Here begins the preface of a certain work concerning the exploits of Hereward the renowned knight. The epithet "the Wake" is recorded in the late 14th century and may mean "the watchful", or derive from the Anglo-Norman Wake family who later claimed descent from him. [How the Anglo-Saxons wanted to view to view the Norman conquest – in a more positive light, standing on equal footing to Normans – rewriting history so they can re-establish equality of cultures, make themselves feel less like the underclass]. Hereward's career as an outlaw is shrouded in mystery, due to the lack of detail in contemporary sources and also to the rise of stories incorporated in the Gesta Herewardi (The Deeds of Hereward), written in the twelfth century, which claim that he went as a mercenary to Cornwall, Ireland and Flanders. Among them was a jester playing a lead, abusing the English people and performing antics in the middle of the hall meant in imitation of English dancing… Eventually unable to tolerate this any longer, Hereward leapt out and struck him through the single blow of his sword, and then turned to attack the guests. http://www.quizyourfriends.com/take-quiz.php?id=1310230929294524&a=1&, It is largely fictitious, so is not massively useful for finding factual detail. Because of its many fantastic elements, the Gesta Herwardi has received too little attention from historians. The document itself is a method of resistence – subversion of the Norman regime: perhaps an English attempt to rewrite history, Consoling the English for their losses to the Normans, Highlighting the methods of repression used by the Normans – backed up by other sources, Matthew Strickland argued that the Normans brought chivalry and the new rules of war to England in the aftermath of the conquest. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. It was filed under Uncategorized . Its author is anonymous. The existence of Hereward is not generally disputed, though the story of his life, especially as recounted in the Gesta, almost certainly contains exaggerations of his deeds and some outright fictions. It is the most complete and detailed account of his life that still exists today, though he is also mentioned in the Liber Eliensis, … Hereward is also studied by historians examining the legend of Robin Hood, as there are many parallels both thematically and structurally between the two, in terms of an exile defying an perceived ‘oppressive’ authority, and in some of the events of the legend which tie in with tales of Hereward’s adventures roaming through the Fenlands with a band of men. However, we believe that this source sheds light on the mentality of the Anglo-Saxons following the Norman conquest. Historian Hugh M. Thomas also draws a parallel between the deeds of Hereward in Cornwall and then in Ireland, and the earlier legend of Tristan, the Arthurian knight, suggesting that some of the events depicted in the. It is known that Hereward did exist, an entry for Hereward can be found in the, It is thought to have been written by a monk named Richard of Ely under instruction of Hervey le Breton, who was appointed bishop of Ely by William II. Sense of irony – while Hereward is a chivalrous character – the author of the source portrays the Normans as being the uncivilised people having beheaded Hereward’s brother and being drunk. One of history's "greatest Englishmen" wasn't really English at all. I was vaguely aware of the name, but not of his amazing life story and heroic deeds. •Marries a second wife. Because of this, it would be foolish to approach the source in terms of its factual content, as we would be liable to become embroiled in lengthy and ultimately fruitless discussions as to whether or not it can be trusted. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Hereward is eventually knighted by the Abbot Brand of Peterborough, apparently because his band of men would feel uncomfortable following him without him being a knight, which is strange since it suggests a tradition of knighthood from before the Norman conquest, for which there is very little other evidence. Although the author of the ‘Deeds of Hereward the Wake’ remains annonymous, it is possible to draw on some of the possible motives which may have existed… Glorifying the English and restoring a degree of chivalry and courage to their resistence against the Normans. The Deeds of Hereward. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Evidence that the land was seized by the Normans – Hereward’s family land is occupied by the Normans whom he slaughters in the extract.
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