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Articles

PENDA

Sunday, February 5th, 2012

by Kathleen Herbert

Penda was the last great English King who followed the religion of his and our ancestors. He was the first King who raised the Mercians to supreme power in England. Therefore he links the world of his ancestor, Offa of Angeln – a hero who ranks in Germanic tradition with Sigemund or Beowulf – with the world of his collateral descendant, Offa ‘rex totius Anglorum patriae’ (king of the whole fatherland of the English) – the only western king whom Charlemagne addressed as ‘brother.’ (more…)

Articles, People

AT ETHANDUN

Friday, December 9th, 2011

At Ethandun AElfred and Guthrum
with spear and shield sharp war-hedge
faced each other to fight for Wessex
messengers spoke insults exchanged
for spear and swordplay steadied the Danes (more…)

Articles, poetry, poetry

THE ALCOHOLIC DRINKS OF THE ANGLO-SAXONS

Friday, March 18th, 2011

The four alcoholic drinks of the Anglo-Saxons were beor, ealu, medu and win. Today we have similar names for some alcoholic drinks, i.e. beer, ale, mead and wine, and it is commonly, and quite naturally, assumed that our modern drinks must be similar to those bearing similar names in Old English.

Anglo-Saxon Drinks, Articles

Why is Anglo-Saxon armour so rare?

Thursday, September 16th, 2010

In the broadest terms, armour can be defined as protective equipment which is worn on the person (i.e. excluding the shield). Shield bosses are a common finding in early Anglo-Saxon cemeteries but finding evidence of a helmet or byrnie is incredibly rare. (more…)

Articles, Militaria

Aspects of Anglo-Saxon Paganism

Wednesday, September 15th, 2010

There was an interesting article in Wiþowinde 147 from Eadmund (Malcolm) Dunstall bewailing the fact that incorrect information is often repeated and that on the periphery of Anglo Saxon studies there is one particular area where this ersatz information is particularly rife, and that is the area of Englisc Paganism. (more…)

Anglo-Saxon Paganism, Articles

Celtic, Viking and Anglo-Saxon Embroidery by Jan Messent

Wednesday, September 15th, 2010

This is a beautiful jewel of a book. For those of you familiar with Jan Messent’s work, you will be expecting creativity and imagination, but this, in my opinion, surpasses her other publications (more…)

Articles, Book Reviews

Anglo-Saxon Burial Mounds: Princely Burials in the 6th & 7th Centuries by Stephen Pollington

Wednesday, September 15th, 2010

Published: Anglo-Saxon Books, 2008. ISBN: 978 189828151 1, 263 pages, paperback, £14.95.

Our ancient burial mounds, of which the Sutton Hoo set are the most well-known, are a mysterious and intriguing feature of our landscape, whether they occur singly or in groups. Stephen Pollington has produced an excellent and detailed reference book about them. (more…)

Articles, Book Reviews

The Life and Times of Godwine Earl of Wessex by Hubert Grills

Wednesday, September 15th, 2010

Published: Anglo-Saxon Books, 2009. ISBN: 978 1898281528 256 pages, paperback, £19.95.

Godwine, one of the most famous Englishmen of the 11^th century, lived through the reigns of six kings – Æthelred the Unready, Edmund Ironside, Canute, Harold Harefoot, Harthacnut, and Edward the Confessor.

Articles, Book Reviews

The Last English King – the case for Edgar Æþeling

Wednesday, September 15th, 2010

Just who was the last King of Anglo-Saxon England? Was it Harold II, crowned at Westminster, dying a heroic death on the field of slaughter at Sandlake? Was it William the Bastard, who came to rule an Anglo-Saxon state, but left to his heirs a feudal Norman monarchy? Or is it Edgar Æþeling, sidelined by Harold, ignored by all until Harold’s defeat? (more…)

Articles, People

The Stepney Rood

Wednesday, September 15th, 2010

There are only two churches in the great metropolis of London which house Anglo-Saxon sculpture. All Hallows by the Tower is the most famous, yet here its stone sculptures are hidden away in its undercroft museum. At St Dunstan and All Saints in Stepney they proudly display their Anglo-Saxon Rood in the east end of the church. The original position of the rood in the Anglo-Saxon church is unknown as the church which survives today only dates from the 13th century. (more…)

Articles, Places