Cynewulf and Cyneheard: The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle 755

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Cynewulf and Cyneheard The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
755 In this year Cynewulf and the councillors of
the West Saxons deprived Sigeberht, a kinsman of
his, of his kingdom, except for Hampshire,
because of his unjust acts And some thirty-one
years after he had come to the kingship he wanted
to drive out an atheling who was called
Cyneheard, and this Cyneheard was Sigeberht's
brother. And then he Cyneheard found out that
the king, accompanied only by a small troop, was
womanizing at Merton, and he rode against him
there, and surrounded the outbuilding where the
king was before the men who were with the king
discovered him. And then the king discovered
that, and he went to the door and defended
himself in no lowly fashion, until he caught
sight of the atheling Cyneheard, and then he
rushed out at him, and wounded him severly and
they Cyneheard's men were all fighting against
the king until they killed him. And then,
through the carrying on of the woman, the king's
men discovered the disturbance, and they ran
there, each one as quickly as he could get ready.
And the atheling Cyneheard offered each of them
money and life if they would surrender to him,
and none of them was willing to be a party to
that. But they were all fighting continually
until they the king's troop lay dead, except
for a British hostage and he was severely
wounded. When in the morning the king's thanes
who had not been with him heard about the king
having been killed, then they rode there to
Merton, including his second in command Osric,
and his thane Wiferth, and all the men the king
had left behind earlier, and they confronted the
atheling Cyneheard in the burgh where the king
lay slain. And they Cyneheard and his men had
shut the gates against them Osric, Wiferth and
the rest, and they advanced to the gates. And
they Cyneheard and those inside with him
offered them the slain king's men money and
land as much as they should decide for themselves
if they would yield Cyneheard the kingship and
those inside made known to those outside that kin
of those outside were in there with them who did
not want to leave. And those outside said that no
kin were dearer to them than their lord, and that
they would never become followers of their lord's
killer and they offered their kin inside the
chance to come out unharmed and they said that
the same offer had previously been made to the
little troop who had accompanied the king. Then
they said they didn't want to take any more
thought of that sort of escape "than your
companions did who earlier were slain along with
the king." And they were then fighting about the
gates until those outside forced their way in,
and slew the atheling Cyneheard and the men who
were with him, all but one, who was Osric's
Godson, and he spared his life, but nevertheless
he was much wounded. ...
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Edmunds (939-946) attempt to curb the
blood-feud the slayer and the kindred of the
slain man must each have an advocate, and the
slayer is not to approach in order to pledge
himself to pay the weregild until the kin of
the slain man have given security to his advocate
that he may do so under safe-conduct. When this
has been done and the slayer has found surety for
the payment of the weregild, the king's mund is
to be established, that is to say, any act of
violence committed by either party will be
regarded as a breach of the king's own right of
affording protection, and make the offender
liable to a very heavy fine, over and above the
other consequences of his act.
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• Alfred The Great (871-99)
• Rotating service to king (two months on, one
  month off to tend to lands)
• Translator of Boethius encouraged translation of
  Bedes Ecclesiastical History (731)
• Laws regulating vengeance

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• What we know about Birhtnoth (d. 991)
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• Ealdorman of Essex since 956 ( 2 nobleman in
  eastern England, after Æthelwine, ealdorman of
  East Anglia)
• Owned property in Northamptonshire,
  Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Worcestershire
  as well as Essex
• Patron of monastic houses in Ely and Ramsey (both
  near Cambridgehe was buried at Ely), Mersea
  (Essex), Abingdon (Oxfordshire), and Christ
  Church (Canterbury)

2006 Statue of Birhtnoth, Maldon
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(No Transcript)
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• What we know about Birhtnoth (d. 991)
•  
• Ealdorman of Essex since 956 ( 2 nobleman in
  eastern England, after Æthelwine, ealdorman of
  East Anglia)
• Owned property in Northamptonshire,
  Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Worcestershire
  as well as Essex
• Patron of monastic houses in Ely and Ramsey (both
  near Cambridgehe was buried at Ely), Mersea
  (Essex), Abingdon (Oxfordshire), and Christ
  Church (Canterbury)

2006 Statue of Birhtnoth, Maldon
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Thus, perhaps, we can explain Birhtnoths final
words at his death He looked toward Heaven
and spoke I thank thee, Ruler of Nations, for
all the joys that I have had in the world. Now,
gentle Lord, I have most need that thou grant my
spirit grace, that my soul may travel to
theeunder thy protection, Prince of Angels,
depart in peace. I beseech thee that fiends of
hell harm it not.

The law code (1008) of Æðelredthe king to
whom Birhtnoth is a noble thane--begins that
we shall all love and honor one God and will hold
one Christian faith under the rule of one king.
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Ruthwell Cross (early 8th c.?), from southern
Scotland, features in runes a passage that also
appears in the religious poem The Dream of the
Rood, from the Vercelli MS
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Bede, Ecclesiastical History II.13, on the
conversion of King Edwin Another of the king's
chief men signified his agreement with this
prudent argument, and went on to say, Your
Majesty, when we compare the present life of man
on earth with that time of which we have no
knowledge, it seems to me like the swift flight
of a single sparrow through the banqueting-hall
where you are sitting at dinner on a winter's day
with your thegns and counselors. In the midst
there is a comforting fire to warm the hall
outside, the storms of winter rain or snow are
raging. This sparrow flies swiftly in through one
door of the hall, and out through another. While
he is inside, he is safe from the winter storms
but after a few moments of comfort, he vanishes
from sight into the wintry world from which he
came. Even so, man appears on earth for a little
while but of what went before this life or of
what follows, we know nothing. Therefore, if this
new teaching has brought any more certain
knowledge, it seems only right that we should
follow it. The other elders and counselors of
the king, under God's guidance, gave similar
advice.