TheBattleofBrunanburh

(VerseIntermediateSaxon,10thC.Battletookplacein937AD.Thepoemwasprobablycomposedshortly thereafter.FromtheAngloSaxonChronicle.) Ononeside:ThedefendingSaxons,comprisedoflooselyalliedkingdomsundertheleadershipofKing AthelstanofWessex. Ontheattackingside:CeltsundertheleadershipofConstantinemacAed,KingofAlba(Scotland)nd Owein,KingofStrathclyde(Wales)teamingupwiththeNorsemen(Vikings)ledbytheEarlsof NorthumbriaandOlafGuthfrithssonavikingKingofDublin. Setup:Athelstan,grandsomofAlfredtheGreat,hadfinallydefeatedthevikingsatYorkin928. Constantinegotnervousandstartedformingalliances...In937,ConstantineandOlafmarchedtheir combinedforcessouthfromScotland.Aethelstanrosetotheoccasionandgreetedthem.Onhisway,he pickedupmorereinforcementsinMerciaandWessexandbydoingsoforgedalliancesthatwoulddefine Englandinthecomingyearsasasinglenation.Thearmiesmetatalocationknowntohistoryas Brunanburhbuthistoriansdisagreeastoitsexactlocation. TheComplications:Constantine'sdaughterwasmarriedtoOlaf.OweinandConstantinewere(somehow) alsorelated. Ln 1 Orig. Modern

Her elstan cyning, eorla dryhten, beorna beahgifa, and his broor eac, Eadmund eling, ealdorlangne tir geslogon t scce sweorda ecgum ymbe Brunanburh. Bordweal clufan,

InthisyearKingAethelstan, Lordofwarriors, ringgivertomen, andhisbrotheralso, PrinceEadmund, eternalglory theywoninbattle withswordedges aroundBrunanburh. Shieldwalltheysplit

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heowan heaolinde hamora lafan, afaran Eadweardes, 7 swa him geele ws from cneomgum, 8 t hi t campe oft wi lara gehwne 9 land ealgodon, hord and hamas. 10 Hettend crungun, Sceotta leoda 11 and scipflotan fge feollan, 12 feld dnnede secga swate, 13 sian sunne up on morgentid, 14 mre tungol,

theyhewed(linden)shields withremnantsofhammers thesonsofEadweard, itwasbefittingtheirnobility fromtheirancestors thattheyinbattleoften againsthostileones theirlanddefend treasure(horde)andhome. Theenemyperished, Scotsmen andseamen fatedtheyfell. Thefieldflowed withbloodofwarriors, fromsunup inthemorning, gloriousstar

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glad ofer grundas, godes condel beorht, eces drihtnes, 16 o sio ele gesceaft sah to setle. 17 r lg secg mnig garum ageted, 18 guma norerna ofer scild scoten, 19 swilce Scittisc eac, werig, wiges sd. 20 Wesseaxe for ondlongne dg 21 eorodcistum on last legdun 22 laum eodum, heowan herefleman 23 hindan earle

glidedovertheearth, God'sbrightcandle, eternallord, tillthatnoblecreation sankto[its]seat. Therelaymanyawarrior byspearsdestroyed Northernmen shotovershield likewiseScottishaswell, weary,warsated. WestSaxonswentforth theentireday introops theypursued thehostilepeople. theyhewedthefugitive frombehindgrievously

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mecum mylenscearpan. Myrce ne wyrndon heardes hondplegan 25 hlea nanum ra e mid Anlafe 26 ofer ra gebland on lides bosme 27 land gesohtun, fge to gefeohte. 28 Fife lgun on am campstede 29 cyningas giunge, sweordum aswefede, 30 swilce seofene eac eorlas Anlafes, 31 unrim heriges, flotan and Sceotta. 32 r geflemed wear

withswordsgroundsharp TheMerciansdidnotrefuse hardhandtohandcombat toanywarrior TheywhowithAnlafe overtheseasurge inthebosomofaship soughtland, fatedtofight. Fivelaydead onthebattlefield youngkings byswordsputtosleep, likewisealsoseven ofAnlafe'searls, countlessofthearmy, sailorsandScots. Theretooktoflight

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Normanna bregu, nede gebeded, to lides stefne 34 litle weorode; cread cnear on flot, 35 cyning ut gewat on fealene flod, 36 feorh generede. Swilce r eac se froda 37 mid fleame com on his cye nor, 38 Costontinus, har hilderinc, 39 hreman ne orfte mca gemanan; 40 he ws his mga sceard, freonda gefylled 41 on folcstede,

theNorthmen'schief, byneedconstrained toprowofship withlittlecompany: hepressedtheshipafloat, thekingwentout ontheduskyfloodtide, hesavedhislife. Likewise,therealsotheold campaigner throughflightcame tohishomeinthenorth, Constantine, hoarywarrior. Hehadnoreasontoexult thegreatmeeting; hewasofhiskinsmenbereft friendsfell onthebattlefield

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beslagen t scce, and his sunu forlet on wlstowe 43 wundun forgrunden, giungne t gue. 44 Gelpan ne orfte beorn blandenfeax 45 bilgeslehtes, eald inwidda, 46 ne Anlaf y ma; mid heora herelafum 47 hlehhan ne orftun t heo beaduweorca 48 beteran wurdun on campstede 49 cumbolgehnastes, Garmittinge, 50 gumena gemotes,

killedasstrife, and[even]hissonheleft intheplaceofslaughter withwoundsgroundup, younginbattle. Toboasthehadnoneed, thegrizzlehairedwarrior, ofswordslaughter, olddeceitfulone, nomoredidAnlaf; withtheirremnantofanarmy tolaughtheyhadnoreason, thattheyindeedofwar werebetter inbattlefield collisionofbanners, encounterofspears, encounterofmen,

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Wpengewrixles, s hi on wlfelda wi Eadweardes 52 afaran plegodan. Gewitan him a Normen 53 ngledcnearrum, dreorig daraa laf, 54 on Dinges mere ofer deop wter 55 Difelin secan, eft Iraland, 56 wiscmode. Swilce a gebroer 57 begen tsamne, cyning and eling, 58 cye sohton, Wesseaxena land, 59 wiges hremige.

exchangeofweapons, whenonthebattlefield withEdweard's sonstheyplayed. DepartedthentheNorthmen innailedships. Dejectedsurvivorsofthe battle, atDingesMere overdeepwater Dublintheysought, backtoIreland, ashamedinspirit. Likewisethebrothers bothtogether, KingandPrince homesought, WestSaxonland, frombattleexultant.

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Letan him behindan hrw bryttian Saluwigpadan, 61 one sweartan hrfn, Hyrnednebban, 62 and ane hasewanpadan, earn ftan hwit, 63 ses brucan, grdigne guhafoc 64 and t grge deor, wulf on wealde. 65 Ne wear wl mare on is eiglande fre gieta folces gefylled 67 beforan issum sweordes ecgum, 68 s e us secga bec,
66

Theyleftbehindthemthe corpsestoenjoy thedarkcoatedone, thedarkraven Hornybeaked, andtheduskycoatedone theeaglewhitefrombehind, topartakeofcarrion, greedywarhawk, andthatgrayanimal thewolfintheforest. Neverwastheremore slaughter onthisisland, neveryetasmany peoplekilled beforethis withsword'sedge, thosewhotellusinbooks,

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ealde uwitan, sian eastan hider Engle and Seaxe 70 up becoman, ofer brad brimu 71 Brytene sohtan, wlance wigsmias, 72 Wealas ofercoman, eorlas arhwate 73 eard begeatan.

oldwisemen, sincehitherfromtheeast AnglesandSaxons cameup overthebroadsea Britaintheysought, Proudwarsmiths theWelshtheyovercame, gloriouswarriors theytookholdoftheland.