AUTHOR'S FOREWORD

Many works have been written of the semi-mythical king of Britain, King Arthur. The only near contemporary reference to Arthur is in Aneirin's wonderful work, "The Gododdin". This is a passing reference to a war leader not being as great as Arthur. Alfred, the king of Wessex fought a similar series of wars to those of the Romano-Britains of the time of Arthur. Alfred also fought on the same terrain and against a similar enemy. Wessex however was eventually successful in its wars. There seems to be a lack of verse about Alfred, the king of Wessex and the only English king to be given the title of "the Great".

His military achievements deserve this title. Alfred lived and ruled in different times and there were two sides and two views involved in that struggle. It was an heroic period. It is worthy of heroic verse.

The Danes of that period are loosely described as "pagan". This term is a casual and derogative name for a complex set of ideas that went to make up a quite complex religion.

History is written by the winners. The "pagans" lost. The Christians won and wrote the books.

Bishop Asser's book is a good reference for the period, as is the text of the "Peace of Wedmore".

This book of mine is not history. It is heroic verse about the deeds and lives of long dead peoples. Much of it is as historically sound as the Iliad. It is not historically sound in the detailed lives. Sild the slave is a device for this narrative. It seemed to be my fate to write about Sild.

The style of verse used is that of Coleridge (The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner) who wrote some of his works in Somerset in the Quantock Hills. My home is close to the Blackdown Hills and they have inspired me greatly without the aid of opiates!

The main body of this book was written rapidly between the second and the tenth of December 2003. It seemed to pour out and has needed little revision and left me tired but content.

I hope it is a suitable set of historic and fictional cameos that give readers an interest in the period and a feel for the horrors of the period. I have tried not to idealise Alfred. We should remember his imposed "Peace of Wedmore", amongst other things, sought to set rules for trading in slaves! Yet he did try to reduce the blood vengeance that was endemic in his times and this was eventually achieved. He should not be idealised. He was a man and he was successful and you do not always win by being too soft. Winning is achieved by the canny who are also lucky. Alfred was both of these and in that he was "Great".

Trevor Morgan
Wellington, Somerset, Winter Solstice 2003

Wessex Sagas
THE SAGA OF ALFRED AND GUDRUM

Prologue

Let sands of time now trickle up
And flow the other way
Watch bottles empty every cup
Let's go to yesterday

Then travel back in time yet more
Eleven hundred years
To see much of what's gone before,
The triumph and the tears.

Then life was short and life was hard
For all the common folk
And rulers then had small regard
For slaves held in the yoke [3]

They bought and sold both herds and men
Sought a good price for both
The Wedmore Peace agreed this when
Each party swore an oath

And each "must find a warrantor" [4]
For oxen or a slave
These first rules sought a new rapport
So less might act the knave

A price was fixed on every life
Thanes cost more than the rest
Blood money paid in lieu of strife
Was something that impressed

Man slaying would cost thirty pence
Thanes were priced out in gold
Then, all of this made brutal sense
In those cruel days of old

Our island was divided up
'Tween England and Danelaw
It's something now to tell about
A part of our folklore.

Gudrum the King

Now Chippenham's a market where
All goods are bought and sold
And Danes are there with coin to spare
With silver and with gold

Their Raven Flag's above that place
It flutters in the breeze
"That Saxon King won't show his face
So we may take our ease.

We can take stock of all our gains
We'll soon take all this land
Since Ivar's time not much remains
Our conquest's close at hand

We hear there is a new young king
Like Edmund [5] long ago
Prepare now his Blood-Eagling
He should make quite a show

Some Saxon hearts have beat for days
When we've spread wide the chest
There hung up in the sun's bright rays
We've put each to the test

With ribs spread out like eagles' wings
The lungs seem like bellows
There is such glory and it brings
A terror to our foes

While some Blood-Eagled thanes have cried
Some have borne up quite well
And all hang long before they died
A good foretaste of Hel

For unbelievers have no right
To enter our gods' hall
And Fri is sickened by the sight
Since she was held in thrall

The Christians plundered every grove
Where Fri and Odhinn lay
They plundered every shrine and trove
So now they have to pay

Could Fri the Mother of us all
Be raped and thrown aside?
We've answered Thor's avenging call
From this we cannot hide

Since Boniface and Charlemagne
Baptised us with the sword
We'll sweep aside this evil stain
And slay each Christian fraud

They preach of good yet hoard much gold
Good Pagans they mistreat
We're took as slaves and bought and sold
As Christians lie and cheat

They sing their hymns to their "great" god
They then do wicked things
Now they think that it's really odd
The vengeance that this brings

"They say that we are damned to Hel
They say our souls are dead
But who can know and who can tell
What all the gods have said

These Saxons followed Odhinn too
They were like all of us
But had to turn to something new
And now they spit and cuss

The Raven banner is our guide
It flutters overhead
The wind has spread its folds out wide
This portent has been said

That should it hang limp down the lance
Then fights may not be fought
When it floats wide we may advance
And battle may be sought

We passed a church the other day
Where they had flayed our kin
Poor pagan lives were took away
The door was hung with skin

There some flayed Danes were still alive
And each begged for a sword
When at Valhalla they arrive
They'll drink mead with their Lord

As each one held his sword and died
All Danes were seen to cry
Yet in these acts we all take pride
Although we weep and sigh."

Sacrifice the Foe Reign Men

"A place of sacrifice had been
Prepared for Alfred here
We now plan to enslave his queen
For victory now that near

With only one last Saxon King
The prize is close at hand
With all the bounty it could bring
This fertile and sweet land"

Alfred

King Alfred stood there by the grave
The priest read from a book
Not knowing how he should behave
This new king sobbed and shook

His brothers were now in the ground
And Alfred was the king
Far off he heard a church bell sound
An eerie distant thing

For they should not ring on Thor's days
Except to sound alarm
There in the sun's last setting rays
He still felt free from harm

A streak of smoke rose in the East
Far off across the sky
As portent of a coming beast
He heard the West wind sigh

The sighing of the wind it's said
Was an old British Bard
The songs of Dylan now long dead
Sighed round that old graveyard

So long ago this land had held
His ancestors at bay
With heroes so unparalleled
Right down unto this day

The long dead Celts were obstinate
In wars was Wessex born
And his churls here were obdurate
Dead Celts had left their spawn

So Alfred then walked from the grave
His heart was full of grief
He pushed aside a common slave
"Are you that weak my chief?"

He stopped and turned with little hate
This one slave stood his ground
"Soon your line may well share my fate
For Danes are all around"

The sharpened blade slid from its sheath
The slave then smiled with glee
"Oh, do fulfil my life's belief
Kill me and set me free"

For first time then he saw a man
Not just another drudge
Though all may do just what they can
This man here would not budge

The King stared at this seeming Seer
He knew of Mercia's plight
"Oh, tell me Sage, are they that near
When will we feel their might?"

"Go ask a fool, go ask a mule,
Go stare straight down a well
The dead souls of my kin now drool
In heaven and in hell.

Your kind once came and took our land
You made the orphan slave
Is Saxon doom now close at hand?
Tell me King, are you brave?

To push a bondsman's easy when
You're young and fit and strong
There's fitter work for better men
So do not do me wrong

You are a part of our land now
And it's a part of you
Be thankful for an ancient vow
That keeps your bondsmen true!

The Oak, the Ash, the Elm, and Yew
Stand firm within this realm
Not all men are so tied to you
And some would seize the helm

The Dragon, Gryphon and the Wolf [7]
The Raven eats their meat
And since the time of Beowulf
They've found men's flesh so sweet

Your forefathers fed mine to crows [8]
The Raven's here for you
But of the future no one knows
Defeats are nothing new."

"My mother raised me to read books [9]
And not to be the King
My brothers had the warrior's looks
But each has felt Death's sting

My older brothers are now dead
The Raven comes for me
For all that blood my brothers bled
I swear I'll set you free

You will be free when Raven cries
And beg if they are able
And you may see with gleeful eyes
Danes serving you at table.

Until that day I am your King
You'll live and die with me
I know you read, I've heard you sing
One day you may be free

Until that time you'll be my aid
I'll have you close by me
And I will have some weapons made
Fighting could make you free

I was not raised to fight long wars
I was not meant to fight
I've heard of monks that lie with whores
We all know that's not right

You were not raised to take up arms
But fighting men all fail
The Raven's raids have caused alarms
I see you do not quail

They may Blood-Eagle me as King
They'll kill you just for sport
If I'm to be a gory thing
Your suffering will be short

You may well even watch me die
My chest torn open wide
I only hope I do not cry
But give my kinfolk pride"

"The Raven Flag's at Chippenham"
The brave slave told the King
"But who's the lion, who's the lamb?
And who will feel Death's sting?

It's Thor's Day now, yet since the noon
More than three days ago
For since the last day named the Moon [10]
The Danes strut to and fro

In Chippenham they strut about
They've made a place for you
With open rib cage spread right out
They'll nail you up in view

With ritual and with reverence
The balance will be paid
For in their laws of blood vengeance
Accounting must be made

The Mercians they killed most Danes
So many had to die
Priests say each pagan just profanes
And each one lives a lie

But lies to you are truths to those
Who follow other gods
If you could get to know your foes
You'd even up the odds"

"But Danes are pagan and profane
How can I mix with them?
And yet they bleed and yet they pain
Your views contain a gem

Of this blood vengeance I have heard
It seems a form of trade
Redress the balance their watchword
As blood debts must be paid"

Along their way they reasoned on
This brave slave and young king
The king he tended to feel wan
The slave chose not to sing

The Saxon poems he'd not quote
Nor divert from his speech
The king at last he learned by rote
Some things a slave can teach

The king enquired of Sild's blood line
And where did he come from?
So as they talked there by a fire
Sild answered with aplomb

"I do not trace my line through men
We all come from a womb
No man's sure of his father then
From birth right to the tomb

From Morchan's line your slave has come
From Morchan of the Fey [11]
And of that line I am but one
And lines may end some day

This land was full of strange beasts once
And then the people came
This should be taught to wise and dunce
And we'll pass on the same

The earth abides for evermore
We creatures may well not
Unless you win in your great chore
Sir, you'll soon be forgot"

At that time this had meant not much
To this young Christian king
It seemed the slave was losing touch
His mind was wandering

He thought of battle plans he knew
One swift and sure quick fight
But ere the first swift arrow flew
Too soon they'd all took flight

First Battle

At Chippenham the armies met
The fight was won and lost
The Danes advanced much further yet
The Saxons bore the cost

Martyred Berserk's Fate

He saw the line through his right eye [12]
His focus was quite true
He saw that King who had to die
Thor told him what to do

He saw the three spears thrust at him
He knew his blade swung true
And then that sight that was so grim
A slave stepped in his view

Then he was at Valhalla's door
And Lord Thor said this thing
"I'll give to you each menial chore
You failed to kill that King.

That slave you slew none of us knew
Or could have known about
And we now rue what our Danes do
For we are plunged in doubt

Who is this Sild whom you have killed?
Why did all Asgard sway?
And why have all the fires here chilled
What have you done this day?

The Norns have gone into retreat
And Sild is there as well
We watch the foe you fail to beat
Are not now claimed by Hel

For Bragi's singing sad laments
And Balder can't be found
So not until each Norn relents
May you now make a sound

Sometimes there are some little things
Things Odhinn had not seen
That may change all the ways of Kings
We wish this had not been

Who is this Sild the one you slew?
And just why don't WE know?
It seems he's one whom none here knew
Before you struck that blow

The Norns it seems have kept him dark
Away from Asgard's sight
We now see that the future's stark
Since Gudrum won that fight"

The Flight of the Saxons

A remnant of their armed men fled
And hid themselves away
But most their army now lay dead
For they had lost the day

Retreat of the Saxons

The road was long around the Gorge
They could cross at low tide
They rested near the Sea Mill's forge
But none now felt much pride

A few Danes had torn through their lines
The shield front could not hold
Now some saw portents, some saw signs
And others just felt old

They'd trudged about in wars so long
But this one was the worst
And none of them now felt so strong
And most of them had cursed

Then as they walked out through the mire
Their way lit by the moon
Most of those men had lost all fire
The end must sure come soon

They waded up the other side
They climbed the rough terrain
And then they sought a place to hide
As daylight came again

The Smith's Trade

Alric the Smith walked from his forge
And headed for Hot Wells
He saw some Danes there through the Gorge
He heard some far church bells

He walked content upon this day
The crows flew overhead
He passed more men along that way
Nailed to some trees and dead

He hurried on and now felt wan
His heart now full of fear
Oh, how he wished the Danes be gone
He wished they were not here

He'd worked so long to learn his trade
His anvil rang such tunes
He now made things like Wayland made
Yet did not know the runes

A group of Berserks stopped him there
They seemed to know his trade
They showed him true respect and care
It seemed they sought his aid

They wanted nails for some foul thane
They said they'd pay him well
He never saw those men again
But made more nails to sell

"They'll pay you true those Berserks will"
The Smith told all his trade
"Smiths now have markets for their skill
Berserks will see we're paid"

"Death for a death, life for a life
Good nails deserve good pay"
Few Smiths now seem to mind this strife
Sun shines on them each day. [13]

King Alfred then arose and went
South-west to Somerset
He knew he now felt quite intent
To hide and to forget

A Smith there missed some steady trade
Alfred and his ten Thanes
Could help to sell some nails fresh made
To those good paying Danes

Some Saxons lords had not paid well
Impoverished by this war
And unpaid debts now seemed to swell
Some smiths had more and more

The Queen's Dream

The Queen was in an old convent
Where she'd been hid away
She prayed the Danes just might relent
She prayed the night away

At sunrise she had gone to sleep
And she slept through to noon
That was the day she ceased to weep
She woke and hummed a tune

"Good Queen why are you now more calm?"
A nun had asked her there
"My dream brought me a gentle balm
It took away my care

My Lord is like a hunted thing
The hounds have lost the scent
Though dreams, mixed news, may sometime bring
This dream may be God-sent:-

"Are you that hind?" the nun replied
"The stag survives my dear"
That nun it's said had never cried
When eight cruel Danes had her.

That nun she bled for near a week
Then not for nine months more
But of that crime she would not speak
A lovely son she bore

This was the only child she had
That child born out of rage
She got much love from that sweet lad
Right to a grand old age

When good things from a crime have come
It's part of destiny
There's so much that remains unknown
So what will be will be

First Blood for Young Aethelwulf [15]

Two men lay dead there at his feet
They were a gory sight
He killed them in that sad retreat
When well hid in their flight

He'd gone in fast, he'd gone in quick
He was soaked in their blood
And now his very soul was sick
He knelt there in the mud

A dove was near up in a tree
It cooed a gentle sound
It seemed to him he was set free
He left that bloodstained ground

The Eagle's Brood

An eagle rode the rising air
It circled overhead
It sought some prey or carrion there
It had young to be fed

So circling it rode and rose
Much higher in the sky
And there in that place that it chose
It stared down from on high

Beside the woods next to a stream
Two Danes lay cold and dead
No one heard that eagle screech
But its brood got well fed

Some fed upon the flesh of man
Eagles may not feel love
All predators feed where they can,
The eagle killed that dove

Those Danes had also fed the crows
Some badgers dined as well
Now Fate may tell just what this shows
But there's no time to dwell

At Athelney

So Alfred went to Athelney [16]
Hid in the place of reeds
A wise man will know when to flee
And when to do brave deeds

For seven melancholy days
Alfred abandoned hope
It has been said it never pays
To hide away and mope

But Alfred hid and hardly ate
Knew not what he'd done wrong
He wondered if it was his fate
He did not now feel strong

So melancholy was his soul
He felt all hope a cheat
A harried fox hides in a hole
The chase for him's not sweet

Great kings they may well do great things
Offa had built his dyke
Disgrace, remorse and shame just brings
Feelings no man can like

Alfred did not much like himself
Some better men had died
The Danes he knew had got much pelf
And so he sat and sighed

A Time of Doubts

The melancholy he went through
Filled Alfred full of doubt
He questioned all the things he knew
"What was this life about?"

Alfred's Reflections

The rout upon that field was done
By berserks so enraged
The Danes had had the battle won
Before they had engaged

In self belief we can hold sway
Self doubt is much the same
The one will help us have our way
The other leave us lame

How can you fight such raging men
Who don't care if they die?
How can you win a battle when
Your own men will not try?

A battle's lost before it's fought
It's lost when we lose heart
And now an answer must be sought
Here was the place to start.

Not all was lost: he held this marsh
The Danes now thought him done
And 'though some tests are long and harsh
He'd not been overrun

This lonesome place seemed full of grace
The people full of joy
He saw a smile on every face
But all this seemed to cloy

How could there be such joy in life?
Ah, "Kingdoms come and go"
And even some old peasant's wife
Knew things he did not know

The chests of men must rise and fall
As they breathe in the air
The soul's like that and it must call
When burdened down with care

The spirit of a man is such
It must take stock some time
And when we are not winning much
We may feel past our prime

But there are things that must be done
If we are to survive
The enemy will not have won
As long as we're alive

But moods may swing from hope to doubt
We can't be firm like rock
Events may toss us all about
We can be jarred by shock

And Alfred pondered in that place
He pondered on God's will
He knew he might well see God's grace
But his soul was not still

Sometimes they moved around to see
If Danes were there about
And one day in a reverie
He told God of his doubt

At Westford near to Holy Well
Alfred had knelt to pray
There of his plight he was to tell
And then went on his way

Was all of this a test for him?
But why should others die?
The old slave's death had been quite grim
It oft times made him cry

"I'm free my Lord" the slave had said
His guts spilled on the ground
From chest to foot he was all red
His mind then rambled round

The slave died on that battlefield
He died to save a king
Now as the future is concealed
It seemed the strangest thing

For slaves are spared who have a price
To Saxon and to Dane
Such waste of wealth is seen as vice
For slaves can bring much gain

That berserk had not killed the king
The slave stepped in the way
Why should a slave have done that thing?
How could a king repay?

He'd talked a lot that slave and he
And he could read a book
"Why should he want to die for me?"
Sad Alfred sobbed and shook

At Chippenham he'd found good ground
His men were trained and strong
But at the Berserks' wailing sound
His well laid plans went wrong

The bravest men were filled with fear
All resolution went
And as the Dane Berserks drew near
All courage had been spent

Despite the rally by the king
Though many men had fled
The slave then did that strangest thing
And some had ceased to dread

The rout had not been so complete
For some had got away
The crows it's said are now replete
The Raven won that day

Now melancholy souls may sink
When they are out of ease
And morbid thoughts they're prone to think
In such bad times as these

For seven days in many ways
Alfred thought of his woes
Then at the end of seven days
His mind turned to his foes

For seven days he thought of ways
That they might beat the Dane
And with the setting of sun's rays
Nightmares would be his bane

For Sild would come into his dreams
And talk to him yet more
And Sild would mock some of his schemes
Just like he had before

Of borough walls this ghost would talk
"Walls unlike men don't yield
As through the place of dreams you walk
I'll show you what's concealed

A Stone, a Knife, a leather Bag
All share a common fate
For each may lead and each may lag
None has the perfect state

Stone blunts the Knife, Knife cuts the Bag
The Bag holds in the Stone
While one may lead so it must lag
Alone none hold the throne

You cannot fight the way Danes do
And hope to win this war
So you must now do something new
That they've not seen before"

These dreams of walls and his slave's ghost
Had troubled him each night
How could he beat the Danes great host?
How could they win this fight?

The Baking Lesson [20]

At day time he would mope about
Attend to shield and spear
And while there racked in darkest doubt
That woman's voice was clear

"Now will you watch this bread young man?
For I have chores to do
Though I may help you how I can
This is a task for you

He sharpened points, he sharpened blades
He moped in his despair
As smoke curled up in greyish shades
He scratched his itchy hair

When dark smoke billowed up in clouds
His face was in his hand
The woman's voice then screeched so loud
Her fist hit his headband

Then Alfred reeled across the ground
His knees were flecked with blood
And then without a single sound
He got up from the mud

Still dazed a bit from her hard blow
He saw he'd burned the bread
But he then felt an inner glow
As he heard what she said

"If walls could walk they'd be more use
Than men who sit and mope
You useless man you've cooked your goose
For you there is no hope

A simple job that's all I ask
Was that too hard for you?
If you could do this little task
We'd not be in this stew

You eat the bread that's on the board
You don't need help with that
You do it of your own accord
Just like a thieving rat"

But Alfred's aide reached for his blade
Reacting to this act
Then Alfred any moves forbade
He'd learned good sense and tact

"No! Stay your hand, she's done no wrong
My chore I failed to do
They burned for long the smoke smells strong
They were well in my view

When each task at its time is done
We cater for each need
And in a household that's well run
You get good bread and mead

And our bread's burned because of me
For I did not attend
There's waste in this for all to see
Burned bread you cannot mend

The good grain has been wasted now
It's all been charred quite black
There's no point now to pray or vow
I cannot bring it back

Some wrongs done now can't be undone
Good food has gone to waste
It matters how the cooking's done
So do not act in haste

The cook's the king where food is made
And I the serving hand
How I deserved her fine tirade
With curses, oh, so grand

She's right to feel I must be blind
Not to see all this smoke
And no sound king should ever mind
If he learns from such folk

The little things we must look to
To sow and harvest grain
Through all the little things we do
Then all of us will gain

We now divide the work we do
Some spin and others weave
This goes to make a prosperous land
It's waste that makes me grieve.

And I have wasted this good fare
By failing this good wife
So tell this story everywhere
It's all a part of life"

The woman had a playful cat

The Playful Cat

A joyful little thing
It caught the mouse, it caught the rat
Its purring sounds would sing

She made fresh bread, she spread the board
She worked on through the day
She did this of her own accord
She knew the King would pay

The playful cat played by the king
A master with the bow
He liked to have a spare bow string
So dealt the cat a blow

He grabbed the stunned but conscious beast
And cut its gut straight out
But its pains did not quickly cease
It staggered all about

Through fading eyes in dull surprise
Its soul then went to Fri
Now in Valhalla with bright eyes
Its soul will never die

And mother Fri feeds it nice fish
And many treats and more
All placed there in a golden dish
Beside Valhalla's door

To judge great men outside their times
Is not the wisest things
What some may see as darkest crimes
Are calmly done by Kings

The Raped Harper [21]

Alfred the Harper crossed the land
Singing against the foe
He did not really understand
The reasons for this woe

And he had many a simple song
His themes all flowed with hate
While his true feelings weren't that strong
It got him through the gate

And through each chord he'd earn his board
Decrying all the foe
He travelled of his own accord
He put on quite a show

"The enemy will break each vow
For they are so untrue"
He sings this to the Saxons now
The Danes will hear it too

"Why change the tune, why change the words
For both sides are the same
I've found more brains in little birds
I sing to make my fame

I sing of things men want to hear
My job is not to teach
This way I get my cup of cheer
So I'm a sort of leach

But I will make long evenings glow
And fill sad hearts with jest
I'll take good payment then I'll go
Or stay and get caressed

The thanes all talk as I sing there
I listen in quite well
There's many secrets I could share
That I would sooner sell

That Thane who lay with me last night
And did what some must do
He talked and gave me clear insight
Of plans they have for you

So for some board, perhaps some cash
My tongue could flap a lot
For that rough Thane has been quite rash
Let him have what I got

Let him be forced down on his face
Let spear shafts enter in
And let him feel the full disgrace
Let him die for his sin

After that rape that sweaty shape
Found some great need to boast
This harper had no safe escape
So listened to his host

He told me of their new big plan
Told of their defence
So if you're half the man I am
You'll know I'm worth my pence

I heard of plans in great detail
I did the safest thing
When raped again I did not fail
That brute was slavering

He made me doubt I was a man
He gave to me such shame
And I would kill him if I can
And do it in God's name

This harper got some handsome pay
And got a single bed
They did not let him go that day
For he'd heard what they said!

The Spy

Alfred the King he could not sing
These two names men confuse
While Harper Alfred he would bring
The most important news

Alfred the Harper sang this song
Alone there in his bed
With no one there to sing along
He then lay down his head

In later times in local rhymes
Their two names were confused [23]
While kings may cause great kingly crimes
Harpers keep you amused

"I have some work for you my man
You travel as you please
If you can find out Gudrum's plan
Then you may live at ease

I'll lavish you with some good land
If we can win this war
If you can find what he has planned
That could be your last chore"

The Harper's life it then seemed charmed
As he spied on the Danes
For never once was he then harmed
Not even by rough thanes

If you know what your foe might do
Then you may have the edge
When spies take all the risks for you
Then Kings should keep a pledge

That Harper lived a life so long
Until that sweet last day
The skylark sang its lovely song
As he died in the hay

The men of Somerset then fought
They harried every Dane
The firmest lessons ever taught
Come from enduring pain

The Fight Back

The pain of loss, the pain of grief
Through trauma and through stress
When left to question each belief
And sort out every mess

Alfred learned his lessons well
He fought when he could win
Then in the marshes he would dwell
To hide is not a sin

There's much to gain when your terrain
Is fighting on your side
Sometimes it's done with little pain
As foes drown in the tide

Around the Levels Danes lay dead
They drowned there in each pool
In saving Danes it could be said
That's work just for a fool

"Death for a death, Life for a life"
He'd set each prisoner free
I saved your life here in this strife
You owe your life to me"

The Danes he freed might well despair
But what could each one do
And each agreed, but each must swear
Life debts will have their due

"Life for a life, Death for a death"
Here mercy had a sting
No Berserk 'til his dying breath
Escaped it reasoning

So know your foe and you may know
Just how to sap his strength
Until that final hammer blow
And victory's yours at length

Battle's Heat

In battle's heat the heart turns cold [24]
There's joy in taking life
It's been the way since time of old
Through struggle and through strife

When locked in action most will kill
It is so quickly done
In combat there's a dreadful thrill
A demon's sort of fun

Excitement spurs men on to do
Such murd'rous deeds in war
In all of this there's nothing new
It's all been done before

The thrill you feel when you impose
Your will upon a foe
Or watch them twitch in their death throes
And feel the pleasure's glow

It matters not then at that time
Conscience is not awake
It's only later that the crime
Might leave weak souls to quake [25]

Berserkergang

Berserkergang's a rage worked up
By chanting and by dance
No drugs are used, or magic cup
It's done just like a trance

And when berserk, an urge is there
That may provide more strength
But too soon they're the worse for ware
So turn quite weak at length

A day or two is needed then
To gain renewed fitness
Berserkers may be exposed when
A foe knows this weakness!

Edington

The armies gathered on the plains
The plains that had no tree
The storm clouds brought the spring time rains
Who can know what's to be

The young king stood there to the fore
He did not feel too strong
And did not know how many more
Had come to join this throng

He knew now that they had to fight
They had to fight or die
But who was wrong and who was right?
He tried hard not to sigh

Gudrum was troubled more and more
But could not let things be
He had to settle each old score
To set each dead soul free

But deaths were owed for deaths gone by
And he had kept a count
The storm's wind ceased and did not sigh
There was much to surmount

The Raven's flag then hung straight down
It hung straight down the lance
But he was here to take a crown
It was all worth the chance

His Berserks always broke the lines
Smashed through the row of shields
They can't be stopped by simple signs
The Saxon always yields

They called on Thor and Odhinn too
Their battle chant rang out
This shield line seemed like something new
They sought a total rout

So on they rushed and full of glee
Valhalla was their due
For when a warrior's soul is free
Their faith will bear them through

For with a weapon in the hand
A hammer, axe or sword
Each death can be so very grand
The old gods were no fraud

The Christians preached and simpered so
Yet skinned each captured man
So now each felt that inner glow
As raging on they ran

The shield line did not buckle in
But seemed more like a wall
And there within the battle's din
So many were to fall

Some great Berserks were speared straight through
The shield wall did not break
But to their gods each one stayed true
So they died for Fri's sake

For all the past wrongs done to her
Thor's men all fought for Fri
Each Christian is a raping cur
And so each had to die

They had to die who persecute
And burn the sacred groves
All Berserks had to execute
These thieves who took the troves

Their hateful acts and their false creed
Their runes that only lie
For each and every hateful deed
That made good people cry

The wall seemed slowly to advance
As more Danes were cut down
And though they did not have a chance
Each died with great renown

But died they did and many fell
Limp hung the Raven's shape
Amid that scene none could foretell
And few Danes could escape

After the Battle

Young Aethelwulf lay on the ground
At Edington next day
The crows were feeding all around
On that field where he lay

This turning point in history
Seemed dull and sad to him
As if it was a mystery
The scene around seemed dim

Aethelwulf and a sighing Dane
Lay close there in that place
Yet it seemed to his dying brain
They both were touched by grace

Then Aethelwulf laid his head back
His sight began to fade
He lay there on his broken back
He felt cold and afraid

'Twas then his life flashed passed him there
He'd been a happy boy
His childhood times seemed round him there
With all their tears and joy [26]

The Dane reached out his arm at last
His sword he held up high
"Odhinn I see my life ebbs fast
And I know how to die" [27]

The Dane then died but none there cried
Aethelwulf felt some loss
As sunrise cast a shadow wide
That sword seemed like the Cross

Then from great height he saw a light
He heard the angels' song
And his soul soared up to this sight
For his own faith was strong

In Valhalla and Paradise
The two of them now dwell
For neither seemed that full of vice
That they be claimed by Hel

The Capture

When Gudrum had been hunted down
A sad bedraggled thing
They brought him down into the town
Before their Saxon king

"Get out your knife and flay me here
And do what's always done
I know that vengeance is quite near
A duty for my son

Life for a life, Death for a death
In this we're always true
We're faithful to our dying breath
Odhinn we're pledged to you

All rites and rituals of our caste
Tell us we must be fair
Until we die and then at last
We're freed from worldly care..."

"Enough of this" King Alfred said
"I give to you your life
I do not know all your wronged dead
I do not care for strife.

'Life for a life' - I grant you yours
Now what is owed to me?
I do not ask for slavish chores
And so you may go free

You know you are my debtor now
So to Fri why be true?
And as a king you need not bow
I'll be like kin to you

Your folk will know I gave you life
I kept you free from harm
They cannot bring me now more strife
Has Thor now lost his charm?

A debt you owe you must repay
You owe your life to me
And so until your dying day
That's how things are to be"

Gudrum's Thoughts

"My kinfolk are not tied to me
If I turn to the Cross
So while he may have set me free
Both of us face a loss

Some of us are good and true
And some of us are wise
Though some of us are wily too
And have great skill at lies

For Loki he has taught us all
The best don't always win
For was not Balder caused to fall
Cut down there by his kin?

Gudrum may not now here avenge
But every Dane that fell
Has kinfolk who must seek revenge
And send a soul to Hel!"

The bishops gathered by the king
All fell for Gudrum's ruse
Alfred thought mercy had a sting
Gudrum prayed that he'd lose

Alfred's Thoughts

"How could this pagan risk his soul
And turn his back on Thor"
Though contradictions may seem droll
Alfred felt insecure

The Booty

The Raven's flag was taken there
Valhalla rang with woe
The Christian king took it with care
Who can believe this foe?

"Life for a life", he gave us ours
We did not lose our skins
His priests drone on for many hours
It's chaos here that wins

Old certainties now drift like mist
Above the morning ground
Their balance has the longer list
Life debts are all around

We're told a lot of nationhood
"England" not "Saxony"
But Berserks form a brotherhood
And all Danes must be free

The pendulum may swing away
Towards this Saxon king
But when it swings the other way
Valhalla's hosts will sing

Christians beat down our fathers too
Drove Fri out from each glade
At Bamburgh we made them rue
Blood debts must all be paid

Now Gudrum sold his soul for Danes
Went to the void all hate
He and a few have borne great pains
To save the Danes estate

Gudrum's Secret Council

"I gambled on the lives of men
The Raven I ignored
And so now we must honour them
And I must be deplored

In this I set free all good Danes
And few need share my fate
These Christians they have caused such pains
That they deserve all hate

If I become a hateful thing
The loss is worth the price
One day we'll beat this Saxon king
So this is my advice

Don't waste good lives where you can't win
Strike where the foe is weak
And never let their priests come in
For each of them's a sneak

Loki gave Hoth the ivy bough [28]
That ran sweet Balder through
Gudrum must be the ivy now
In this deceit I do

These Christians seem a hungry lot
They crave the souls of men
Yet still few true men have forgot
The misdeeds done by them

We must be true to all our kin
I'll be true by deceit
There's lots of ways that we can win
Now is the time to cheat

We can't yet win by feat of arms
Our army's faced a rout
But all the Noki and their charms
May turn the Norns around

Bifrost the rainbow's in the sky
We know his portent's strong
The gods decide we live and die
And who is right and wrong

The Norns they guide the fates of all
Skuld guides the future's road
We must hope that she hears our call
Our hopes must not corrode

We've fought so long these Christian knaves
We've fought to right each wrong
They still would have our souls as slaves
Unless we all stay strong

And who would want the flaying knife
To slice off all our skin?
No hero wants to end their life
As blood debts for their kin

Our swords and axes must stay keen
Berserks must wait the day
New victories that we pray may mean
These Christians fade away

They turned on us so long ago
But memory is long
They've caused us so much needless woe
That we've learned to be strong

The Goddess Mother Fri's so sweet
But Thor is needed too
If we are ever now to beat
Their Roman cult's false view

The mischief that they have long done
Our Goddesses they hate
They claim their God's the only one
A male without a mate?

They seem to act against the earth
The mother of us all
That's why they're of such little worth
Their oaths mean nought at all"

Gudrum's Baptism and Fate

To Aller then they took Gudrum
The rituals were complete
Throughout it all he felt quite numb
Still headstrong in defeat

For seven days he pondered on
A melancholy sight
And while his soul felt truly wan
He bore up through his plight

And at the end he went back home
Back into Danelaw
His hair turned white like ocean foam
His nerves were always raw

He knew that he was full of hate
Hate for that Saxon king
He knew that it was now his fate
To be a useless thing

Those battles on the battlefield
Were easier, you know
But battles in his heart revealed
He did not know his foe

He'd thought by simple subterfuge
By Loki he'd survive
But this was not a sure refuge
He just felt half alive

All of the gods now seemed so dark
The wind, the wave, the tide
And choices now seemed few and stark
The torrent fast and wide

The tales they told these Christians here
Started to resonate
But could he hide each secret fear
Did Loki twist his fate...?

Confusion in the mind can bring
Weakness to stronger folk
Gudrum became a useless thing
Some saw him as a joke

He'd led them once but now no more
For some the fight went on
As Gudrum walked along the shore
Old certainties had gone

How could they have come quite so near
And not got all their way
His men were brave they showed no fear
And yet had lost the day

Those shields it seemed were like a wall
And yet moved like this wave
He thought he'd heard a rhythmic call
Felt footsteps on his grave

They'd always battered through the line
Hacking more to the right [30]
And this had always worked quite fine
Yet now they lose each fight

Could those shields all have been entwined
So that you can't break in?
And must the Danes now be resigned
Unable now to win?

A Stone, a Knife, a leather Bag
All share a common fate
For each may lead and each may lag
None has the perfect state

Stone blunts the knife, Knife cuts the Bag
The Bag holds in the Stone
While one may lead so it must lag
Alone none hold the throne

The Saxons aren't as strong as us
And yet they won the war
And now we're left to spit and cuss
We've not done that before

But how could they have done so well?
These Christians cannot think
They did not rage and scream and yell
And cannot hold their drink

But Gudrum did not know his foe
He knew the myths, that's all
And it may be what you don't know
Leads each one to their fall

Gudrum just lived a few years more
He sank beneath the weight
The Norns knew all of this before
It had become his fate

Men are what life may make of them
Boy Gudrum was a Dane
We know the root throws up the stem
When watered by clean rain

He'd learned the ways of fighting men
He was a man of war
The spirit may be broken when
It's been shamed to the core

He did not have a Christian grave
They burned him on a pyre
The worms should not feed on the brave
His widow lit the fire

And then she took the charred remains
And had men build a cairn
And as she felt these bitter pains
She gave suck to his bairn

Mother's Milk

"Drink, Gudrum's boy, your mother's milk
Drink all my bitter tears
Remember Christians and their ilk
Remember all your years

Remember how they plundered Fri
Remember all their wrongs
Then until the day you die
Sing all of Bragi's songs

Sing of the slaying of the foe
Blood-Eagle captured kings
And let those Saxon villains know
What Gudrum's woman sings

I sing of hate and yet more hate
Against the Christian swine
May it, my son, be now your fate
To end King Alfred's line."

She brought her boys up in her ways
She caught a Christian priest
He lived Blood-Eagled for two days
The high guest at her feast

She toasted him with horns of mead
She put brands to his feet
Her children shared this sacred deed
Vengeance can be so sweet

But Mother Fri could only cry
The Norns controlled all fate
She hoped that Gudrum's bairn might die
Knowing much more than hate

Children should know of Mother's love
And feel some tenderness
But here in Asgard, here above
Fri only felt distress

Earth Mother of our bounteous earth
She sighed there oh, so sad
She wondered on that widow's worth
And what had turned her mad

Peace Broken

They broke the Peace of Wedmore then
And Saxons cut them down
And though they tried time and again
The Danes slipped from renown

The Goddess of the Future Fates

The Gods in Asgard seemed to sleep
Or turn their minds away
As Danish widows moan and weep
The Noki dance and sway

They sought to change the fate of men
To help their people win
The Christians they would curse them then
And call their craft a sin

They would not let just one witch live
For they must burn them all
They ask God's love but can't forgive
So answer Satan's call

But Noki by the sea one night
Beneath a waning moon
Sought refuge in that second sight
They see before they swoon

In Bragi's name through each refrain
They asked Skuld for that sight
Idu the Noki felt the pain
And then screamed out in fright

A bloody ghost of some dead slave
Embraced her as a friend
And he said that he now forgave
Those who had caused his end

"Your kind came here to take this land
You make the orphan slave
Is Danish doom now close at hand?
Noki can you be brave?

You are a part of our land now
And it's a part of you
Gudrum by now has broke his vow
But Loki will be true!

True to the falsehood that's his game
Deceit will be deceived
It matters not the names I name
For you'll not be believed"

He held her hand through vistas grand
And showed her all men's fate
"A future's planned here in this land
The Danes may know too late

The Oak, the Ash, the Elm, and Yew
Grow tall on Albion's isle
And what you view may well come true
Don't waste your time with guile

The Norns dictate so know your fate
And to your gods be true
Then try some love as well as hate
Then I will lie with you

I'll come in dreams and show you schemes
Of what kings plan to do
And right until the daylight beams
I'll spend each night with you

The perfect prophet you will be
Until your dying day
Though you can share your dreams with me
Be wary what you say

For you've a curse the very worse
The Seer who is alone
For though you speak in prose or verse
No one will heed your tone"

Idu the Noki had a fit
Her mouth was wet with froth
On waking her hot brow was knit
She was frail as a moth

Though dark and deep she could not weep
The future she could see
But now in silence she must keep
Her tongue from being free

The elder Noki saw some signs
And felt a little grief
But in old age she now resigns
Locked in some disbelief

From thence on Idu slept a lot
And she'd smile in her sleep
As when she talked men called it rot
They now don't hear her peep

And she and Sild walk through the years
The years that are to come
And Idu often shed some tears
But Idu had turned dumb

She saw the fall of all her Danes
And saw them rise again
She saw them on far distant plains
She saw and she knew when

She saw the things that Morchan saw
All those long years ago
She felt great winds quite cold and raw
And felt the summers glow

She met the Seers of future years
Not all would wear her gag
She shared the hopes, she shared the fears
She had no need to brag

The Norns gave Idu for a wife
To some man from the sea
She had a long contented life
For what will be will be

The gods of her place weren't so dark
The wind, the wave, the tide
Her choices then were few not stark
In her dreams she could hide

The Blood-Eagling of a Priest

A priest he had his ribs spread out
They nailed him on a board
A raging widow danced about
As he prayed to his Lord

A Noki gave him some strange drink
Before they cut his chest
Was it insane for him to think
This Noki could be blessed?

The drink he drank on that first day
Made this all seem unreal
It seemed to take much pain away
His chest he could not feel

Below he saw that raging Queen
She danced about so wild
Yet through it all he felt serene
His blood now soaked her child

Idu the Noki she had said
The gods would get no glee
They did not want this poor man dead
But that was not to be

Idu gave him another drink
For two days she'd looked grim
He saw she gave a little wink
As if she cared for him

Then in that place he went to Grace
Idu had helped him on
That raging widow's angry face
All at once turned wan

"Noki tell me what you have done"
Idu she walked away
And right there with the setting sun
There came the end of Day

This Ravaged Land

A hamlet burned there on a heath
Some raiders passed that way
To justify their own belief
They killed and thieved that day

The Venom in the Heart

A ravaged land may well turn mad
And everywhere you go
Are scenes that turn the heart quite sad
Whose friend now and whose foe?

It's said that Woden sliced the worm
The worm that consumed all
Its nine segments were left to squirm
But each can bring the fall

Woden then sowed all those nine plants
The herbs the healers use
No matter what sweet nature grants
These do not stop abuse

A Good Deed and a Bad One

The raped girl lay there by the boat
Spread out upon the ground
She breathed through that slash in her throat
It made a wheezing sound

A strange Dane woman came to her
And she sowed up the gash
She wrapped her in the warmest fur
Secured it with a sash

Then this Dane woman took her too
The great camp of her Danes
"Have you saved me for men to view?"
Then fainted through her pains

She was cared for some fourteen days
Her helper remained mute
Her memories seemed the strangest haze
Of some great evil brute

The Dane woman then took her out
She gave that girl a gown
That same day those Danes faced their rout
She was left by a town

She gave her coin and gave her food
And then she went away
That victim stood in pensive mood
Did life begin that day?

She saw that Danes were not all bad
She told her folk of that
They thought the girl had turned quite mad
And many raged and spat

"Has some foul Noki stained her heart
Why, she'd be better dead"
The stoning then began to start
And all the ground turned red.

A Good Monk and His Good Deed

A good monk passing by that way
Then stopped this wicked act
He saved a poor girl's life that day
Quite brave he showed no tact

Oswald the monk stepped in the way
And stayed this anger deed
"I speak for Church - you must obey
You know that you must heed

'Thou shalt not kill' the Lord has said
And I say this to you
It seems all your good faith has fled
This blood shed you will rue

You'll face the judgement of the Lord
So go home now at least
You do this of your own accord
And I'll not tell your priest"

Then this good monk he took her to
The home of his close kin
"Oh, good monk what am I to do
Tell me what was my sin?"

The good monk's folk adopted her
They said that she could stay
She always kept that Noki's fur
Her life began that day

The Gardens of Glastonbury

The wickerwork was really fine
It was formed into shapes
The King he liked each nice design
But his sour monk just gapes

"They are profane and pagan too"
Cedric the monk then said
"Oh, may these wicked churls here rue
And turn to Christ instead"

"Idolatry is all about"
Cedric ranted with rage
"Yet in our Lord they have no doubt"
The king said to this sage

Why do they weave this wicker so?"
The King said to a thane
"My Lord I really do not know
I just cannot explain"

"Are these false gods" the monk then said
To men there in that place?
"Is that one there of Balder Dead
With ivy on his face?

"And is the big one of Lord Thor?
There's idols everywhere"
Then one man said "We have much more
But you've no need to care

We weave the wicker for we need
To pretty up each fence
By bread alone we do not feed
And nice things make such sense

The willow trees are all around
For they surround each marsh
Does not God put them in the ground?
So why are you so harsh?

The clouds that sweep in from the sea
All float across the land
When rain falls on both you and me
Are false gods there at hand?

Willows sprout up out of the ground
For they grow everywhere
Are they, dear monk, some foul hell hound?
Our God's for all to share

It seems to me quite very odd
The way you have to shout
For willows are the gift of God
Does your zeal hide some doubt?

These pretty shapes each gardener weaves
Just add to our nice view
They do not show who disbelieves
Or suffer doubt like you."

The garden man then walked away
And went out in the field
And like old pagans in that day
Kept his beliefs concealed

The Lady Fri she loved this song
She hung on every chord
That garden man he strolled along
He'd not live by the sword

A monk that day would get his way
He caught and killed that man
Truth's light they say, that golden ray
Shines only where it can

A man of faith, but little worth
There sought to gag a voice
Now many may be cursed from birth
For they may have no choice

When one faith saturates these lands
And seeks to have its way
Then monks may pray with bloodstained hands
And hide their sins away

Fri's Garden

Fri's garden now is more complete
With wicker worked to plan
And all her hedges are so neat
Done by her garden man

The Scriptorium at Winchester

Osric the scribe worked that long day
As long as there was light
He only put his quills away
As dusk turned into night

This book of Proverbs he worked on
He copied for his Lord
He rarely saw the sun that shone
And never went abroad

Within the confines of these walls
He now had spent long years
He'd never heard the fairies' calls
And never did shed tears

A man of plain and simple faith
Who had stuck to his vow
Before him stood what seemed a wraith
What could the monk do now?

He fell down to the floor in fear
He heard a tender voice
"Get up, good monk, there's no one near
Get up, you face a choice

My name's Gabrel, I'm sent to you
To guide you in a task
Your work it lacks a tender view
So now do as I ask

Come with me through the world of men
Come outside of the walls
Come see the hills, come see the fen
Come listen to bird calls"

Led by the hand through vistas grand
He saw a wond'rous isle
"God has much planned for your sweet land"
Gabrel said with a smile

"The ebb and flow of how things go
Will not be shown to you
But of this realm there's much to know
For deeds that you must do.

For scribes like you must copy well
Writing the books of God
And your works here could well excel
You'll need to be well shod

And go from here with books wrote clear
With these good words you write
And never sneer nor ever fear
The Danes must know what's right

Your King has dreams and righteous schemes
Of more monks here with you
Who'll write in teams and write vast reams
And their guide must be true

So walk this land with quill in hand
Record the woods and ways
Then take in hand what has been planned
And guide scribes all your days"

It seemed like Osric had a fit
His mouth was wet with froth
That night beside a cross he'd sit
He was frail as a moth

So Osric did as he was bid
And wandered round our land
And Gabrel saw that nought was hid
And helped him understand

He went outside into the realm
And wandered for a year
He knew soon he would take the helm
But this gave him no fear

The flowers in the field and fen
The plants by each wayside
Osric the monk he saw it then
God's work spread far and wide

Each flower and leaf helped his belief
Helped him see Christ as King
Through sin and all of men's mischief
Not all could see this thing

For God is found here all around
In his creative zest
His small herbs that spring from the ground
Seemed far above the rest

When illustrating their designs
The Scribes that Osric taught
They tried to follow nature's lines
The lines that Fri first sought

So all the flowers of the field
And leaves from every tree
Surround the words their God revealed
All laid out daintily

As dainty as the hand of Fri
Just like her flowers and leaves
So now she has no need to sigh
And so no longer grieves

The Christian monks now see her earth
One day they may see more
And they will know of its great worth
But much must come before

Bishop Asser

The Bishop Asser there bowed low
To this great Saxon King
From Wales he'd travelled here in woe
But he had news to bring

He brought new letters from the Pope
And from his British Lord
Though in his heart he harboured hope
This King he met seemed bored

He said he'd read the letter out
But this strange King could read!
Inside his spirits seemed to shout
"This King can know his creed!"

In Wales his local British Lord
Would leave him in the lurch
And sometimes of his own accord
Would steal from God's good Church

With Danes and traitors he had dealt
And struggled in God's name
For both the Berserks and that Celt
Had acted just the same

And now there was this Saxon Man
Who treated him so well
He said "I'll serve you how I can
Between the book and bell

The Mother Church that I must serve
Says I must work for you
And though my back's shaped like a curve
There's much I can still do"

For Alfred tried to get good men
From each surrounding land
And often helped his neighbours when
The Danes were close at hand

It seemed that Alfred worked all day
And way into the night
And Asser knew that he would stay
And help his thanes to write

He pondered long about the strife
About this warring king
Resolving there to write the life
To write of everything

For those unborn would need to know
About these troubled days
For through events our God would show
The mystery of his ways

The strong may never always win
The slow may beat the swift
Good deeds do show, and so does sin
All gain just by God's gift

Though Asser may have faced much strife
Yet of this none may know
Though he recorded Alfred's life
He was not one for show

Then Asser was put in his grave
In land beside the sea
He had a sweet contented life
For what will be will be

The Miller's Son

A miller had but that one lad
Who left him in the lurch
It's said he turned out rather bad
When he had joined the church

For three long years he'd learned a trade
Osric the scribe taught him
But canon law he then betrayed
His crime was seen as grim

He took the sacred Latin text
The very words of God
Then wrote them down in Saxon next
For this he got the rod

He then worked on those proverbs true
So by all they'd be known
This was a loathsome thing to do
In prison he was thrown

They took him to a gibbet there
And hanged him up on high
So scribes and monks you must beware
Translate things and you die!

Cedric the monk, a zealous man
As rigid as a rod
And yet throughout all his life's span
He knew not much of God

For though he heard and read the Word
His heart was cold to love
His acts were like some hunting bird
That swoops down on a dove

No fault, nor crime throughout his time
Would he care to forgive
His mind was mired in doubt and slime
That is the way some live

That young scribe who worked hard and long
And wrote in Saxon too
Cedric denounced with oaths so strong
The poor scribe was to rue

The young scribe thought all should be taught
The wisdom of his God
And in his heart he never thought
That he deserved the rod

So he worked on his holy plan
To write God's words of hope
Well that was how his story ran
And ended on that rope

Vengeance and its Sting

A miller sought out Cedric then
When he knew what was done
And cut his throat down by the fen
For he so missed his son

But there's no thrill for those who kill
To pay back some misdeed
So he died in that burning mill
God's Word he did not heed

Some say that Miller torched his mill
There's no way now to tell
Cedric some monk he had to kill
And now they're both in hell

Death for a death's a pagan vow
For words his son had died
The lad is with the angels now
His mother sat and cried

Alfred's Memories

Now Alfred as a little boy
Had travelled off to Rome
But he had felt the greatest joy
When he had got back home

He'd had an audience with the pope
There in the Holy See
When young his heart felt full of hope
And he had felt so free

As youngest son he'd turned to books
For he would not be king
Most thought he had the plainest looks
But what do good looks bring?

His face was plain his mouth quite wide
He was not big nor small
He did not strut with boastful pride
- Pride comes before the fall -

He knew his folk, then knew his foe
He knew his task at hand
Though through his reign not all would go
In just the way he planned

His task was long he turned the tide
He stopped the pagan Danes
In latter years there down one side
He suffered constant pains

His reign was long his mind was sound
In life he had been brave
His son who laid him in the ground
That day talked to a slave.

One day in Winchester's great hall
As part of some long chat
He said this land's for us all
For Alfred had learned that