Britons and Celts
A Legend in Battle
“With hard steel clubs they clattered at helmets,
Crushing down crests and crashing through brains,
Slaying infantry and armored horses,
Chopping down chevaliers on chalk-white chargers.” […]
Issues
Human Affairs
Out-of-Touch Medieval Elites
“Now one time while they were drinking, the king talked with the women and said: “How do you note the break of day, when the night grows light, if you can not see the heavenly bodies?” The maidservant answered: “This is how I note it: as a child I was in the habit of drinking quite a bit before dawn. And when I stopped doing that, I would still wake up at the same time, and that is my signal.” The king smiled at this reply and said: “That is a poor habit for a king’s daughter.”” […]
Humor
Wrestling With Power
” Kjartan plunged into the river and made for this man who was the best swimmer, and forced him under water at once and held him there for a while before letting go of him. No sooner had they come to the surface than this man seized hold of Kjartan and pulled him down, and they stayed under for what seemed to Kjartan a very reasonable time. They surfaced for a second time, and still they exchanged no words.” […]
Greek and Roman
The Emperor’s No-Good Step-Brother
“He also used to thrown the largest coins into cookshops and smash the cups with them.” […]
Britons and Celts
Young Merlin Speaks
“There emerged two Dragons, one white, one red. As soon as they were near enough to each other, they fought bitterly, breathing out fire as they panted.” […]
Medieval Mentality
What Can Change the Nature of a Man?
“Gentlemen, here is something that puzzles me, because I cannot account for it. How is it that in the kingdoms of Persia, which are such near neighbours of ours, there are folk so unruly and contentious that they are forever killing one another, whereas among us, who are all but one with them, there is hardly an instance of provocation or brawling?” […]
Greek and Roman
The Emperor in the Bath
“But on another day when several old men were rubbing themselves on the wall to arouse the emperor’s generosity, he ordered them to be called out and to rub each other down in turn.” […]
Viking
The One-Legged Viking
‘The Vikings laughed and said, “may the trolls swallow you whole Tree-Leg, may the trolls topple you all. It’s not often we see men go into battle who can’t even stand up for themselves.” Onund said that there was no telling until it was put to the test.’ […]
Britons and Celts
A Knight to Tend to Every Desire
“I have named a noble knight to act as your guardian,
Overlord of England, answerable to you only,
And that person is Sir Mordred, whom you have praised repeatedly
A deputy, my dear, to attend your every desire.” […]
Supernatural
Weird Wolves in the Woods
“Sigmund and Sinfjotli put the skins on and could not get them off. And the weird power was there as before: they howled like wolves, both understanding the sounds. They agreed then that they would risk a fight with as many as seven men, but not with more, and that the one being attacked by more would howl with his wolf’s voice.” […]