THE SCENE: Facing the imminent destruction of his army, the king of the Saxons turns the situation around with both inspiring words and heroic deeds.
THE TEXT: When the king saw that the weight of the battle was now going against them, he spoke a few words of exhortation to his companions, as follows: “It is necessary for us to be of good courage, my soldiers, in this necessity, as you yourselves see, for you are fighting an enemy that is not far away but right in front of you. We are, I know, being overcome by this multitude. We should think it a shameful thing that we who now are lords of nearly all Europe should submit to these enemies. For it is better, my soldiers, if the end is near, to die gloriously in battle than to lend our lives in servitude, subject to our enemies, or possibly to be put to death by strangulation as if we were wild beasts. I would say more, my soldiers, if I knew that valor and boldness would be increased in your spirits by mere words. But now, let us begin the contest with swords rather than with words”.
With this he took up his shield and the sacred lance, and putting himself at the head of the horsemen he turned against the enemy, fulfilling the functions both a very brave soldier and a very great commander. The braver ones of the enemy at first resisted, but later, when they saw their companions turn their backs, being confused and surrounded by our men, they were destroyed. As for the rest, some, with their mounts exhausted, managed to reach some nearby villas; but being surrounded by our armed men they perished in the flames when the fortifications were burnt; others swam across the near-by river, but as the further bank would not hold all who were climbing up, they fell back into the stream and were drowned. On that same day their camp was seized and all their prisoners released; and on the second and third day the remaining men who were in the nearby town were destroyed, so that almost no one escaped.
– The Deeds of the Saxons, Widukind of Corvey, 10th Century AD
