify. I am not in any way stating
that I have cracked the mystery, or that I have finally found the answer. I am
however presenting you with a possibility, having been unable to discover any
other indisputable explanation for the woman’s role embroidered into the
legend. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So this is my theory. The woman is definitely
Aelfgyva of Northampton and I believe the priest touching her face is doing so
to signify some sort of collaboration with her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For some reason, the two men, Harold and William are discussing in the
scene before, the Earl’s reasons for turning up on the Duke’s shores. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The scene in which Aelfgyva and the priest are
portrayed is part of their conversation also. But why are they discussing this
woman? It all seems very strange because it has been difficult to tie her into
the story with what we know of her and what we know of the events in 1066. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Andrew
Bridgeford has alluded to the fact that Harold is explaining to William that he
has come to negotiate the release of his brother and nephew, hence the man that
Harold appears to be almost touching with his finger is presented with a beard
in the English style of dress and not the Norman clean shaven manner as all the
others in the scene are apart from Harold. It seems quite reasonable to me to
assert that this bearded fellow is Wulfnoth. But William only understands something
other reason for Harold’s visit. He is convinced that Harold has come to
declare his fealty to him and assure him that when Edward dies, he will support
him as his successor. Why else would he come with such wealth to offer him?
Could William’s mindset have been so focussed on the crown of England that he
cannot not hear the words Harold is trying to say to him? Harold mentions
carefully, very carefully because he knows how ruthless Duke William can be,
that Edward has declared his great nephew Edgar, grandson of Edmund Ironside as
the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">atheling, </i>someone who is
throne-worthy, therefore he would be considered as a candidate to the throne (William
was never declared <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">atheling</i> as far as
the documentation goes). But William is not daunted by this news. He has already
dismissed Edgar, having heard the scandal of Edmund Ironsides’ mother Aelfgyva,
who it was said, had tricked her husband into believing her sons were his when
they were really the sons of a priest and a workman. He laughs at Harold’s
suggestion that the Witan should prefer a boy over a man such as him, a boy
descended from dubious lineage. Is he not (the Duke) a man who has cheated
death many times and earned the respect of his enemies. Harold tries to put him
straight about Aelfgyva, desperately trying to make him understand that he is mistaken
and that the woman in the scandal he was referring to was not Edmund Ironside’s
mother, but Harold Harefoot’s mother, wife of Cnut. Yes, Aethelred’s wife was
also called Aelfgyva, but there was no such scandal about her and Edgar’s
lineage was of the true line of Wessex. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">But
William is still not listening. He interrupts, rebuffs and insists. Harold is
having problems pressing home his point because William has made his mind up.
It is a game that only William can win. Harold, William declares, will support
him in his quest for the English throne, and consider allying himself closely
to him by marrying a daughter of his. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>William
suggests this proposition in such a way that if Harold should refuse, he may
inflict great insult upon his most congenial host, who has saved him from the
humiliation and torment of being held as Ponthieu’s prisoner.... and in
Harold’s mind, he is thinking that if he wants to leave there alive, he will
have to play the game that William has already won. Perhaps it is then that
Harold realises what a terrible mistake he has made. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">I
believe that this is the basis for the artist’s insertion of the scene with
Aelfgyva and the priest. Whether or not my theory is right, the creator wanted
to convey to the viewer that this particular scandal had some link to the
conversation, William and Harold are having. The small, crude images in the
border further enforces the story of Aelfgifu of Northampton’s scandal leaving
me with no doubt that they represent the labourer and priest who were supposed
to have fathered the children said to be Cnut’s sons. I cannot, although I have
tried to, locate any other evidence that would identify a believable rationale
for this scandal to have been placed in the tapestry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I were a contemporary of it, I may have
been privy to the tittle-tattle and also that perhaps William had wrongly identified
the woman and would not have had to use my imagination to work out the innuendo
of the illustration. But this is my interpretation. Unfortunately I have no way
of knowing I am right, however I do not think this has been a pointless study,
for it has identified the woman and shed some light on some other mysteries of
the tapestry also. I hope that you all have not been disappointed. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">I would love to know what
you think. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">If you would like to know
more about the Bayeux Tapestry and its characters, follow my new blog <a href="http://threadstothepast.blogspot.co.uk/">http://threadstothepast.blogspot.co.uk/</a> and join me on a journey back to the 11<sup>th</sup> Century.<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">References<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Bridgeford A. (2004) <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">1066 The Hidden History of The Bayeux Tapestry,
</i>Harper Perennial, London.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Eadmer <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Eadmer’s History of Recent Events in England<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">Harvey Wood H, (2008) <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Battle of Hastings: The Fall of Anglo Saxon
England, </i>Atlantic Books, Chatham.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 150%;">McNulty J.B. (1980) The Lady
Aelfgyva in the Bayeux Tapestry<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">, Medieval
Academy of America</i>, vol 55 (<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">4</b>) pp
659-688.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Paula Loftinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17138899684247746388noreply@blogger.com25