Arthur of the Red Robe Read online

"Her mother fussed over the prince and brought him broth and bread, pig and cabbage. Gwynyfawr slyly watched the proceedings from outside the house, until her mother called her to eat the leftovers from the meal—as was the custom then for the girls of the household, when the family had guests. She tried to slip behind the back of Germanianus, but he suddenly turned and they faced each other, staring into each other’s eyes.

  "Germanianus Arthurus couldn’t believe what he saw before him. And at that moment he knew that he had to have her as his Queen. Ennian had already asked Arthur to spend the night under his roof, but the prince had wanted to visit more households. Now he changed his mind, and plenty of ale was brought out for the men.

  "When it had had its effect, Germanianus took Ennian aside and asked for the hand of Gwynyfawr in marriage. He made it plain to Ennian that he could simply take her if he so desired—as was the privilege of the Royal family—but that he would abide by Ennian’s decision, because of Ennian’s lifelong loyalty to himself and his father. So there was no obligation for him to give his permission, and Germanianus would not hold it against him.

  "However, rejection never entered Ennian’s mind, as Arthur was a fine man, and he seemed to desperately want Gwynyfawr to be his Queen. He was obviously in love with her and Ennian knew that his daughter believed that she would one day marry a Prince. So how could he refuse to give his permission? Arthurus asked that nothing be said to Gwynyfawr, until he’d had the chance to talk to her the next day.

  "Everyone was so excited that they couldn’t sleep. Ennian was unable to say anything to his wife or their other children, but they knew that something important was happening. Germanianus could think of nothing else but the clear liquid green eyes of his future Queen. As for Gwynyfawr—well, she was just completely in love with him. And here she was, sleeping under the same roof as him—though shielded by the maiden screen, which was brought out at night to separate man and wife, and any guests, from unmarried maidens. Anyone listening that night would have heard the whispering and almost silent chattering that accompanies the eve of a big day.

  "At dawn, the household was buzzing with the prospects for the day ahead, even though only Arthur and Ennian knew what was in store. Gwynyfawr tried to avoid Arthur’s piercing eyes, which she could feel on her at every move. He followed her to the hens which she normally fed and collected their eggs. But before she reached the clucking birds, he called after her and asked if she would walk with him up towards the hill after which the village was named, Penchionhalh. It was a beautiful crisp spring morning and the whole world was conscious of its purpose: to bring forth new life and to look to the future.

  "Arthur talked of his ideas and ambitions, whilst Gwynyfawr listened without reply. Despite her independent way of thinking and her long held opinion that only she would decide the path of her future life, she was now completely love-struck. She had no idea what was going on in her mind. And when he started talking about his future, and the fact that he had met the woman he wanted to share it with, she had no idea what he was talking about.

  "Then she started picking up occasional phrases such as ‘sharing decisions together’, and ‘working for the common good’. He was obviously a good man and although the ruler of the land in which she lived, he was not pompous. Suddenly he spoke the words ‘marriage’, ‘her hand’ and ‘love’. She wasn’t sure in which order they were spoken, but she now realised that he was talking of him and her together—he wanted her to be his wife!

  "He turned to her and she looked up into his piercing blue eyes. She tried to speak, but the forming words were stifled as he kissed her full on the lips. Her whole body trembled, and she seemed to lose control of her limbs. She’d never been kissed before and had often imagined what it would be like; but nothing had prepared her for this. But one thing she did get right. She’d imagined a prince with copper-gold hair and blue eyes—and here he was, Arthur, Prince of the Votadini.

  "Eventually she was able to say some words, but they made no real sense, and didn’t need to! Without actually saying ‘Yes’ or even nodding her head, she’d accepted his proposal. He lifted her off the ground by her waist and swung her round till she was dizzy. Then they walked further until they reached the top of the hill.

  "As they looked over the village below and across the forest to the River (Wear), he asked her if she would like to have her home at Penchion. This hadn’t occurred to him before, but the more he thought about it, the more sensible it seemed. This area between (Tyne and Tees?) was the most susceptible to incursions from Brigantes, and it was logical for him to have a base here. So, just as his father had ruled from both Traprain and Gefrin, so he would have Gefrin and Penchion as his Royal Townships. He would spend six months at each. Gwynyfawr was thrilled at this because her family would be protected, and she would be with them for half the year at least.

  "As at Traprain and Gefrin, he would build a fortified township in the valley, with an impregnable retreat on top of the hill, to which the leading families could go in times of danger. He would also build a church in the village, as both he and Gwynyfawr had adopted the religion of the Romans, although as in common with most of our people at the time, they hadn’t abandoned the traditional Votadini worship of the Sun and stars. The church would be near to the foot of the hill, so that Christian worship could be combined with the Votadinian Hill Ceremonies.

  "The first of these ceremonies is the procession held twice each year, when the Sun changes direction in the sky and creates the longest and shortest day. The second is the ‘circle gathering’ at each full moon, when the elders of the village join hands on the hill to praise the beauty of the Moon and to seek its blessing for the fertility of the village maidens.

  "When they returned to her father’s house, the whole family was waiting with anticipation, as Ennian had already told everyone what was happening! An all-pervading silence had crept over the place; even the animals seemed to stop bleating or clucking, looking up and perking up their ears. Ennian and his wife came out to greet them, and their first sight of the young couple told them that a wedding was in the offing. Their faces beamed with smiles the width of their faces, as they walked towards the house. Gwynyfawr ran to her mother and father and told them the news. There were tears and shrieks of laughter. And when her sisters heard the news, there was giggling, hugging and dancing.

  "Arthur needed to talk to Ennian, and… was allowed to listen. He wanted the wedding to take place as soon as possible. He intended to live at Penchion for up to six months of each year, and he would build a fortified palace and church. Penchion would be one of his two Royal Townships—and he wanted Ennian to be its Governor. By allowing his daughter to marry Arthur, Ennian and the rest of his family would be part of the Royal Household and enjoy all of its privileges.

  "Arthur had to return to Yeavering to tell those of his family who hadn’t migrated to Gwynedd. He also dispatched messages to his father and brothers, telling them that the wedding would take place very soon. He didn’t expect them to come to the wedding, as he knew that the Irish from Hibernia were regularly pillaging the Western shores and they were needed to maintain the defences.

  "The wedding was held at Yeavering in the Royal Palace on the banks of the River Glein, and all of Gwynyfawr’s family attended. It was a marvellous, sunny day and the atmosphere was filled with gaiety and expectation. The Prince had chosen a beautiful and hopefully fecund wife, who would support him and provide many healthy children. She was obviously a very special person, who had immediately impressed his family and closest friends. And coming from peasant stock, she had no problem relating to the common people of the northern Votadini lands.

  “After the wedding, there was no time for endless festivities—at least not for the young couple. They made the long return trek to Penchion where construction of their new home was underway. And it was here that within a few months their first child Ennian Pesrud (that is me), named after Gwynyfawr’s father, but keeping Germanianus’s family name, was
born. (There was a collective sigh from the team at this revelation, but Pam continued) Over the next few years two more were added to the family, and with good harvests and no dangers from marauding armies—although the Brigantes were always causing some sort of trouble in the shared lands—life seemed to be blessed for the Votadini.”

  Wilko was the first to comment: “Well, there we are—we have the author’s name. That’s if there is only one author.”

  Chapter 7

  “Gerry,” said Wilkinson, “I can’t believe the detail of first-hand information we are getting from these records. Before this we knew practically nothing of this period. Now we KNOW what was going on.”

  “It’s just mind-boggling,” said Gerry, "and I wonder where Penchion is? I may be suffering from another flight of fancy, but could it be Penshaw, which used to appear on old maps as Pencher? I was born near there. Of course, it is now famous for Penshaw Hill and the Monument on top of it.

  “And, I’m sure you know this, Wilko, but in at least two of the Anglo-Saxon Chronicles, there is mention of a Synod or grand meeting at a place called Pincanhalh. Scholars have usually identified this as Finchale a few miles away, where an abbey was eventually built, but I thought of Penshaw Hill straightaway. I know this meeting was in the 8th century, or was it the 9th? But the site could have been in use as a meeting place for hundreds of years.”

  "Well, we can speculate about this later, but can I get on, please?

  ***

  "During the later decades of the Roman occupation, there had been an influx of mercenaries and their families from the lands of Angeln and Frisia. In return for their support, the administration had granted them farmland in the territory of the Parisii, which lay east of Eboracum. These people had thrived and with the reduction in influence of the Parisii, had become dominant in that area.

  "They were few in numbers to start with and were generally accepted by the local populace. But, as the years went on, more and more arrived until, eventually, they had set up quite sizeable settlements. Occasionally there was trouble with the Parisii and some immigrant families decided to move northwards.

  "Here in the North, in our land of Bryneich, the same situation developed. They were friendly with us at first, but it wasn’t long before there was strife between our people and the tribes of Angeln. The Angles and Frisians now formed war-bands and had started terrorising our families and Arthur (Germanianus) had to retaliate.

  "He had been at Penchion for the summer and Gwynyfawr had given birth to their fourth child Maelgwyn in the year 488, when news came of troubles between Angli and the people of North Bernicia. The Angles had settled on the coast, not 20 miles from Gefrin (Yeavering), and large numbers had suddenly arrived from across the sea. Many of the strangers were warriors, intent on stealing and spoiling. They terrorised the locals, creating fear and causing havoc.

  "Arthur had no choice but to bring together an army of strong and skilful men who would support him through thick and thin. They marched North with the intention of decimating the infiltrators and ensuring that the warrior bands could no longer function. But to Arthur’s surprise, the so-called warrior bands had organised themselves into a significant army. Preliminary skirmishes persuaded Arthur that he would need a much larger army if he was to have any chance of keeping them at bay.

  "He built up a substantial army at Yeavering, but even in the weeks it took to do this, his enemies were being reinforced from across the sea. This was now an invasion and our lands and the kingdom were under threat.

  "Whilst all of this was happening in the far North, other tribes from Angeln were landing on the shores of Linnuis (Lindsey/Lincoln) and it was soon apparent that they weren’t content with just living in isolated settlements. Eventually, family groups were combining and taking over whole areas. They were not Christian and even burnt their bodies on pyres, sending the odour of cremation in the direction of our people—poisoning them with disease and pestilence.

  "Arthur was constantly anxious about his own family at Penchion, and although he had provided a substantial guard to look over them, he never stopped worrying. News would take more than a full day to reach him, and he was always listening out for the sound of horses’ hooves. He felt that he needed to be with his family because regardless of what happened with the Angli, he had to ensure that his dynasty carried on. As the invaders were concentrating on the East of Britain, he thought about moving his family across the central mountains to the safer lands, where his cousins now lived in his father Cunedda’s kingdom. He himself would build up his defences, as he was determined not to give in to the Angles.

  "However, just as he was preparing to move back from Gefrin (Yeavering) to Penchion, news reached him that a band of invaders was heading inland from the coast, presumably to test his resolve at Yeavering. For hundreds of years, the Votadini had farmed the fields beneath Yeavering and even had homesteads on the plain of the River Glein, which they occupied when times were safe. The hill above Yeavering, known as the Bell, was their fortress to which they could retreat when danger threatened. Arthur had positioned lookouts on the surrounding hills and this gave him sufficient notice to move his people and have his men ready for action. The invaders must have been surprised when they arrived at Yeavering, finding a deserted township.

  "From the vantage point of Yeavering Bell, Arthur directed his men to travel down the hill by the Western and Southern routes, which were hidden from the plain of the Glein below, until they were within a mile of the township. They crept down in the early hours of the morning and, in a pincer movement, co-ordinated by the use of owl and wild-cat cries, the Votadini from the western approach attacked the Angli, still slumbering next to the river. Arthur’s men, wide-awake and totally familiar with the terrain, outclassed the Angli, who fled along the bank of the river to where it meets the River Till, only to find that the Votadini, coming from the eastern approach, were waiting for them. Very few Angli escaped, many being struck down in the mud where the two rivers meet. This was to be the first of twelve battles that Arthur would fight against Angli and Pict war-bands.

  "Elated by the victory at the mouth of the River Glein, Arthur now needed to decide whether to pursue his advantage and seek out other Angle war-bands, who were concentrating down the east coast of Bryneich (the English called it Bernicia) or to head back to his homestead at Penchion, which could already be under threat. He decided on the latter course of action and two days later, he was crossing the River Tyne at Pons Aelius (Newcastle), and several hours later he was holding his wife and children.

  "He now discovered that there had already been activity in the area. Many of the Angli were happy just to settle with their families and live peacefully but as always, there were power-hungry men who would stop at nothing to get their way. These men wanted to rule their own territories and could see where the current divisions in our lands were. Arthur was worried that they would attack Penchion and was determined to be prepared to defend his homestead. In fact, he decided to build an alternative home on the nearby Penchionhalh, a hill about a mile from the house that his family shared with Gwynyfawr’s family.

  "From the top of Penchionhalh you could see for miles around. The hill was very steep-sided on its North, South and Western sides. The Eastern slope was much gentler but he was determined to make it as impregnable as the other flanks. There was considerable woodland on the Eastern slope and this stretched for a couple of miles into the distance. His plan was to cut down all of these trees and use many of them to construct defensive palisades at different levels on the slopes. If he had had the time, he would have built a wall of rocks nearer the top of the hill, but this wouldn’t be possible as he thought he only had months, if not weeks, and he needed to start immediately.

  "All available men were brought in together with women and children for support. In parallel with the construction of the palisades, new dwellings were built on the flat ground at the top of the hill. This flat surface was a fraction of the size of Yeavering Be
ll, so they were only able to build homes for Arthur and Gywnyfawr’s extended family, plus accommodation for their guards. Animal compounds were also constructed as well as storage for meat, fish, fruit and vegetables. Water would be brought daily from the river (River Wear?), which was one to two miles to the North.

  "After about two months, Arthur decided to move his people up to the new defended homestead on Penchionhalh, and the houses at Penchion were now used for some of his war-band as a base for patrolling the surrounding area. The horses were also to be kept in compounds nearby. He was confident now that his family would be safe even if Angli raiding groups attacked. His men were very loyal and even if he was away from home, they would be able to fight the Angli off before they could even contemplate attacking Penchionhalh, which was so well defended anyway.

  "The threat from the Angli seemed to subside for a while, but the Picts were always creating a nuisance in the North and Arthur needed to spend half his time at Yeavering and Traprain ensuring that he had a regular supply of men who would fight in return for the spoils of battle. In fact, sometimes he needed to raid Pictish territory to show them that he was superior and of course to win the spoils to pay his men. Several battles were fought over a period of about two years, both north and south of the Guaul (Severus’s Wall, also known as the Antonine Wall), on the banks of the river called Clyde, on the banks of the lake called Lomond, and the Lennox hills, at the place known as Cambassas, in the region known as Catt and in the Caledonian Forest.

  "Whenever he returned to Penchion, there would be messages from his father and brothers, who had now established themselves in the former Roman city of Viroconium. They had managed to stabilise the situation in Powys and there was little trouble from the Angli, who were keeping to themselves.

  "However, eventually, the Angli started to encroach on Votadini territory again. They had been content to stay to the coastal plains and Arthur had been happy for them to do so.