1st of September 1066
Whew! I just came from 2009. I invented a time machine and I can go back to lots of time periods. When I come to a time period I become part of a family that are actually my ancestors. In this time period I am a Viking. I love coming back to my family in the Middle Ages. I just adore my little brother. I am an only child in 2009. I am 16 and I have decided to record all of my time travel in this journal. I am a bondi. A bondi is one of the classes or ranks in society. A bondi is a man or woman born free. They are not slaves or freed slaves. They are not the king or a Jarl. They are able to participate in the law including voting at the althing. They are the 3rd main rank out of 5.
6th of September 1066
Father says I should get married…at 15 years of age, and I have no choice but to accept it. Things have definitely changed over the years. I hope I get a handsome, sweet, and rich man. I don’t go to school, so I do a lot of chores around the house. I help with the cooking and make lots of clothes out of wool and I shave the sheep.
7th of September 1066
King Hardraada (Viking) is planning to conquer England and take back what is rightfully ours. Harlad Hardraada was going to be King of England but then Edward the Confessor (King Edward of England is known as Edward the Confessor in 2009) stole the throne and became king of England. Edward has died, and now is the perfect time for us Vikings to attack the Saxons and take England back. I should be excited, but I’m not, for my brother Ragi will have to fight. I cannot let that happen, for he could die.
Harald Hadraada fighting in a battle (he is a good warrior)
Harold Godwinson fighting another person (he is good at leading armies)
Night of 7th of September 1066
I have stolen some money from my parents and I am going to buy a spear and a shield. In this age, the weapon you have represents your class and how much money you have. I cannot buy a sword because those are expensive. I have to by some men’s clothes (a woolen shirt, long cloth pants, drawstring, ¾ length coat, belt, and long leather boots). Then I have to buy/steel chainmail and an iron helmet to put over my clothes. But before I do that, I have to make my hair look messier and leave a note telling my family what I am doing. They cannot tell anyone about what I’m doing. I am going to enlist as my brother. If they find out it is me, and not Ragi, then I will be killed.
25th of September 1066
By the way my name is Thorfinna. I am sorry that I have not written in a while. Things have been crazy!!! I enlisted in the army, and then trained a little, and marched all the way to Stamford Bridge where I am today. Stamford Bridge is a bridge over a river. I felt it was a long walk, but we did not go extremely fast. I have made friends with Ref. He is a tough and big man, but has a great heart. He will do anything to win this battle. I have never felt so much appreciation for someone (well except my brother). Ref is a rich bondi by the way. Today many of us have just been relaxing, and eating on the west side of the bridge. I have taken all my armor off and put all my weapons away because it will be another week before the Saxons come. What it that over there…
29th of September 1066
The Saxons arrived early at the battlefield. They arrived on the 25th of September. We didn’t even have our armor on. We had to run to the other side to fight and get into position. Everyone was sprinting and running to the bridge to cross the river. Some fell off the bridge and drowned, and others weren’t fast enough and got slaughtered. We made a shield wall. Ref stood on the bridge and killed at least forty men, not letting the Saxons cross. But one cunning, cheeky, and sneaky Saxon got into a barrel and floated under the bridge with a spear. I tried to tell Ref, but I wasn’t loud enough, and he was stabbed. Ref died. I was in tears and screaming at that moment, but I needed to focus and save myself. The Saxons crossed the bridge and they formed a shield wall too. We were neck and neck, no more than two meters apart. They smelt disgusting. It was the end of September, so I should have been cooler, but there was so much body heat and I could feel myself becoming red (but I’m not sure if it was from fear or heat). The Saxons charged at us and eventually formed a kink in our shield wall. The kink became bigger and eventually they broke our wall. The wall was our only self defense because we were not prepared and didn’t have our armor on. The Saxons (King Harold’s army) had surrounded us because they broke through our shield wall. But I am from the future, remember, so I knew what was going to happen and I ran away as fast as I could. I kept running as far as I could go, until I could not go any farther. Then I collapsed right by my time machine. I couldn’t believe it. I have been making sure that it is safe because I am going to leave 1066 soon. I have seen so much terror in northern England. I know from the future that William Duke of Normandy will conquer England and have no mercy for the northern Englanders. William’s army will come to northern England and burn all the crops and kill many people. I have done as much as I can to protect Ragi and I hope that he will be able to protect himself, but I need to protect myself and go back to my 2009 family.
a shield wall
the battle
30th of September 2009
I’m back to 2009. It feels very good. After I made sure that the time machine was safe, I stepped onto the time machine (that is the shape of a table) and pressed the numbered buttons in this order 2-0-0-9. The buttons are a lot like elevator buttons. Then I felt really dizzy because 2009 was getting ready to suck me in. I felt more dizzy going to 2009 than coming to 2009 because the heavier you are the more dizzy you are. I had gained a lot of weight because I gained a lot of muscle. Then when you are actually being sucked in, it was really fun. It was like a rollercoaster/waterslide. But now I’m back and I found 1066 really interesting, but very scary. Maybe I should go back sometime with my class to 1066.
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