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Excerpts from

The Journals of Somerild Rite.
Translated from the old English by Edwin Sulis
As available from the Global Free Media Foundation

The Day following The Assumption of the Virgin Mary.
Written in the north of the Anglish Region of Lindsay, on the Isle of Axea

Our enemies hesitation as well as their being harried by my countrymen as the Vikings push north through Lindsay and towards Deira mean that we have circumnavigated their forces and are ahead of them. We are now torn, do we continue north in hopes of meeting with my King Aethelred or do we continue to harry the enemy.

Exhausted by traversing bog and marsh we have found a friendly resting place in the village of Haxey on the Isle of dry land called Axea(1). We arrived yesterday and were welcomed to the Assumption day celebrations by the village. With the viking army lying between here and the monastery of Lindun the village has not recieved a visit from monk nor preacher for a few weeks. They were grateful to see me, being a member of the church of sorts. I perhaps thought they were not familiar with the concept of a pennant and as such mistook me for a nun or preacher. When explaining this, I was met with a “You are tasked with spreading gods word?” I nodded
“And you are remaining here for the night?”
I nodded again, adding “if you’re willing,”
“Then spread gods word here!”
I was flattered and explained that another member of our particular Pack, Arlyss, was a preacher who was not with sin and would be more appropriate. Still I quietly attended the service at the village altar. A small stone platform under an oak and straw archway. Sinner or none, I am still a Christian of the Lindisfarne faith and I must carry myself as such. Though I did not attend celebrations after we gave thanks.

Another Pack arrived in the village with late that night grave news. The army of Sveyn the pale seeks to combine with the army of Harkon, the conqueror of Lindsay and the East Saxons who has been gathering ships and other water worthy craft to cross the Humber Estuary. I can only pray that King Aethelred is waiting for them.

Two Days after Assumption Day

Our prayers for guidance were answered as a local farmer from nearby Belton returning from Eorforwic informed us that the king has gathered his armies on the north of the Ouse and is heading south and then seeks to strike Lindun from the West. Though due to the time taken to cross the smaller rivers that become the Humber, this information is a few days out of date. The king has already begun his march south. I fear that the north of the Humber and perhaps Eorforwic will be undefended or at least be lacking in manpower.

Several of our men have headed north and west to seek out the kings army, to tell him to prepare his defenses north of the Humber. I hope the arrive in time.

Four days after Assumption day

While half our men have sought out the king we’ve not been idle. Should Axea be used as a stepping stone across the marshes we have fortified the settlements on the island.

Many on the Isle have spoken of vengeance for their conquered Lindsay Paul to the Romans springs to mind ““Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” but these heathens have destroyed the houses and homes of god on Earth as well as his servants. Does this then become Justice. I discussed this in a quiet moment with Arlyss. In my moment of doubt he reminded me of the book of Isiah “Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed.Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.” and reminded me that we’ve seen many made widow or wifeless and many made fatherless or child. I was reassured and he exhorted from the Book of Psalms “Blessed are those who act Justly, who always do what is right,” with this I resolved to fight hard for the lord.

Before dawn on of the fourth day, we set off from Axea east along the Humber, taking paths known only to locals to get us close to the gathering viking fleet. Here we picked out the picket lines with arrows and made our way as close in to the camp as we thought possible and put the camp to the torch. It was in doing this that some vikings located us and we lost two men before retreating into the marshes. The damage done was significant and we sighted several ships catching fire. I hope we have sapped their numbers some.

I am writing this having helped lay my fallen kin to rest. My thoughts and prayers turn to my other kin, bringing their message to King Aethelred. From what we observed the viking fleet cannot be far from ready.




A Tourist's Guide to Angland
Global Print Books, 2014
by Amit Dileep


Excerpt from
Chapter 5: Deira

Little remains to show the location of the Battle of Surcaf. Actually some two miles west of the village of Surcaf (2), itself South West of the city of Beverley and west of the industrial port of Hullmouth (3). The location is mostly known from the many finds found by metal hunters and archeologists throughout the centuries. There is a large Oak on the site (which is now mostly farmland) called Aethelreds Oak which according to local legend is the site of Aethelred’s battle lines.

The Battlefield was a fairly straight forward and bloody slog. Having been warned of the Viking army crossing the Humber Aethelred’s army turned back from its march south to Lindun and sought to place itself on the edge of the marshes that mark the border between Deira and Lindsay and in turn between the vikings and the local capital of Eorforwic. Aethelred arrived as the vikings were disembarking from crossing the Humber Estuary and fearing they would instead push north to Beverley (see page 128) they did not pause and quickly brought he battle to the vikings. Modern historians that based on contemporary accounts and many of the finds found on the battlefield, the Viking army was only at most two thirds of the entire viking force in Angland at the time and mostly numbering from Sveyns army (being the first to land in Angland, see pages 88 and 176) With the confluence of the Ouse and the Trent on their East flank the exhausted Anglish army fought the outnumbered vikings, led by their leader Sveyn the pale and forced a retreat at significant cost to their own forces. With the Humber (And potentially the Nordic Sea) to their rear, many of the viking army (Sveyn included) retreated and returned back across the Humber, losing several hundred men and several ships in the retreat. It was only after his retreat that Sveyn found that Harkon had orchestrated the crossing of the Humber quite specifically.

Finds from the battlefield can be seen in the museum of Anglish history in Laudenwic but more locally at the City Museum, Beverley. Local attractions include the Battlefield memorial in Suthcaf village centre and the Battle’s End pub, also in the village. Suthcaf is served by bus and rail routes.


Excerpt from
Chapter 6: Lindsay

The Town of Barton, lying as it does on the south of the Humber Bridge has many grim place names such as Bloodsands road, Traitor’s Gate and Blackheart Water. These all can be traced back to Autumn 865 and the fallout from the Battle of Suthcaf (See Page 103) where the army of Sveyn the pale was defeated by King Aethelred and retreated back across the Humber. Many stories have been passed down over the years. Many associated with the folk hero Somerild Rite, despite no evidence of her even existing, let alone being at the event. Most stories describe how upon reaching the south bank of the Humber, Sveyn found that Harkon had remained behind with a significant portion of the Viking army instead of crossing with Sveyn and when they were defeated, Harkon demanded they swear loyalty to him as King of the Daneland or be driven into the Humber. Sveyn demanded vengeance against Harkon but his forces were exhausted and many were badly wounded whereas Harkon’s force was fresh and in a defendable position. Its believe much of the exhausted army swore loyalty to Harkon and when Sveyn and a core of loyal followers refused they were killed to a man on the banks of the Humber, earning Harkon the epiphet “Blacheart” and Although many viking remains have been found as Barton has expanded, none have been identified as the betrayed Sveyn.



(1) Axeholme, havent you missed my butchering of Old English and Norse

(2) South Cave, Yorkshire

(3) Kingston Upon Hill. Natch.