by H A CULLEY
THE GREAT HEATHEN ARMY
By
H A Culley
Book one of the Saga of Wessex
Published by
oHp
Orchard House Publishing
First Kindle Edition 2020
Text copyright © 2020 H A Culley
The author asserts the moral right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.
Bulb.co.uk/moving-in20000This novel is a work of fiction. The names, characters and events portrayed in it, which sticking as closely to the recorded history of the time and featuring a number of historical figures, are largely the product of the author’s imagination.
It is sold subject to the condition that it shall not by way of trade or otherwise be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the author or the publisher’s prior consent, electronically or in any form of binding or cover other than the form in which it is published and without this condition being imposed on any subsequent purchaser or owner.
Replication or distribution of any part is strictly prohibited without the written permission of the copyright holder.
All Rights Reserved
Cover Image: © Shutterstock¦ Nejron Photo
PLACE NAMES
Note: In my last series of novels I used the modern names for places in Anglo-Saxon England as some readers had said that my earlier novels were confusing because of the use of place names current in the time about which I was writing. However, I had even more adverse comments that modern names detract from the authentic feel of the novels, so in this series I have reverted to the use of Anglo-Saxons names.
AcemannesceastreBath, Somerset
ÆscesdūnLocation unknown, possibly near Uffington, Oxfordshire
AldburghAldborough, North Yorkshire
AlnwicAlnwick, Northumberland
BasingesOld Basing, Hampshire
BasingestochesBasingstoke, Hampshire
BeamfleoteBenfleet, Essex
BerrocscirBerkshire
BrydancumbBurcombe, near Wilton, Wiltshire
CatrӕthCatterick, North Yorkshire
CantwareburhCanterbury, Kent
CertesiChertsey, Surrey
CillehamChilham, Kent
CoventreCoventry, Warwickshire
DyfneintscirDevon
DanmǫrkDenmark
DarenthRiver Darent
ÐarcyRiver Aire
DorcesterscirDorset
Dùn ÈideannEdinburgh, Scotland
Ēast Seaxna RīceEssex
EatunEton, Berkshire
EforwicYork, North Yorkshire.
FerendoneGreat Faringdon, Berkshire
FŏsRiver Foss
FŏswegThe Fosse Way (Roman road)
GæignesburhGainsborough, Lincolnshire
GodmundcestreGodmanchester, Cambridgeshire
GranteRiver Cam
GrantebrycgeCambridge, Cambridgeshire
GranteseteGrantchester, Cambridgeshire
HӕgelisdunPossibly Halesdun, Essex. Location disputed
HamtunscīrHampshire
HapesburcHappisburgh, Norfolk
HagustaldesHexham, Northumberland
HreopanduneRepton, Derbyshire
HrofescӕsterRochester, Kent
HymbreRiver Humber
InglefelleEnglefield, Berkshire
IrlondIreland
LigeraceasterLeicester, Leicestershire
LindocolinaLincoln, Lincolnshire
LindesegeThe district of Lindsey, Lincolnshire
Linne FoirtheFirth of Forth
LundenwicLondon
MalsenþorpMelsonby, North Yorkshire
MeretumMerdon Castle, Hampshire
MidwegRiver Medway
NewerchaNewark-on-Trent, Nottinghamshire
NorweġNorway
OrkneyjarThe Orkney Islands
OxenafordaOxford, Oxfordshire
ReadingumReading, Berkshire
SalteodeSaltwood, Kent
SarumSalisbury, Wiltshire
SandwicSandwich, Kent
SilcestreSilchester, Hampshire
SnælandIceland
SnotingahamNottingham, Nottinghamshire
StanesStaines-upon-Thames, Surrey
StanfordeStamford, Linlconshire
SweolandSweden
SūþrīgescirSurrey
SuinduneSwindon, Wiltshire
Suth-SeaxeSussex
TacehamThatcham, Berkshire
TarentefortDartford, Kent
TateshallaPontefract, West Yorkshire
TheodfordaThetford, Norfolk
TemesRiver Thames
TesRiver Tees
TinanRiver Tyne
TrisantonaRiver Trent
TurkilestunThruxton, Hampshire
WejrRiver Wear
WeoludRiver Welland
WiltunWilton, Wiltshire
WiltunscirWiltshire
WinburneWimborne Minster, Dorset
WintanceasterWinchester, Hampshire
UisgeRiver Ouse
VerulamacæstirSt. Albans, Hertfordshire
List of Principle Characters
Historical figures are in bold.
Jørren – The narrator
Jerold – Thegn of Cilleham and Jørren’s uncle
Æscwin – Jørren’s eldest brother
Alric – Jørren’s fourteen-year-old brother
Æthelred – King of Wessex
Ceolnoth – Archbishop of Cantwareburh
Baldred – Ealdorman of Cent
Cei – A slave belonging to Jørren’s family
Redwald – The son of a poor farmer who joins Jørren
Erik, Ulf and Tove – Three Danish boys captured by Jørren
Edyth – A charcoal burner
Nelda – Her daughter
Leofflæd – A merchant’s daughter
Ecgberht – Leofflæd’s brother
Ælle – King of Northumbria
Osbehrt – His brother, deposed by Ælle but now his ally
Jerrik and Øwli – Two Jutes enslaved by the Danes
Wigestan – A warrior in the service of Edmund of Bebbanburg
Cináed and Uurad – Two young Picts enslaved by Vikings to serve as ship’s boys
Ceadda, Hroðulf, Sæwine and Wealhmær – Bernician scouts serving Edmund
Cynemær – A Bernician thegn, father of Ceadda
Ívarr the Boneless – Principal leader of the Great Heathen Army
Halfdan and Ubba – His half-brothers
Dudda – Reeve of Silcestre
Ælfred – Brother of King Æthelred of Wessex
Wulfthryth – The Lady of Wessex, Æthelred’s wife
Æthelhelm – Their elder son
Asser – Bishop of Wintanceaster
Pӕga – The Hereræswa (army commander) of Wessex
Burghred – King of Mercia
Tunbehrt – Shire reeve of Hamtunscīr
Cuthfleda - Jørren and Leofflæd’s daughter
Merewald – Ealdorman of Hamtunscīr
Swiðhun and Wolnoth – Other members of Jørren’s warband from Bernicia
Ealhswith – Mercian noblewoman, later Ælfred’s wife and Lady of Wessex
Ulfrid – her youngest brother
Hunulf and Ædwulf – Thralls rescued from the Danes, later scouts for Jørren
Ethelwulf - Ealdorman of Berrocscir
Heahmund – Bishop of Sherborne
Æscwin – Leofflæd and Jørren’s son
Ælfric - Archbishop of Cantwareburh after Ceolnoth
Eadda – Hereræswa after Pӕga’s death
Æthelwold – Æthelred’s younger son and a contestant for Ælfred’s throne
Acwel and Lyndon – Young scouts in
Jørren’s warband
Odda – Ealdorman of Dyfneintscir
Wulfhere – Ealdorman of Wiltunscir
Drefan – Ealdorman of Alnwic
Rigsige of Bebbanburg – Earl of Bernicia, later King of Northumbria
GLOSSARY
ANGLO-SAXON
Ætheling – Literally ‘throne-worthy. An Anglo-Saxon prince
Bondsman – a slave who was treated as the property of his master
Birlinn – A wooden ship similar to the later Scottish galleys but smaller than a Viking longship. Usually with a single mast and square rigged sail, they could also be propelled by oars with one man to each oar
Burh - fortified settlement
Byrnie - A long (usually sleeveless) tunic of chain mail
Ceorl - Freemen who worked the land or else provided a service or trade such as metal working, carpentry, weaving etc. They ranked between thegns and villeins and provided the fyrd in time of war. Also spelt churl.
Cyning – Old English for king and the term by which they were normally addressed
Cyningtaefl – Literally king’s table. The game was not dissimilar to the later game of chess, except that the contest was between two unequal forces: a weaker force in the centre of the board surrounded and outnumbered by an attacking force stationed at the perimeter of the board
Ealdorman – The senior noble of a shire. A royal appointment, ealdormen led the men of their shire in battle, presided over law courts and levied taxation on behalf of the king
Fyrd - Anglo-Saxon militia that was mobilised from freemen to defend their shire, or to supplement the king’s army. Service in the fyrd was usually of short duration and members were expected to provide their own arms and provisions
Gesith – The companions of a king, prince or noble, usually acting as his bodyguard
Hereræswa – Military commander or general. The man who commanded the army of a nation under the king
Hide – A measure of the land sufficient to support the household of one ceorl
Hundred – The unit for local government and taxation which equated to ten tithings. The freemen of each hundred were collectively responsible for various crimes committed within its borders if the offender was not produced
Seax – A bladed weapon with one sharp edge and a long tapering point. It is somewhere in size between a dagger and a sword. Mainly used for close-quarter fighting where a sword would be too long and unwieldy
Settlement – Any grouping of residential buildings, usually around the king’s or lord’s hall. In 8th century England the term town or village had not yet come into use
Shire – An administrative area into which an Anglo-Saxon kingdom was divided
Shire Reeve – Later corrupted to sheriff. A royal official responsible for implementing the king’s laws within his shire
Thegn – The lowest rank of noble. A man who held a certain amount of land direct from the king or from a senior nobleman, ranking between an ordinary freeman or ceorl and an ealdorman
Tithing - A group of ten ceorls who lived close together and were collectively responsible for each other's behaviour, also the land required to support them (i.e. ten hides)
Wergeld - The price set upon a person's life and paid as compensation by the killer to the family of the dead person. It freed the killer of further punishment or obligation and prevented a blood feud
Witenaġemot – The council of an Anglo-Saxon kingdom. Its composition varied, depending on the matters to be debated. Usually it consisted of the ealdormen, the king’s thegns, the bishops and the abbots
Villein - A peasant who ranked above a bondsman or slave but who was legally tied to his vill and who was obliged to give one or more day’s service to his lord each week in payment for his land
Vill - A thegn’s holding or similar area of land in Anglo-Saxon England which would later be called a parish or a manor
VIKING
Berserker – Literally bear coat. Feared Viking warriors who wore animal skins and
who fought with wild and uncontrolled ferocity
Bóndi - Farmers and craftsmen who were free men and enjoyed rights such as the ownership of weapons and membership of the Thing. They could be tenants or landowners
Byrnie - a long (usually sleeveless) tunic of chain mail
Hirdman – A member of a king’s or a jarl’s personal bodyguard, collectively known as the hird
Hersir – A bondi who was chosen to lead a band of warriors under a king or a jarl. Typically they were wealthy landowners who could recruit enough other bóndi to serve under their command
Jarl – A Norse or Danish chieftain; in Sweden they were regional governors appointed by the king
Mjolnir – Thor’s hammer, also the pendant worn around the neck by most pagan Vikings
Nailed God – Pagan name for Christ, also called the White Christ
Thing – The governing assembly made up of the free people of the community presided over by a lagman (q.v.). The meeting-place of a thing was called a thingstead
Thrall – A slave. A man, woman or child in bondage to his or her owner. Thralls had no rights and could be beaten or killed with impunity
LONGSHIPS
In order of size:
Knarr – Also called karve or karvi. The smallest type of longship. It had 6 to 16 benches and, like their English equivalents, they were mainly used for fishing and trading, but they were occasionally commissioned for military use. They were broader in the beam and had a deeper draught than other longships.
Snekkja – (Plural snekkjur). Typically the smallest longship used in warfare and was classified as a ship with at least 20 rowing benches. A typical snekkja might have a length of 17 m, a width of 2.5 m and a draught of only 0.5 m. Norse snekkjas, designed for deep fjords and Atlantic weather, typically had more draught than the Danish type, which were intended for shallow water
Drekar - (Dragon ship). Larger warships consisting of more than 30 rowing benches. Typically they could carry a crew of some 70–80 men and measured around 30 m in length. These ships were more properly called skeids; the term drekar referred to the carvings of menacing beasts, such as dragons and snakes, mounted on the prow of the ship during a sea battle or when raiding. Strictly speaking Drekar is the plural form, the singular being dreki or dreka, but these words don’t appear to be accepted usage in English
Prologue
Autumn 865
I was one month shy of my fourteenth birthday when the Danes came.
My name is Jørren, an old Jutish name. My father was a ceorl, a freeman who tenanted a farmstead owned by the thegn, Jerold, who was my father’s elder brother. Jerold’s vill was called Cilleham and it lay in the Kingdom of Cent. This was something of a misnomer as the kingdom comprised the shires of Ēast Seaxna Rīce, Sūþrīgescir and Suth-Seaxa as well as Cent.
I had two brothers and two sisters. My eldest brother, Æscwin was five years older than me and we didn’t have much to do with each other. In comparison I was very close to my other brother, Alric, and not just in age. He was a year older than me and we did practically everything together. In many ways I supposed that he was a kind of hero to me.
My father had told me that many of the inhabitants of Cent, including our family, were Jutes who had come over from Jutland at the same time as the Saxons had settled the rest of southern England and the Angles had conquered East Anglia, Mercia and Northumbria. However, Cent was now a vassal of the Kingdom of Wessex and the distinction between Jutes and Saxons had almost disappeared.
Cilleham was neither large nor small as far as vills go. The settlement itself boasted a mill and a church with a priest and there were a dozen hides of land. Jerold couldn’t afford to pay professional warriors, but there were thirty one freemen over the age of fourteen - including my father and my two elder brothers - who were obliged to take up arms when the fyrd was called out by our ealdorman.
The reports that reached us said that a large fleet of longships carrying nearly three th
ousand of the heathen devils had landed at Sandwic on the south coast. It was an enormous number if the rumours were anywhere near accurate. Sandwic belonged to the Archbishop of Cantwareburh and, without waiting for the authority of King Æthelred of Wessex, he sent messengers to the ealdormen of Suth-Seaxe, Sūþrīgescir and Ēast Seaxna Rīce to raise the fyrd and muster at Cantwareburh. It was a reasonable thing to do as the king was at his capital, Wintanceaster, a good three or four days ride away. It would have been at least a week before he got a reply.
The archbishop, Ceolnoth, was now an old man, having been in post for over thirty years and the dean of the cathedral before that. He was no warrior and so he asked Ealdorman Baldred of Cent to command the army gathering to oppose the Danes.
Of course, I was too young at the time to understand much of what was going on, but I knew that my father and brothers would be leaving to join the shire’s fyrd. That left me as the man of the place, though I’m not sure my mother saw it that way. Come to that, neither of my sisters seemed to think that I was now in charge either. I could understand the attitude of the elder, Godifu, as she was betrothed to marry her cousin, Jerold’s youngest son, but I had expected a little more respect from Sibbe, who was over a year younger than me.
Once they left it meant that all the work of looking after our farm fell on those of us who were left. There was no more time for hunting or learning how to fight; my days from dawn to dusk were filled with milking the cows, feeding the swine, weeding the fields and tending the sheep and the chickens. Luckily father and my brothers had taken the two horses we owned with them and so at least I didn’t have to muck out the stables.
The girls seemed to think that all they had to do was to help mother inside the small hall where we lived. Thankfully we had four slaves to help me on the farm, a Welshman called Bedwyr, his wife and their two sons: Cei, who was fourteen, and his sixteen-year-old brother.
It was three weeks before any tidings reached us, and then it was scarcely good news. The Danes had defeated Ealdorman Baldred at Salteode and scattered his army. We had no word as to the fate of my father or my two brothers. Alric was fifteen then and hadn’t been training to be a spearman for long. I feared that he stood little chance in combat against a big, hairy Danish axeman. At least my eldest brother, Æscwin, was nearly fully grown at eighteen. He was a skilled archer and would doubtless be employed as such.
