A very interesting opening! I look forward to how this plays out and how the chaos will be navigated.
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@jak7139: Thanks so much for reading and commenting! I'm glad you've enjoyed the story so far.
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Lore: The Tribes of the Myrcna
The concept of “feudal” monarchies with primogeniture and landed aristocracies did not exist among the Ængelcynn (“Angle-kin”) in the eighth century. Instead, each kingdom consisted of a patchwork of tribes led by local chieftains called ealdormen, who were often compelled to swear allegiance to stronger neighboring warlords, particularly those powerful enough to claim the title of cyning (“king”). An early medieval Ænglisc king did not rule a place, rather, he ruled a people. For example, the king of West Seaxe ruled over the West Saxon tribe, wherever they happened to settle, as well as any other tribes the West Seaxe may have subjugated. Some ealdormen were themselves descended from lesser tribal kingships that at some point had become defunct.
The tribal kingdom that would one day be called Mierċe (meaning “the Marches”) was founded in the Midlands of Britain in the mid-sixth century by people known as the West Ængle (West Angles). In time, the Ænglisc settlers there came to be more commonly known as the Myrcna (“marcher folk”) because of their location on the fringes of Ænglisc settlement, on the borders with the native British people whom the Ængelcynn called the Wealas (i.e. foreigners, generally speakers of Brythonic languages). Although the ruling class was predominantly Ænglisc, a good number of the realm's inhabitants were Seaxisc, and there were also many who were of at least partly Wealisc descent, especially in the more western areas near the borders, as well as certain highland enclaves. The suffix “-sæte” in tribal nomenclature may indicate such mixed heritage.
In some respects, it was the Catholic Church that unified Mierċe more than its people’s ethnic heritage. It had only been a century since the Myrcna converted to Christianity, and by this time the realm was strewn with an array of monasteries whose mission was to ensure it stayed that way.
The core of the realm was the Trente (Trent) river valley, which divided the kingdom into northern and southern halves. The familiar shires and counties of modern England did not yet exist. Instead, the neighboring regions were settled by various other tribes who had submitted to the more powerful Myrcna either for protection from stronger rivals or through subjugation in war.
The following are the major tribes and subdivisions of eighth century Mierċe, along with some of its most important settlements:
North Mierċe (North Mercia): The original settlement of the West Ænglisc folk who formed the core of the Myrcna realm. Consisted of eastern Staffordshire, Derbyshire, and Nottinghamshire.
*Hréopandún (Repton): The old royal residence of the Iclingas, Mierċe’s kingly lineage, as well as the former episcopal see. It was still a prominent monastic center at this time, as well as the assembly place of the Myrcna Witenagemot, and the ancestral burial place of the royal family.
Suth Mierċe (South Mercia): An array of verdant river valleys that were the homelands of tribes such as the Tomsæte (“Tame-settlers”), Pencersæte (“Penk-settlers”), and Bilsæte (“ridge-settlers”), and by this time the heartland of the present kingdom of the Myrcna. Consisted of southern Staffordshire and northern Warwickshire.
*Tomeworthig (Tamworth): The main settlement of the Tomsæte and the present royal residence of the kings of the Myrcna. King Creoda’s mead hall was the center of a fortified complex that was constructed here in the late sixth century. It was originally intended as an outlying stronghold, but later kings expanded and beautified it due to its prime location and made it their capital.
*Lyccidfelth (Lichfield): The current episcopal seat of the Bishop of the Myrcna at this time, located seven miles northwest of the royal seat at Tomeworthig. The large wooden cathedral here held the reliquary of a saint, as well as the burials of a few kings who were not interred in Hréopandún.
Útera Mierċe (Outer Mercia): Lands representing the earliest phase of Myrcna expansion; the tribes here were subjugated perhaps as early as the sixth century and have been part of Mierċe ever since. Consisted of Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Rutlandshire, southern Lincolnshire, and northern Oxfordshire.
Middel Ængle (Middle Anglia): A collection of lesser Ænglisc tribes such as the Sweordora (“sword-shore [-dwellers]”), Bilmingas (uncertain, possibly “blade-severing ones”), and Hyrstingas (“people of the wooded hills”). They never coalesced into their own tribal kingdom and were first unified when the notorious heathen King Penda of the Myrcna made his son their petty king. Consisted of Huntingdonshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and parts of Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire, Hertfordshire, and Cambridgeshire.
*Ægelsburh (Aylesbury): Meaning “Ægel’s stronghold,” this fortified settlement was built on the site of an ancient hillfort that the Ængelcynn captured from the Wealas relatively early during their migrations to Britannia.
*Medeshamstede (Peterborough): One of the greatest monasteries of the Myrcna, in the territory of the Gyrwas (“fen-people”), near the borders of the Ēast Ængle. Originally founded in the mid-seventh century through a joint endowment from the kings of the Myrcna and Northanhymbra as a token of their piety.
Middel Seaxe (Middlesex): A Seaxisc tribe named for their location squarely between the Ēast, Suth, and West Seaxe. Dominated by the neighboring Ēast Seaxe for centuries until they were recently subjugated by King Æthelbald. At this time, the River Temes (Thames) marked the boundary between the tribes sworn to the king of the Myrcna on the north, and those owing fealty to the king of the West Seaxe on the south. Consisted of Middlesex, Greater London, and much of Hertfordshire.
*Lundenwic (Aldwych): A Saxon trading town built a mile west of the crumbling ruins of the old Roman city of Londinium, which the locals believed to be haunted by the ghosts of its former inhabitants. Merchant ships traversing the Temes had to pass through the shattered edifice of the old Roman bridge to reach Lundenwic. Its upriver location was ideal for a major trading port but in this period the site had not yet reached the level of commerce that had existed there in Roman times.
*Wæclingaceaster (St Albans): A possible enclave of Brythonic speakers that was secure in the old fortifications of the Roman city of Verulamium. This town was the cult center of the veneration of St. Alban, the first Romano-British martyr, hence the modern name. The Ænglisc name of the town means “the fortress of Wæcla’s folk.” “Wæcla,” in turn, may mean “foreign one,” as it seems to be a proper name that may derive from the same root as Wealas.
Hwicce (uncertain, possibly “wicker-folk”): A lesser tribal kingdom bordering the Wealas, whose kings had sworn fealty to the king of the Myrcna. Consisted of Gloucestershire, Worcestershire, and southern Warwickshire.
Magonsæte (“Magon-settlers”): A border tribe that settled near the Roman ruins of Magnæ Dobunni (Kenchester) from which they took their name. Their territory included the land called Arcenfelde (formerly the Wealisc realm of Ergyng) and the tribal lands called Westerna. Consisted of Herefordshire and southern Shropshire.
Wreocensæte (“Wrekin-settlers”): A border tribe that had recently settled in what was once the old Wealisc kingdom of Pengwern. They were named for the Wreocen (Wrekin), a prominent hill and landmark topped by an ancient hillfort (possibly called Wrikon in early Brythonic). Their lands consisted of northern Shropshire and Cheshire, as well as Flintshire in Wales.
*Wreocenceaster (Wroxeter): The old capital of Pengwern, by this point in Ænglisc hands. It was once Viroconium, the fourth largest city in Roman Britannia, which was itself named after the hillfort on the Wrekin nearby.
*Legaceaster (Chester): An Ænglisc settlement established within the sandstone shell of Deva Victrix, an old Roman fortress that was called Caer Legion (Brythonic: “Fortress of the Legion”) by the Wealas.
Pecsæte (“Peak-settlers”): A rough, upland tribe that inhabited the moors of northern Derbyshire now known as the “Peak District.”
Cilternsæte (“Chiltern-settlers”): A tribe that inhabited the Chiltern Hills, a long chalk escarpment stretching across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, and Bedfordshire. Although their origins are unclear, it seems likely that their more isolated hill country became an enclave of Brythonic folk who mingled gradually with the Ængelcynn in the neighboring valleys. The name “Chiltern” may derive from the same root word as “Celt.”
Lindisware (“Lindon-dwellers”): A northeastern tribe that settled near the borders of Northanhymbra. They were named after Lindon (Brythonic: “pool hillfort”), an ancient hillfort nearby. Their petty kings had been subjugated alternately through the centuries by both Mierċe and Northanhymbra, with their lands often serving as a battleground between those two regional powers. Roughly equivalent to Lincolnshire, particularly the ridings of Lindsey.
Útlande (“The Outlands”): A disorganized region roughly corresponding to Lancashire, described in the Domesday Book as “Inter Ripam et Mersam,” meaning “between the Ribble and Mersey [rivers].” During this period, despite regularly switching hands between Mierċe and Northanhymbra, it was largely a lawless stretch of farmsteads, small trading settlements, and brigand dens.
***
Author’s note: Old English terms like Mierċe (pronounced “Meer-cheh”) or Ænglisc (pronounced “Anglish”) can be perplexing for anyone without a background in Anglo-Saxon studies. The reason I’m including them is both to add a bit of early medieval flavor to the story and to distance the reader from the much more common-sounding modern English terms. The “green and pleasant land” now known as England was a very different place in the eighth century, and I want it to feel that way. So, if the pronunciation of a certain word gives you pause, please just ask!
You may have noticed certain recurring terms in Anglo-Saxon place names. Below are the meanings of some of the most common ones:
Ham - a home or estate belonging predominantly to a single clan
Wic - a trading village, port, or emporium
Tun - a fenced enclosure, i.e. a moderately-sized town
Burh - a fortified stronghold, usually with a sizable wooden palisade
Mynster - a monastic settlement or a cathedral with an accompanying town built around it
Ceaster - a heavily fortified settlement built on the site of some Roman ruins, often within the remnants of the old stone walls
I hope you've enjoyed this first history book update and are excited to jump back into the narrative with me for Chapter 1 in the near future. Thanks for reading!
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Interesting. So your intent is to intersperse history posts with the narrative going forward? If so, hats off for attempting such a blended style.
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Very interesting read, my friend! Wonderful. A true mark of a writAAR going above and beyond.
A true mark of a writAAR going above and beyond. What? You mean you write it with Æ but don't pronounce it as an Æ? That's...odd.
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Is this the early origin of the word "Wales?"
It's interesting to me that the Anglo-Saxons considered the native, Celtic people of Britain to be foreigners. Was there a lot of distrust between the Germanic and Celtic groups during this time? How well did they get along?
Is there a modern English equivalent for this word? Like with "ham" and "home" or "tun" and "town."
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@Chac1: Thanks very much. I’ve followed a similar format thus far with Omentide and Sundered Nation. I like how some authors (e.g. J.R.R. Tolkien, Brandon Sanderson, etc.) provide hefty appendices to their novels that constitute a deep dive into their worldbuilding. Since AARs of necessity are digested in smaller bites, I like to intersperse this sort of thing periodically. It helps add context without having to do a ton of worldbuilding in the actual narrative, which would not be as feasible in this format.
@Nikolai: Thank you, my friend. The Anglo-Saxon Æ is pronounced like the German “ä” or the English short “ă” sound as found in “apple,” or “ash.” The Old English name for this letter was actually æsc, which is also pronounced “ash” and was their word for ash tree. I hope that clears up any language barrier issues.
@jak7139: It is indeed the root of our modern word Wales. The Welsh call their country Cymru, which is pronounced something like “kum-ree.” It wasn’t just the Anglo-Saxons who used that sort of term either. In the early Holy Roman Empire, people of Celtic or Roman extraction (such as the French and Italians) were called Welsch, again meaning “foreigner, non-Germanic person,” although it is now considered to be a somewhat pejorative term.
There was generally no love lost between the Wealas and the Ængelcynn. They tended not to get along and would frequently raid across each other’s borders to steal livestock and other plunder, even periodically fighting vicious pitched battles over territory. This was in spite of the fact that the original Ængelcynn and Seaxe that migrated to Britannia had intermarried heavily with the locals and absorbed significant portions of the local population. It didn’t help that a lot of early Germanic legal codes (among the Franks, Saxons, Goths and others) treated foreigners like second-class citizens. That caused a lot of pressure among the locals to acclimate culturally and linguistically to be like the Germanic ruling class.
“Wick” is the modern analogue to wic that you’re looking for, as in “London-Gatwick.” It’s grown to mean a dairy farm of all things. Ham is also cognate with “hamlet” and burh with “borough.”
@Nikolai: Thank you, my friend. The Anglo-Saxon Æ is pronounced like the German “ä” or the English short “ă” sound as found in “apple,” or “ash.” The Old English name for this letter was actually æsc, which is also pronounced “ash” and was their word for ash tree. I hope that clears up any language barrier issues.
@jak7139: It is indeed the root of our modern word Wales. The Welsh call their country Cymru, which is pronounced something like “kum-ree.” It wasn’t just the Anglo-Saxons who used that sort of term either. In the early Holy Roman Empire, people of Celtic or Roman extraction (such as the French and Italians) were called Welsch, again meaning “foreigner, non-Germanic person,” although it is now considered to be a somewhat pejorative term.
There was generally no love lost between the Wealas and the Ængelcynn. They tended not to get along and would frequently raid across each other’s borders to steal livestock and other plunder, even periodically fighting vicious pitched battles over territory. This was in spite of the fact that the original Ængelcynn and Seaxe that migrated to Britannia had intermarried heavily with the locals and absorbed significant portions of the local population. It didn’t help that a lot of early Germanic legal codes (among the Franks, Saxons, Goths and others) treated foreigners like second-class citizens. That caused a lot of pressure among the locals to acclimate culturally and linguistically to be like the Germanic ruling class.
“Wick” is the modern analogue to wic that you’re looking for, as in “London-Gatwick.” It’s grown to mean a dairy farm of all things. Ham is also cognate with “hamlet” and burh with “borough.”
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The same German term (in its Proto-West Germanic form, *walh) that gives us "Welsh" also was borrowed into Proto-Slavic as *vòlxъ, which yields the usual term for Romance speakers in most Slavic languages.
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@Emissary of the Prophets: I always enjoy your linguistic insights. It helps incentivize me to make sure I’m really doing my homework when it comes to my background research. As always, thanks very much for reading and commenting!
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Awesome stuff, I always loved the Mercians most out of other Anglo-Saxons. What's always fascinated me most about them was the depth of Briton/Celtic influence among these border people, and how this influence made them distinct from the rest of the Germanics in the isle. Their tendency to seek allies among the Britons and their views on women especially jump out at me, as they actually had queens (as in the wives of kings were too crowned and held varying degrees of power) and we later see Aethelflaed even take charge of the (by then) sub-kingdom, as opposed to say the West Saxons who never crowned their women and denied them the title of Queen (at least until Judith).
The West Saxons went so far as to write tales about the "evil" poisoner queen Eadburh who poisoned her husband, attempted to poison another, loved to assassinate and execute people. She also seduced Charlemagne and when given the choice between Emperor Charlemagne himself and his son, Eadburh chose the son due to his younger age, spurning the literal emperor of Christendom which with his pride hurt told her that since she chose his son, she would now have neither and sent her to a convent. As if all that wasn't enough, she engaged in fornication within the Abbey she swore her bows in, and when the Emperor found out her riches were confiscated and she was thrown into the streets, where she died a beggar. Asser, King Alfred's own chronicler, wrote all this about her using her as the reason why the West Saxons prived women of all power. Hilarious typical medieval slander of women
A small nitpick though, as far as I'm aware, the Kingdom of Lindsay was (nearly) always spared of warfare as the armies of Mercia and Northumbria usually did their fighting outside of the kingdom itself, even if they were fighting over control of it. So rather than being a battleground, it was rather peaceful during the Heptarchy, although it changed hands frequently.
The West Saxons went so far as to write tales about the "evil" poisoner queen Eadburh who poisoned her husband, attempted to poison another, loved to assassinate and execute people. She also seduced Charlemagne and when given the choice between Emperor Charlemagne himself and his son, Eadburh chose the son due to his younger age, spurning the literal emperor of Christendom which with his pride hurt told her that since she chose his son, she would now have neither and sent her to a convent. As if all that wasn't enough, she engaged in fornication within the Abbey she swore her bows in, and when the Emperor found out her riches were confiscated and she was thrown into the streets, where she died a beggar. Asser, King Alfred's own chronicler, wrote all this about her using her as the reason why the West Saxons prived women of all power. Hilarious typical medieval slander of women
A small nitpick though, as far as I'm aware, the Kingdom of Lindsay was (nearly) always spared of warfare as the armies of Mercia and Northumbria usually did their fighting outside of the kingdom itself, even if they were fighting over control of it. So rather than being a battleground, it was rather peaceful during the Heptarchy, although it changed hands frequently.
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@Flinteroon: Thanks for commenting! The Mercians were indeed a very interesting kingdom with lots of colorful personalities. Watch out for Princess Eadburh. We might just see her down the line! As for battles in Lindsey, the Battle of the Trent comes to mind as a major one that took place within its territory.
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Oops I hope my comment wasn't a spoiler for future events then!
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@Flinteroon: Not at all! I intend to include all of the most colorful Mercian personalities whenever possible.
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This historybook update was informative! I wonder if we will see this system develop.
Also, will the natives ("foreigners") end up revolting?
Also, will the natives ("foreigners") end up revolting?
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@HistoryDude: I’m sure we will. In real life, Mercia under King Offa established a system of suzerainty over their neighbors, even larger regional powers like Kent, East Anglia, and Wessex. It was known as the Mercian Supremacy. Danish invasions after his death cut it short, however. Later generations implemented other innovations, like Alfred the Great’s ninth century system of burghal hidage, or Cnut’s implementation of earldoms in emulation of Scandinavian jarldoms in the eleventh century.
As for the restless natives, most of the mixed heritage tribes have embraced their identity as Ængelcynn by this point, but whether they’ve fully embraced being Myrcna in particular remains to be seen. Meanwhile, the princedoms of the Wealas on the other side of the border are recalcitrant and unforgiving.
Thanks for your comments!
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Interesting fact, and given that I live there, I thought I'd share....
It is technically still legal to kill a Welshman if you are in the grounds of Hereford Cathedral, but only before noon on a Sunday and only with a Crossbow.
It is technically still legal to kill a Welshman if you are in the grounds of Hereford Cathedral, but only before noon on a Sunday and only with a Crossbow.
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@AnthraxDaveUK: Thanks for commenting! I think that’s technically a myth, but it’s illustrative of the strained relationship between the two cultures just the same.
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@Kurt_Steiner: I think you might have just described the whole eighth century! Good to see you, old friend!
Good to see you, old friend!- 1
Just got to this one - very interesting setup so far. I'm not that familiar with the early Anglo-Saxon setting, I probably know more Arthurian myth than actual history from that period, and I'm enjoying the start, which is about as grim as I'd expect.
Looking forward to some more linguistic stuff here. Omentide had some Old English so far that was not too difficult to guess in context, here it will be more difficult, I imagine. I could say I know what the opening line from Beowulf means but that's cheating since I just remember it. Hwæt!
As a true sign of me being a non-Saxon barbarian, I keep misreading North Mercia as North Merica, as in the one speaking odd modern Ænglisc
Looking forward to some more linguistic stuff here. Omentide had some Old English so far that was not too difficult to guess in context, here it will be more difficult, I imagine. I could say I know what the opening line from Beowulf means but that's cheating since I just remember it. Hwæt!
As a true sign of me being a non-Saxon barbarian, I keep misreading North Mercia as North Merica, as in the one speaking odd modern Ænglisc
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