These tidings were greeted first by hushed silence, then by cries of awe and amaze. Godwulf answered in his gruff voice. “The Dragon drives the Raven from our door. God truly moves across our land, and moves in you, Ælfred, King.”
And all took up this cry, Ælfred, King, so that the hall rang with it. We stood with raised cups to honour he who now led us, and who had wrought this good thing; and Gyric clasped me about my waist, and I looked at the line of his beautiful lips, now curved in a cry of joy. I glanced about me, and my eyes and heart were filled with the image of Ælfred flanked by Godwulf and Modwynn; and Godwin turned his golden-green gaze upon me as I stood there, and a true smile played on his lip and he saluted me with his cup.
And the joy that I knew from all this, from love and passion and welcome and safety, and the hope of peace, and kinsmen live and caring, was echoed deep within me by the joy I knew from my coming babe.
And every word herein is true, so I swear it.
Ceridwen, daughter of Cerd, wife to Gyric of Kilton
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The Circle of Ceridwen Saga:
The Circle of Ceridwen: Book One
Ceridwen of Kilton: Book Two
The Claiming: Book Three
The Hall of Tyr: Book Four
Tindr: Book Five
Also by Octavia Randolph:
Light, Descending
The Tale of Melkorka: A Novella
Ride: A Novella: The Story of Lady Godiva
Please join my mailing list on Octavia.net for first notice of future publications
Calendar of Feast Days mentioned in The Circle of Ceridwen
Candlemas - 2 February
St Gregory - 12 March
High Summer - 24 June
St Peter and Paul - 29 June
Hlafmesse (Lammas)- 1 August
St Mary -15 August
St Matthew - 21 September
All Saints -1 November
Martinmas (St Martin’s) -11 November
Yuletide - 25 December to Twelfthnight - 6 January
Anglo-Saxon Place Names, with Modern Equivalents
Æscesdun = Ashdown
Æthelinga = Athelney
Basingas = Basing
Caeginesham = Keynsham
Cippenham = Chippenham
Cirenceaster = Cirencester
Defenas = Devon
Englafeld = Englefield
Ethandun = Edington
Exanceaster = Exeter
Glastunburh = Glastonbury
Hamtunscir = Hampshire
Hreopedun = Repton
Jorvik (Danish name for Eoforwic) = York
Legaceaster = Chester
Lindisse = Lindsey
Lundenwic = London
Meredune = Marton
Sceaftesburh = Shaftesbury
Snotingaham = Nottingham
Sumorsaet = Somerset
Swanawic = Swanage
Wedmor = Wedmore
Witanceaster (where the Witan, the King’s advisors, met) = Winchester
Glossary of Terms
browis: a cereal-based stew, often made with fowl or pork
ceorl: (“churl”) a freeman ranking directly below a thegn, able to bear arms, own property, and improve his rank
cottar: free agricultural worker, in later eras, a peasant
cresset: stone, bronze, or iron lamp fitted with a wick that burnt oil
ealdorman: a nobleman with jurisdiction over given lands; the rank was generally appointed by the King and not necessarily inherited from generation to generation. The modern derivative alderman in no way conveys the esteem and power of the Anglo-Saxon term.
frumenty: cereal-based main dish pudding, boiled with milk. A version flavoured with currents, raisins and spices was ritually served on Martinmas (November 11th) to ploughmen.
seax: the angle-bladed dagger which gave its name to the Saxons; all freemen carried one.
scop: (“shope”) a poet, saga-teller, or bard, responsible not only for entertainment but seen as a collective cultural historian. A talented scop would be greatly valued by his lord and receive land, gold and silver jewellery, costly clothing and other riches as his reward.
thegn: (“thane”) a freeborn warrior-retainer of a lord; thegns were housed, fed and armed in exchange for complete fidelity to their sworn lord. Booty won in battle by a thegn was generally offered to their lord, and in return the lord was expected to bestow handsome gifts of arms, horses, arm-rings, and so on to his best champions.
trev: a settlement of a few huts, smaller than a village
tun: a large cask or barrel used for ale
wergild: Literally, man-gold; the amount of money each man’s life was valued at. The Laws of Æthelbert, a 7th century King of Kent, for example, valued the life of a nobleman at 300 shillings (equivalent to 300 oxen), and a ceorl was valued at 100 shillings. By Ælfred’s time (reigned 871-899) a nobleman was held at 1200 shillings and a ceorl at 200.
Witan: Literally, wise men; a council of ealdorman, other high-ranking lords, and bishops; their responsibilities included choosing the King from amongst their numbers.
withy: a willow or willow wand; withy-man: a figure woven from such wands
Historic Veracity
The fictional characters in this book play upon a stage of actual historical events. I have used as my framework the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, a series of histories that King Ælfred (b.849-d.899) commissioned during his lifetime. The Chronicles were written in Old English save for Manuscript F, written in Old English and Latin. Unnamed scribes in various religious foundations assembled the Chronicles[1]; the dates they cover range from Year One to 1154, the final year covered in the version known as the Laud Chronicle. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle itself makes fascinating reading and is a primary source for what we know of the period.
A few of the more important dates incorporated in The Circle of Ceridwen and Ceridwen of Kilton include:
871: King Æthelred of Wessex and his young brother Ælfred fight against the Danes at Basingas (modern day Basing); the Danes take the victory. Two months later Æthelred and Ælfred again face the Danes at Meredune (Marton), and after fierce fighting and great losses on both sides the Danes win. Æthelred soon dies (possibly from wounds suffered at Meredune) and his twenty-three year old brother Ælfred is named king.
874: King Burgred of Mercia driven overseas by Danes after ruling twenty-two years.
875: King Ælfred of Wessex launches naval foray in the Channel, fighting against seven Danish ships and capturing one.
877: After a battle and siege at Exanceaster (Exeter) the Danish leader Guthrum makes peace with Ælfred, and Guthrum and his picked men swear oaths of peace upon an huge silver (sometimes recorded as gold) armring, held sacred to them. One hundred and twenty Danish ships lost in bad weather at Swanawic (Swanage).
878: At Twelfthnight, while Ælfred was keeping Yule at his estate at Cippenham (Chippenham), Danes launch a surprise attack, sweeping over Wessex and driving the king into hiding, and many overseas. Seven weeks after Easter Ælfred rallies enough troops to challenge the invaders. In open battle the Danes are routed and take refuge at Cippenham where after a siege they surrender. Guthrum and his thirty closest men swear to leave Wessex and to accept baptism. The resulting treaty is known as the Peace of Wedmor (Wedmore), where the conclusion of the baptism festivities were held. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle records: “Guthrum... was twelve days with the king, who greatly honoured him and his companions with riches.”
[1] There are seven extant versions of the Chronicle, and a few fragments beside. The most important are known today as Manuscript A (The Parker Chronicle) Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, MS. 173; Manuscr
ipts B and C (The Abingdon Chronicles) British Museum, Cotton MS. Tiberius A vi and Tiberius B i, respectively; Manuscript D (The Worcester Chronicle) British Museum, Cotton MS. Tiberius B iv; Manuscript E (The Laud (Peterborough) Chronicle) Bodleian MS. Laud 636; and Manuscript F (The Bilingual Canterbury Epitome) British Museum, Cotton MS. Domitian A viii.
About the Author
Octavia Randolph has long been fascinated with the development, dominance, and decline of the Anglo-Saxon peoples. The path of her research has included disciplines as varied as the study of Anglo-Saxon and Norse runes, and learning to spin with a drop spindle. Her interests have led to extensive on-site research in England, Denmark, Sweden, and Gotland. In addition to the Circle Saga, she is the author of the novella The Tale of Melkorka, taken from the Icelandic Sagas; the novella Ride, a retelling of the story of Lady Godiva, first published in Narrative Magazine; and Light, Descending, a biographical novel about the great John Ruskin. She has been awarded Artistic Fellowships at the Ingmar Bergman Estate on Fårö, Gotland; MacDowell Colony; Ledig House International; and Byrdcliffe.
She answers all fan mail and loves to stay in touch with her readers. Join her mailing list and read more on Anglo-Saxon and Viking life at www.octavia.net.
The Circle of Ceridwen: Book One of The Circle of Ceridwen Saga Page 58
