Bourne Archive:
FNQ: Hereward Title
http:// boar.org.uk/ariwxo3FNQsupTitle.htm Latest Edit 14 Mar 2011
Web page © 2007 R.J.PENHEY With
thanks to the trustees of the Willoughby Memorial Library.
The Bourne Archive
Fenland Notes
and Queries. Edited by Rev. W.D. Sweeting, Rector of Maxey.
This quarterly periodical took the
form of a forum in which people sent in questions about the history, ecology
and so on of the Fens and
the region’s environs and others replied with some sort of answer. Often, the
‘answers’ seem to have been spontaneous, so qualifying as ‘notes’.
In the period, 1895 and 1897,
beginning with Part 25, April 1895, Sweeting included, as a supplement, his own
translation of S. H. Miller’s transcription of a medieval copy of an earlier
re-editing of the original, eye-witness version of the Hereward the Wake story.
That is re-presented here; each chapter to its own web page. It begins with
this, his title page.
De Gestis Herwardi Saxonis
(The exploits of Hereward the Saxon).
From an original Manuscript,
contained in a book compiled by Robert of Swaffham, in the possession of the
Dean and Chapter of
Transcribed by
S. H.
Miller, Esq.,
Fellow of Royal Astronomical and Meteorological Societies,
And
Translated by
Rev. W. D. Sweeting,
M.A.,
Vicar of Maxey, Market Deeping.
Geo. C. Caster, Market Place.
1895.
GESTA HERWARDI
It is some years
since the Dean and Chapter of Peterborough granted me permission to copy a MS.,
De Gestis Herwardi Incliti Militis, contained in
a book compiled by Robert of Swaffham. Dr. Perowne, the present [1895] Bishop of Worcester, was then Dean, and the Rev. S.
Phillips was the Cathedral Librarian. The latter afforded me every facility of
the accomplishment of my purpose, and placed the book in a room of the Diocesan
Registry, where I worked for several days, the book being safely secured in the
strong room at night.1
The character of the
writing (on velum) will be best understood by a reference to the illustration –
a photograph of the first page.*[1] Many of the words are considerably abbreviated, as will be
seen by comparing the illustration with the transcript.
It must be understood that in the
transcript here given that modern spelling is adopted in the terminations of
the cases in ć, the MS. Having no
diphthongs, and in a few other instances (quotidie
for cotidie, fortium for forcium, &c.) ;
and that proper names are
here always spelt with a capital, which is not always the case in the
MS.
This MS. is
undoubtedly the most ancient existing document touching the exploits of
Hereward, and tradition says that it has its foundation in a record written by
the mass-priest Leofric, in the lifetime of the hero. The original narrative
was lost, by some mischance, or only fragments of it were left, and upon these,
and perhaps some legendary tales, the learned Monk Hugo Candidus based
his story here reproduced. 2
Historians, no
doubt, have rejected the narrative as un-authentic, and assigned it to the
region of fiction ; and it must be affirmed that
although it is here put forth in its entirety it is not given as veritable
history ; at the same time it is difficult to understand how the Monkish
writers came to bestow so much care on that which had no ground-work of truth
in it. Hereward himself has been thought, by some, to have been a mere
imaginary being – a combination of heroic deeds personified. Genealogists,
however, have shown an unbroken line of descent in the family of the Wakes, who
have their seat to this day in Northamptonshire.*[2]
It is interesting to
note that a Statuette of the Patriot has been accorded a niche in the New Stalls
of Peterborough Cathedral, next to that of his reputed uncle, the Saxon Abbot
Brand, who knighted him as a leader of men.
A generous age has,
after 800 years, thrown a veil over the misdeeds of the daring soldier, who
despoiled the Monastery, it may not have been in a
sacrilegious spirit, nor in Danish wantonness, but to frustrate the Norman
Abbot and Monks who came to displace “honest Saxons.”
However that may
have been, let the deeds of Hereward live fresh and live long in our memories
as examples of valour and patriotism.
After having had the
MS. in my possession for some time, having kept it merely for personal
reference, I am glad now to have found a fitting channel for its publication,
and to have secured the co-operation of the Rev. W. D. Sweeting, M.A., Editor
of Fenland Notes and Queries, who has
kindly made the translation.
s. h.
miller.
March,
1895.
FNQ
Footnotes
*[1] The present [1895] Dean and Chapter have kindly permitted
this to be taken in the Cathedral Library.
*[2] See a paper by Rev. E. Trollope, M.A., in Associated Architectural
Societies Reports and Papers, Vol. VI., 1871.
FAC-SIMILE OF FIRST PAGE OF “DE
GESTIS HERWARDI INCLITI MILITIS.”
[The
photograph is a sample of the supplement’s frontispiece from Fenland Notes
& Queries, April 1895. For more details, click on the photo.]
RJP’s Footnotes
1.^ In 2007 it is in
the Seeley Historical Library in the
2.^ Although Hugo or Hugh Candidus is widely credited
with having written his Chronicle (e.g. Martin p.9 and Patrick Supplement), another
work in Robert of Swaffham’s Book, this foreword by Miller is as far as I am
aware, the only place in which he is explicitly credited with the Gesta
Herwardi text. However, Symon Patrick’s preface makes a point of drawing
attention to Hugh’s authorship of the older work in Swaffham’s
book of which the Gesta would be a part. On the other
hand, David Roffe
and others attribute the work to Richard of Ely but tend to give no
explanation. Since Miller too, does not explain his attribution, it has to be
accepted with reservation, though the circumstantial evidence of timing and
Hugh’s position in Peterborough Abbey, are consistent. The matter is discussed
in Appendix 1. Leofric
the Deacon’s participation at the earlier stage is reported in the text
(Chapter I) so is as reliable as anything we are likely to find from this
remote period. For convenience, I shall refer to the author as Hugh or Leofric
depending on which version is under consideration.
The strict accuracy of the claim that this is ‘the most
ancient existing document touching the exploits of Hereward’ is questionable. It
is certainly the most detailed of the early documents mentioning him but the
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle for 1070 and 1071 does notice him. This comes from the
Peterborough Chronicle (Version E:
Bodlean MS. Laud Misc 636), which was compiled in around 1120, after the
fire at
Commentary
Much has been
written about the Hereward story and some of that writing has been either
rather dismissive or superficial. A
fairly typical example of academic summaries of the account may be seen on the TEAMS site.
I am therefore
presenting the material as nearly in its original form as my level of
historical skill allows, so that the facts are available. I think the text
includes some valuable information on the process of our arriving where we are
at present in our social evolution, with corresponding insights into the world
as it is.
The material is
presented in the form of web pages, one to each chapter of the story. Each has:
1.
Miller’s
transcription of the Latin text.
2.
Sweeting’s
translation into English.
3.
RJP’s
commentary attempting to find intrinsic information which permits an assessment
of how historically reliable the text and translation are. As part of the
assessment process, the commentary aims to draw out information which is
disguised by the fact that the purpose of the original writers, Leofric and
Hugh, was an encomium rather than a ‘history’ as the term is understood today.
For this, the context provided by other sources is used.
The aim has been to
transcribe Sweeting’s publication exactly, so the
title is given as ‘De gestis
Herwardi Saxonis’, the
one Sweeting used. He translated it as ‘The exploits of Hereward the Saxon’.
However, Miller’s foreword calls it ‘Gesta Herwardi’ (Hereward’s Actions) and the caption of the
frontispiece calls it ‘De gestis Herwardi incliti militis’ (Of the
deeds of Hereward, the renowned soldier). The last is part of the first line of
the text. The word is not likely to be gestus, the fourth declension masculine noun (which
emphasises the character’s bearing and personal carriage). This noun, gestus has no
ending in either -a
or –is. As the OED (gest)
explains, it is rather, a neuter noun formed from the past participle of gerere, to carry
(which emphasises the actions, deeds or exploits). These endings indicate a
source in the past participle, nominative, neuter plural and past participle
ablative, neuter plural of gerere respectively. They would refer literally, to ‘things carried
out’ or ‘done’, thus to conduct, deeds or actions. [FWP]
Though it is often
said or implied in modern writing elsewhere, here it is only in Sweeting’s title that a claim is made for a Saxon cultural
background for Hereward. The text calls him Anglian or English depending on the
translator’s view but nowhere does it call him a Saxon. However, Sweeting was
not the first to use the title. In his lecture of 1861, Trollope (page 6) described the manuscript as “preserved among the muniments at
Despite appearances
in the above paragraphs, the aim has been to avoid too much narrow depth in
favour of a view which would draw non-historical disciplines into the
discussion. The Hereward story has been studied by historians who have tended
to dismiss it as a rollicking yarn. Without doubt, it is that but it contains
much credible, historical information and if this is to be understood, the text
must be read also, in a frame of mind which is receptive of its geographical,
political and anthropological information though this is incidental to Leofric
and Hugh’s intention of telling us about what a Frenchman would readily recognize
as Hereward’s beaux gestes. The
original author, Leofric, was not an historian but was recording his respect
for a friend with whom he had shared many adventures and dangers.
When Hereward was
born, the second millennium was only about 38 years old. In
For a description
of Robert of Swaffham’s book, see Martin, J pp. 7 – 12. This
source gives an impression that this text was fairly well down the list of
importance in Robert’s eyes. It occupies folios 320 to 339 of 339 folios.
Subsequent additions make a total of 374 folios. Its rescue from destruction in
1643 is described on p. xvi. See also Gunton
(index, Swapham).
RJP
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