Cyngard Egbert

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)