The Battle of Brunanburh

Sacred Texts Legends and Sagas WordGumbo: Old English Dictionaries [External Site] Index Previous Next The Battle of Brunanburh Verse Indeterminate Saxon - Her æþelstan cyning, eorla dryhten, beorna beahgifa, and his broþor eac, Eadmund æþeling, ealdorlangne tir geslogon æt sæcce sweorda ecgum - 5 - ymbe Brunanburh. Bordweal clufan, heowan heaþolinde hamora lafan, afaran Eadweardes, swa him geæþele wæs from cneomægum, þæt hi æt campe oft wiþ laþra gehwæne land ealgodon, - 10 - hord and hamas. Hettend crungun, Sceotta leoda and scipflotan fæge feollan, feld dænnede secga swate, siðþan sunne up on morgentid, mære tungol, - 15 - glad ofer grundas, godes condel beorht, eces drihtnes, oð sio æþele gesceaft sah to setle. þær læg secg mænig garum ageted, guma norþerna ofer scild scoten, swilce Scittisc eac, - 20 - werig, wiges sæd. Wesseaxe forð ondlongne dæg eorodcistum on last legdun laþum þeodum, heowan herefleman hindan þearle mecum mylenscearpan. Myrce ne wyrndon - 25 - heardes hondplegan hæleþa nanum þæra þe mid Anlafe ofer æra gebland on lides bosme land gesohtun, fæge to gefeohte. Fife lægun on þam campstede cyningas giunge, - 30 - sweordum aswefede, swilce seofene eac eorlas Anlafes, unrim heriges, flotan and Sceotta. þær geflemed wearð Norðmanna bregu, nede gebeded, to lides stefne litle weorode; - 35 - cread cnear on flot, cyning ut gewat on fealene flod, feorh generede. Swilce þær eac se froda mid fleame com on his cyþþe norð, Costontinus, har hilderinc, hreman ne þorfte - 40 - mæca gemanan; he wæs his mæga sceard, freonda gefylled on folcstede, beslagen æt sæcce, and his sunu forlet on wælstowe wundun forgrunden, giungne æt guðe. Gelpan ne þorfte - 45 - beorn blandenfeax bilgeslehtes, eald inwidda, ne Anlaf þy ma; mid heora herelafum hlehhan ne þorftun þæt heo beaduweorca beteran wurdun on campstede cumbolgehnastes, - 50 - garmittinge, gumena gemotes, wæpengewrixles, þæs hi on wælfelda wiþ Eadweardes afaran plegodan. Gewitan him þa Norþmen negledcnearrum, dreorig daraða laf, on Dinges mere - 55 - ofer deop wæter Difelin secan, eft Iraland, æwiscmode. Swilce þa gebroþer begen ætsamne, cyning and æþeling, cyþþe sohton, Wesseaxena land, wiges hremige. - 60 - Letan him behindan hræw bryttian saluwigpadan, þone sweartan hræfn, hyrnednebban, and þane hasewanpadan, earn æftan hwit, æses brucan, grædigne guðhafoc and þæt græge deor, - 65 - wulf on wealde. Ne wearð wæl mare on þis eiglande æfre gieta folces gefylled beforan þissum sweordes ecgum, þæs þe us secgað bec, ealde uðwitan, siþþan eastan hider - 70 - Engle and Seaxe up becoman, ofer brad brimu Brytene sohtan, wlance wigsmiþas, Wealas ofercoman, eorlas arhwate eard begeatan.