ok so it was yesterday “bad poetry day” but here goes………..
A poem for Aethelflaed.
Aethelflaed leader of men,
In battle fought Dane and Norseman,
Took Leicester of the five boroughs without a fight,
faced down the invaders scourge so Derby fell,
pious and devoted Queen
of Mercian lands now forgotten.
Having bought the first book of Bernard Cornwell’s Last Kingdom series and found it an easy and interesting read – so nearly finished in short order – I have bought part 2.
The first book ends with a big battle and the hero? well the storyteller, has gone from childhood to close proximity to the big players of the day Alfred and Guthrum.
Uhtred is used by Bernard Cornwell to observe both sides and he conveniently lives and fights for both. It allows him to comment on a whole range of subjects and this in turn enriches the story. He can also play out the conflict between christian and pagan showing the differences through Uhtreds own eyes.
I have found Bernard Cornwell writes in such a way that you tumble along with the words, sentences and paragraphs aiding rather than hindering your progress. Likewise he pitches the content just right – you want entertainment and enjoyment – not a history lesson.
Yet the depictions of events are sufficiently convincing to make the reading more compelling. I can think of other fiction where a good storyline is hard going precisely because the background material is so jarring.
The Royal Mail have just issued some new stamps showing aspects of Roman Britain. Dover Lighthouse is one while the Roman Cavalry helmet in the feature image is another.
It set me thinking and a quick check confirms it I suggest. No Angles, Northumbrians, Mercians or Saxons have been commemorated by the Royal Mail.
OK so the Anglo Danish army feature in the 900th anniversary Hastings stamps of the last century. But that is a Norman story really.
And Bretwalda Raedwald (an East Anglian king) who was maybe Sutton Hoo man made a bit part in the 2003 British Museum set.
But surprisingly King Alfred – the Great of course – has yet to get on an envelope as far as I can see. So maybe the Royal Mail should do a set of “English” (whatever that term really means in a dark age discussion) Kings from the dark ages – Offa (except he was a Mercian), Athelstan, Edward the Elder, Edgar (all West Saxons though) and maybe even Cnut. Cnut was admittedly Danish but we tended to call him Canute so he can be an angle or saxon englishman if we squint a bit!
And what about the Kings of Wales, Ireland and Scotland during the 500 odd years between Roman Britains’ demise and the Norman Conquest? Surely the Royal Mail could have made something of characters like High King Brian Boru, King Malcolm II or Rhodri the Great to highlight the diverse history of all these islands off the european coast.
Actually Alderney island published some stamps with interesting artwork showing the battle of hastings; note artwork not blocks of stone or metal artefacts.
The Romans look a bit boring set against these more mysterious Dark Ages characters.
The Wargaming Erratic 