Authors note: Hope the second part works, I was sleep deprived/in pain/high on meds when writing it. also ITS NOT ALL BEDE! tada!
Excerpts From a History of the Anglish People
By Bede of Jarway
Originally published AD 731
1988 Translation, Eoforwick press.
Chapter XII ANNA OF THE EAST ANGLES ESTABLISHES THE PRIORY AT RENDLASHAM PRIOR TO HIS DEATH (652 AD)
At this time the East Angles (being the lands of the north and south fork of the same) was ruled by King Anna, a good and religious man who found the faith at the hands of the exiled catholic king of the Gewisse but by a priest of the Anglish church as has been mentioned before. Having encountered the true faith Anna set about helping the people of the East Angles to find the same. As mentioned before he played host to Finan, later Bishop of Canterbury and later still Archbishop of Lindisfarne following the passing of Aidan.
A man of Finan’s group, Modan(1), also of the Scots monastery at Iona, remained with Anna to continue the group of the faith. Before Finan’s departure to the south, Modan had a vision of St Columba, who founded his own monastery of Iona and of Aidan who at that time was gone from this world some six months before who told him to go with Finan but that his place was on another path from Finan. As such upon Modan’s arrival amongst the East Angles, he knew in his soul that this was the place the saints had said of. Though Anna was a christian king, many of his people were not. So when Finan travelled on to Canterbury, Modan remained and set about making the East Angles a pinnacle of faith.
Modan and Anna sought to improve the education of the peoples of the East Angles, especially in matters of faith and established the monastery at Rendlasham, being the capital of the East Angles at the time. Later, Modan’s airs would be named the Bishops of Rendlasham and Modan would be written in history books subsequently as the first bishop of that monastery. Anna would not see the completion of the Monastery, being slain upon the battlefield by the Pagan King Penda of Mercia some two years after Modan’s arrival in his kingdom, though the work was continued under Aethelhere, younger brother and heir of the same and also a convert to the Anglish Christianity.
A Traveler's guide to Anglish Theatre
New Kyoto Press
Heiwa 17/ 2003,
Chapter 3: Anglish Medieval Theater
The original play of The Battle of The Windwaed (2) (Sometimes retitled Oswine: Prince of Northumberland) was written in 1485 by Aldred Lichfield, author of such plays as the romance Albercht and and Salome and the dark comedy Love in Elysium. It deals the events leading up to the historical battle of the Winwaed between Penda, King of Mercia and Oswald king of Northumberland which happened in 655CE . It primarily follows Oswine, the adopted son of King Oswald of Northumberland, a meek and godly man who knows should something happen to his father, he will become king. Other major characters based on historical figures include Oswiu, the brother of the king, who is portrayed as bitter that Oswine was chosen as Oswald’s heir, Oswald himself and Finan, Archbishop of Lindisfarne (this is an apocrypha, it's generally accepted that Finan’s title at the time was simply Bishop of Lindisfarne, or abbot of Lindisfarne). Other characters of fictional construction include Atelic, a soldier in Oswald’s army who is actually a spy for Penda, King of Mercia, Sinctungol and Sweortegrad, friends of Oswine’s and various servants and
The play begins with Oswald discussing what will happen when he dies, both in the spiritual and religious sense (though within the framing of the later Anglish church of the 15th century, not the 7th century, it should be noted) as well as politically, with Oswine assuming the throne and the lines between the two sometimes blur through use of metaphors and imagery. Penda’s advance into northumbria is announced and Oswald, Oswine (Prince and Thegn of Deira) and Oswiu himself thegn of Burmecia, prepare their armies (Again an apocrypha, the 15th century of Burmecia is inaccurate, being Bernicia at the time). Atelic, disguised as a soldier of Burmecia, comes to Oswiu with an offer of gold and the throne of Northumberland if he betrays Oswald. These thoughts and temptations play on Oswiu in the form of demonic figures discussing the potential outcomes of his decisions. Meanwhile Oswine is dealing with the pressures of becoming King of Northumberland and potentially Bretwalda or overlord of Angland (this dating from before Angland was unified under a single monarch). The final scenes are at the battle itself where Oswiu has the chance to stab Oswald when they find themselves alone in the charge of battle until Oswine intervenes, only for Penda to slay Oswald in battle before Oswine kills Penda. In the end it is left ambiguous whether Oswiu would have gone through with killing Oswald and the play ends with the crowing of Oswine.
Historically it is fairly accurate Oswald led forces against Penda in 655 where both Penda and Oswald lost their lives. While its is true that Oswiu was heir before Oswald’s adoption of Oswine, there is no evidence of his treachery or desire for the throne. Oswine became king of Northumbria and Paeda (Pendas son and a minor character in some versions of the play) became king of Mercia. Penda’s defeat lead to the domination of Mercia by Northumbria for some time but was just part of the ongoing conflict between the two ruling families that wouldn't end for another twenty two years. The play portrays the Northumbrians in a positive light and the Mercians as the obvious aggressors and this is historically ambiguous. While there is evidence of Merician aggression, it is just as likely it was in response to Northumbrian advances south into Mercia.
Unsurprisingly there have been many retellings of this story throughout history and throughout different mediums. Some stage productions have variously changed the text to tell the story more and less in support of both Oswine and Oswiu. This often depended on the nation it was told in. Notably plays patronised by the monarch or Lord Protector of Angland have often removed most of or all of the temptation of Oswiu and doubts of Oswine and the play has been a straightforward battle between the Good Christian King Oswald and the evil Pagan king Penda. In the 1960s an animated version portrayed Oswine as a boy prince (despite being a young man, at least at the time) and portrays Oswiu as an obvious snakelike figure and Atelic and Oswiu's temptations as literal demons and Penda as a monstrous creature ten feet tall. It also has numerous musical numbers
Most recently, a Shenyish (3) portrayal of the play was filmed primarily with Anglish actors but with the framing device of a chinese merchant who finds himself in Angland and is caught up in events, taking some of the roles of Finan and Sweortegrad. This is inaccurate but it's generally believe this was to give the film some star power within China and sorrounding nations. Nonetheless the Anglish actor Filoleag Mirce did win the Jin Shoutao for best supporting actor for his portrayal of Oswine.
- Essentially a fictional creation, a monk at Lindisfarne whose name was never recorded by history in OTL. In OTL St Fursey established a monastery in East Anglia, but with a lesser presence of christianity at that time this never happened.
- OTL The Battle of the Winwaed was a victory by Oswiu over Penda, here its Oswine who carries it out.
- One of many words for cinema