Journal
of Cyngard Egbert
Early
September 1066
Today King Harold ran out of money to
feed us. He sent us home. We have been waiting for William to invade
from France, but the seas are rough and he has not come. Cooked carrots and mashed potatoes, here I
come! My wife will be so pleased to see
me. She is the best cook in the
world. But I have a long walk home
first-if I’m lucky I can hire a cart once I get near the towns. I’ll have to get my things together first- I
think Wilston stole my underwear. He was
saying he had run out of clean ones just yesterday.
September
1066
A
few days later
I have enjoyed the hospitality of my
wife, Beornwyn, but I have just received news that Harald Hadraada has invaded
England. King Harold is in a sticky mess
now. But I’d better pack now. I’ll put a checklist of what I need below, so
that I don’t forget anything.
Clothes
(5 outfits)
Spare
underwear (1 pair)
A
cooking pot
A
pan
Hard-boiled
eggs (as many as will fit in a sock)
Carrots
(10)
2
blankets
A
pillow
2
quills and ink
This
journal
I think I’ve covered everything. I’ll tick them off as I go along, but I need
to go now, Beornwyn’s calling for supper.
23
September 1066
A
few days later
I asked Beornwyn the date before I left. I have been walking for a couple days now
with the rest of the army. We’re all
tired and hungry, so we have a well-earned rest, only about 2 minutes,
though. Time to keep walking now.
24
September 1066
There is a rumor that we will get to Stamford Bridge
tomorrow. We are planning to ambush
Harald Hadraada’s army. They are not
expecting us for several days. I am
trying to write as I walk, but Wilston is teasing me. Soldiers don’t keep diaries, he says. I have just told him soldiers don’t lose
their underwear, either. That shut him
up.
25
September 1066
We’ve ambushed Harald!
He wasn’t ready at all, and neither was his army. They were relaxing in front of the river, not
even armed. We couldn’t believe our
luck! He put half of his army in front
of the river when he saw us, and half in the back, behind the river, getting a
shield wall ready. But this plan
failed. Hadraada’s army was forced
backward into the river. They
drowned. But there is a single Viking
keeping everyone from crossing the bridge.
Pathetic, that we are letting one man kill so many of us. Now I am hiding under a bush, writing. Here I have a clear view of the battle. Wait a moment-there is a washtub. It looks as if Caedhart Dormand-another
soldier has seen it too. Funny-his last
name means dear, beloved. He’s not much
of a lover at all-quite a rough man in fact.
He has tugged it over to the river…
he is using it as a boat!
And-what’s he doing? He’s going
under the bridge… there’s that Viking
killing another brave warrior who dared try to cross the bridge. And he’s lifting his sword-ouch! Right up between his legs! I hate thinking how much that would hurt! I must go now-we are all crossing the bridge,
thanks to Caedhart.
26
September 1066
Wow.
We are all having a rest. Not in
the battlefield. Such an unpleasant rest
that would be, with all the dead bodies around.
Anyway, here’s what happened.
After we crossed the bridge, we tried to
get through the shield wall. We tried and tried, but such a tough wall we never
encountered. It was like trying to get
through dry clay-very hard clay.
Finally, Harold ordered us to retreat, so we did. Then, as we were crossing the bridge, harald’s
army broke the shield wall and came after us!
Oh, no! But Harold seemed to have
a plan. He turned around and went after
them! Some soldiers got around and
attacked from behind! I ended up fighting
an ugly soldier-scratch that, Harald’s soldiers are all ugly-an exceptionally
ugly soldier with a scrunched up, dirty face.
He was winning, he got y leg injured, but then another one of Harold's
soldiers came and stabbed Harald’s soldier from behind, killing him! I was just starting to fight a second soldier
when one of his friends said something that I couldn’t hear. Anyway, they abandoned me and ran away. Then Eldnoth Allington-one of my friends who
agreed to come fight for Harold with me-came and told me that Harald had been
killed! Naturally, I asked him how, and
he said he got an arrow in his throat-he had just seen it happen! Hurrah!
We had won! Harald’s former army
retreated, and we lay down to rest.
18 April 1068
Today I found Cungard’s old diary from his days as a
soldier, with some of his things. This
is his wife, Beornyn, writing. Cyngard
died about a year ago. But I must start
at the beginning. Harold and his army
lost against William. It didn’t come as
much of a surprise, as they were tired from the battle against Harald Hadraada,
and they had a long march to the south coast.
Anyway, William gained control of England, and he was cruel. We heard that he burned the food, starved
everyone who was against him, and was cruel to anyone who might cause trouble
for him. Of course, we had suspected
this from the beginning. So, as soon as
Cyngard came home, we took the first boat across the channel to Europe. Sadly, the plague came round about a year
later, and Cyngard passed away. I went
away to where there is no plague, so I would not catch it. I have started a new life here and I am happy
enough-at least happier than I would be in Britain, where terrible things are
happening. Here all is safe from
harm.
(Emily MS)
