OOC: Im not happy with this post, its very dry and flat, but at least im writing. and the idea for an ATL-name for guerilla fighters is entirely pinched from
@Thande 's term "Kleinkriegers" in LTTW. I hope this is okay. Also, if you havent read or better yet bought Look to the West. GO DO THAT!
The Museum of Anglish History, Laudenwic
Visitors guide
Part 3: the Early Kingdoms
As you turn the corner you can see two large carved stone tablets. Both are gravestones and although one has been broken and has pieces missing and the other has been worn down heavily you can faintly see words on both. Translated from old English the one on the right reads. Godric, Son of Aethelflaed, King of the Anglish, but for the knives of traitors" the one on the left reads. "Wulfestan of Mercia,"
Godric was the son of Athelflaed and Oswiu and despite what is carved into the stone, was never crowned king of Angland. He is mentioned in official records as such at the order of his parents, who both outlived him and has remained on lists as tradition has dictated, ever since. According to diarists and historians of the time he died three days before his coronation. It has never been proven or disproven that he was poisoned by others who sought the throne. One such person who pressed his claim as soon as it was announced Godric was dead was Wulfestan of Mercia. He was a distant cousin of the late king, being a descendant of King Aethelfrith and Cynedryth of Mercia. He raised his flag at Litchfield and announced his claim to the throne of Mercia and Northumbria, proclaiming a Mercian Supremacy over the new Angland. Others would declare their independence from Angland but only Wulfestan laid claim to the throne in Dunholm.
Aethelflaed was quick to return to the throne after announcing she would step down as queen for Godric to be crowned. Oswiu raised an "Army of Vengeance" (as it was dramatically called by some contemporary writers) and marched south to Mercia. Wulfestan's forced, knowing they were outnumbered would use tactics on Oswiu that have been compared to the Roman general Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus. The armies of Wulfestan knew the lands of Mercia better than the Northerners of Oswiu and would harass and wear Oswiu's forces down. Above the stones in the cases (10.1 to 10.9) you can see arrowheads, buckles and coinage found scattered across north Mercia and commonly believed to belong to both Wulfestan's and Oswiu's forces. These bands became known as "Wolf packs" being a play on their kings name and such a term has remained in Anglish language to describe small bands of soldiers who avoid facing an enemy face on. Many historians theorise that Wulfestan wasn't fully commited to taking Aethelflaed's throne and was actually trying to force Oswiu to retreat and give Wulfestan the throne of Mercia. Throughout 745 and into 746 Oswiu would fail, like Hannibal before him, to face Wulfestan face on as his force was slowly wittled down and were unable to commit to a siege of any one town with their rear unsecured open to attack. In another arguable parallel to Hannibal and Rome, it is theorised that Wulfestan's men grew tired of fighting Oswiu indirectly and began to question the likelihood of a victory for Mercia as Oswiu began to put farms and villages to the torch in the hopes of exposing the Wolf Packs. What is known is that one of the noblemen on Wulfestan, known to Osmund the Papist, a portrait of who can be seen on the wall (10.10) betrayed Wulfestan to Oswiu in return for forgiveness and potential favours. With information on Wulfestan's forces and tactics Oswiu began putting key towns to siege, setting his forces up to trap any potential attacks to his flank or rear and began to wear down the numerically inferior Mercian forces until Wulfestan surrender at harvest 746. He would give himself to Oswiu in return for leniency on his men.
Wulfestan was executed and buried outside Dunholm castle in an unmarked and at time of writing unfound grave. The stone that can be seen here was a symbolic gravestone which until 1978 in the possession of Wemba, Thegn of Litchfield and was created in the 17th century by one of his ancestors. Godric's gravestone was originally placed on his grave at Dunholm castle and is believe to have been damaged in the sacking of Dunholm in 1471. The stones were retrieved and eventually found in the chapel at the Wessex village of Godric's Hollow (Which they gave their name to) south of Glecaster.