by Griff Hosker
Prince Pasgen-Youngest son of Urien
Raibeart-Lann’s brother
Riemmelth- Prince Pasgen’s daughter
Roman Bridge-Piercebridge (Durham)
Roman Soldiers- the mountains around Scafell Pike
Scillonia Insula-Scilly Isles
Solar-West facing room in a castle
Sucellos-God of love and time
Tatenhale-Tattenhall near Chester
The Narrows-The Menaii Straits
Tineus- River Tyne
Tomtun- Tamworth- the capital of Mercia
Treffynnon-Holywell (North Wales)
Tuanthal-Leader of Lann’s horse warriors
Uí Néill – the largest clan in Ireland in the Dark Ages
Vectis-Isle of Wight
Vindonnus-God of hunting
Wachanglen-Wakefield
Wæcelinga Stræt- Watling Street (A5)
wapentake- Muster of an army
Wide Water-Windermere
Wrecsam- Wrexham
Wyddfa-Snowdon
Wyrd-Fate
Y Fflint-Flint (North Wales)
Ynys Enlli-Bardsey Island
Yr Wyddgrug-Mold (North Wales)
Maps
Ireland in the Dark Ages
Ireland in the Sixth Century
Maps courtesy of Wikipedia
For those who like their maps embedded in the text I am still working on that. However my technical skills are basic and I devote more time to the writing than the formatting. When time allows I will make the books more interactive; please bear with me.
Historical note
I mainly used four books to research the material. The first was the excellent Michael Wood’s book “In Search of the Dark Ages” and the second was “The Middle Ages” Edited by Robert Fossier. The third was the Osprey Book- “Saxon, Viking and Norman” by Terence Wise. I also used Brian Sykes book, “Blood of the Isles” for reference. In addition I searched on line for more obscure information. All the place names are accurate, as far as I know, and I have researched the names of the characters to reflect the period. My apologies if I have made a mistake.
There is evidence that the Saxons withdrew from Rheged in the early years of the seventh century and never dominated that land again. It seems that warriors from Wales reclaimed that land. I have used Lord Lann as that instrument. King Edwin did usurp Aethelfrith. Edwin was allied to both Mercia and East Anglia.
There is a cave in North Yorkshire called Mother Shipton’s cave. It has a petrifying well within. Objects left there become covered, over time, with a stone exterior. In the seventeenth century a witch was reputed to live there. I created an earlier witch to allow the Roman sword to be discovered and to create a link with my earlier Roman series.
The Saxons and Britons all valued swords and cherished them. They were passed from father to son. The use of rings on the hilts of great swords was a common practice and showed the prowess of the warrior in battle. The Irish were known for having poor quality brittle blades.
I do not subscribe to Brian Sykes’ theory that the Saxons merely assimilated into the existing people. One only has to look at the place names and listen to the language of the north and north western part of England. You can still hear anomalies. Perhaps that is because I come from the north but all of my reading leads me to believe that the Anglo-Saxons were intent upon conquest. The Norse invaders were different and they did assimilate but the Saxons were fighting for their lives and it did not pay to be kind. The people of Rheged were the last survivors of Roman Britain and I have given them all of the characteristics they would have had. They were educated and ingenious. The Dark Ages was the time when much knowledge was lost and would not reappear until Constantinople fell. This period was also the time when the old ways changed and Britain became Christian but I have not used this as a source of conflict but rather growth.
King Cadfan was succeeded by his son when he was still alive and he retired to a quiet life. I have used this battle with the Mercians as the reason for that retirement. It was also about this time that Aethelfrith was killed in battle. His sons, Oswiu and Oswald became famous and outshone their father and Edwin. At the time of my story they were in Ireland. Their assassination of Lann and the theft of Saxon Slayer are pure fiction. As both of them were canonised after their deaths their people thought highly of them. I am writing from the viewpoint of their enemy. One man’s freedom fighter is another man’s terrorist. They were hard times. They did have a brother called Eanfrith. He died without becoming king and is a shadowy character.
King Cadwallon became the last great British leader until modern times. Alfred ruled the Saxons but no one held such sway over the country from Scotland to Cornwall in the same way that King Cadwallon did. Of course I have him aided by Lord Lann the Warlord.
The practice of sacrifice was an old one in the pagan religions. There is evidence of it taking place even in the time of the Romans. The victim was usually a volunteer. It would not be a surprise for Lord Lann to know the identity of his killer but be willing to give his life for his country: Dulce et Decorum Est Pro Patria Mori!
Penda and the other kings, Cearl and Fiachnae mac Báetáin were real and contemporaries of each other. Fiachnae mac Báetáin is named as having been to Din Guardi. There is some confusion over the reigns of both Cearl and Penda. Some people think that they ruled jointly for a while. Certainly Penda was the last pagan king of Mercia and he did defeat Edwin as well. His reign saw the ascendancy of Mercia and the demise of Northumbria. The theories about his age are laughable. It is said that he gained the throne at 50 and ruled for 30 years before dying in battle! I have accepted the 30 years theory but not his age. I have him as younger, in his thirties when he meets Lord Lann so that he dies in battle in his sixties. As with all my books I have researched as much as I can but I am a writer of fiction. I have chosen the facts to suit my story.
I stole the idea of the multiple fires to fool the Northumbrians from Genghis Khan- always steal from the best! He used them when fighting a superior force of Mongols.
Saxon ships were relatively small; it was the Norse and their Drekar or Dragon ships that created ships capable of carrying larger numbers of warriors.
Caledfwlch is the original name of Excalibur. Excalibur was created by the French and Norman writers but the legend of Arthur and his sword in what is known as the Dark Ages is Welsh in origin.
The Warlord and King Cadwallon will return and they will meet the Saxons once more on the field of battle.
Griff Hosker August 2014
Ot Other books
By
Griff Hosker
If you enjoyed reading this book then why not read another one by the author?
Ancient History
The Sword of Cartimandua Series (Germania and Britannia 50A.D. – 128 A.D.)
Ulpius Felix- Roman Warrior (prequel)
Book 1 The Sword of Cartimandua
Book 2 The Horse Warriors
Book 3 Invasion Caledonia
Book 4 Roman Retreat
Book 5 Revolt of the Red Witch
Book 6 Druid’s Gold
Book 7 Trajan’s Hunters
Book 8 The Last Frontier
Book 9 Hero of Rome
Book 10 Roman Hawk
Book 11 Roman Treachery
Book 12 Roman Wall
The Aelfraed Series (Britain and Byzantium 1050 A.D. - 1085 A.D.
Book 1 Housecarl
Book 2 Outlaw
Book 3 Varangian
The Wolf Warrior series (Britain in the late 6th Century)
Book 1 Saxon Dawn
Book 2 Saxon Revenge
Book 3 Saxon England
Book 4 Saxon Blood
Book 5 Saxon Slayer
Book 6 Saxon Slaughter
Book 7 Saxon Bane
Book 8 Saxon Fall: Rise of the Warlord
The Dragon Heart Series
Book 1 Viking Slave
Book 2 Viking Warrior
>
Book 3 Viking Jarl
Book 4 Viking Kingdom
Book 5 Viking Wolf
Book 6 Viking War
Modern History
The Napoleonic Horseman Series
Book 1 Chasseurs à Cheval
Book 2 Napoleon’s Guard
Book 3 British Light Dragoon
Book 4 Soldier Spy
Book 5 1808: The Road to Corunna
Waterloo
The Lucky Jack American Civil War series
Rebel Raiders
Confederate Rangers
The Road to Gettysburg
The British Ace Series
1914
1915 Fokker Scourge
1916 Angels over the Somme
1917 Eagles Fall
1918 We will remember them
Other Books
Great Granny’s Ghost (Aimed at 9-14 year old young people)
Adventure at 63-Backpacking to Istanbul
For more information on all of the books then please visit the author’s web site at http://www.griffhosker.com where there is a link to contact him.