The Anglo Saxon Sword and Shield

The Wanderer Anglo Saxon History, mythology, Folklore and religion

The most famous Old English battle poem, The Battle of Maldon, commemorates a very different sort of conflict: a battle that took place in 991 during which the ealdorman of Essex, Byrhtnoth, allowed his ofermod (‘pride’ or ‘overconfidence’) to get the better of him. Byrhtnoth, the leader of his loyal veterans and local Anglo-Saxon troops, permitted a raiding Viking army to take up a position on land in preparation for battle. This resulted in both the heroic death of Byrhtnoth, and ultimately a valiant defeat for the English. Save for a few deserters, almost all of Byrthnoth’s men face death by his side, delivering a series of rousing speeches. The elderly warrior Byrhtwold faces his death by saying:

The mind must be the harder, the heart the keener
the spirit the greater, as our strength lessens.
Here lies our leader entirely cut down
our good leader upon the ground; may he always mourn
who thinks to turn now from this battle-play.