The Pale Horseman

361 Pages·2006·1.16 MB·English

by  Bernard Cornwell

THE PALE HORSEMAN
Bernard Cornwell
THE PALE HORSEMAN
is for
George MacDonald Fraser,
in admiration.
CONTENTS
MAP
PLACE-NAMES
ONE
These days I look at twenty-year-olds and think they are…
TWO
My anger was not slaked by Oswald’s killing. The death…
THREE
The crew of the Eftwyrd turned Fyrdraca had been at…
FOUR
I love the sea. I grew up beside it, though…
FIVE
Mildrith was excited by the summons. The witan gave the…
SIX
Steapa recovered his wits before I did. He stared openmouthed…
SEVEN
The kingdom of Wessex was now a swamp and, for…
EIGHT
Before the Pedredan reaches the sea it makes a great…
NINE
Ragnar embraced me. There were tears in both our eyes…
TEN
We rode south. We went cautiously, for folk said the…
ELEVEN
You will have many sons,” Iseult told me. It was…
TWELVE
Most men came in large groups, led by their thegns,…
THIRTEEN
The Danes made their battle thunder and we prayed. Alewold…
HISTORICAL NOTE
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
OTHER BOOKS BY BERNARD CORNWELL
COPYRIGHT
ABOUT THE PUBLISHER
MAP
Ac her forþ berað; fugelas singað, gylleð græghama.
For here starts war, carrion birds sing,
and gray wolves howl.
(From The Fight at Finnsburh)
PLACE-NAMES
T
he spelling of place-names in Anglo-Saxon England was an uncertain
business, with no consistency and no agreement even about the name itself. Thus
London was variously rendered as Lundonia, Lundenberg, Lundenne, Lundene,
Lundenwic, Lundenceaster, and Lundres. Doubtless some readers will prefer
other versions of the names listed below, but I have usually employed whichever
spelling is cited in the Oxford Dictionary of English Place-Names for the years
nearest or contained within Alfred’s reign, A.D. 871–899, but even that solution
is not foolproof. Hayling Island, in 956, was written as both Heilincigae and
Hæglingaiggæ. Nor have I been consistent myself; I use England instead of
Englaland, and have preferred the modern form Northumbria to
Norðhymbralond to avoid the suggestion that the boundaries of the ancient
kingdom coincide with those of the modern county. So this list, like the spellings
themselves, is capricious.
Æsc’s Hill Ashdown, Berkshire
Ætheling Aeg Athelney, Somerset
Afen River Avon, Wiltshire
Andefera Andover, Wiltshire
Baðum (pronounced Bath, Avon
Bathum)
Bathum)
Bebbanburg Bamburgh Castle, Northumberland
Brant Brent Knoll, Somerset
Bru River Brue, Somerset
Cippanhamm Chippenham, Wiltshire
Cracgelad Cricklade, Wiltshire
Cridianton Crediton, Devon
Cynuit Cynuit Hillfort, near Cannington, Somerset
Contwaraburg Canterbury, Kent
Cornwalum Cornwall
Dærentmora Dartmoor, Devon
Defereal Kingston Deverill, Wiltshire
Defnascir Devonshire
Dornwaraceaster Dorchester, Dorset
Dreyndynas “Fort of thorns,” fictional, set in Cornwall
Dunholm Durham, County Durham
Dyfed Southwest Wales, mostly now Pembrokeshire
Dyflin Dublin, Eire
Eoferwic York (also the Danish Jorvic, pronounced Yorvik)
Ethandun Edington, Wiltshire
Exanceaster Exeter, Devon
Exanmynster Exminster, Devon
Gewæsc The Wash
Gifle Yeovil, Somerset
Gleawecestre Gloucester, Gloucestershire
Glwysing Welsh kingdom, approximately Glamorgan and
Gwent
Hamptonscir Hampshire
Hamtun Southampton, Hampshire
Lindisfarena Lindisfarne (Holy Island), Northumberland
Lundene London
Lundi Lundy Island, Devon
Mærlebeorg Marlborough, Wiltshire
Ocmundtun Okehampton, Devon
Palfleot Pawlett, Somerset
Pedredan River Parrett
Penwith Land’s End, Cornwall
Readingum Reading, Berkshire
Sæfern River Severn
Sceapig Isle of Sheppey, Kent