The Battle of Maldon
E503405
The Battle of Maldon is an Old English heroic poem commemorating a 991 AD clash between Anglo-Saxon forces and Viking invaders, notable for its themes of loyalty, courage, and tragic defeat.
Observed surface forms (2)
| Surface form | Occurrences |
|---|---|
| Battle of Maldon | 1 |
| Battle of Maldon (raiding context) | 1 |
Statements (46)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
Old English poem
ⓘ
heroic poem ⓘ literary work ⓘ |
| associatedWith | Æthelred the Unready NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| basedOn | Battle of Maldon (991) NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| countryOfOrigin | England ⓘ |
| criticalDebate | discussion of Byrhtnoth’s ‘ofermod’ (overconfidence or pride) ⓘ |
| depicts |
Anglo-Saxon warriors
ⓘ
Viking invaders ⓘ lord and retainers relationship ⓘ shield-wall combat ⓘ |
| famousQuotation | “Will shall be the sterner, heart the bolder, courage the greater, as our strength lessens” (modern English translation) ⓘ |
| featuresCharacter |
Byrhtnoth
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Byrhtnoth’s retainers ⓘ Viking messenger ⓘ |
| form | alliterative verse ⓘ |
| genre |
heroic poetry
ⓘ
war poetry ⓘ |
| historicalContext | Viking raids on late 10th-century England ⓘ |
| influenced |
modern English translations and adaptations of Old English poetry
ⓘ
modern historical novels about the Battle of Maldon ⓘ |
| language | Old English ⓘ |
| literaryPeriod | Anglo-Saxon literature NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| literaryTradition | Old English heroic tradition ⓘ |
| mainTheme |
comitatus (lord–retainer bond)
ⓘ
courage ⓘ defeat ⓘ feudal loyalty ⓘ heroism ⓘ honor ⓘ loyalty ⓘ tragedy ⓘ |
| manuscriptStatus | partially lost ⓘ |
| meter | Old English alliterative meter ⓘ |
| narrativeFocus | clash between Anglo-Saxons and Vikings ⓘ |
| narrativeMode | third-person narration ⓘ |
| openingLines | “Hige sceal þe heardra, heorte þe cenre, mod sceal þe mare, þe ure mægen lytlað” (in Old English) ⓘ |
| originalTextLanguage | Old English ⓘ |
| preservedIn | now-lost Cotton Otho A.xii manuscript (British Library) NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| setInEvent | Battle of Maldon (historical battle) NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| setInTime | 991 ⓘ |
| significance |
important evidence for late Old English poetic style
ⓘ
major source for Anglo-Saxon heroic ethos ⓘ |
| studiedIn |
Old English language courses
ⓘ
medieval English literature courses ⓘ |
| survivalState | fragmentary ⓘ |
Referenced by (3)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.
this entity surface form:
Battle of Maldon
this entity surface form:
Battle of Maldon (raiding context)