Hereward the Wake
Encyclopedia
Hereward the Wake known in his own times as Hereward the Outlaw or Hereward the Exile, was an 11th-century leader of local resistance to the Norman conquest of England
.
Hereward's base was in the Isle of Ely
, and according to legend he roamed The Fens
, covering North Cambridgeshire, Southern Lincolnshire and West Norfolk, leading popular opposition to William the Conqueror
. The name Hereward is composed of Old English
roots here = army, and weard = guard, and is cognate with Old High German
Heriwart and modern German
Heerwart. The title "the Wake" (meaning "watcher") was popularly assigned to him many years after his death.
. Another is that the early writers were living in a culture which was in many respects very different from ours. In some instances, by applying modern rules of living to things described more than nine hundred years ago, modern writers baffle themselves. For example, in the part of England in which Hereward originated, the old Danish Law then applicable More Danico
permitted bigamy.
Primary sources exist but are either brief or a little enigmatic. They are the version of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
written at Peterborough Abbey (ASC), the Domesday Book
(DB), the Liber Eliensis
(Book of Ely) and, much the most detailed, the Gesta Herwardi
(Gesta). To a small extent, they are sometimes mutually contradictory. This probably indicates, as the preface to the Gesta suggests, that conflicting oral legends about Hereward were already current in the Fenland in the late eleventh and early twelfth centuries. In addition, there is some partisan bias in the early writers: the notice of Hereward in the Peterborough Chronicle, for instance, was written in a monastery which he was said to have sacked, some fifty years after the date of the raid. On the other hand, the original version of the Gesta was written in explicit praise of Hereward,; much of its information was provided by men who knew him personally, principally, if the preface is to be believed, a former colleague in arms and member of his father's former household named Leofric the Deacon.
These primary sources have each been published more than once, with one form or another of commentary. The form in which they are generally available is therefore a secondary source. This has to be taken with care especially where they are published as a translation of the original Latin or Old English into modern language, without a transcription of the original. The further one gets from the original texts, the greater is the chance of mistakes and misunderstandings.
indicates that he was first exiled in 1054 in his 18th year. However, since the account in the Gesta of the early part of his exile (in Scotland, Cornwall
and Ireland) contains fantastic elements which suggest it is largely fictitious, it is hard to know if we can trust this. Peter Rex, in his 2005 biography of Hereward, points out that the campaigns he is reported to have fought in the neighbourhood of Flanders
seem to have begun around 1063, and suggests that Hereward in fact went to Flanders - meaning that, if he was 18 at the time of his exile, he was born in 1044/5. But this would be based on the assumption that the early part of the story is largely fictitious.
Partly because of the sketchiness of evidence for his existence, his life has become a magnet for speculators and amateur scholars. The earliest references to his parentage, in the Gesta, make him the son of Edith, a descendent of Oslac of York, and Leofric of Bourne, nephew of Ralph the Staller
. Alternatively, it has also been argued that Leofric, Earl of Mercia
and his wife Lady Godiva
were Hereward's real parents. There is no evidence for this, and Abbot Brand of Peterborough
, stated to have been Hereward's uncle, does not appear to have been related to either Leofric or Godiva. It is improbable that if Hereward were a member of this prominent family, his parentage would not be a matter of record. Some modern research suggests him to have been Anglo-Danish with a Danish father, Asketil: since Brand is also a Danish name it makes sense that the Abbot may have been Asketil's brother. Hereward's apparent ability to call on Danish support may also support this theory.
His place of birth is supposed to be in or near Bourne
in Lincolnshire
. Domesday Book shows that a man named Hereward held lands in the parishes of Witham on the Hill
and Barholm with Stow
in the south-western corner of Lincolnshire as a tenant of Peterborough Abbey
; prior to his exile, Hereward had also held lands as a tenant of Croyland Abbey
at Crowland
, eight miles east of Market Deeping
in the neighbouring fenland. In those times it used to be a boggy and marshy area. Since the holdings of abbeys could be widely dispersed across parishes, the precise location of his personal holdings are uncertain, but were certainly somewhere in south Lincolnshire.
According to the Gesta Herwardi, Hereward was exiled at the age of eighteen for disobedience to his father and disruptive behaviour, and he was declared an outlaw by Edward the Confessor
. It has been suggested that, at the time of the Norman invasion of England, he was in exile in Europe, working as a successful mercenary for the Count of Flanders, Baldwin V
, and that he then returned to England.
In 1069 or 1070 the Danish king Sweyn Estrithson
sent a small army to try to establish a camp on the Isle of Ely. They were joined by many, including Hereward. His first act was to storm and sack Peterborough Abbey in 1070, in company with local men and Swein's Danes: his justification is said to have been that he wished to save the Abbey's treasures and relics from the Normans.
In 1071 Hereward and many others made a desperate stand on the Isle of Ely against the Conqueror's rule. Both the Gesta Herwardi and the Liber Eliensis claim that the Normans made a frontal assault, aided by a huge mile-long timber causeway, but that this sank under the weight of armour and horses. It is said that the Normans, probably led by one of William's knights named Belasius (Belsar), then bribed the monks of the island to reveal a safe route across the marshes, resulting in Ely's capture. Hereward is said to have escaped with some of his followers into the wild fenland, and to have continued his resistance.
There is extant evidence for an ancient earthwork south of Aldreth
at the junction of the old fen causeway and Iram Drove. This circular feature, known as Belsar's Hill, is a potential site for a fort built by William to attack Ely and Hereward. There were possibly as few as four causeways onto the Isle itself with this being the southerly route from London, and the likely route of William's army. In Kingsley's 1865 work Hereward the Wake the name of the knight who bribed the monks to gain access to the isle is given as Belasius, and the feature is noted in Lysons' Magna Britannia
(1808 vol2, pt1, Cambridgeshire).
There are conflicting accounts about Hereward's life after the fall of Ely. The 12th century Gesta Herewardi, (of unknown authorship: first published by Thomas Wright in 1839 and translated by W. Sweeting for the 1895 edition) says Hereward was eventually pardoned by William and lived the rest of his life in relative peace. Geoffrey Gaimar
, in his Estoire des Engleis, says instead that Hereward lived for some time as an outlaw in the Fens, but as he was on the verge of making peace with William, he was set upon and killed by a group of Norman knights. The other possibility is Hereward received no such pardon and went into exile never to be heard from again. As this was the fate of a lot of prominent English men after the Conquest it is a distinct possibility.
to the otherwise unknown John of Peterborough. There are two main theories as to the origin of the tag. Popular legend interprets it as meaning "the watchful", and supposes that Hereward acquired it when, with the help of his servant Martin Lightfoot, he foiled an assassination attempt during a hunting party by a group of knights jealous of his popularity. However, it appears more likely that the name was given to him by the Wake family, the Norman landowners who gained Hereward's land in Bourne (Lincolnshire)
after his death, in order to imply a family connection and therefore legitimise their claim to the land.
Film and television
Music
Norman conquest of England
The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...
.
Hereward's base was in the Isle of Ely
Isle of Ely
The Isle of Ely is a historic region around the city of Ely now in Cambridgeshire, England but previously a county in its own right.-Etymology:...
, and according to legend he roamed The Fens
The Fens
The Fens, also known as the , are a naturally marshy region in eastern England. Most of the fens were drained several centuries ago, resulting in a flat, damp, low-lying agricultural region....
, covering North Cambridgeshire, Southern Lincolnshire and West Norfolk, leading popular opposition to William the Conqueror
William I of England
William I , also known as William the Conqueror , was the first Norman King of England from Christmas 1066 until his death. He was also Duke of Normandy from 3 July 1035 until his death, under the name William II...
. The name Hereward is composed of Old English
Old English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
roots here = army, and weard = guard, and is cognate with Old High German
Old High German
The term Old High German refers to the earliest stage of the German language and it conventionally covers the period from around 500 to 1050. Coherent written texts do not appear until the second half of the 8th century, and some treat the period before 750 as 'prehistoric' and date the start of...
Heriwart and modern German
New High German
New High German is the term used for the most recent period in the history of the German language. It is a translation of the German Neuhochdeutsch...
Heerwart. The title "the Wake" (meaning "watcher") was popularly assigned to him many years after his death.
Sources of our information
There is a wide variety of secondary sources of information, but the complexity of Hereward's story, as it has come down to us, has led to flights of fancy on the one hand and deep scepticism on the other. One of the difficulties is that most of the people who know the story have learned it from fictionalized versions, usually that of Charles KingsleyCharles Kingsley
Charles Kingsley was an English priest of the Church of England, university professor, historian and novelist, particularly associated with the West Country and northeast Hampshire.-Life and character:...
. Another is that the early writers were living in a culture which was in many respects very different from ours. In some instances, by applying modern rules of living to things described more than nine hundred years ago, modern writers baffle themselves. For example, in the part of England in which Hereward originated, the old Danish Law then applicable More Danico
More danico
The phrase more danico is a Mediaeval Latin legalistic expression which may be translated as "in the Danish manner" or "by Norse customary law". It designates a type of traditional Germanic marriage practiced in northern Europe during the Middle Ages....
permitted bigamy.
Primary sources exist but are either brief or a little enigmatic. They are the version of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
Anglo-Saxon Chronicle
The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle is a collection of annals in Old English chronicling the history of the Anglo-Saxons. The original manuscript of the Chronicle was created late in the 9th century, probably in Wessex, during the reign of Alfred the Great...
written at Peterborough Abbey (ASC), the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
(DB), the Liber Eliensis
Liber Eliensis
The Liber Eliensis is a 12th-century English chronicle and history, written in Latin. Composed in three books, it was written at Ely Abbey on the island of Ely in the fenlands of eastern Cambridgeshire. Ely Abbey became the cathedral of a newly formed bishopric in 1109...
(Book of Ely) and, much the most detailed, the Gesta Herwardi
Gesta Herwardi
The Gesta Herewardi is the name of a Latin text probably written around 1109-31, recounting the deeds of Hereward the Wake. The Latin text of about 1109-31 claims to be a translation of an earlier work in Old English, with gaps in the damaged original filled out from oral history...
(Gesta). To a small extent, they are sometimes mutually contradictory. This probably indicates, as the preface to the Gesta suggests, that conflicting oral legends about Hereward were already current in the Fenland in the late eleventh and early twelfth centuries. In addition, there is some partisan bias in the early writers: the notice of Hereward in the Peterborough Chronicle, for instance, was written in a monastery which he was said to have sacked, some fifty years after the date of the raid. On the other hand, the original version of the Gesta was written in explicit praise of Hereward,; much of its information was provided by men who knew him personally, principally, if the preface is to be believed, a former colleague in arms and member of his father's former household named Leofric the Deacon.
These primary sources have each been published more than once, with one form or another of commentary. The form in which they are generally available is therefore a secondary source. This has to be taken with care especially where they are published as a translation of the original Latin or Old English into modern language, without a transcription of the original. The further one gets from the original texts, the greater is the chance of mistakes and misunderstandings.
Life and legend
Hereward's birth is conventionally dated as 1035/6 because the Gesta HerwardiGesta Herwardi
The Gesta Herewardi is the name of a Latin text probably written around 1109-31, recounting the deeds of Hereward the Wake. The Latin text of about 1109-31 claims to be a translation of an earlier work in Old English, with gaps in the damaged original filled out from oral history...
indicates that he was first exiled in 1054 in his 18th year. However, since the account in the Gesta of the early part of his exile (in Scotland, Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
and Ireland) contains fantastic elements which suggest it is largely fictitious, it is hard to know if we can trust this. Peter Rex, in his 2005 biography of Hereward, points out that the campaigns he is reported to have fought in the neighbourhood of Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
seem to have begun around 1063, and suggests that Hereward in fact went to Flanders - meaning that, if he was 18 at the time of his exile, he was born in 1044/5. But this would be based on the assumption that the early part of the story is largely fictitious.
Partly because of the sketchiness of evidence for his existence, his life has become a magnet for speculators and amateur scholars. The earliest references to his parentage, in the Gesta, make him the son of Edith, a descendent of Oslac of York, and Leofric of Bourne, nephew of Ralph the Staller
Ralph the Staller
Ralph the Staller was a landowner in both Anglo-Saxon and post-Conquest England.He is said to have been born in Norfolk of Breton parentage. He held the military post of staller, roughly equivalent to the continental constable, under King Edward the Confessor...
. Alternatively, it has also been argued that Leofric, Earl of Mercia
Leofric, Earl of Mercia
Leofric was the Earl of Mercia and founded monasteries at Coventry and Much Wenlock. Leofric is remembered as the husband of Lady Godiva.-Life and political influence:...
and his wife Lady Godiva
Lady Godiva
Godiva , often referred to as Lady Godiva , was an Anglo-Saxon noblewoman who, according to legend, rode naked through the streets of Coventry in order to gain a remission of the oppressive taxation imposed by her husband on his tenants...
were Hereward's real parents. There is no evidence for this, and Abbot Brand of Peterborough
Peterborough
Peterborough is a cathedral city and unitary authority area in the East of England, with an estimated population of in June 2007. For ceremonial purposes it is in the county of Cambridgeshire. Situated north of London, the city stands on the River Nene which flows into the North Sea...
, stated to have been Hereward's uncle, does not appear to have been related to either Leofric or Godiva. It is improbable that if Hereward were a member of this prominent family, his parentage would not be a matter of record. Some modern research suggests him to have been Anglo-Danish with a Danish father, Asketil: since Brand is also a Danish name it makes sense that the Abbot may have been Asketil's brother. Hereward's apparent ability to call on Danish support may also support this theory.
His place of birth is supposed to be in or near Bourne
Bourne, Lincolnshire
Bourne is a market town and civil parish on the western edge of the Fens, in the District of South Kesteven in southern Lincolnshire, England.-The town:...
in Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
. Domesday Book shows that a man named Hereward held lands in the parishes of Witham on the Hill
Witham on the Hill
Witham on the Hill is a in the civil parish of the same name, in the South Kesteven district of Lincolnshire, England.-Geography:The village is between the and west tributaries of the River Glen, and despite its name, is not on the top of its 'hill', which reaches a peak one mile west towards...
and Barholm with Stow
Barholm
Barholm is a village in Lincolnshire, England. It is off the A15 road, eight miles south-west of Bourne.It is first recorded as Bercham in 1086; the name is from Old English beorg + hām or hamm and means 'homestead or enclosure on a hill.'...
in the south-western corner of Lincolnshire as a tenant of Peterborough Abbey
Peterborough Cathedral
Peterborough Cathedral, properly the Cathedral Church of St Peter, St Paul and St Andrew – also known as Saint Peter's Cathedral in the United Kingdom – is the seat of the Bishop of Peterborough, dedicated to Saint Peter, Saint Paul and Saint Andrew, whose statues look down from the...
; prior to his exile, Hereward had also held lands as a tenant of Croyland Abbey
Croyland Abbey
Crowland Abbey is a Church of England parish church, formerly part of a Benedictine abbey church, in Crowland in the English county of Lincolnshire.-History:...
at Crowland
Crowland
Crowland or Croyland is a small town in south Lincolnshire, England, positioned between Peterborough and Spalding, with two sites of historical interest.-Geography:...
, eight miles east of Market Deeping
Market Deeping
Market Deeping is a market town in Lincolnshire, England, on the north bank of the River Welland and the A15 road.-Geography:It is the second largest of The Deepings and its eponymous market has been held since at least 1220. The river here forms the Lincolnshire/Cambridgeshire border with...
in the neighbouring fenland. In those times it used to be a boggy and marshy area. Since the holdings of abbeys could be widely dispersed across parishes, the precise location of his personal holdings are uncertain, but were certainly somewhere in south Lincolnshire.
According to the Gesta Herwardi, Hereward was exiled at the age of eighteen for disobedience to his father and disruptive behaviour, and he was declared an outlaw by Edward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor also known as St. Edward the Confessor , son of Æthelred the Unready and Emma of Normandy, was one of the last Anglo-Saxon kings of England and is usually regarded as the last king of the House of Wessex, ruling from 1042 to 1066....
. It has been suggested that, at the time of the Norman invasion of England, he was in exile in Europe, working as a successful mercenary for the Count of Flanders, Baldwin V
Baldwin V, Count of Flanders
Baldwin V of Flanders was Count of Flanders from 1035 until his death.He was the son of Baldwin IV, Count of Flanders, who died in 1035.-History:...
, and that he then returned to England.
In 1069 or 1070 the Danish king Sweyn Estrithson
Sweyn II of Denmark
Sweyn II Estridsson Ulfsson was the King of Denmark from 1047 to 1074. He was the son of Ulf Jarl and Estrid Svendsdatter. He was married three times, and fathered 20 children or more, including the five future kings Harald III Hen, Canute IV the Saint, Oluf I Hunger, Eric I Evergood and Niels...
sent a small army to try to establish a camp on the Isle of Ely. They were joined by many, including Hereward. His first act was to storm and sack Peterborough Abbey in 1070, in company with local men and Swein's Danes: his justification is said to have been that he wished to save the Abbey's treasures and relics from the Normans.
In 1071 Hereward and many others made a desperate stand on the Isle of Ely against the Conqueror's rule. Both the Gesta Herwardi and the Liber Eliensis claim that the Normans made a frontal assault, aided by a huge mile-long timber causeway, but that this sank under the weight of armour and horses. It is said that the Normans, probably led by one of William's knights named Belasius (Belsar), then bribed the monks of the island to reveal a safe route across the marshes, resulting in Ely's capture. Hereward is said to have escaped with some of his followers into the wild fenland, and to have continued his resistance.
There is extant evidence for an ancient earthwork south of Aldreth
Aldreth
Aldreth is a hamlet in Cambridgeshire with about 260 residents . It is located near the larger village of Haddenham and falls under the same Parish council. Aldreth is surrounded by fenland on all sides and the River Great Ouse, or the Old West as the locals call it, runs close by...
at the junction of the old fen causeway and Iram Drove. This circular feature, known as Belsar's Hill, is a potential site for a fort built by William to attack Ely and Hereward. There were possibly as few as four causeways onto the Isle itself with this being the southerly route from London, and the likely route of William's army. In Kingsley's 1865 work Hereward the Wake the name of the knight who bribed the monks to gain access to the isle is given as Belasius, and the feature is noted in Lysons' Magna Britannia
Magna Britannia
Magna Britannia, being a concise topographical account of the several counties of Great Britain was an ambitious topographical and historical survey published by the antiquarians Daniel Lysons and his brother Samuel Lysons in several volumes between 1806 and 1822...
(1808 vol2, pt1, Cambridgeshire).
There are conflicting accounts about Hereward's life after the fall of Ely. The 12th century Gesta Herewardi, (of unknown authorship: first published by Thomas Wright in 1839 and translated by W. Sweeting for the 1895 edition) says Hereward was eventually pardoned by William and lived the rest of his life in relative peace. Geoffrey Gaimar
Geoffrey Gaimar
Geoffrey Gaimar , was an Anglo-Norman chronicler. Gaimar's most significant contribution to medieval literature and history is as a translator from Old English to Anglo-Norman. His L'Estoire des Engles translates extensive portions of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle as well as using Latin and French...
, in his Estoire des Engleis, says instead that Hereward lived for some time as an outlaw in the Fens, but as he was on the verge of making peace with William, he was set upon and killed by a group of Norman knights. The other possibility is Hereward received no such pardon and went into exile never to be heard from again. As this was the fate of a lot of prominent English men after the Conquest it is a distinct possibility.
Epithet "the Wake"
The epithet "the Wake" is first attested in the late fourteenth-century Chronicon Angliae Petriburgense, ascribed by its first editor Joseph SparkeJoseph Sparke
Joseph Sparke or Sparkes was an English antiquary, editor of some significant chronicles.-Life:He was son of John Sparke or Sparkes of Peterborough. Having been educated in his native city under a Mr. Warren, he was admitted a pensioner at St. John's College, Cambridge, on 11 July 1699, and...
to the otherwise unknown John of Peterborough. There are two main theories as to the origin of the tag. Popular legend interprets it as meaning "the watchful", and supposes that Hereward acquired it when, with the help of his servant Martin Lightfoot, he foiled an assassination attempt during a hunting party by a group of knights jealous of his popularity. However, it appears more likely that the name was given to him by the Wake family, the Norman landowners who gained Hereward's land in Bourne (Lincolnshire)
Bourne, Lincolnshire
Bourne is a market town and civil parish on the western edge of the Fens, in the District of South Kesteven in southern Lincolnshire, England.-The town:...
after his death, in order to imply a family connection and therefore legitimise their claim to the land.
Legacy
- HMS HerewardHMS Hereward (H93)HMS Hereward , named after Hereward the Wake, was an H-class destroyer built for the Royal Navy in the mid-1930s. She was assigned to the Mediterranean Fleet before and the ship spent four months during the Spanish Civil War in mid-1937 in Spanish waters, enforcing the arms blockade imposed by...
was an H-classG and H class destroyerThe G- and H-class destroyers were a class of twenty-four destroyers of the Royal Navy launched in 1935–1939. They served in World War II and sixteen were lost, with a seventeenth being written off as a constructive total loss...
destroyerDestroyerIn naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and maneuverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet, convoy or battle group and defend them against smaller, powerful, short-range attackers. Destroyers, originally called torpedo-boat destroyers in 1892, evolved from...
of the Royal NavyRoyal NavyThe Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
commissioned on 9 December 1936. - "Hereward" is the motto of No. 2 Squadron RAFNo. 2 Squadron RAFNo. 2 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is currently one of two RAF squadrons operating in the reconnaissance role with the Tornado GR4A and GR4 and is based at RAF Marham, Norfolk.No. II Squadron holds claim to being "the oldest heavier-than-air flying machine squadron in the world", along with No...
. They are based at RAF MarhamRAF MarhamRoyal Air Force Station Marham, more commonly known as RAF Marham, is a Royal Air Force station; a military airbase, near the village of Marham in the English county of Norfolk, East Anglia....
in NorfolkNorfolkNorfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
and their crest contains a Wake knotWake knotThe Wake knot , a type of decorative knot, is a heraldic knot used primarily in English heraldry. It is most notable for its appearance on the Wake family heraldic badge, where it is formed by an intertwining rope and strap.This knot is similar in appearance to a Carrick bend....
. - BR standard class 7BR standard class 7The BR Standard Class 7, otherwise known as the Britannia Class, is a class of 4-6-2 Pacific steam locomotive designed by Robert Riddles for use by British Railways for mixed traffic duties. Fifty-five were constructed between 1951 and 1954. The design was a result of the 1948 locomotive exchanges...
(otherwise known as the "Britannia Class") locomotive No 70037 carried the name "Hereward the Wake". - There is a long-distance footpath through the Cambridgeshire fenland from PeterboroughPeterboroughPeterborough is a cathedral city and unitary authority area in the East of England, with an estimated population of in June 2007. For ceremonial purposes it is in the county of Cambridgeshire. Situated north of London, the city stands on the River Nene which flows into the North Sea...
to ElyEly, CambridgeshireEly is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, England, 14 miles north-northeast of Cambridge and about by road from London. It is built on a Lower Greensand island, which at a maximum elevation of is the highest land in the Fens...
, called the Hereward WayHereward WayHereward Way is a long-distance footpath in England.The path takes its name from Hereward the Wake, the 11th century leader who fought against William the Conqueror, who had his base on the Isle of Ely that is located near to the middle of the path....
. - From 1980 to 2009, a local radio station broadcasting from Peterborough was called Hereward FMHereward FM102.7 Heart Peterborough was an Independent Local Radio station for Peterborough, Boston, King's Lynn, Cambridgeshire, south Lincolnshire and west Norfolk...
, before being relaunched as Heart Peterborough. - Hampstead has a preparatory school for boys called Hereward House SchoolHereward House SchoolHereward House School is an IAPS preparatory school for boys aged 4 to 13, located in Hampstead, London on Strathray Gardens, near to Swiss Cottage and the Finchley Road. There are currently 171 on the roll. The Headmaster is Mr Tom Burden, having replaced Mrs. Leonie Sampson at the start of the...
.
In popular culture
Folktales and fiction- Some of the legendLegendA legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
s about Hereward were incorporated into later legends about Robin HoodRobin HoodRobin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
. - Thomas BulfinchThomas BulfinchThomas Bulfinch was an American writer, born in Newton, Massachusetts. Bulfinch belonged to a well educated Bostonian merchant family of modest means. His father was Charles Bulfinch, the architect of the Massachusetts State House in Boston and parts of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C....
wrote about Hereward the Wake in his work: The Age of Fable, or Stories of Gods and Heroes (1855) . - Charles KingsleyCharles KingsleyCharles Kingsley was an English priest of the Church of England, university professor, historian and novelist, particularly associated with the West Country and northeast Hampshire.-Life and character:...
's novel Hereward the Wake: "last of the English" (London: Macmillan, 1866) is a highly romanticised account of Hereward's exploits, and makes him the son of Earl LeofricLeofric, Earl of MerciaLeofric was the Earl of Mercia and founded monasteries at Coventry and Much Wenlock. Leofric is remembered as the husband of Lady Godiva.-Life and political influence:...
of MerciaMerciaMercia was one of the kingdoms of the Anglo-Saxon Heptarchy. It was centred on the valley of the River Trent and its tributaries in the region now known as the English Midlands...
and the ancestor of the family of Wake. - Jack Trevor StoryJack Trevor StoryJack Trevor Story was a British novelist, publishing prolifically from the 1940s to the 1970s. His best-known work is the story for Alfred Hitchcock's comedy The Trouble With Harry, the Albert Argyle trilogy , and his Horace Spurgeon novels Jack Trevor Story (30 March 1917 - 5 December 1991) was a...
wrote a long dramatised life of Hereward for one of Tom BoardmanTom BoardmanTom Boardman may refer to:*Tom Boardman , British racing driver*Tom Boardman, Baron Boardman , English Conservative politician and businessman*Tom Boardman, Jr., American sf critic and anthologist...
's boys' annuals. - Cold Heart, Cruel Hand: a novel of Hereward the Wake (2004) is a novel by Laurence J. Brown.
- Hereward the Wake makes a significant appearance in Keeper of the Crystal Spring (1998) by Naomi & Deborah Baltuck, a historical romance/adventure set in a predominantly Saxon community 20 years after the Battle of Hastings.
- An Endless Exile (2004), by Mary Lancaster, is a historical novelHistorical novelAccording to Encyclopædia Britannica, a historical novel is-Development:An early example of historical prose fiction is Luó Guànzhōng's 14th century Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which covers one of the most important periods of Chinese history and left a lasting impact on Chinese culture.The...
based on Hereward's life. - Hereward is portrayed as a prototype Robin Hood, but a drug-taking, psychopathic arsonist to boot, in Mike Ripley's novel The Legend of Hereward the Wake
- Henry TreeceHenry TreeceHenry Treece was a British poet and writer, who worked also as a teacher, and editor. He is perhaps best remembered now as a historical novelist, particularly as a children's historical novelist, although he also wrote some adult historical novels.-Life and work:Treece was born in Wednesbury,...
's children's novel Man with a Sword was published by the Bodley Head, London, in 1962: Hereward is the hero of the story, in the first episode he is the champion of the Empress Gunhilda of Germany and at the end his life extends past the death of William I. - Hereward: Sons of the White Dragon (2008) and Hereward: The Fury of the Northmen (2009) are the first two volumes of a projected trilogy by Marcus Pitcaithly, incorporating legendary figures from the same region such as Tom HickathriftTom HickathriftTom Hickathrift is a legendary figure of East Anglian English folklore — a character similar to Jack the Giant Killer. He famously battled a giant, and is sometimes said to be a giant himself, though normally he is just represented as possessing giant-like strength.Various stories of his...
, the Toadmen of WisbechWisbechWisbech is a market town, inland port and civil parish with a population of 20,200 in the Fens of Cambridgeshire. The tidal River Nene runs through the centre of the town and is spanned by two bridges...
, and the phantom knight of Wandlebury. - Conquest by Stewart Binns (2011) is a historical novel covering the whole of Hereward's life in dramatic and bloody detail.
- Hereward by James Wilde (2011), a "brutal novel of revenge", first in a projected trilogy, with the next two titles, The Devil's Army and End of Days to be published in the future.
Film and television
- The BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
made a 16-episode TV series in 1965 entitled Hereward the Wake, based on Kingsley's novel: Hereward was portrayed by actor Alfred LynchAlfred LynchAlfred Cornelius Lynch was a British actor on stage, film and television.Lynch was born in Whitechapel, London, the son of a plumber. After attending a Roman Catholic school, he worked in a draughtsman's office before entering national service...
. However, not one episode of this BBC series has survived, according to the archive records. - Hancock's Half HourHancock's Half HourHancock's Half Hour was a BBC radio comedy, and later television comedy, series of the 1950s and 60s written by Ray Galton and Alan Simpson. The series starred Tony Hancock, with Sid James; the radio version also co-starred, at various times, Moira Lister, Andrée Melly, Hattie Jacques, Bill Kerr...
- Sid James claims Hereward stayed at Hancock's house as a ploy to get the house renovated by the National Trust. - Brian BlessedBrian BlessedBrian Blessed is an English actor, known for his sonorous voice and "hearty, king-sized portrayals".-Early life:The son of William Blessed, a socialist miner, and Hilda Wall, Blessed was born in the town of Goldthorpe, West Riding of Yorkshire, England...
portrayed Hereward in the TV drama Blood Royal: William the Conqueror (1990).
Music
- Progressive rockProgressive rockProgressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
band Pink FloydPink FloydPink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
referred to Hereward in the track "Let There Be More LightLet There Be More Light"Let There Be More Light" is the opening track on Pink Floyd's second album A Saucerful of Secrets. It was also released in edited form as the fourth US single by the group. A rare US-only single release contains edited mono versions of this song and "Remember a Day". The single did not chart...
" (1968), in which a psychedelic vision at MildenhallMildenhall, SuffolkMildenhall is a small market town and civil parish in Suffolk, England. It is run by Forest Heath District Council and has a population of 9,906 people. The town is near the A11 and is located north-west of county town, Ipswich. The large Royal Air Force base, RAF Mildenhall as well as RAF...
reveals the 'living soul of Hereward the Wake'. Lyrics by Roger WatersRoger WatersGeorge Roger Waters is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. He was a founding member of the progressive rock band Pink Floyd, serving as bassist and co-lead vocalist. Following the departure of bandmate Syd Barrett in 1968, Waters became the band's lyricist, principal songwriter...
. - He appears in the lyrics of the 1970 track "Darkness" by progressive group Van der Graaf GeneratorVan der Graaf GeneratorVan der Graaf Generator are an English progressive rock band, formed in 1967 in Manchester. They were the first act signed to Charisma Records. The band achieved considerable success in Italy during the 1970s...
from their album The Least We Can Do Is Wave to Each OtherThe Least We Can Do Is Wave To Each OtherThe Least We Can Do Is Wave to Each Other is the second album by the British progressive rock band Van der Graaf Generator. It was released in 1970. The album was reissued in re-mastered form, with two bonus tracks, in 2005....
. Lyrics by Peter HammillPeter HammillPeter Joseph Andrew Hammill is an English singer-songwriter, and a founding member of the progressive rock band Van der Graaf Generator. Most noted for his vocal abilities, his main instruments are guitar and piano...
. - Hereward is the subject of the track "Rebel of the Marshlands" by metal band ForefatherForefatherForefather are a folk metal band from Surrey, England.-History:The Forefather project was born in September 1997 in Surrey, England by founding members and brothers Athelstan and Wulfstan...
, in their 2005 album Ours Is the KingdomOurs Is the KingdomOurs Is The Kingdom is the fourth album by English metal band Forefather. Its title is a play on the line of the Lord's Prayer "For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory". The lyrics of the track are a statement against Christianity and a defiant will to reclaim the English kingdom from an...
.
See also
- CourteenhallCourteenhallCourteenhall is a village south of the county town of Northampton, in the shire county of Northamptonshire, England, and about north of London. The village is located in a cul-de-sac.-Governance:...
home of the Wake family which claim descent from Hereward. - Robin HoodRobin HoodRobin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
- Hereward FMHereward FM102.7 Heart Peterborough was an Independent Local Radio station for Peterborough, Boston, King's Lynn, Cambridgeshire, south Lincolnshire and west Norfolk...
Fiction
- Hereward: Sons of the White Dragon, by Marcus Pitcaithly, pub. 2008. ISBN 978-0-9556864-0-5.
- Hereward: The Fury of the Northmen, by Marcus Pitcaithly, pub. 2009. ISBN 978-0-9556864-1-2
- An Endless Exile, by Mary Lancaster, 2004. Paperback ISBN 1-84319-272-1, eBook ISBN 1-84319-125-3
- "The Last Englishman: The Story of Hereward the Wake", by Hebe Weenolsen, pub. 1952
- Man With a Sword, by Henry TreeceHenry TreeceHenry Treece was a British poet and writer, who worked also as a teacher, and editor. He is perhaps best remembered now as a historical novelist, particularly as a children's historical novelist, although he also wrote some adult historical novels.-Life and work:Treece was born in Wednesbury,...
, 1962. - The Saxon Tapestry by Sile Rice, a historical fantasy. Pub. Hodder & Stoughton, 1991
- "Cold Heart, Cruel Hand: A Novel Of Hereward The Wake and The Fen Rebellion of 1070-1071" by Laurence J. Brown, pub. 2004
- "Brainbiter: The Saga of Hereward the Wake" by Jack Ogden, pub. 2007
- "The Legend of Hereward the Wake" by Mike Ripley, pub. 2007
- The Camp of Refuge, by Charles MacFarlane, pub. 1844.
- Hereward the Wake, by Charles Kingsley, pub. 1866 (see below for text from Project Gutenberg).
- Conquest - 1066 The Year of Destiny, by Stewart Binns, pub. 2011 by Penguin.
- Hereward, a historical novel by James Wilde, pub. 2011.
External links
- The de Gestis Herwardi text
- Charles Kingsley, (1865)
- David Roffe, Hereward 'the Wake' and the Barony of Bourne: a Reassessment of a Fenland Legend, an academic article, pub. 1994
- Geoff Boxell "Hereward the Wake"
- BBC documentary on Hereward (streaming audio)