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Sword Song (novel)
Encyclopedia
Sword Song is the fourth in the bestselling Saxon Stories
series from historical novelist Bernard Cornwell
. The protagonist, Uhtred, holds the fate of Wessex in his sword again and the book follows Alfred's efforts to protect Wessex and unite England. The book was released on September 3 2007.
Uhtred ponders this offer while Sigefrid invites him to watch the crucifixion of some Christian prisoners. Among the prisoners Uhtred recognizes his old comrade at arms, the Welshman Father Pyrlig. Uhtred decides to save Pyrlig (and lose his chance to join Sigefrid's plot). Knowing Pyrlig to be an experienced fighter, Uhtred tricks Sigefrid into promising the prisoners can go free if Pyrlig beats him in single combat - which he promptly does. Uhtred, Pyrlig and the prisoners leave London.
Returning to Wessex with Pyrlig, Uhtred is summoned by Alfred and ordered to plan an attack on London to dislodge the Norse brothers and turn the city over to Alfred's son-in-law and ally Earl Aethelred of Mercia
.
By stealth Uhtred's seaborne assault works and the defenders of London are caught out in the open as they sally forth to confront Aethelred larger attacking army. Wedged between what was their safe London refuge and the Saxons in front of them and Uhtred force behind, the Norse are defeated. A particularly cruel blow is struck by Osferth (King Alfred's illegitimate son) who leaps from the walls onto Sigefrid and injures him, leaving him crippled.
Sigefrid, Erik, and Haesten retire to East Anglia and fortune smiles on them again when Aethelred mounts a seaborne raid on their hurt forces. However they stay too long amongst their enemies after initial success and in the process, Aethelred manages to lose his wife, Aethelflaed.
Alfred is distraught at the threat to his daughter and is willing the ransom her from his foes. Uhtred is sent to negotiate the price and terms with Sigefrid. Whilst in their camp he learns that Erik and Aethelflaed have fallen in love, whereupon Erik and he plot to spirit her away from her captors; all without either of their leaders knowing what they plan.
The battle in the mouth for the inlet where the Vikings have holed up is as desperate as they come, with it often being none too clear who is fighting for whom. This climax to the narrative is fought over marshland, waterside, on ship and across ships. Erik is killed by Sigefrid, but Uhtred and his crew quickly gain victory over Sigefrid's own warriors, and Sigefrid himself is killed by Osferth. Aethelflaed is rescued and the story ends with Uhtred taking her back to her father.
The Saxon Stories
The Saxon Tales is a continuing historical novel series written by the historical novelist Bernard Cornwell about 9th century Britain. The protagonist of the series is Uhtred Ragnarson, sometimes known as Uhtred Uhtredson. Uhtred is born in Northumbria, but captured and adopted by the Danes...
series from historical novelist Bernard Cornwell
Bernard Cornwell
Bernard Cornwell OBE is an English author of historical novels. He is best known for his novels about Napoleonic Wars rifleman Richard Sharpe which were adapted into a series of Sharpe television films.-Biography:...
. The protagonist, Uhtred, holds the fate of Wessex in his sword again and the book follows Alfred's efforts to protect Wessex and unite England. The book was released on September 3 2007.
Plot summary
Uhtred is serving Alfred, King of Wessex, by building one of the fortified towns that will make up Alfred's system of defense against attacks by the Danes when he learns that two powerful Norse leaders have occupied nearby London, giving them the ability to interfere with traffic on the Thames to and from Wessex. He is contacted by his former friend, Danish chieftain Haesten, who invites him to a meeting across the Thames in Mercia. Haesten takes Uhtred to a graveyard, where a corpse appears to rise from the earth to tell Uhtred that the Fates have decreed he is to be King of Mercia. Torn between his oath to Alfred, whom he dislikes, and the temptation to become a king in his own right, he follows Haesten to London, where he meets the Norse leaders Sigefrid and his brother Erik. Haesten and the Norse brothers have a proposition for Uhtred: if Uhtred convinces his foster-brother Lord Ragnar of Northumbria to bring Ragnar's men to join them in attacking East Anglia, Mercia and Wessex, then Uhtred will be given the throne of Mercia while the others rule East Anglia and Wessex.Uhtred ponders this offer while Sigefrid invites him to watch the crucifixion of some Christian prisoners. Among the prisoners Uhtred recognizes his old comrade at arms, the Welshman Father Pyrlig. Uhtred decides to save Pyrlig (and lose his chance to join Sigefrid's plot). Knowing Pyrlig to be an experienced fighter, Uhtred tricks Sigefrid into promising the prisoners can go free if Pyrlig beats him in single combat - which he promptly does. Uhtred, Pyrlig and the prisoners leave London.
Returning to Wessex with Pyrlig, Uhtred is summoned by Alfred and ordered to plan an attack on London to dislodge the Norse brothers and turn the city over to Alfred's son-in-law and ally Earl Aethelred of Mercia
Earl Aethelred of Mercia
Ealdorman Æthelred was ruler of Mercia from about 883, when he submitted to King Alfred of Wessex. He married Alfred's daughter Æthelfleda between 882 and 887, and his title was "Lord of the Mercians". Although he had many attributes of a king, he was subject to the power of his close ally Wessex...
.
By stealth Uhtred's seaborne assault works and the defenders of London are caught out in the open as they sally forth to confront Aethelred larger attacking army. Wedged between what was their safe London refuge and the Saxons in front of them and Uhtred force behind, the Norse are defeated. A particularly cruel blow is struck by Osferth (King Alfred's illegitimate son) who leaps from the walls onto Sigefrid and injures him, leaving him crippled.
Sigefrid, Erik, and Haesten retire to East Anglia and fortune smiles on them again when Aethelred mounts a seaborne raid on their hurt forces. However they stay too long amongst their enemies after initial success and in the process, Aethelred manages to lose his wife, Aethelflaed.
Alfred is distraught at the threat to his daughter and is willing the ransom her from his foes. Uhtred is sent to negotiate the price and terms with Sigefrid. Whilst in their camp he learns that Erik and Aethelflaed have fallen in love, whereupon Erik and he plot to spirit her away from her captors; all without either of their leaders knowing what they plan.
The battle in the mouth for the inlet where the Vikings have holed up is as desperate as they come, with it often being none too clear who is fighting for whom. This climax to the narrative is fought over marshland, waterside, on ship and across ships. Erik is killed by Sigefrid, but Uhtred and his crew quickly gain victory over Sigefrid's own warriors, and Sigefrid himself is killed by Osferth. Aethelflaed is rescued and the story ends with Uhtred taking her back to her father.
Characters in "Sword Song"
- Uhtred Ragnarsson - the ProtagonistProtagonistA protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
, dispossessed Ealdorman of Bebbanburg, narrator - Gisela - Uhtred's wife
- Stiorra - Uhtred's baby daughter
- Uhtred Uhtredson - Uhtred's son
- King Alfred of WessexAlfred the GreatAlfred the Great was King of Wessex from 871 to 899.Alfred is noted for his defence of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of southern England against the Vikings, becoming the only English monarch still to be accorded the epithet "the Great". Alfred was the first King of the West Saxons to style himself...
- the King of Wessex - Aethelflaed - King Alfred's daughter and wife to Athelred
- AethelredEarl Aethelred of MerciaEaldorman Æthelred was ruler of Mercia from about 883, when he submitted to King Alfred of Wessex. He married Alfred's daughter Æthelfleda between 882 and 887, and his title was "Lord of the Mercians". Although he had many attributes of a king, he was subject to the power of his close ally Wessex...
- Ealdorman of Mercia and Alfred's son in law - Aethelwold of Wessex - Nephew of King Alfred
- Steapa Snotor - A fierce Saxon warrior, captain of Alfred's house troops
- Father Pyrlig - A British priest and warrior who is a close friend of Uhtred
- Sihtric Kjartansson - Kjartan's illegitimate son sworn to Uhtred
- Father Beocca - Uhtred's friend and teacher
- Father Willibald- West Saxon Priest and good friend of Uhtred.
- Thyra Ragnarsdottir - Father Beocca's wife
- Osferth - Leofric's nephew and Alfred's illegitimate son
- Ralla - Uthred's new shipmaster
- Finan (the Agile) - Irish ex-slave and captain of Uhtred's household troops
- Rypiere - a Saxon, one of Uhtred's household troops and oath-men
- Clapa - One of Uhtred's household troops and oath-men
- Cerdic - One of Uhtred's household troops and oath-men
- Sigefrid - A Norse warlord antagonist with an ambition to conquer Wessex
- Erik - Sigefrid's brother
- Earl Haesten - A prisoner who broke a life-oath to Uhtred who is now a powerful enemy (seemingly based on a Viking leader of the same name recorded in the Anglo Saxon Chronicle)
Publication history
- 2007, UK, HarperCollins (ISBN 978-0007219711), pub date 3 September 2007, hardback (first edition)
- The US release was published in January 2008.