ABSTRACT
Scragg, D. G., The Return of the Vikings (Stroud, 2006)
Townend, M., Language and History in Viking Age England: Linguistic Relations between Speakers of Old Norse and Old English, Studies in the Early Middle Ages 6 (Turnhout, 2002)
[þy læs . . .] brocen wurde. Het þa hyssa hwæne hors forlætan, feor afysan, and forð gangan, hicgan to handum and to hige godum. 5 Þa þæt Offan mæg ærest onfunde, þæt se eorl nolde yrhðo geþolian, he let him þa of handon leofne fl eogan hafoc wið þæs holtes, and to þære hilde stop. Be þam man mihte oncnawan þæt se cniht nolde 10 wacian æt þam wige, þa he to wæpnum feng. Eac him wolde Eadric his ealdre gelæstan, frean to gefeohte, ongan þa forð beran gar to guþe. He hæfde god geþanc þa hwile þe he mid handum healdan mihte 15 bord and bradswurd, beot he gelæste þa he ætforan his frean feohtan sceolde. Ða þær Byrhtnoð ongan beornas trymian, rad and rædde, rincum tæhte hu hi sceoldon standan and þone stede healdan,
[lest . . .] should be broken. Then he ordered each lad to leave his horse, speed them off and march forwards, think on strong arms and good heart. 5 When Offa’s cousin fi rst discovered that the earl would not endure dishonour, he let then from his arms his precious hawk fl y towards the woodland, and advanced to the war. By that one might recognise that the boy would not 10 show weakness in battle when he took hold of weapons. Eadric, too, as he wished to please his chieftain, his lord, in fi ghting, did carry forth his spear to war. He kept a good resolve as long as he with his hands might hold 15 board and broadsword, this vow he fulfi lled when called upon to fi ght before his lord. Then Byrhtnoth there began to line up men, rode and reasoned, taught the ranks how they should stand and hold position,
20 and bæd þæt hyra randas rihte heoldon fæste mid folman, and ne forhtedon na. Þa he hæfde þæt folc fægere getrymmed, he lihte þa mid leodon þær him leofost wæs, þær he his heorðwerod holdost wiste.
