Well I should be studying....

      I've decided that writing in my blog about what I am studying, is studying. The Battle of Maldon. As is true for most Anglo-Saxon poems there is no known author. The only two known authors of poetry are Keniwulf and Deor. And neither wrote it. Well anyway it is about Brydnoth, and his fight against the Vikings. He perhaps did one of the most idiotic (but honourable?) things that one could have done. He and his army were sort of protecting an outlet from the Vikings. Maybe from there they could have successfully repelled the viking hoard, or at the least they could have made it more difficult to get killed.
                  These Vikings after demanding payment from the Mercians to leave them in peace. They were obviously refused. Then they asked to be allowed passage through, they would not attack.
                  AND HE BLOOM'IN LET THEM THROUGH!
                 Obviously for such stupidity he had to die, so halfway through the poem he was dead. He died in the battle field with the Vikings. He died a very honourable and noble death of course. But one of his men turned traitor after his death and fled the battle field on Brynoth's horse. This caused others to retreat and the few men who were left to recklessly throw themselves at the enemy in a glorious but somewhat fatal charge.
              To be fair I enjoyed the battle descriptions completely. I am slightly worried that I have become perhaps a little to taken with this society. I just have to enjoy the way they seem to think.