The assorted finds of Artefact Publishing
Byrhtnōþ responds to the vikings’ demand for tribute in The Battle of Maldon:
Byrhtnōþ maðelode, bord hafenode,
wand wācne æsc, wordum mǣlde
ierre and ān-rǣd, aġeaf him andsware:
“Ġehīerst þū, sǣ-lida, hwæt þis folc sæġeþ?
Hīe willaþ ēow tō gafole gāras sellan,
ǣtrenne ord and ealde sweord,
þā here-ġeatwe þe ēow æt hilde ne dēag.
Brim-manna boda, abēod eft onġēan,
sæġe þīnum lēodum micle lāðre spell,
þæt hēr stent unforcūþ eorl mid his weorode,
þe wile ealgian ēðel þisne,
Æðelrēdes eard ealdres mīnes,
folc and foldan. Feallan sculon
hǣðne æt hilde. Tō hēanliċ mē þynċeþ
þæt ġē mid ūrum sceattum tō scipe gangan;
unbefeohtne, nū ġē þus feorr hider
on ūrne eard inn becōmon.
Ne scule ġē swā sōfte sinċ ġegangan;
ūs sceal ord and ecg ǣr ġesēman,
grimm gūþ-plega, ǣr wē gafol sellen.”
(Note that this text differs in orthography from the full text cited. The text above is that in Pope and Fulk, Eight Old English poems.)
Posted by jamie on September 12, 2003 19:20+12:00