this is us saes tofe
these grene men saes the gleoman at first they was a small thing but now there is mor of them and great men of angland is specan as they spec. there is two anglisc eorls only left in this land they is edwin and morcar of northanhymbre and mierce and these eorls they is specan in stillness now of raisan a fyrd agan the ingenga
a fyrd saes tofe a triewe anglisc fyrd again
what men has they saes grimcell all their folcs was cwelled by hardrada
they has scots men it is saed saes the gleoman for malcolm he thincs that the bastard will not stop at angland and they may haf denes cuman in scips for sweyn cyng of the north folcs locs also at angland with ire and fear. and many anglisc now wolde feoht with them there is men in holts all ofer angland waitan for a call to rise agan the frenc
there is sum stillness again then only the sound of men drencan
a great fyrd saes tofe a great fyrd again i wolde die for this i wolde die
tofe cilde saes aelfgar tell us why was thu not in the fyrd that gan to sanlac or to eorfic the fyrd what harald cyng called
they wolde not tac me saes tofe they was saen i was only a cilde though many in my ham gan what was not so micel ealdor
and thu buccmaster and thu grimcell saes aelfgar
i gan saes grimcell i gan in the first fyrd i gan north but harald he gan so fast that we did not get to eorfic before he had cwelled all the denes and we cum baec
and thu saes aelfgar to me thu and thy great sweord
well i was wantan to go i saes i was cene sore cene to go and to tac on the frenc but it was saed by our gerefa that i was a great man of the ham and was needed there for the wapentac for i was a socman with three oxgangs. but i sent my sons my two sons strong men they was and they gan to feoht for their cyng harald with my luf and they nefer cum baec and there is not a daeg i does not thinc i sceolde haf gan with them and fought for angland no not a daeg
ah saes gamel if mor men had cum if the cyng had waited longer in lundun for mor men to cum from all ofer angland we colde haf tacan a fyrd bigger than any efer in angland and cwelled efry frenc man on that dun but the cyng he wolde run on fyr he was after tacan down hardrada it was saed he was thincan he was a god
it is gan now saes aelfgar it is gan gamel
we walced lic we wolde nefer stop saes gamel we walced lic hors all daeg and micel of the night. harald he had cum upon the landwaster when his men was slepan and he wolde do the same to the bastard but the bastard was ready he had men on hors locan all ofer and he seen harald and it was the anglisc who was tacan when not locan
harald saes tofe harald tacan that way
we cum on the bastard in the wrong place saes gamel there was a dun we seen it was the only dun near and we moste get to the top of it for the cyng wolde feoht with his huscarls and a dun was good for this so we gan to this dun what was named sanlac. on the top of this hyll was a small aeppel treow all alone it was and the cyng put his flag by this treow and we gathrd we macd a line but it was too lytel
the treow
the dun it was too lytel all men colde not hardly stand on it we was so near we colde not mof it was wrong from the start we colde feel it was wrong
but thu colde haf tacan them saes tofe thu saed it
we colde haf we colde haf but we did not and on the dun they cept cuman and hard it was to cepe the line men was cwelled in the line and colde not efen fall to the ground so near was we all to eacc other dead men was standan
that is a hard thing saes grimcell
ah it is all a fuccan hard thing ses gamel all of it loc here we is sittan in the fuccan holt lic hunds all of angland is a blaec land now. so we has cwelled sum small frenc folcs in these past wices but the frenc will not efen see this we is fuccan gan we is gan from the eorth
this is not triewe i saes not triewe and we will not spec lic this here
o will we not saes gamel is this triewe buccmaster and who will sae how i will spec
thu will not sae these things i saes not here these is cildes words
thu will not stop me from specan any way i wolde spec saes gamel and there is fyr in him and i seen i will need to put it out
the frenc saes the gleoman cuman in to cwell the fyr the frenc they sees it well
how saes tofe
the frenc all ofer cnaws of grene men and is afeart saes the gleoman it is saed the bastard himself cnawan of the risans agan him and in these parts word is with the frenc of grene men in the brunnesweald
word of us saes tofe the frenc fears us they fears us
thu and others saes the gleoman
others i saes what others
there is other grene men in these parts saes the gleoman efen in this holt
there is hereweard of course saes aelfgar
we has not hierde micel of this fuccan hereweard for a time i saes not for sum time while we has been cwellan frenc what has he been doan this fuccan god
gathran men saes the gleoman he has near fiftig now they saes
all of them hunds and wihts i saes
has thu seen him saes aelfgar to the gleoman
no saes the gleoman and he is locan at me all this time no i has not seen him but he is near
i is walcan through a beorg a grene beorg all light and grene sceadu walcan walcan though it seems not mofan yet sean sum thing cum nearer slow slow. what is this it stands on two scancs lic a man but is horned horned on its heafod grene light behind it i can not see it mofs it cums to me i can not see
all in this place is small things flittan flittan lic the bats through the cuman dusc steppan it seems steppan in hwit and grene small and thynne around this man who is cuman still to me grene and leafd horned and tall reaccan out to me specan now specan in the beorg of light specan my nama and all that i has seen and been is in this grene now and this light is all i is all i is i is i is
as winter cum to spring as the holt gan from blaec to grene as the treows breathed again the buds cum up the ground sighed the fugols cum and sang as lif cum baec to the land lif was in me for i seen now where my wyrd wolde tac me. i seen now that i had been gifen deorc daegs deorc times lic the cyngs of old lic the gods them selfs lic great weland lic my grandfather and this thing i had cum through and strong now i was strong and ready for all the ingenga colde gif me
it was the gleoman had telt us about the castel at stan ford though we hierde it also later from other folcs in ham and holt. it was saed that the frenc was macan a castel in a ham to the south at the stan ford tun where they wolde put cnihts to loc down on the folc of the fenns and of the brunnesweald. tofe saed they done this for us for they cnawan of our feohtan and of our worc and our strength
well we talcd of this and of what sceolde be done and it was not long before we cum to spec of tacan it. all of us i sceolde sae cum to spec of this at once there was no man thincan other and this time now that i locs baec i sees that this time was when we was a werod triewe and no time wolde there be again lic this. for we had cwelled frenc men and now they was macan castles near to the brunnesweald and it was lic they had wafd a sweord at us and saed anglic folc anglisc men of the holt what will thu do
so we gan out and we gan south to find stan ford and to see this castel and what we colde do. the six of us gan and the gleoman saed he wolde cum for he had folcs to see on the straet and he colde tac us to earninga straet what wolde lead us to the tun. earninga straet was one of the eald roads macd in the times efen before the wealsc cum to angland. in many places it locd lic any other straet macd by men that is to say of eorth sincan in the regn and ricgd in the sunne but there was other places where it colde be seen what was under it and the straet was flat stan with stan dices for water to run in to and the straet was wide and long and straight tearan through the wuds ofer hangd with treows lic it was macd for ents to walc down in times before men
on a great straet lic this thu wolde pass many folcs for it gan down they saed right to lundun and up also to northern places. this was the straet what harald cyng toc to
go north and cwell hardrada and it was the straet now what the bastard and his men toc to sec out anglisc who stood agan them and gif them blud. in the winter the bastard it was saed had cum baec from his frenc lands and toc angland again in his hands and he had seen that his biscop brothor odo had fuccd and cwelled the lands so bad that many mor anglisc was risan agan the frenc and if the bastard will gif any thing to a biscop i saes this is what he will get
but we cum on many folcs as we gan down this straet the six of us we seen hors and we seen wagns we seen folcs on foot alone and in gangs we seen ox and hunds and sum times efen we seen frenc. when we seen frenc on the straet always on hors of course sum was afeart though not i. naht was done for in triewth none colde tell us from ham folcs or tincers or beorners and since frenc did not cnaw for sure what was done in these parts then grene men colde smile and waef at them as they gan by and they wolde not cnaw we was thincan of coccan their beallucs ofer the fyr
in the holt time mofs in ways not lic those in the hams but still it colde be seen that the world was teornan to the light for the treows was buddan grene and the blosms was cuman up on the ground. we gan down the straet for it colde be three or four daegs and we gan by hams in this time what was doan all the things of the month of thrimilci when the cow is milcd three times in a daeg. we seen dices bean dug and madder and flax bean sown and harrowan bean done and all of this macd me thinc again of my land and efry time a spere gan in to my heorte
sum there is who mofs and sum who stays it now seems to me and i was one who stayed. i had my land i cnawan my ham and my folcs i was a great man there i had growan from that eorth lic a treow and then lic a treow i was tacan up by the roots and cast on hard ground. sum there is who wolde be cast all ofer sum who mofs lic the gleoman from place to place sum lic my dunstan who dremed of ingenga lands sum lic beorners or out laws who macs mofan their place but i was not one for i had seen what mofan was and mofan is sorness mofan is fear. stayan is right stayan where the gods has put thu if all folcs wolde stay then all things wolde be in their right place i telt this to my father
it was the third daeg of walcan down this straet and we was nearan stan ford. efry night we slept in the holt sum way from the straet and on this mergen when we woc the gleoman saes he wolde tac us to a ham what was near. we was needan foda and sum other small things and he telt us he cnawan of a ham what wolde gif wel cum to grene men for this ham was agan the bastard and all the frenc
can thu feel in the heofon what has cum this daeg saes the gleoman as we gan through the grenan holt
in the heofon i saes
it is litha he saes it is the first daeg of litha
litha saes the men litha this is good
will there be maedens in grene saes aelfgar in this ham
maedens with blosms saes gamel
maedens saes tofe
all ofer angland all ofer this world the cuman of litha is a thing to be sang for and sang to. this grene daeg is the byrth of the sumor and the beginnan of all the wundors that erce brings to folcs when the frost is gan when the daegs is bright when the ground is breathan and in its breath is the warmth of what is new
in our ham on the first daeg of litha there wolde be micel singan steppan drencan and lufan in the holts and the felds and for me this was both a swete thing and a deorc one. my grandfather had telt me about the eald ways of biddan the sumor wel cum in the times of the eald gods and the first folcs and sean what folcs done now i colde see micel of this still. i colde see the feccan of the grene in to the ham and the macan of the pal from a great treow what wolde be brought to the ham and folcs wolde sing by this. all of this had cum from the words of the eald gods from the luf of treow and holt what our eald folcs had but now it was a game only and a game what was locd ofer by the preost who wolde bring his bocc and bury the eald grene ways with the ingenga words of the crist
still it was litha and litha is grene and warm and for us men what had been in deorc wuds wet and cold and with deorc heortes for this long winter it was a thing to feel good for. we gan with the gleoman to where he toc us and we gan slow for we had been so long in the holt and was so wary of frenc and of anglisc who seen us as hunds or things to be feart that we did not thinc this ham wolde be as blithe to haf us cum as this gleoman had saed. but this time this last time the gleoman telt a truth for what we had when we cum to this ham is sum thing i will haf with me always
we had gan away from the straet and down a path in to the holt. here the holt was light for it was worcd wud and swine wud so there was sum great acs and aesc treows but many mor small thynne haesels and lyms what was cut and growan again lic lines up to the heofon. many wyrmfleages was flutteran around and fugols was singan high and the sunne was cuman through the grene treows whose leafs was yonge and light there was sound all around and the holt smelt clene lic the lif of this land in the times before men. all of us was walcan lic it was a new year lic we was cum again in to this world
we cum to the ham after an hour on this traec it was a small place in a lea in the holt. eight or nine thaccd hus satt around a place where there was a cross of wud for the crist and his folc had been here efen here to the deops of this eald holt. there was small places cut in to the ground where holt had been and many swine mofan about free. hunds was sittan in the sunne and folcs was doan as folcs does. near to the ham there was an ea it colde be hierde runnan through the treows and wifmen was down there talcan as they talcs ofer and ofer. all of this smelt of smoc and the cuman grene
when the folcs here seen us cuman it was not lic in sum other hams where they gan still or mofd away no here they cum to us in blitheness. sean the gleoman then locan at us all blaec with aesc and the stenc of the holt and they seen what we was and was smercan at us when they cum. a gang of maedens cum mor lic yonge wifmen than maedens they was of beuty and good sceap and carryan leafs carryan the grene they cum to us and withigs they put around all of our throtas from the gleoman to tofe and i and efen to dumb wluncus withigs of grene of the leafs of the holt of litha
grene withigs for grene men they saes for sumor is in angland and angland will be again in sumor
these maedens is laughan and smercan at us and my men is laughan and smercan at them on account of hafan been lifan in the holt far from wifmen for too long they is weac they has not the strength what cums from the heorte. then we sees through them cuman a man not too old not too yonge but who seems strong. it is clere he is the gerefa here and that he is triewe not lic most
who is leaden these men he saes
i is buccmaster of holland i saes these is my men what of it
well buccmaster of holland he saes i is wulfhere who is called wulf i is gerefa of this ham and thu is bid wel cum here as men of angland as free men. this is a ham of free folcs we has not had sight of frenc yet for we is small and apart and we is still and this is how we will cepe it. but all here lufs freodom and stands agan the ingenga and we is blithe now that thu has cum to us for thu is the men who will mac us free again. now cum eat drenc plege with us for it is the first daeg of litha and lif is cum again to the land
i locs on this daeg now in the small ham in the brunnesweald as the last daeg that was good in all of my lif. it was the last daeg also when our men was free it was the last daeg that we was yonge lic cildren in the grene land before we was tacan to another place before what i was and what i was to do was gifen to me clere. long it was now since i had gan down to the treows under the mere but it was only now that their triewth cum to me in the light of the new time
it was a daeg of wundor and all folcs around us it seemed was triewe for these was the last good folcs in angland. if all folcs in all hams had been lic this there wolde haf been no frenc we wolde haf been full again but this is not the world it is not the world of men
in this small world though in this holt on that daeg all was good. the yonge wifmen we had seen gan off in to the holt gathran the grene and bringan it baec to the ham. yonge men wolde mac to go with them but they wolde scuf them away lic in plege a
nd they wolde go gathran while the yonge men sat in the ham. then they wolde cum baec from the holt and bring with them all the leafs and blosms of the grene world and they wolde mac a great game of gifen them around
they wolde walc these yonge wifmen up and around the yonge men and loc at them all the time smercan and specan low lic they was locan ofer them deop. sum of these yonge men was smercan also and laughan but sum was almost locan afeart. then these girls they wolde gif the grene to efry yonge man and what they gifen wolde haf meanan that wolde be the ordeal of holt and ham upon them
to one man they wolde gif a nettle and this wolde mean he was a stunt and other men wolde laugh and laugh at this and he wolde loc ired. to another yonge man then they wolde gif the blosm of the blaec thorn and this wolde lead to much smercan and whistlan for this man was faford by the girl who had gifen it. another yonge man wolde be gifen the rowan for freondscip and then another the alor for his loose tunge. all yonge men in the ham was gifen sum grene thing to marc his place there while the ealdor men and wifmen locd on laughan
well we was standan locan on at this when one yonge wifman who was not of great beuty but seemed good and triewe she cum up to us and smercan she gaf to tofe a stocc of the blaec thorn what is also cnawan as sloe. sean this sum yonge men of the ham whistled and smercd though others locd sore. amongst my men there was micel smercan then and gamel hit tofe on the baec and saed it is time cilde for thu to becum a man now and tofe gan red lic the haw thorn in blotmonth
after this the yonge wifmen gan ofer to a waegn what was by the cross of wud and this they began to bury in grene leafs and in blosms. the yonge men gan off to the holt together and we gan with the gerefa and sat in the ham on bences where his wifman gaf us ealu and hunig cicels and we was eatan and drencan in the sunne and all the world then only for that small time was in stillness and beuty and efen in my heorte all was still
The Wake: Man Booker Prize 2014 Longlist Edition Page 17