Thursday 14 November 2013

A Battle, a Poem and an Island in the Marshes


The Battle of Maldon: Ealdorman Byrhtnoth




Autumn and winter on the Essex coast....this is my favourite time of year to come here. There can be a special atmosphere then; big skies with a low sun, calling winter geese, dozens of waders squabbling along the shoreline. And as the little creeks feel so remote and unchanged, there's a sense of history here, too.  It's easy to imagine old sailing boats and smugglers...

And battles. When I came here a few days ago with an old friend of mine, we visited Northey Island, site of the Battle of Maldon. The battle took place in August 991 between the defending Saxons and the invading Vikings.  The battle is known about today because it was written about in a poem not long afterwards - and most of this poem still survives.

We reached Northey Island by walking from the town of Maldon along a footpath.  It was a lovely, sunny day and surprisingly Maldon wasn't that busy. Often, when the sun comes out, the quay can become a bit crowded, but on this day there were just a few people wandering around looking at the Thames Barges...






It was no surprise, though, that we were the only ones taking the footpath away from the town, because it was all mud. I think everyone else had more sense! But it doesn't take long to reach Northey Island, which is owned by the National Trust. It's quite small and it appears that the only residents are the wardens and different birds...










The island can be reached by boat or across a causeway at low tide. And it was on this causeway that the battle was supposed to take place.

The Battle of Maldon

So what happened? The Vikings had arrived from across the North Sea and made camp on the island.
The Saxons, alerted to this new danger, left their settlements...



And flocked to their leader, Ealdorman Byrhtnoth (he's the statue, above). Byrhtnoth was supposed to be taller than average and an old warrior (perhaps in his sixties).  He probably faced Sweyn Forkbeard, son of Harald Bluetooth (such fabulous names) as leader of the Vikings.

The Vikings demanded tribute, but Byrhtnoth was having none of this, and defied them. Then the rising tide intervenes. When it eventually recedes, the Saxons had blocked the causeway...

Causeway onto Northey Island




So the Vikings (using guile, according to the poem) negotiate to come across for a real battle. Byrhtnoth's fatal mistake is that he agrees to this, and he is then killed during the fighting. Some of his army flees, but several thegns, loyal to their lord, make a courageous last stand around his body.

The Saxon warriors' defeat is regarded as glorious. The Vikings are deceivers; Byrhtnoth's thegns are heroes. And a story was born, to be told in the mead halls...

I've been thinking about this poem over the past few days. When I attended the Remembrance Service at our village war memorial on Sunday, the war poems that came to mind were those of the Great War poets, who wrote that war isn't glorious at all.  I imagine that no one writes death or glory poems about current conflicts, do they? We think of war in a different way today.

Sorry that these reflections are all a bit heavy, but this time of year, around Remembrance Sunday and 11th November makes you think, doesn't it?

Anyway - here is more of Northey Island and nearby coast in autumn, 2013; a very peaceful place once more...








And worth a visit, to hear the echoes of the past.

38 comments:

  1. A wonderful post and I loved the story about Byrhtnoth (what a cool name) and the Vikings :-) I also share your enthusiasm for winter marshes for all the reasons you describe :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks David. Although he died on the losing side, Byrhtnoth has become a bit of a local hero. I've counted two statues to him in Maldon - the other one is on the side of the church. The one on the quay is very recent.
      I love the atmosphere of the marshes on an autumn/winter afternoon as the sun is going down and there are flocks of birds flying in.

      Delete
  2. It does look peaceful, and a wonderful place to go. I always get a sense of being very small standing in a place where great events happened so very long ago.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Jessica. I agree - it's easy to feel very ordinary in a place where great events happened. Northey Island is special because it seems so unchanged, it's easy to imagine the 10th century in the 21st.

      Delete
  3. Beautiful photos, I can see it is indeed well worth a visit. A lovely post.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks CJ. It's a great place for anyone with a vivid imagination (like me!!)

      Delete
  4. Lovely scenic images Wendy.
    See:
    http://www.warpoetry.co.uk/Afghanistan_War_Poetry.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Roy. I'm grateful for the link and am off to explore this now.

      Delete
  5. Lovely pictures of home! I have been racing on the Smacks (last two pictures) many times and they are such good fun. The oldest one is claimed to be about two hundred years old, however with all the repairs and refits I think it is only the table that is original! The Battle of Maldon is the oldest recorded piece of English literature which also makes is very special. From an arial view at low tide, one can see lots more of the old viking settlements and also how much the sea has taken over the land since those days. I find it all very fascinating, thank you for the tour xxxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Fran. Yes - this is your neck of the woods! And you know more about here than I do - a lovely part of the world. I'm grateful for the info on the Smacks as I don't know very much about boats. I didn't know about the arial photos, they sound fascinating and I'll be keen to look these up.

      Delete
  6. what a lovely place and beautiful photos - I love that vikings name but it doesn't exactly roll off the tongue does it - ha!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Elaine. All the warriors seem to have these wonderful names but I've no idea how to properly pronounce Byrhtnoth. It's a good job I'm writing about the battle and not speaking about it!

      Delete
  7. I loved this post Wendy. I studied that poem at uni and it is fabulous. Like Beowulf, a celebration of heroes and warriors. I also loved your photographs. I wonder whether it's modern weapons that have changed our view of war? The weapons of centuries ago involved skill and strength (I'm thinking long bowman training from the age of 10) whereas modern weapons are more about pulling a trigger or pushing a button.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks CT. How wonderful to have studied the poem at uni. I did a bit of the Anglo Saxon chronicle, but I wish we'd done more A/S literature.
      I like your theory about the way battles are fought and war poetry. The Victorians were still writing about glorious battles (I guess Tennyson is an example here) but in the 20th century the mood changed - and this did coincide with the development of modern warfare and weapons.

      Delete
  8. A beautifully reflective post and the history is so interesting. The photos are lovely and you've certainly made me want to visit - the place looks so atmospheric :) Thanks so much for sharing - I'll show my son later as loves history.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Caroline. For a tiny island, Northey does have a fantastic history. Maldon is also worth a visit and of course the Thames Barges are fabulous. I've sailed on one - a real treat.
      And the waders and other birds a worth a look, too!

      Delete
  9. A really great bit of history there and your photos are lovely too! My best friend from uni comes from Maldon but I have never been. Maybe I shall ask her to show me around some time! I too find this time of year a reflective one x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Lou. Well, I imagine that it wouldn't take you too long to get to Maldon, so hope you do get to visit one day.
      I think, as well as Armistace Day, there is a real sense of changing seasons at the moment, too, which certainly makes me pause to reflect on things.

      Delete
  10. What a fascinatng post! I love the stories about the ancient tribes and their leaders. Northey Island looks a great place to visit. Your photos are wonderful especially the one of the Thames barges:)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Rosie. I love those stories too; everything from real-life histories to Viking Sagas. I like to imagine them being told, too - by bards and poets in the great halls!
      I love to see the Thames Barges. Hopefully I'll have another trip on one again.

      Delete
  11. Wendy I have enjoyed this post-such beautiful images and the Thames Barges are incredible.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Suzie. I noticed on my visit that a cafe is now open on the deck of one of the Thames Barges. People were sitting in the sun by the quay there. So I think I'll have to give that a try!

      Delete
  12. That is a fantastic tale, I love finding out the history of places where we visit. Stunning scenery too, glad you had a good day, they are very precious at this time of year.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Pauline. I love discovering the history of places, too. It's very important to me. And there seems to be plenty of history here; Maldon is quite an old town.
      We were very lucky with the weather - being the East Coast, the wind can often be very cold.

      Delete
  13. I LOVED this, as you say what fabulous names! Forkbeard and bluetooth....marvelous. I could almost hear the geese calling as they fly overhead at this time of the year. I will have to go and look up that poem now. Some fab pics here too, I think I would have headed away from town and braved the mud to see some of those birds.
    I totally agree with you about war, I doubt there is a soldier who found his death to be glorious ...I do feel sorry for the men who have been forced to fight in all these wars....sighs...xxxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Dina. Those colourful names certainly have their own stories behind them, don't they?!
      Light is such a feature here on the coast because of the big skies, and with a low sun, the water and the birds flocking in for winter - it really creates a special atmosphere -wonderful .It is worth braving the mud for!
      We really face the horrors of war now, but these poems wanted to give a different message altogether such as honour and glory - so completely different.

      Delete
  14. Beautiful photos and thought provoking words. I want to be happily distracted by the wonderful barges and estuary views, but I find myself wondering whether in point of fact the warriors of the viking/saxon conflicts would have loads in common with the men we send out to fight on our behalf nowadays. I'm sure not all of the vikings or saxons necessarily believed in the causes they were fighting for, and I know that today's soldiers (mostly) have a sense of honour and brotherhood that would be recognised as such by their forbears, despite the drastically different scale of the violence and conflicts we indulge in today.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Janet. I agree, I'm sure many of the men then were just following the ambitions of their leaders - like today. And like today, acts of courage would have come from a sense of brotherhood. So they aren't so very different after all. The poetry and other changes in the world since just make it all seem so distant.

      Delete
  15. I grew up close to the Sutton Hoo Anglo Saxon burial site. Many of the artifacts are military in nature although not all. A lyre in the grave speaks of songs sung in great halls recounting great battles. Just like Northey Island one can feel a sense of stepping back in time. I think you are correct about the changing of the seasons making us all feel a little melancholy. No wonder our pagan ancestors had some jolly celebrations of light and fire to cheer everyone up.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Susan. I stayed in the area of Suffolk where you grew up last year for a family wedding, and loved it there. I hadn't been there for a long time and had forgotten how lovely it is. And I was completely fascinated by everything when I visited the Sutton Hoo site.
      I agree that all those mead hall celebrations must have been to make winter a bit more bearable!

      Delete
  16. A really delightful post Wendy and made me realise how much I'd like to come back to the Essex coast after our summer visit.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Em. I would like to visit the coast more often and I really don't have any excuse - it's only a few miles away. I'm hoping to make some time this winter for walking and birdwatching, but it's so easy to become busy with things at home.

      Delete
  17. This is a really lovely post and I've got itchy feet to make a visit to the Maldon area now!!
    You are right our poems (even language) about war has changed remarkably. It is something I'm going to have to think about. I love the Anglo-Saxon poets. It strikes me that we also write very differently about the landscape too - perhaps not surprisingly - we tend to be more lyrical whereas they tended to see nature as dark and something with which to do battle (which, in order to survive, I suppose, they did).
    Richard

    ReplyDelete
  18. Thanks Richard. I love the Anglo-Saxon poets and poetry too - especially Beowulf (another poem about warriors of course). It is fascinating to think about our different attitudes to the landscape. I suppose we feel we've tamed our landscape and it rarely holds any surprises or challenges for us, but as you say, nature would constantly present a challenge for the Anglo Saxons for all sorts of reasons.

    ReplyDelete
  19. What a fascinating post, with a great story - and very apt indeed. I don't know that part of the country at all, so it's always good to get new ideas of places to visit - thanks for the inspiration.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Helen. Maldon is worth a visit if you're over this side of the country. There is plenty of history and wildlife, and the Thames Barges are amazing. Plenty of people sail around here and that must be a fascinating way of seeing the area.

      Delete
  20. Wendy, thank you for you comment today. I didn't realize I had missed this post. I love the coastal scenery and you took some great photos of the birds. I love visiting the coast in the fall for the same reasons you do. The low sun illuminates the beach differently and everyone assumes it is cold so very few people are there visiting. If I ever visit England, I think I would really enjoy the rich history. I hope you have a wonderful evening.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Stacy. I think it is the quality of the light that makes the coast such a special place at this time of year. And I agree about people not visiting then - in summer the coasts are so busy but in autumn/winter there is this lovely quietness with only natural sounds.
      Hope you get to visit England one day!

      Delete

Thank you for taking the time to leave any comments. I do love to read them.