The Battle of Beamfleote.
Oh sing sweet maidens sing songs of sorrow, lament now lament as the embers still glow. For many a Norseman’s bones are now powder while their dogs howl and cry to the fires below. Loki the God of the sanctified fire carry with you the spirit of man, cut down in their prime by a prince of Wessex, oh carry their soles from the place where they lie. In the wind now I hear the sound of the screaming, screaming and cursing as they fly to and throw, Swooping around with hands that are reaching, clutching at soles that don’t want to go, but no one escapes the clasp of the Valkyries taking their charge to the kingdom below.
We sailed from our land of ice and mountains, we sailed the seas from our winters Lair, leaving behind our wives and children taking with us nought but a prayer. “Odin, Lord Odin gracious and fair; travel with me now I have left the ploughshare. For this is the season to go raiding, raiding the lands over the mare; where the Saxon’s farm the fertile soil and the women are ripe, blond and fair. So guide me Lord Odin to that land void of snow and help blow my long boat to the Mercian shores. For I’ve heard tell that Haeston is calling, calling to all his brave Norsemen to go. And meet in a place where the trees greet the river and sail from there to the city hallowed below. Now Lord Odin, send me, send me brave Freyja send me the Goddess of love and the Goddess of war for what other want could a proud Norsemen dream of on his journey so long than love and of war”!
In the land of the Franks the times are poor, with faming and hunger our kinsmen did roar. “We must venture out in search of a savour; we must venture out in search of Danelaw”. Sealed by old Guthrum and the Saxon king Alfred, North of the Thames, the Lea and Ouse, up along Watling Street to the cold sea, this land of Britannia was ceded to me. Produced from a battle a treaty was signed, born from defeat a victory won, old Saxon King Alfred and good king Guthrum in the hamlet of Wedmore a treaty was signed. Now forty summers later our kinsmen’s bellies are swollen, not from good mead or the pleasures of time, but faming will forces those to sail over, faming will force us to re-draw the line.
So Lord Haeston we wintered with you, out on the Island out of full view, living on sea birds, fish and fresh mutton, we sung in the halls of great deeds long ago, we sang of our ancestors, we sang of the women that we yet to know, we sang songs of drinking, murder and pillage, we sang songs of women and how we would sow! Now it is time to leave little Milton and sail the short distance and off we must go across the wide river to the creek in the distance, to the creek at Beamfleote off we must go. 80 ships full of fighters six to an ore and 250 full of farmers who could settle a score; a great fleet waits in the creeks and the inlets in the creeks and the inlets of Cana for sure, where majestic meetings amongst the marshes, majestic meetings were held outside of the law. Trinovantes and Cantiaci, Catuvellauni and Iceni; the old tribes of Britannia they talked of revolt. Rebellion, uprising, it was not surprising they were calling an end to the Roman review. Now descendants of tribesmen once painted blue talk of Prince Edward and talk of him true.
So upon the shore of Beamfleote creek Haeston build his fortification strong and sleek, stout timber from the forest were sought and found and firmly hammered into the ground, a wide ditch was dug and filled with spikes; great beams were cut and raised to great heights; we drunk the ale and warmed on the fire while the blacksmith on his anvil hammered our power. But Haeston had yearnings for cardinal sins, so he put into protection of the garrisons men his wife and his children ages one and ten; locking up his treasure in the wooden keep he sailed away into the seas so deep. His mind was set upon pillage he stole the women and burnt their village. Elders complained he should prepare for war; alas he was out searching, searching for more.
Old King Alfred wirily and bold was chasing the Norsemen so it’s been told with Saxon might and carrying a cross driving our army until it was lost from Wessex lands and over the line his pursuit was relentless give no time for our great army to rally once more Old King Alfred was out settling a score. Edward and Ethelfaed some had been told were in London searching for gold to pay for the battle, the battle to come, East down the river where the Danes did work Edward and Ethelfaed would lay in cirque. The city merchants, freemen women and surfs pleaded to the princes for all their worth to save the old city their mood was grave, beset to the east to the East Saxon coast where the wind blows our ills from over the sea, Defeat these Danes and set us all free, free from the yoke placed round our necks, free from of the pillage of our towns, free of the threat that follows our women.
The Prince and Earl gathered a force that could fight and hid among the Hadleigh gorse with storm clouds bursting in the sky and lightning turning night to day, thunder from Thor’s great hammer drowned the sound of horn call battle roar as spear and arrow in air did fly many a brave Norse’ and Saxon die. And one could wonder what way the clash would ebb as Norsemen and Saxon stood among the dead, trading curses with spear and dagger shield not one man wanting to fall or yield, from cock crow to night fall and all week full Haeston stood his ground, Haeston stood tall but the prince of Wessex took the day with Ethelfaed help and Saxon yea. Great fires were made of our Viking ships as we fled overland to a kinsman’s fort, out to the Ness was our last besought with revenge on the lips but is came to nought; for Haeston’s wife and children were held by Edward who came and sought, Haeston’s hand upon the fact that if he wanted his family back then swear a pledge to the Wessex court that no more war would be fought upon Britannia’s shore. A vow that is written in the Viking law.
The Battle of Benfleet (once called Beamfleote) took place in the year 894 AD. Remains of the burnt Viking long boats and bones were found when the railway was built in 1855 The Church of St Mary was built soon after the battle and covers part of Haeston’s Fort.
Beamfleote = Benfleet in Essex
Milton = old name for the Isle of 10Kent
Cana = Canvey Island Essex
Haeston = Norseman leader
Edward = Prince Son of Alfred
Ethelfaed + Alfred’s Son-in-Law
Land of the Franks = France
