Kim Iverson Headlee

by Snow in July

  Ethel. Saxon servant at Thornhill; Ulfric’s former nursemaid; her name means “noble.”

  Étienne (AY-tee-en-eh; “crown”) de Bellencombre.

  Youngest son of Hugh FitzWalter and Margaret, younger brother of Alain, younger half brother of Philippe FitzHugh. Knight of Normandy in the service of William. Shield: prowling dark saffron leopard on green.

  Oldest son of Alain and Kendra.

  Garth. Saxon soldier and scout in Edgarburh’s fyrd; his name means “enclosure.”

  Guinevere. King Arthur’s queen, who selected Lancelot as her champion—and the rumors of their alleged illicit relationship began to fly from that point on. Whether a Saxon noblewoman of Kendra’s era would have known that version of the story is a matter of debate…but this is why poetic license was invented.

  Harold Godwinson. Son of Godwin, who was one of the most influential Saxons in 11th-century England, and brother-in-law of Edward the Confessor, alleged to have been Edward’s deathbed choice as successor. An early scene in the Bayeux Tapestry depicts Harold as having met with William to swear fealty to him prior to Edward’s death, which is an unsubstantiated but fascinating snippet of Norman propaganda.

  Hedda. A Saxon maidservant at Edgarburh; her name is the diminutive form of the Old High German name Haduwig, meaning “contending battle.”

  Hugh FitzWalter. Late Norman nobleman bearing the title Comte; husband of Margaret, his second wife; father of Philippe, Alain, and Étienne.

  Jesu (YAY-soo). A medieval variant of Jesus.

  Joseph of Arimathea. Jewish merchant of Jesus’ day reputed to have traded with sources in Britain that exported tin throughout the Roman world. The supposition that the young Jesus had accompanied Joseph of Arimathea on at least one of these buying trips remains a source of English national pride to this day.

  Lancelot. Although some scholars argue that this famous knight and infamous lover was inserted into the Arthurian Legends by French troubadour Chrétien de Troyes a century after the events depicted in Snow in July, I believe he is based on a much earlier personage, King Auguselus of Scotland, mentioned in Geoffrey of Monmouth’s quasi-factual History of the Kings of Britain as being one of Arthur’s staunchest supporters.

  Lofwin (LOFF-vin) Octhason. Saxon soldier and chief scout of Edgarburh’s fyrd; son of Octha. His name means “little friend.”

  Margaret. Late Saxon noblewoman, second wife of Hugh FitzWalter (at which time she was conferred the title Comtesse), mother of Alain and Étienne; her name means “pearl.”

  Marie. French noblewoman betrothed to Alain until she decided that his half brother Philippe—titled and standing in possession of their father’s estates—was the better catch.

  Matilda of Flanders. Wife of William the Conqueror. Historically, Matilda was not crowned queen consort of England until 1068, and she probably stayed in Normandy until then, governing the duchy in William’s stead, and later as regent for their oldest son, Robert Curthose. In preparation for the invasion of England, Matilda outfitted a ship, the Mora, out of her own funds and gave it to William. Over the course of their marriage she bore William at least nine children (including two kings, William I of England, and Henry I of England), the first seven of whom were already born by the time of the invasion, though I elected not to mention any of them in this text.

  Oesc (ESK). Saxon thane who actively supports Ulfric; his name means “divine.”

  Oswald (OZ-vald). A Saxon monk serving as bodyguard to the convalescing King Harold; his name means “divine power.”

  Oswy (OZ-vee). Saxon soldier and one of the younger members of Edgarburh’s fyrd; his name is a diminutive form of Oswin (“friend of God”).

  Philippe FitzHugh. Oldest son of Hugh FitzWalter; half brother (by their father) of Alain and Étienne. Sole heir to their father’s estates and title in Normandy.

  Pit. Scottish outlaw and one of Alain’s captors; the name is a corruption of the ethnic term “Pict” and was chosen to reflect his Highland heritage.

  Rat. Saxon outlaw and one of Kendra’s captors.

  Raven. Saxon outlaw and one of Alain’s captors.

  Robert the Magnificent. Robert I or Robert II, depending on the source. Late Duke of Normandy, father of William the Conqueror.

  Rowena. Saxon maidservant at Edgarburh; her name is the English form of the Celtic name Rhonwen, meaning “white skirt.”

  Snake. Saxon outlaw and one of Kendra’s captors; born Liam Fletcher.

  Thorgil. Saxon soldier and captain of the guard at Edgarburh; his name means “Thor’s pledge” or “Thor’s gold.”

  Thorgud. Saxon thane; father of Eosa. A supporter of Ulfric; his name means “Thor is good.”

  Thurstin. Eleventh-century Norman abbot of Glastonbury. There is some dispute as to whether he was appointed to this post soon after the Norman Conquest or as much as a decade later; regardless, I needed a Norman abbot for the purposes of this story, and his predecessors were all Saxons.

  Wart. Saxon outlaw and the youngest of Alain’s captors.

  Wihtred (VIH-tred). Saxon thane who actively supports Ulfric. His name means “white counsel.”

  William. Son of Robert the Magnificent and Robert’s merchant-class mistress Herleva. Succeeded his father as duke of Normandy, and defeated Harold Godwinson for the crown of England. Depicted on the Bayeux Tapestry mounted on two different horses: a black and tan, and a red (sorrel), of which I selected the latter for use in Snow in July. Nicknames: William the Conqueror, William the Bastard. Also known in various historical sources as Williame (Old Norman), Willelm (Bayeux Tapestry), and Guillaume le Bâtard (French).

  William FitzOsbern. William the Conqueror’s other close friend and adviser, appointed coregent in charge of ruling northern England whenever the king was out of the country.

  Glossary

  THIS APPENDIX INCLUDES place-names and foreign terms. Pronunciation guidelines are supplied for the less obvious terms, especially those of French or Old English (Saxon) origin. In the case of a term having multiple translations or variations used in the text, the most commonly referenced term is listed first. Word and phrase origins and English translations are given wherever possible.

  Language choices throughout the text include a deliberate “aging” of certain present-day terms in French as well as in English. The “aged” English terms (such as well come for “welcome”) may be inferred from the context. The “aged” French terms may also be inferred from the context, but I have included them here, along with all the other French words and phrases, for the reader’s benefit.

  à Dieu (ah DEW; “aged” French). Phrase of farewell meaning “to God;” in other words, “until we meet again before God.” Based upon present-day French adieu (“goodbye”).

  à gauche (ah GHOSH; French). Phrase meaning “to the left,” the opposite of à droit (“to the right”).

  amot vincit om (Latin). “Love conquers all.”

  Anjou. A medieval province in western France, approximately 100 miles due south of the Normandy border corresponding to the present-day district of Maine-et-Loire, governed by a count during the era of the Norman Conquest; its principle city was Angers (Angieus in the early 12th century; current urban population 200,000).

  au contraire (oh con-TRARE-eh; French). Phrase meaning “to the contrary.”

  Azure. Ruaud’s warhorse. Name origin: Old French azure (heraldic term for the color blue).

  Battle of Hastings, the. Fought on 14 October 1066, about seven miles from the town of Hastings, between the forces of Harold Godwinson and Duke William of Normandy, this battle is arguably the watershed event of all English history because it led to the permanent end of Saxon rule.

  beau-père (BOH pare-eh; French). Colloquial term meaning “father-in-law;” literally, it means “handsome father.” Origin: compound of beau (“handsome” or “boyfriend”) and père (“father”).

  bee balm. A plant with scarlet flowers favored by beekeepers for honey production.

  Bellencom
bre. A village in the northern region of Normandy which existed in the 11th century and is home to approximately 650 people today; birthplace of Alain and Étienne. The name translates as “pretty entanglement.”

  Blessed Mother, Blessed Virgin, Holy Mother (French Sacre Mère), Mother of God. Terms of respect conferred upon the Virgin Mary.

  borage. A star-shaped flowering plant favored by beekeepers for honey production. The leaves are edible and taste like cucumber.

  brydgild (BREED-gild; Saxon). Literally, “bride-gold,” the term referring to the ancient custom of the groom paying an agreed-upon sum to the father of the bride for the privilege of marrying his daughter, since the bride’s family would thenceforth be deprived of the benefit of her services. Origin: Old English compound of bryd (“bride”) and gild (“gold”).

  burh (BUR; Saxon). The term applied to the fortified town of a nobleman, linguistically comparable to Old English byrig, German burg, English borough, and Scottish Gaelic broch.

  c'est (SAY; French). “It is.”

  chamomile. A medicinal herb.

  chere (SHARE-eh; French). The feminine form of the word for “dear.” The masculine form is cher.

  Chi-Rho. One of the earliest ecclesiastical symbols for Christ, an overlay of the Greek letters chi and rho, so chosen for being the first two letters of the Greek equivalent of the Latin Christos, “Christ”.

  Chou (SHOO). Alain’s warhorse, a charcoal gray mare. Name origin: French chou (“cabbage”). If this seems an odd name for a horse, I chose it because I learned in my high school French class (lo these many, many moons ago) that “chou” was used in France as a term of endearment by dating couples. Perhaps a kind reader can tell me whether French people are still calling each other “my little cabbage” today!

  comfrey. A medicinal herb.

  compline. The last of eight Christian canonical hours of the day, occurring at approximately two hours past sundown. Origin: Latin complere (“to fill up”).

  Comte (French). Landed title equivalent to that of Count. A region governed by a comte is the origin of the present-day Anglo-American civic term “county.”

  Comtesse (French). Landed title equivalent to that of Countess.

  Creech Hill. Site of an Iron Age hill fort near the present-day town of Bruton (Somerset, England), and the location of the ruins of the Roman temple used as a travelers’ way-station in Snow in July.

  Cristes mæsse (KREE-stehs may-seh; Saxon). Old English term meaning “Christ’s mass;” i.e., Christmas. Hyphenated as Cristes-mæsse when used as an adjective.

  Edgarburh. Fictional Saxon-controlled fortified manor, market town, croplands, and pastures located west-southwest of London in the vicinity of the present-day town of Shrewton in Wiltshire, England approximately five miles north of the A36-A303 intersection and 20 miles east of Glastonbury. Governed by Thane Waldron Edgarson. Historically, Shrewton (Old English scir-refa tun, “sheriff’s settlement”) evolved from the medieval village of Addeston (“add stone”)—the name of which is tempting to believe might have been inspired by Alain’s Norman-influenced building activities after he and Kendra inherited Edgarburh. Although I refer to Edgarburh as a burh in the text, and it fits the description since the manor is a walled compound, it does not represent any of the 33 burhs of medieval England that were established by Alfred the Great and used as important commercial centers, royal currency mints, tax collection, and so forth. The closest royal burh to Edgarburh would have been Wilton, near Salisbury, about eight miles to the south.

  elder. A medicinal plant whose leaves and berries were harvested for various uses.

  en Anglais (on AHN-glay; French). Phrase meaning “in English.”

  et (AY; French). The conjunction “and.”

  farthing. Shortened form of “fourthing;” i.e., one-fourth of a penny, so named because the state of the medieval English economy was such that people needed smaller coins than a penny to make change for goods purchased.

  Feast of Saint John the Baptist, the. Liturgical feast celebrated June 24 in honor of the birth of Saint John the Baptist, kinsman of Jesus, who “leaped for joy” in his mother’s womb when the pregnant Mary visited her (Luke 1:44).

  Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, the. Liturgical feast in honor of the martyrdom in Rome of the apostles Peter and Paul, which is observed June 29, of ancient origin and of major importance on the present-day Roman Catholic calendar.

  Feast of the First Roman Martyrs, the. Liturgical feast in honor of the first Christians to be martyred in the city of Rome during Nero’s persecution in A.D. 64, observed June 30.

  feverwort. A medicinal herb so named for its effect in reducing fevers.

  fitz (Norman French). The patronymic title meaning “son of,” used only by the firstborn male heir. Origin: Latin filius (“son”). Linguistically related to the –vich patronymic suffix used in Russian male names and words like Tsarevich (“Tsar’s son”).

  fong, fongin(g), fonger(s). Slang terms referring to the act of fornication or its participants; i.e., the medieval “f-word.”

  fyrd (FEERD; Saxon). A company of men-at-arms under control of the local thane. The fyrd described for defending Edgarburh in Snow in July represents the core soldiers that would remain in service during times of relative peace. When the thane was commanded by the king to supply troops for military action, the thane’s villagers and peasants would be conscripted into temporary service to make up the difference in the number required by the king.

  Glastonbury, Somerset, England.

  The market town; current population 9,000.

  The region encompassing the town, abbey, and Glastonbury Tor and its surrounding marshlands.

  Glastonbury Abbey. Christian monastic site dating from at least the 7th century A.D., though legend claims its founder to be the 1st-century merchant Joseph of Arimathea.

  Glastonbury thorn, the. Tree reputed to have grown when Joseph of Arimathea struck his staff into the ground to indicate his chosen site for the establishment of the first Christian church in Britain. This legend is borne out in the fact that this species is a Middle Eastern hawthorn that grows naturally nowhere else in Europe, and it displays “miraculous” (but infertile) blooms annually on Christmas Day, which no other hawthorn species exhibits. Hawthorn is known to have a beneficial effect on the heart and circulatory system, but its supernatural healing abilities described in Snow in July are entirely of my invention.

  Glastonbury Tor; also, the Tor. Name of the conical hill surrounded by swampland near Glastonbury’s town and abbey. Origin: Scottish Gaelic tor (“conical hill”).

  Hastings. Coastal town in East Sussex (historically, Sussex) on the southern coast of England, 53 miles southeast of London; current population 89,000.

  hauberk. Sleeved shirt of chain mail reaching to midthigh.

  hellebore. A flowering, ground-hugging plant favored by beekeepers for honey production.

  High Street. Part of the geography of medieval Winchester, according to a map in the collection of the library on the main campus of Auburn University, Alabama.

  Hilde. Kendra’s mare.

  hollyhock. A tall, flowering plant favored by beekeepers for honey production.

  hyssop. A plant with bluish flowers favored by beekeepers for honey production.

  ici (ee-SEE; French). Word meaning “here,” sometimes used with the command viens ici (literally, “come you here,” informal form; formal form is vienez ici).

  Ilchester. A village in southeastern Somerset, England dating to the Roman occupation and known as Lindinis during that era. In the Domesday Book of the late 11th century it was called Sock Dennis; current population 2,000.

  je m’appelle (jhe mah-PELL-eh; French). Phrase used colloquially to say, “my name is.” Literally, it means “I call myself.”

  jerkin. Leather battle tunic that could be made of varying styles, features, and quality, depending upon the customer’s wealth.

  Jerusalem. Ancient Middle Eastern city controlled by the Ar
abic Fatmid Caliphate at the time of the Norman conquest of England, 30 years before the start of the First Crusade.

  lady’s mantle. A medicinal herb favored for treatment of female health issues.

  lavender. A medicinal and aromatic strewing herb.

  lemon balm. A flowering plant favored by beekeepers for honey production.

  linden. A medicinal herb.

  London. King William’s base of operations, and the most important city in England dating to before the era of the Roman occupation.

  London’s West Minster. Westminster Cathedral.

  lungwort. A medicinal herb favored for treatment of upper respiratory health issues.

  ma chere (mah SHARE-eh; French). Phrase meaning “my dear” as spoken to a female person or animal. If addressing a male, it becomes mon cher.

  ma demoiselle (“aged” French). Phrase meaning “my lady,” based upon present-day French mademoiselle (“miss;” i.e., a polite form of address for a girl or unmarried woman).

  mais (MAY; French). The conjunction “but.”

  mark.

  Slang term for a coin of large denomination, usually gold.

  Slang term for “target.”

  matins. First of eight Christian canonical hours of the day. Properly occurring at midnight, the prayer service is sometimes combined with lauds, which is held at dawn. Origin: Latin matutinus (“of the morning”).

  meadow saffron. An herb that attracts bees for honey production but also can be distilled into a lethal poison.

  merde (MAIRD; French). Slang term for excrement.

  Minster, the. Colloquial term for a cathedral church. Derived from Old English mynster, which probably evolved from Church Latin monasterium (“monastery”), implying that the term originally applied to any church connected to a monastic settlement.

  mint. An herb used for aromatic, culinary, and medicinal purposes.

  moi (MWAH; French). “Me.”

  mon ami (pl. mes amis; French). “My (male) friend(s).” When pronouncing amis, the s is silent unless it occurs before a word beginning with a vowel.