From Manx Soc vol 23 - Appendices to Munch's Chronicle of Man]

APPENDIX.

[No. 54.]

BATTLE OF BRUNANBHRGH, AD. 938.

From the " Saxon Chronicle," Edited by Benjamin Thorpe.

Referred to in Munch’s Preface, page 8.

This year king Athelstan,
lord of earls,
ring-giver of warriors,
and his brother 'eke,
Edmund Etheling,
life-long glory
in battle won
with edges of swords
at Brunanburgh.

The board-wall clave
hew’d the war-linden,
with hammers leavings,
offspring of Edward,
as was to them congenial
from their ancestors,
that they in battle oft,
‘gainst every foe,
should the land defend,
treasure and homes.

The foes lay low,
the Scottish people
and the shipmen
death-doom’d fell.

The field streamed
with warriors’ blood,
what time the sun up
at morning tide,
mighty planet,
glided o’er grounds,
God’s candle bright,

the eternal Lord’s,
till the noble creature
sank to its setting.

There many a warrior lay
by javelins sdattered;
northern men
over shield shot
so the Scots eke
weary, war-sated.

The West Saxons
forth the live-long day
in martial bands
followed the footsteps
of the hostile nations.

They hew’d the fugitives
behind, amain,
with faichions mill-sharp.

Mercians refused not
the hard hand-play
to any of the warriors,
who with Olaf
o’er the waves, mingling
in the ship’s bosom,
the land had sought,
death-doom’d in fight.

Five lay
on that battle-stead,
young kings
by swords laid to sleep,
so seven eke
of Olaf’s jarls,
of the army countless
shipmen and Scots.

There was put to flight
the northmen’s prince,
by need constrained
to the vessel’s prow
with a little band.

The bark drove afloat,
the king departed
on the fallow flood,
his life preserved.

So there eke the aged
came by flight,
to his country north,
Constantine,
hoary warrior.

He needed not exult
in the falchion’s intercourse ;
he of his kinsmen was bereft,
of his friends deprived
on the trysting-place,
in conflict slain;
and his son he left
on the slaughter place
mangled with wounds,
young in warfare.

Needed not boast
the grizzly-locked warrior,
of the bill clashing,
the old deceiver;
nor Olaf the more
with their armies’ relics;
they needed not to laugh,
that they in works of war,
the better were
on the battle-stead,
at the rush of banners,
the meeting of javelins,
the tryst of men,
the clash of weapons,
that on the field of slaughter they,
with Edward’s
offspring played.

Departed, then, the North-men
the darts gory leaving
on the roaring sea,
o’er the deep water,
Dublin to seek,—
Ireland once more,
in mind abashed.

Likewise the brothers
both together,
King and Etheling,
their country sought,—-
West Saxon’s land,
in the war exulting.

They left behind them
the carcase, to share
with pallid coat
the swart raven,
with horned neb
and him of goodly coat,
the eagle ; while behind
the carrion to devour,
greedy war-hawk,
and that gray beast,
the wolf in the weald.

No slaughter has been greater
in this island,—
ever yet
of folk laid low,
before this
by the sword’s edge,
from what books tell us,
old chroniclers,—
Since hither from the east
Angles and Saxons
came, to land,
o’er the broad seas,

Britain sought
proud war-smiths,
the Welsh o’ercame—
men for glory eager
the country gained.