Hawk of May
Encyclopedia
Hawk of May is the first of a trilogy of fantasy novels written by Gillian Bradshaw
which interprets the King Arthur
legend. It recounts, from the viewpoint of the warrior Gwalchmai ap Lot
, Arthur's rise to power. The title is a literal translation of Gwalchmai's name.
is a land divided into small Celt
ic kingdoms in the process of being conquered by the more united Saxon
invaders. When Uther
, the Pendragon
or High King
, dies of sickness leaving no legitimate sons, any semblance of a unified defense vanishes. Only Arthur, Uther's son, continues to fight the Saxons, but as a bastard, he can only rely on the support of his late father's warband
and the kingdom of Dumnonia
. A civil war
is in the offing as the rest of the underkings shortsightedly plot to claim the vacant throne.
One of the most powerful of the schemers is Lot
, King of the Orcades. He has three sons by his wife, Morgawse
, Uther's daughter and a notorious witch. Agravain
, the eldest, is a straightforward, gifted warrior and his father's favorite. The second, Gwalchmai, is clever, but a poor fighter, favored by his mother. Finally, there is Medraut
, who resembles Lot so little that many question his parentage.
Lot and Agravain go off to war. Gwalchmai despairs of becoming a warrior and asks his mother to teach him witchcraft instead, to which she readily agrees. Medraut, who looks up to his brother, also wants to learn magic, but Gwalchmai tries to dissuade him.
When a large Saxon force under the leadership of the charismatic King Cerdic of Wessex
invades Dumnonia, Arthur, who had heretofore remained neutral, realizes that the only way to protect Britain is to end the civil war. He therefore proclaims himself the Pendragon. A brilliant general, Arthur defeats several kings, one after the other. The remaining contenders then unite against him. Arthur wins the climactic battle and forces the defeated kings (including Lot) to swear the Threefold Oath of Allegiance to him.
Morgawse, Uther's legitimate offspring, is furious and prepares black magic
to strike down her half-brother Arthur. She includes Gwalchmai in the invocation of the spell. To his surprise and despair, he finds Medraut a willing participant. When he learns that a human sacrifice is required, Gwalchmai finally rebels. He kills the bound victim to spare him an agonizing death and flees his mother's wrath.
Not knowing what else to do, he seeks refuge at a favorite seaside spot. An otherworldly boat appears and transports him to the Land of the Blessed
, where he meets his kinsman, the god Lugh of the Long Hand
. Gwalchmai pledges his allegiance to the Light and is given a magical sword, Caledvwlch
. He is then sent back to Britain to fight for Arthur.
Gwalchmai stumbles upon a band of Saxons and is taken to Cerdic's camp, where he is bought by the king to be his thrall
. King Aldwulf of Bernicia
, a sorcerer
and ally of Cerdic, captures, but cannot tame Ceincaled
, a supernatural horse. Gwalchmai steals it and rides to freedom.
He tries to join Arthur's warband, but the High King is suspicious of his motives and refuses his service. Arthur has also heard rumors that Gwalchmai is a sorcerer, like his mother. Nonetheless, he cannot turn away his own nephew. Gwalchmai fights loyally for Arthur, earning a reputation as the finest cavalry
fighter in Britain. He makes friends, among them Bedwyr
, Arthur's most trusted advisor, but the High King remains distrustful and the warband is strongly divided regarding him.
After much maneuvering, the armies of Arthur and Cerdic finally clash. At a crucial moment, Arthur's shield wall
is broken and all seems lost. In desperation, Bedwyr leads the cavalry on a seemingly hopeless charge to try to rescue the situation. In a fit of battle madness
, Gwalchmai rides to the forefront and singlehandedly breaks the Saxon line, making an opening for the following horsemen to pass through and wreak havoc on the Saxons. Cerdic's army is routed and the Saxons are forced to come to terms. But for his great feat, Gwalchmai receives only perfunctory thanks from a still-hostile Arthur.
With Cerdic quelled for the moment, Arthur takes his men north to combat Aldwulf's raids. However, he is surprised and trapped by a much larger Saxon army. With no other choice, Arthur has to attempt a desperate night attack to force a passage through Aldwulf's camp. He places his best warriors at the point of the attack. He reluctantly includes Gwalchmai, pledging to finally accept him if they manage to escape.
The battle goes in Arthur's favor, but Gwalchmai is seriously wounded. He recovers in a friendly holding, under the care of Gwynhwyfar
, the daughter of the clan leader. When he is well enough, he leaves in search of Arthur. On the outskirts of the warband's camp, he encounters a peasant woman looking for help for her wounded husband. Knowing something of healing, he tries to save him, but the man is too badly injured and soon dies.
Gwalchmai meets Arthur. He surprises the Pendragon by announcing to all present that, because he has divided the warband, he is leaving. At that moment, the peasant woman shows up to thank Gwalchmai for his efforts. This finally convinces Arthur that he has been in the wrong. In private, Arthur asks Gwalchmai to stay. He lets slip that he dreaded that Gwalchmai would reveal his dark secret: Medraut is his son, the product of incest
, though at the time, he did not know that he and Morgawse were related. Ironically, Gwalchmai had never even suspected. Nevertheless, Arthur still wants him to stay, and Gwalchmai eagerly accepts.
Gillian Bradshaw
Gillian Marucha Bradshaw is an American writer of historical fiction, historical fantasy, children's literature, science fiction, and contemporary science-based novels, who currently lives in Britain...
which interprets the King Arthur
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
legend. It recounts, from the viewpoint of the warrior Gwalchmai ap Lot
Gawain
Gawain is King Arthur's nephew and a Knight of the Round Table who appears very early in the Arthurian legend's development. He is one of a select number of Round Table members to be referred to as the greatest knight, most notably in Sir Gawain and the Green Knight...
, Arthur's rise to power. The title is a literal translation of Gwalchmai's name.
Plot summary
BritainSub-Roman Britain
Sub-Roman Britain is a term derived from an archaeological label for the material culture of Britain in Late Antiquity: the term "Sub-Roman" was invented to describe the potsherds in sites of the 5th century and the 6th century, initially with an implication of decay of locally-made wares from a...
is a land divided into small Celt
Celt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
ic kingdoms in the process of being conquered by the more united Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
invaders. When Uther
Uther Pendragon
Uther Pendragon is a legendary king of sub-Roman Britain and the father of King Arthur.A few minor references to Uther appear in Old Welsh poems, but his biography was first written down by Geoffrey of Monmouth in his Historia Regum Britanniae , and Geoffrey's account of the character was used in...
, the Pendragon
Pendragon
Pendragon or Pen Draig, meaning "head dragon" or "chief dragon" , is the name of several traditional Kings of the Britons:...
or High King
High king
A high king is a king who holds a position of seniority over a group of other kings, without the title of Emperor; compare King of Kings.Rulers who have been termed "high king" include:...
, dies of sickness leaving no legitimate sons, any semblance of a unified defense vanishes. Only Arthur, Uther's son, continues to fight the Saxons, but as a bastard, he can only rely on the support of his late father's warband
Warband
Warband may refer to:* Local warrior society of Celts, Germans or Africans* Warband , a sub-breed of wargames* Warband , a British band* Mount&Blade: Warband, an extension for the video game Mount&Blade....
and the kingdom of Dumnonia
Dumnonia
Dumnonia is the Latinised name for the Brythonic kingdom in sub-Roman Britain between the late 4th and late 8th centuries, located in the farther parts of the south-west peninsula of Great Britain...
. A civil war
Civil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
is in the offing as the rest of the underkings shortsightedly plot to claim the vacant throne.
One of the most powerful of the schemers is Lot
King Lot
Lot or Loth is the eponymous king of Lothian in the Arthurian legend. He is best known as the father of Sir Gawain. Such a ruler evidently first appeared in hagiographical material concerning Saint Kentigern , which feature a Leudonus, king of Leudonia, a Latin name for Lothian...
, King of the Orcades. He has three sons by his wife, Morgawse
Morgause
Morgause , known in earlier works as Gwyar or Anna, is the sister or half-sister of King Arthur in the Arthurian legend. In her earliest appearance she is Arthur's full sister by Uther Pendragon and Igraine; Gwyar is her name and she is the mother of Gwalchmei...
, Uther's daughter and a notorious witch. Agravain
Agravain
Sir Agravain or Sir Agravaine is a nephew of King Arthur and a Knight of the Round Table in Arthurian legend. He is the second son of King Lot of Orkney and Lothian and Morgause , full brother to Gawain, Gaheris and Gareth. His half-brother and most frequent associate in the Post-Vulgate Cycle is...
, the eldest, is a straightforward, gifted warrior and his father's favorite. The second, Gwalchmai, is clever, but a poor fighter, favored by his mother. Finally, there is Medraut
Mordred
Mordred or Modred is a character in the Arthurian legend, known as a notorious traitor who fought King Arthur at the Battle of Camlann, where he was killed and Arthur fatally wounded. Tradition varies on his relationship to Arthur, but he is best known today as Arthur's illegitimate son by his...
, who resembles Lot so little that many question his parentage.
Lot and Agravain go off to war. Gwalchmai despairs of becoming a warrior and asks his mother to teach him witchcraft instead, to which she readily agrees. Medraut, who looks up to his brother, also wants to learn magic, but Gwalchmai tries to dissuade him.
When a large Saxon force under the leadership of the charismatic King Cerdic of Wessex
Cerdic of Wessex
Cerdic was probably the first King of Anglo-Saxon Wessex from 519 to 534, cited by the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle as the founder of the kingdom of Wessex and ancestor of all its subsequent kings...
invades Dumnonia, Arthur, who had heretofore remained neutral, realizes that the only way to protect Britain is to end the civil war. He therefore proclaims himself the Pendragon. A brilliant general, Arthur defeats several kings, one after the other. The remaining contenders then unite against him. Arthur wins the climactic battle and forces the defeated kings (including Lot) to swear the Threefold Oath of Allegiance to him.
Morgawse, Uther's legitimate offspring, is furious and prepares black magic
Black magic
Black magic is the type of magic that draws on assumed malevolent powers or is used with the intention to kill, steal, injure, cause misfortune or destruction, or for personal gain without regard to harmful consequences. As a term, "black magic" is normally used by those that do not approve of its...
to strike down her half-brother Arthur. She includes Gwalchmai in the invocation of the spell. To his surprise and despair, he finds Medraut a willing participant. When he learns that a human sacrifice is required, Gwalchmai finally rebels. He kills the bound victim to spare him an agonizing death and flees his mother's wrath.
Not knowing what else to do, he seeks refuge at a favorite seaside spot. An otherworldly boat appears and transports him to the Land of the Blessed
Tír na nÓg
Tír na nÓg is the most popular of the Otherworlds in Irish mythology. It is perhaps best known from the story of Oisín, one of the few mortals who lived there, who was said to have been brought there by Niamh of the Golden Hair. It was where the Tuatha Dé Danann settled when they left Ireland's...
, where he meets his kinsman, the god Lugh of the Long Hand
Lugh
Lug or Lugh is an Irish deity represented in mythological texts as a hero and High King of the distant past. He is known by the epithets Lámhfhada , for his skill with a spear or sling, Ildánach , Samhildánach , Lonnbeimnech and Macnia , and by the...
. Gwalchmai pledges his allegiance to the Light and is given a magical sword, Caledvwlch
Excalibur
Excalibur is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Great Britain. Sometimes Excalibur and the Sword in the Stone are said to be the same weapon, but in most versions they are considered separate. The sword was...
. He is then sent back to Britain to fight for Arthur.
Gwalchmai stumbles upon a band of Saxons and is taken to Cerdic's camp, where he is bought by the king to be his thrall
Thrall
Thrall was the term for a serf or unfree servant in Scandinavian culture during the Viking Age.Thralls were the lowest in the social order and usually provided unskilled labor during the Viking era.-Etymology:...
. King Aldwulf of Bernicia
Bernicia
Bernicia was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom established by Anglian settlers of the 6th century in what is now southeastern Scotland and North East England....
, a sorcerer
Magician (fantasy)
A magician, mage, sorcerer, sorceress, wizard, enchanter, enchantress, thaumaturge or a person known under one of many other possible terms is someone who uses or practices magic that derives from supernatural or occult sources...
and ally of Cerdic, captures, but cannot tame Ceincaled
Gringolet
In Arthurian legend, Gringolet is Sir Gawain's horse. A sturdy charger, Gringolet was known far and wide for his ability in combat. He appears in very many romances in several different languages, and the prominent translator and Arthurian scholar D.D.R...
, a supernatural horse. Gwalchmai steals it and rides to freedom.
He tries to join Arthur's warband, but the High King is suspicious of his motives and refuses his service. Arthur has also heard rumors that Gwalchmai is a sorcerer, like his mother. Nonetheless, he cannot turn away his own nephew. Gwalchmai fights loyally for Arthur, earning a reputation as the finest cavalry
Cavalry
Cavalry or horsemen were soldiers or warriors who fought mounted on horseback. Cavalry were historically the third oldest and the most mobile of the combat arms...
fighter in Britain. He makes friends, among them Bedwyr
Bedivere
In Arthurian legend, Sir Bedivere is the Knight of the Round Table who returns Excalibur to the Lady of the Lake. He serves as King Arthur's marshal and is frequently associated with Sir Kay...
, Arthur's most trusted advisor, but the High King remains distrustful and the warband is strongly divided regarding him.
After much maneuvering, the armies of Arthur and Cerdic finally clash. At a crucial moment, Arthur's shield wall
Shield wall
The wall, is a military tactic that was common in many cultures in the Pre-Early Modern warfare age...
is broken and all seems lost. In desperation, Bedwyr leads the cavalry on a seemingly hopeless charge to try to rescue the situation. In a fit of battle madness
Berserker
Berserkers were Norse warriors who are reported in the Old Norse literature to have fought in a nearly uncontrollable, trance-like fury, a characteristic which later gave rise to the English word berserk. Berserkers are attested in numerous Old Norse sources...
, Gwalchmai rides to the forefront and singlehandedly breaks the Saxon line, making an opening for the following horsemen to pass through and wreak havoc on the Saxons. Cerdic's army is routed and the Saxons are forced to come to terms. But for his great feat, Gwalchmai receives only perfunctory thanks from a still-hostile Arthur.
With Cerdic quelled for the moment, Arthur takes his men north to combat Aldwulf's raids. However, he is surprised and trapped by a much larger Saxon army. With no other choice, Arthur has to attempt a desperate night attack to force a passage through Aldwulf's camp. He places his best warriors at the point of the attack. He reluctantly includes Gwalchmai, pledging to finally accept him if they manage to escape.
The battle goes in Arthur's favor, but Gwalchmai is seriously wounded. He recovers in a friendly holding, under the care of Gwynhwyfar
Guinevere
Guinevere was the legendary queen consort of King Arthur. In tales and folklore, she was said to have had a love affair with Arthur's chief knight Sir Lancelot...
, the daughter of the clan leader. When he is well enough, he leaves in search of Arthur. On the outskirts of the warband's camp, he encounters a peasant woman looking for help for her wounded husband. Knowing something of healing, he tries to save him, but the man is too badly injured and soon dies.
Gwalchmai meets Arthur. He surprises the Pendragon by announcing to all present that, because he has divided the warband, he is leaving. At that moment, the peasant woman shows up to thank Gwalchmai for his efforts. This finally convinces Arthur that he has been in the wrong. In private, Arthur asks Gwalchmai to stay. He lets slip that he dreaded that Gwalchmai would reveal his dark secret: Medraut is his son, the product of incest
Incest
Incest is sexual intercourse between close relatives that is usually illegal in the jurisdiction where it takes place and/or is conventionally considered a taboo. The term may apply to sexual activities between: individuals of close "blood relationship"; members of the same household; step...
, though at the time, he did not know that he and Morgawse were related. Ironically, Gwalchmai had never even suspected. Nevertheless, Arthur still wants him to stay, and Gwalchmai eagerly accepts.