BoAr:FNQ:HerewardXVIII

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De Gestis Herwardi Saxonis.

XVIII.

Quare iterum in Flandriam discessit, ubi cito prædicanda opera fecit.

Quo facto in Flandriam ad suam conjugem quam dudum acceperat profectus est, ut interim ista tepesceret et suos pariter collocaret, illis, quos in Anglia reliquerat, promittens infra anni spatium se esse reversurum. Et ibi apud sanctum Odmarum ad suam conjugem et ad duos nepotes quos cum ea reliquerat perveniens, non illuc quadriduanum peregit diem, quin non statim a quodam præclarissimo milite provinciæ ipsius Baldewino ad quoddam certamen vocatus veniret, quod contra vicecomitem de Pynkenni1 acceperat. Ad quod conventum etiam dominus de Brabant cum suis insignioribus affuit. Ex facta expeditione taliter Herwardus cum duobus prænotatis nepotibus Siwardo Albo et Siwardo Rufo operatus est, et cum præfato nobili equite Baldwino qui eos ad hoc conduxerat, quod etiam pars adversaria eorum præconia non tacerent, sed maxime illos laudabant præferentes semper Herwardum in virtute laudis hujus ex causa. Quum enim nullius ex virtute vehiculo suo contra resistentem sibi istum valere conspicerent, in comitatu pene ultra progressus equum suum sub illo perimunt, vel sic eum undique coarctatum accepturi, pedestris factus et solitarius. Nec hoc quidem eis profuit, sed magis festine super ruentibus præcursoribus nocuit, his vii. occisis qui eum comprehendere præcurrerant. Tandem ab inimicis circumquaque vallatus a nonnullis adversariæ partis majoribus, virtutem ejus et animositatem percipientes, prius adjuvatus, amotis persequutoribus, talia secum ferendo, Indignum quidem est toto die multipliciter contra solum inferre manum et vix denique nil valere. Aut, si tandem superatur, quæ victoria nobis ascribatur, a multis unus superatus? Utque inserimus crimen nostræ gloriæ ; vix sero licet occubuerit, ipse merito præ cunctis est præferendus. Dum enim se sibi invicem a persequutione illius sic aliquantum revocaret, ut absque ferro sanus licet magno ingenio comprehenderetur, collega suæ parti superveniens eum eripuit. Qui ascensus equo omnibus quæ sibi contigerant refert, et quantum liberaliter sibi operati sunt recensiti, licet a suis vii. qui eum inconsulte invaserant, peremisset. Quod factum tantum utriusque parti contulit gratiam, quatenus omnes antequam dissociarent pro veneratione tanti militis ad pacis donum converterent, honoratus est ab eis et de muneribus.

The Exploits of Hereward the Saxon

XVIII.

Why Hereward departed again into Flanders, where he soon performed some noteworthy deeds

After which he went into Flanders to his wife whom he had lately taken, promising those whom he had left in England that he would return within a year1. And at Saint Omers coming to his wife, and to the two nephews whom he had left with her, he had not been there a fortnight (?) before he was invited by Baldwin2, a very renowned knight of that province, and went to a contest which he had undertaken against the Viscount of Pynkenni3. At which meeting also the lord of Brabant4 with his nobles was present. And on this expedition Hereward with his two nephews aforementioned, Siward the White and Siward the Red and with the aforesaid noble knight Baldwin who had brought them to the spot, behaved in such a way that even the opposing party could not withhold their commendation, but greatly praised them, especially selecting Hereward for their admiration. For on one occasion, advancing too far into the enemy’s lines, he was unhorsed and surrounded, being all alone.* But this proved of no use to his enemies, but was a speedy destruction to the men who attacked him, for he slew seven of those who attempted to seize him. At length being surrounded by enemies on all sides, he was helped by some of the principal men of the opposite party that admired his valour and courage, for they drove off his pursuers ; saying that it was an unworthy act for a great number of men the whole day long to be attacking a single man, and with difficulty prevail at last ; and besides, if he were overcome, what credit would it be to us if one were overcome by so many? Certainly we place a slur upon our reputation : and he, though he may fall in the end, yet ought deservedly to be esteemed above all. And while he was thus in his turn recovering slightly from the attack, so that without a sword, though unwounded, he might by great cunning be seized, a comrade coming to help of his party caught him up. And mounted on horseback he relates to everybody what had happened to him, and recounted with what generosity they had behaved, though he had slain seven of their men who had incautiously attacked him. And this produced such good feeling in both parties, that all who were formerly at variance, out of respect for so grand a knight, made peace ; and he was honoured and loaded with gifts.

Commentary.

?        [Sweeting’s query] Quadriduum means ‘a space of four days’ (Langensheidt). If quadriduanum has the same meaning then non illuc quadriduanum peregit diem will mean something like ‘up to that day, he had not been abroad four days’ - without being firmly asked by a most noble soldier of the province…

*        [Sweeting’s note] Meaning seems clear, but Latin, if correctly transcribed, very difficult.

1.       This piece of information is a reminder of the relatively slow speed at which the story evolves, with periods of silence punctuated by the episodes.

2.       This will still be Baldwin VI so the date will be between September 1067 and July 1070 inclusive. He was then succeeded as Count of Flanders, by Arnulf III, followed by Robert I from February 1071 to 1092.

3.       Unless it is something like Bingen, I have not yet found a convincing explanation of this name but names did change, St Omer was once Sithiu. See Baldwin I’s place of death at the end of this article. Picardy might have been a candidate but the name was invented only in the mid-thirteenth century.

4.       Presumably, he was on the opposing side. Brabant was across the border from Flanders, in the sphere of the German, Holy Roman Empire. This is somewhat before Brabant became a dukedom or even a landgraviate (the Germanic equivalent of a county) but Hermann II, Count Palatine Count of Leuven seems to be the best suggestion for this character. In the picture, (from Wikipedia) Hermann is the one without a hat. He is the Schwertführer (bearer of the sword of state) at the coronation of Henry IV as Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Clemens III on 31 March 1084. Henry’s father had died in October 1056 when the son was only six years old. The weakness of the emperor was at the heart of much of the unrest, vying for power and land-grabbing which was going on in this period between 1056 and Henry’s deposition in 1105. The pressure which Hereward was helping to apply from across the border in Flanders was doubtless part of this.

 

Contents      Chapter XIX