Old English Poems Part 15

III. POEMS FROM THE CHRONICLE

THE BATTLE OF BRUNNANBURG

[Critical edition: Sedgefield, _The Battle of Maldon and Six Short Poems from the Saxon Chronicle_, Boston, 1904, Belles Lettres Edition.

Translation: Tennyson; Pancoast and Spaeth, _Early English Poems_, p. 81.

Date: It appears in the Chronicle under the year 937.

Danes living north of the Humber conspired with their kinsmen in Ireland under the two Olafs, together with the Scottish king Constantine and the Strathclyde Britons under their king Eugenius, against aethelstan, king of Wess.e.x. The allies met in the south of Northumbria. aethelstan encountered them at Brunnanburg and defeated them.

The site of Brunnanburg has not been identified. The best claim is probably for Bramber, near Preston, in the neighborhood of which, in 1840, was found a great h.o.a.rd of silver ingots and coins, none later than 950. This was possibly the war chest of the confederacy. _Dyngesmere_ has not been identified.

More than half the half-lines are exact copies from other Anglo-Saxon poems.]

Here aethelstan the king, of earls the lord, Bracelet-giver of barons and his brother as well, Edmund the aetheling, honor eternal Won at warfare by the wielding of swords 5 Near Brunnanburg; they broke the linden-wall, Struck down the shields with the sharp work of hammers, The heirs of Edward, as of old had been taught By their kinsmen who clashed in conflict often Defending their firesides against foemen invaders, 10 Their h.o.a.rds and their homes. The hated ones perished, Soldiers of Scotland and seamen-warriors-- Fated they fell. The field was wet With the blood of the brave, after the bright sun Had mounted at morning, the master of planets 15 Glided over the ground, G.o.d's candle clear, The Lord's everlasting, till the lamp of heaven Sank to its setting. Soldiers full many Lay mangled by spears, men of the Northland, Shamefully shot o'er their shields, and Scotchmen, 20 Weary and war-sated. The West-Saxons forth All during the day with their daring men Followed the tracks of their foemen's troops.

From behind they hewed and harried the fleeing, With sharp-ground swords. Never shunned the Mercians 25 The hard hand-play of hero or warrior Who over the oar-path with Anlaf did come, Who sailed on a ship and sought the land, Fated in fight.

Five chieftains lay Killed in the conflict, kings full youthful, 30 Put to sleep by the sword, and seven also Of the earls of Anlaf, and others unnumbered, Of sailors and Scotchmen. Sent forth in flight then Was the prince of the Northmen, pressed hard by need, To the stem of his ship; with a staunch little band 35 To the high sea he hurried; in haste the king sailed Over the fallow flood, fled for his life.

Also the sage one sorrowfully northward Crept to his kinsmen, Constantinus, The h.o.a.ry war-hero; for him was small need 40 To boast of the battle-play; the best of his kinsmen And friends had fallen on the field of battle, Slain at the strife, and his son left behind On the field of fight, felled and wounded, Young at the battle. No boast dared he make 45 Of strife and of sword-play, the silver-haired leader, Full of age and of evil, nor had Anlaf the more.

With their vanquished survivors no vaunt could they make That in works of war their worth was unequalled, In the fearful field, in the flashing of standards, 50 In the meeting of men, and the mingling of spears, And the war-play of weapons, when they had waged their battle Against the heirs of Edward on the awful plain.

Now departed the Northmen in their nailed ships, Dreary from dart-play on Dyngesmere.

55 Over the deep water to Dublin they sailed, Broken and baffled back to Ireland.

So, too, the brothers both went together, The King and the aetheling; to their kinsmen's home, To the wide land of Wess.e.x --warrior's exultant.

60 To feast on the fallen on the field they left The sallow-hued spoiler, the swarthy raven, Horned of beak, and the h.o.a.ry-backed White-tailed eagle to eat of the carrion, And the greedy goshawk, and that gray beast, 65 The wolf in the wood. Not worse was the slaughter Ever on this island at any time, Or more folk felled before this strife With the edge of the sword, as is said in old books, In ancient authors, since from the east hither 70 The Angles and Saxons eagerly sailed Over the salt sea in search of Britain,-- Since the crafty warriors conquered the Welshmen And, greedy for glory, gained them the land.

31. _Anlaf_: the Old English form of "Olaf."

52. _Heirs of Edward_: the English, descendants of Edward the Elder.

58. _The aetheling_: Edmund the aetheling (or prince) of line 3.

THE BATTLE OF MALDON

[Critical edition: Sedgefield, _The Battle of Maldon and Six Short Poems from the Saxon Chronicle_, Boston, 1904, Belles Lettres Edition.

Date: It appears in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle for 991.

"_The Battle of Maldon_ treats not of legendary heroes of the Germanic races but of an actual historic personage, an English hero and patriot fallen in battle against a foreign invader a very short time before the poem was made. A single event in contemporary history is here described with hardly suppressed emotion by one who knew his hero and loved him.

There is none of the allusiveness and excursiveness of the _Beowulf_; we have here not a member of an epic cycle, but an independent song. Very striking is the absence of ornament from the _Battle of Maldon_; all is plain, blunt, and stern."--Sedgefield, _The Battle of Maldon_, pp.

vi-vii.]

. . . . . . . . . . was broken; He bade the young barons abandon their horses, To drive them afar and dash quickly forth, In their hands and brave heart to put all hope of success.

5 The kinsman of Offa discovered then first That the earl would not brook dishonorable bearing.

He held in his hand the hawk that he loved, Let him fly to the fields; to the fight then he stepped; By this one could know that the knight was unwilling 10 To weaken in war, when his weapons he seized.

Edric wished also to aid his chief, His folk-lord in fight; forward he bore His brand to the battle; a brave heart he had So long as he held locked in his hand 15 His board and his broad sword; his boast he made good, Fearless to fight before his lord.

Then Byrhtnoth began to embolden the warriors; He rode and counseled them, his comrades he taught How they should stand in the stronghold's defence, 20 Bade them to bear their bucklers correctly, Fast by their hands without fear in their hearts.

When the folk by fair words he had fired with zeal, He alighted in a crowd of his loyal comrades, Where he felt that his friends were most faithful and true.

25 Then he stood on the strand; sternly the messenger Of the Vikings called in vaunting words, Brought him the boast of the b.l.o.o.d.y seamen, The errand to the earl, at the edge of the water: "I am sent to thee by seamen bold; 30 They bade me summon thee to send them quickly Rings for a ransom, and rather than fight It is better for you to bargain with gold Than that we should fiercely fight you in battle.

It is futile to fight if you fill our demands; 35 If you give us gold we will grant you a truce.

If commands thou wilt make, who art mightiest of warriors, That thy folk shall be free from the foemen's attack, Shall give of their wealth at the will of the seamen, A treasure for tribute, with a truce in return, 40 We will go with the gold again to our ships, We will sail to the sea and vouchsafe to you peace."

Byrhtnoth burst forth, his buckler he grasped, His spear he seized, and spoke in words Full of anger and ire, and answer he gave: 45 "Dost thou hear, oh seamen, what our heroes say?

Spears they will send to the sailors as tribute, Poisoned points and powerful swords, And such weapons of war as shall win you no battles.

Envoy of Vikings, your vauntings return, 50 Fare to thy folk with a far sterner message, That here staunchly stands with his steadfast troops, The lord that will fight for the land of his fathers, For the realm of aethelred, my royal chief, For his folk and his fold; fallen shall lie 55 The heathen at shield-play; Shameful I deem it With our treasure as tribute that you take to your ships, Without facing a fight, since thus far hither You have come and encroached on our king's domain.

You shall not so easily earn our treasure; 60 You must prove your power with point and sword edge, With grim war grip ere we grant you tribute."

He bade then his band to bear forth their shields, Until they arrived at the river bank.

The waters prevented the warriors' encounter; 65 The tide flowed in, the flood after the ebb, Locked up the land; too long it seemed Until they could meet and mingle their spears.

By Panta's stream they stood in array, The East Saxon army and the eager shield-warriors; 70 Each troop was helpless to work harm on the other, Save the few who were felled by a flight of arrows.

The flood receded; the sailors stood ready, All of the Vikings eager for victory.

Byrhtnoth bade the bridge to be defended, 75 The brave-hearted warrior, by Wulfstan the bold With his crowd of kinsmen; he was Ceola's son, And he felled the first of the foemen who stepped On the bridge, the boldest of the band of men.

There waited with Wulfstan the warriors undaunted, 80 aelfhere and Maccus, men of courage; At the ford not a foot would they flee the encounter, But close in conflict they clashed with the foe, As long as they wielded their weapons with strength.

As soon as they saw and perceived it clearly, 85 How fiercely fought was the defense of the bridge, The treacherous tribe in trickery asked That they be allowed to lead their hosts For a closer conflict, to cross over the ford.

Then the earl, too eager to enter the fight, 90 Allowed too much land to the loathed pirates.

Clearly then called over the cold water Byrhthelm's son; the soldiers listened: "Room is now made for you; rush quickly here Forward to the fray; fate will decide 95 Into whose power shall pa.s.s this place of battle."

Went then the battle-wolves-- of water they recked not-- The pirate warriors west over Panta; Over the bright waves they bore their shields; The seamen stepped to the strand with their lindens.

100 In ready array against the raging hosts Stood Byrhtnoth's band; he bade them with shields To form a phalanx, and to defend themselves stoutly, Fast holding the foe. The fight was near, The triumph at conflict; the time had come 105 When fated men should fall in battle.

Then arose an alarm; the ravens soared, The eagle eager for prey; on earth was commotion.

Then sped from their hands the hardened spears, Flew in fury file-sharpened darts; 110 Bows were busy, boards met javelins, Cruel was the conflict; in companies they fell; On every hand lay heaps of youths.

Wulfmere was woefully wounded to death, Slaughtered the sister's son of Byrhtnoth; 115 With swords he was strongly stricken to earth.

To the vikings quickly requital was given; I learned that Edward alone attacked Stoutly with his sword, not stinting his blows, So that fell at his feet many fated invaders; 120 For his prowess the prince gave praise and thanks To his chamberlain brave, when chance would permit.

So firm of purpose they fought in their turn, Young men in battle; they yearned especially To lead their line with the least delay 125 To fight their foes in fatal conflict, Warriors with weapons. The world seethed with slaughter.

Steadfast they stood, stirred up by Byrhtnoth; He bade his thanes to think on battle, And fight for fame with the foemen Danes.

130 The fierce warrior went, his weapon he raised, His shield for a shelter; to the soldier he came; The chief to the churl a challenge addressed; Each to the other had evil intent.

The seamen then sent from the south a spear, 135 So that wounded lay the lord of the warriors; He shoved with his shield till the shaft was broken, And burst the spear till back it sprang.

Enraged was the daring one; he rushed with his dart On the wicked warrior who had wounded him sore.

140 Sage was the soldier; he sent his javelin Through the grim youth's neck; he guided his hand And furiously felled his foeman dead.

Straightway another he strongly attacked, And burst his burnie; in his breast he wounded him.

145 Through his hard coat-of-mail; in his heart there stood The poisoned point. Pleased was the earl, Loudly he laughed, to the Lord he gave thanks For the deeds of the day the Redeemer had granted.

A hostile youth hurled from his hand a dart; 150 The spear in flight then sped too far, And the honorable earl of aethelred fell.

By his side there stood a stripling youth, A boy in battle who boldly drew The b.l.o.o.d.y brand from the breast of his chief.

155 The young Wulfmere, Wulfstan's son, Gave back again the gory war-lance; The point pierced home, so that prostrate lay The Viking whose valor had vanquished the earl.

To the earl then went an armed warrior; 160 He sought to s.n.a.t.c.h and seize his rings, His booty and bracelets, his bright shining sword.

Byrhtnoth s.n.a.t.c.hed forth the brown-edged weapon From his sheath, and sharply shook the attacker; Certain of the seamen too soon joined against him, 165 As he checked the arm of the charging enemy; Now sank to the ground his golden brand; He might not hold the hilt of his mace, Nor wield his weapons. These words still he spoke, To embolden the youths; the battle-scarred hero 170 Called on his comrades to conquer their foes; He no longer had strength to stand on his feet, . . . . . . . . he looked to heaven: "Ruler of realms, I render thee thanks For all of the honors that on earth I have had; 175 Now, gracious G.o.d, have I greatest of need That thou save my soul through thy sovereign mercy, That my spirit speed to its splendid home And pa.s.s into thy power, O Prince of angels, And depart in peace; this prayer I make, 180 That the hated h.e.l.l-fiends may hara.s.s me not."

Then the heathen dogs hewed down the n.o.ble one, And both the barons that by him stood-- aelfnoth and Wulfmaer each lay slaughtered; They lost their lives in their lord's defence.

185 Then fled from the fray those who feared to remain.

First in the frantic flight was G.o.dric, The son of Odda; he forsook his chief Who had granted him gifts of goodly horses; Lightly he leapt on his lord's own steed, 190 In its royal array --no right had he to it; His brothers also the battle forsook.

G.o.dwin and G.o.dwy made good their escape, And went to the wood, for the war they disliked; They fled to the fastnesses in fear of their lives, 195 And many more of the men than was fitting, Had they freshly in mind remembered the favors, The good deeds he had done them in days of old.

Wise were the words spoken once by Offa As he sat with his comrades a.s.sembled in council: 200 "There are many who boast in the mead-hall of bravery Who turn in terror when trouble comes."