Jorvik Chronicle

M Nesbitt William

Description

The story chronicles the life of a young Anglo-Saxon boy, Osgar, who is captured by raiding Vikings, who eventually becomes a seer-warrior in his new life. Unheard of?The story is set against the backdrop of the 9th-century struggle between Anglo-Saxons and the Vikings, the latter evolving from raiders to invaders, for control of these lands. Afteryears of conflict there followed a period of compromise that saw the country split into the first north-south divide: Anglo-Saxon England and Danelaw. That arrangement eventually developed into England where two nations became one. Osgar, later Sigrvard, is the embodiment of two becoming one, Anglo-Saxon and Viking becomes English. The story is one of conquest and fantasy, loyalty and betrayal, men and gods. It is also a tale of exploration and expansion that extended Europe to all points of the compass: first travellers to the New World, southern expansion to Africa, eastwards to the Orient, arguably making the Vikings the world's first imperial power. And all placed on record in the rarest of rare, a 9th-century document discovered on the outskirts of York, Jorvik, the capital of Viking England The Jorvik Chronicle.

Sujets

• Historical fiction

Informations

• Publié par: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Date de parution: 30 octobre 2020
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781398416970
• Langue: English

Extrait

William M Nesbitt Brian Beard
The Jorvik
Chronicle




Copyright © Brian Beard and the Estate of William M Nesbitt (2020)
The right of William M Nesbitt and Brian Beard to be identified as authors of this work has been asserted in accordance with section 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.
Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.
ISBN 9781788780247 (Paperback)
ISBN 9781398427709 (Hardback)
ISBN 9781398416970 (ePub e-book)
www.austinmacauley.com
First Published (2020)
Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd
25 Canada Square
Canary Wharf
London
E14 5LQ


For
The author who, having been born in Streonshalh , and spending much of his youth in Jorvik , has been promising himself to write this book from the age of thirteen.
At last, he can now enter Valholl with a clear conscience
Ma guderne fremskynde dig
* * *
To Jenny


Books by William M Nesbitt
As Bill Nesbitt:
Travails Abroad
As Sean Collins:
Last of the Cold War Warriors
Last of the Cold War Warriors II
When Twilight Ends
The Kyushu Contract
The Jorvik Chronicle
Books by Brian Beard
The Breedon Book of Premiership Records
Three Lions
Collins Gems Disaster Survival
A Game of Three Halves (Autobiography of Kenny Swain)
Lincoln Born , Football Bred: John Ward
The Jorvik Chronicle


Memo to Bill
More people than will ever be known owe a debt of gratitude to you. I count myself privileged to have known you. I am more than grateful to have had the opportunity to complete your lifetime work with the blessing of Jenny.
What began as a massive task, the magnitude of which I could not fathom, became an all-encompassing obsession that would not let go. It took on a life of its own, growing organically, and I constantly felt as if two huge hands were reaching out from the story, grabbing me warmly by the throat and pulling me in until I was there, at the heart of the Saga, in 9th-century England.
Once in a lifetime one might get the chance to be part of something special. The Jorvik Chronicle was that for me.
Thanks Bill. Enjoy Valhalla.
Brian


Where is the horse gone? Where is the rider?
Where the giver of treasure?
Where are the seals at the feast?
Where are the revels in the hall?
Alas for the bright cup!
Alas for the mailed warrior!
Alas for the splendour of the prince!
How that time has passed away,
Dark under the cover of night.
As if it had never been.
The Wanderer


Prologue
Simon Garth, professor of pre-medieval languages at Cambridge University, found himself in North Yorkshire at the behest of the York Archaeological Trust, who had been aware of his reputation and expertise, not least from his several highly respected books on the translation of Old East Norse and 9th-century Latin, in particular the similarity of what were often called the Anglo-Saxon and Viking languages, both based in Old Germanic; this had enabled them to understand each other to a large extent. As he specialised in Old Danish, it seemed particularly apt that he now found himself in the city of York, given that, as Jorvik, it had been the capital of the Danelaw— Viking England.
Simon’s invitation from the YAT was about to present him with a unique opportunity: a two-volume journal, discovered on an archaeological dig north of the city. This in itself was a rare occurrence. The history and stories of the Danes were usually in aural form, with no written records or accounts. Evidently, the Chronicle had a cover of leather on wood with inlaid silver decoration and had suffered minimal damage.
The pages were of treated calfskin vellum; the wet, un-haired and limed skins would have been dried under tension in wooden stretching frames. The text had been written in late 9th-century Latin with iron gall ink, in a practised and educated hand— almost certainly a Christian monk or scribe.
This did not surprise Simon. Following the onslaught of what had become known as the Great Heathen Army in AD 866, Paganism and Christianity had been practised side by side, albeit uneasily.
The Chronicle had been deliberately and carefully interred in a solid stone chest, some 40cm x 25 cm, intended, as Simon could only imagine, as a ‘time capsule’ of the 9th century. It would not have survived so well— if at all— had it not been found located some nine feet under the surface, in moist, peaty earth, which was organic-rich and oxygen-free— ideal conditions for preserving wood and leather.
The chest had been removed with great care by the YAT and taken back to their laboratories for analysis. A non-invasive Raman spectroscopy analysed the molecular vibrations of the pigments and inks used, without the necessity of taking a sample. Any pressure on the parchment had to be avoided. Iron gall ink could corrode the vellum in humid conditions so the journal had to be kept in 30 degrees relative humidity.
Simon’s train of thought was interrupted by two members of the YAT carrying in an acid- and lignin-free archival box. He sat with anticipation as they opened the box and placed the Chronicle in front of him, beneath the spectral lamp, on a prepared cushion of foam. With its silver ornamentation, the cover was a work of art in itself. Simon donned a pair of white cotton gloves and prepared to enter the past.
The first thing he noticed was a Runor— an inscription in the Runic alphabet— carved into the cover with extreme care. On closer examination, Simon recognised the alphabet as the Younger Futark, an alphabet that contained 16 characters in the long-branch of the Danes. The word ‘Futark’ came from the names of the first five of the Runes. This system of runic writing became known in Europe as the ‘alphabet of the Norsemen’. Simon studied the runic inscription and began making notes on the laptop to his left. Although he knew the Runes could have several meanings, the nearest translation he could determine suggested the life story of its owner.
‘Travel across the sea. A new beginning with a change in world rhythms. A life of challenge and sacrifice. Achieving success, wealth and honour. Happiness and a time of peace and prosperity, when all problems are resolved and all loose ends are tied.’
Simon paused as the moment took hold. Carefully, he opened the cover by the top right-hand corner, ensuring he caused no damage. There was a further runic inscription on the first page:
Osgar of the Angelfolc, also known as Sigrvard, Jarl of the Deniscan, caused me to be made.
Simon leaned back in his chair. He rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands. This could possibly be the most important chronicle of 9th-century life found to date. If the content proved the inscription, it would shed light on the life of an Angle, who became a Danish Jarl, and the circumstances under which he achieved this.
A Danish Jarl was similar to an Anglo-Saxon Earl in rank, with acquired estates and wealth— wealth that was counted in land, horses and slaves; honour-bound to provide men and to command part or all of an army on behalf of his king. The majority of his time would have been spent in administration, the law, politics and hunting and— as a drengr 1 — expeditions, both raiding and trading, across the seas.
As the timeline was stated in years after the birth of Christ, it would enable events in the Chronicle to be checked against existing historical facts— perhaps with unexpected revelations.
As Simon turned the first page, hesitantly, his hand trembled slightly as he realised he would be the first person to read the journal for over 1,100 years, a window into the past.
He began to read.


1 Warrior .


Chapter One
AD 857
It was forenoon.
The sunlight’s reflection, shimmering on the sea, appeared as a golden pathway, a glistening bridge, beckoning Osgar from the earth to the kingdom of Sigel, goddess of the sun.
He walked slowly along the eastern bank of the River Esk, barefoot and wearing only his rough woven undershirt and baggy trousers secured by a belt, in which was his small knife for everyday chores. The day was too hot for his wool tunic.
Over his right shoulder were slung the four trout he had caught upriver with his hook and line, on which his prizes hung. The family would all dine well that evening along with the fresh mussels he had collected earlier beneath the western headland. He continued on home, following the river towards the mouth of the estuary where it joined the sea between the headland cliffs.
Atop the eastern headland lay his village, Streonshalh 2 — the strong bend of the river— the settlement clustered around the monastery built by Hild in 657. In 658, the Great Synod had been held there to establish the form of Christianity which would be followed, Roman rather than Celtic, and to set the date for the celebration of Easter throughout the Christian world.
Streonshalh, in the kingdom of Deira, 3 was isolated by the sea, moorland and forests. All trade was waterborne. Cut off from the nearest villages in winter, the Streonshalh folk cared little for what happened outside their own village; a village made up of ten wooden, mud and wattle, thatched houses with wickerwork cattle enclosures and their chief’s hall, a place for his family, council meetings an